About Salbelle

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Some Forum Posts:

Brazil: "An Expat's View From Abroad":

Hello Steve, What a great accomplishment to write a book about your expat experiences! II am really looking forward to reading your book! We are a family of five living in Curitiba Brazil. We are always interested in hearing accounts of others living in Brazil!! Congrats and we will let you know what we think. Warm regards. . Sallie

Brazil: Expats in Curitiba?:

We are expats here in Curitiba. Are you here now? Let me know how I can help. We are from the United States and have lived here for 8 months. Sallie

Brazil: Curitiba in English:

Thanks for this very useful website! Our American family arrived here in Curitiba in July 2012 so any help we can get, we appreciate!!

Brazil: suggestions for landing in Brazilu:

Hello, We are a family of five living in Curitiba. We lived in Curitiba from 1999 to 2002 when our children were very young. In fact, I came to Curitiba pregnant so we experienced the healthcare systerm right away. We have been very impressed with the healthcare system here. We have Unimed insurance (one of the best medical insurances anywhere). Brazil is very PROactive in that they support preventative care. Almost everything is covered which is so different than the U.S. We are nov living again in Curitiba and our children are 13,15 and 17. Curitiba is an excellent city in which to live. More green space per person than anywhere in Brazil. The parks are amazing, the restaurants are fantastic and the quality of life is high. We are really enjoying our time here. Good luck with your search. Like the U.S., each part of Brazil is very different than other parts so you may need to stay in a variety of cities before you make your decision. Have a wonderful holiday!

Brazil: New Traveler:

Hello New Traveler! I applaud your desire to get "outside your box" and travel to another county!! I am curious what made you pick Brazil? I am an American living in Curitiba. Before I moved here with my family, I was told that Curitiba is one of the best cities in Brazil and 95% of Curitibanos are happy with their quality of life here. It really is a great city. The parks are amazing and tucked throughout the mainly urban backdrop. It is relatively easy to get around once you understand the main streets and there are many helpful road signs guilding you along your way. The restaurants are some of the best in the world and the shopping malls are top notch. Make no mistake though, it is a very challenging transition. I lived in Cuririba 10 years ago for a total of three years. I thought returning would be easy and it has been anything but easy. Things are challenging and sometimes very frustrating. The most difficult thing for me and my children is the lack of ability to converse with people. We are all learning Portuguese but it takes a long time to be able to really speak the language with all its inuendoes. My kids are desperate to "joke around" with the kids their age but alas, when all you can say is, "Where is the bathroom" or "I am thirsty", you can feel very unconnected from people and that's what we are going through right now. I find Brazilians to be warm and kind yet you have to really get to know them before you uncover these qualities. Be realistic with your expectations and be patient with the long process it will take for r Brazil to feel like "home". If you come with a romanticized view of the country, you are going to have a difficult time. While Brazil is an amazing country, I am sure you will lfind it VERY different from the place you live now. In some ways, this is exciting and wonderful. In other ways, you may find yourself lost and loney for awhile. Do as much "homework" as you can before you leave your country. I must say that I would NEVER consider moving to Sao Paulo. It is a city of millions and from what I hear, the infastructure is collapsing under the weight of all these people. And Rio is so expensive. Do consider Curitiba or the other cities people are blogging about. I think your choice of cities to start your new experience is vital at this point. BEST of luck to you and again, I give you a "high five" for deciding to have a new adventure in your life. Warm regards. . Sallie

Brazil: GIVING UP BRAZIL. RETURNING TO THE US:

Sorry to hear that your experience did not match your expectations. I am an American living in Curitiba. I have lived throughout the Untied States (New York, Chicago and Los Angeles) and when the opportunity arose to live in Curitiba, we jumped at it and could not be happier. Just like you cannot judge the U.S. by one city alone, the same goes for Brazil which is the same land mass size as the U.S. Curitiba is full of parks, recreational activities, amazing shopping, and great restaurtants. While I enjoy the U.S., it offers nothing new to my husband or myself. We also have three teenagers who made the move with us and they were all anxious to meet people with points of view that we DIFFERENT than the typical American point of view. We felt that most Americans stil feel like happiness comes from the accumulation of "stuff" and that spending quality time with one's family is not the highest priority. In Brazil, we love the culture where family is vital to one's happiness and that stuff is not all that important. People are driven by need here, not by there insatiable wants. We love Brazil and hope to retire here. Can't think of a place in the U.S. that we'd be any happier. Good luck to you in New York. . .

Date Joined:

1/9/2012

Total Posts:

7

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