About L2Design

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Macae, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Citizen Of:

United States

Dual Citizen Of:

Peru

Some Forum Posts:

Brazil: Leaving NYC for SP... am I crazy... advice pls!:

I concur with this last post... I'm so happy to be back in the USA!!! Brazil was a disappointment. I personally know of 6 muggings at knife or gun point in the oil city of Macae. One was a 16 yr old teen expats son that was mugged. They are very racist against gringos or expats. My husband could not get his SIM card even though we had our CPF cards. A car alone costs $60,000US for a small ugly FIAT. Save yourself a lot of anguish.. stay in USA. Hugs and hope all goes well.. im happy to be back in America the beautiful where its a quilt of people from all over. --L

Brazil: What's the Interest Rate on Brazil Savings?:

Be careful with the banks here.. never ever take out a loan .. they're like the mafia... they charge you by the month not by the year...but savings i think you can get 5% a friend told me. Lived it... Ethical and portugues.. LOL

Brazil: Coaching Soccer in Brazil:

Oh hey! I just did a free flyer for the Macae soccer club -- I can give you Patchy's email so you can contact her directly. Patricia (Patchy) pat.toledo9@gmail.com

Brazil: Advice for English Teacher Living in Brasil:

There are tons of brazilian women that just prey over expat men and their money -- marry one and have a kid.. then you become a permanent resident. I'm getting the hell outta here...

Brazil: It this site searchable?:

Well in Macae i noticed they add 19% tax on EVERYTHING. $18US for a can of cranberry sauce $15US for a small pint of Haagen Daz. Unless you eat fruits and veggies, you'd better bring mula $$$.

Brazil: Looking for Americans Moving to Brazil:

Let me try to find a family here in this god awful place called Brazil... I know alot of expats here... $500 is meh... but ok.

Brazil: where to live in brazil:

Well... Brazil... You need a CPF to do anything here -- naziland. To open a bank/atm/cash. I'm not sure you can buy a house without a CPF card. I think you'd need a visa longer than the tourist visa of 3 months? The work visa is hard to get and may take 8 months. A car here costs like $50,000 for a small FIAT! I'm not kidding. You can bring your own but they tax it like 6 times here. We live in Macae and the condos here are going up in price--you can find places/condos for $150k REAIS. I wouldnt live here.. I want to leave. People are weird here. I've been here 8 months and I personally know of 6 ppl getting mugged at gun or knife point.. one being a teen 15 yr boy. They're cold and uncaring. I have a huge dog so they're scared about dogs. If you have a house, it will get stolen unless you have a big dog. Just some things to think about... I can use my USA bank card here just fyi... so you can use that to get cash out or pay etc... my dad mails me packages/bills from the USA via USPriorty mail... takes 10 days.

Brazil: Brazil Accommodations needed:

What part in Brazil? .............................. We are in Macae.. and I can warn you now... the daycare places here LIE to your face about how many children per teacher--my friends said they ALL had them lie to them. I know of a 15 yr old that got mugged. I know 5 people that got mugged. Just a knife and the just want money but still.. its traumatising. We're not the only ones that have been bamboozled by the company our husbands work for.. SLB.. they lie to him also... about the pay and putting them as "trainees" when they came down as International Mobile. We will NEVER do this again. I'm selling all the new furtniture and appliance we've gotten. And I AM LEAVING! Its better to do 28/28 and stay at your home. They discrimate against expats here big time. My hubby was told NOT YOU.. when he wanted to buy a SIM chip for the cell phone. I've been to India and they're poorer than gandi and they were NICE to us. People here in Macae are just hateful and jealous and petty. They'll smile at you and stab you in the back (at work). Well, you get the picture... dont get a house here, they'll come in and steal stuff... I have a big dog and they're scared to death of her ahahhahaahah they're real woosies about dogs. BE WARNED... Good luck!

Brazil: CPF and owing:

My friend left brazil and he owes money to a loan that he never asked for via Santander... the company he worked for made him open up a Santander account and not knowing the language--he said SIM to this $20k loan and the interest is ridiculous! what happens if you leave the country owing.. or he has one traffic ticket/speed over 8 mph...

Brazil: Getting stuff mailed/FedExed to you:

I never got my Fedx. My dad sent me packages via the USPriority boxes and they arrived untouched. The bigger box is like $43 US to mail and just put NO COMMERCIAL VALUE and the contents, documents, vitamins etc and it will arrive. Mine did.

Date Joined:

11/7/2010

Total Posts:

24

Posts/Day:

0.01