About aneill42

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Fortaleza, Brazil

Citizen Of:

Canada

About aneill42

Hi there! I am a Canadian who moved to Fortaleza, Brazil after 4 years and a disasterous marriage in San Diego, California. I remarried and Thieny and I have celebrated well over 5 years of marriage. After being inundated with questions about living here, i started Fortaleza Adventure, a service designed to assist people coming here. Most don't speak Portuguese andneed would like hep getting acclimated to the city and area. That's what i do! Before moving here I had a carreer in Canadian radio spanning more that 35 years.

My Website:

http://http://www.fortalezadventure.com

Advice for New Expats

Just be well prepared and don't move unless you really do have enough money in the bank to cover yourself.

I would love to live in...

Guaramiranga

HR/Relo
Professional:

Provider of Expat-Related Services & Products

Favorite Websites:

http://http://www.google.com

Some Forum Posts:

Brazil: DUAL CITIZENSHIP:

Hi there! You don't really need to become a Brazilian citizen to live here married to a Brazilian. All you need is a permanent visa and those can be obtained if you are legally married to a Brazilian citizen. I have one and I've been married here for over 8 years! Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: suggestions for landing in Brazilu:

Hi there! if you want to visit the best city on the Northeast coast, don't miss Fortaleza. There is a tremendous amount of activity going on here and the World Cup committee of FIFA loves us because our stadium is finished before anyone else. Also huge engineering projects going on near the city like a giant refinery and a steel mill, plus the expansion of the super Port at Pecem. Then there's the fact that we have the best climate AND beaches on the whole coast...in places like Jericoacoara, which is magical! Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: Help - considering moving to Rio from the US:

Hi there! There are cities on the northeast coast which can oprovide a great lifestyle and at a cost less than Rio or Sao Paulo. I would suggest that Joao Pessoa, Natal and Fortaleza are 3 that should be checked out in this category. The crime rate and congestion are present in many large cities but the quality of life is so important that there are ways found to combat any perceived negatives. Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: AA English speaking Salvador Brazil:

Hi there! There are many cities in Brazil which have nice areas...where Gringos and rich Brazilians live...maybe the mayor! But they also have many areas that are not safe. Salvador has more of them and they are worse than almost any city on the Northeast coast. This is sad because Salvador is basically "music city" for the coast! The same is true for Fortaleza, where I have lived for 8 years. I live where the wealthy people live because the police keep a very close eye on this area. It's also close to the ocean where I prefer to be. I hope your move goes well and your life in Salvador is safe. If you take the advice of your partner, you should be fine. Andy Neill Fortaleza, brazil

Brazil: Transferring to a Brazilian Federal University from the United States.:

Hi there! As far as cost of living is concerned, Rio and Sao Paulo are the highest in either North or South America. Floripa is very livable. SP is good for job hunting i think because it is more or less the business capital of Brazil, but it's expensive there.

Brazil: About to move to Recife:

Hi there! I live and work in Fortaleza, Brazil and I am wondering why you picked Recife as the city you would like to move to. There are more attractive and better cities on the Northeast coast such as Natal, Joao Pessoa and of course, Fortaleza. Of those mentioned, Fortaleza is the largest at 3.5M. As far as my city is concerned, a one bedroom apartment in the best and safest area of the city, which is also near the beach with great transport available, would be around R$1,500. From this apartment, you could walk to everything and not need to rent a vehicle unless you really wanted to. I live in this same area and have for 8 years. If yhou need more info, email andy@andyneill.com

Brazil: ENGLISH TEACHER IN SAO PAULO:

Hi there! Making enough money in Brazil to support yourself in a half-decent way is difficult. In most areas I've seen or heard about, you would have to be working every day, including Sunday, being employed by a school paying pretty well, like R$19-24 an hour, and then having private students with much of the remaining time. I know someone, a native speaker, here in Fortaleza, who is employed by the biggest private school in the city, and who has many private students but works from 8 am to 6-7 pm every day of the work week, including Saturday and then in the evening and on Sunday, has private students. He makes enough to have a really quite small flat near the beach, a second-hand car and some spending money. I know a lot of people who ask me about coming here and saying they could teach English to make enough to live on, but the problem is that the people who pay, don't pay much! I would investigate very carefully before moving permanently. I would try and talk to as many people as possible who actually do teach and find out as much real information as possible. Brazil is a great place to be if you have enough money, but not so good without it. I taught English language conversation for almost 2 years when I first came here in 2004, but even though the large school I mentioned above is still after me to come and teach for them, there is simply not enough money in it, and I would have to give up almost all my free time to teaching!

Brazil: New Traveler:

Hi there! With all due respect, i think you should also consider other places here in brazil before settling on either Rio or Sao Paulo. For one thing they are the two most expensive cities in either Soutn OR North America! I live on the Northeast coast of Brazil in a city called Fortaleza. I have taught English here as well and I know of schools here that would hire you. the city costs less than in the south and we have much better weather and beaches. If you would like to ask more questions or talk to me about Fortaleza or the Northeast coast, please email andy@andyneill.com and by email, send me your phone number in the US or Canada and I can call you from here. i have been assisting visitors since 2005.

Brazil: Permanat Residency vs Brazilian Citizenship:

Hi there! I'm not sure what the fees are but you can check the Brazilian government sites on-line. For normal expats, it's just as well to keep going with your permanencia and forget becoming a citizen. The only important thing it does for you is allowing you to vote.

Brazil: Fortalaza:

Hi there! Please email and I can give you a lot of information on the city. I have lived here since 2004, married to a Brazilian lady and running two businesses. I know a number of expats here and can get you first hand information on almost anything. Google Fortaleza Adventure! Then get in touch with the contact page. I would enjoy talking to you about my city.

Date Joined:

5/3/2010

Total Posts:

196

Posts/Day:

0.08