About aneill

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil

Citizen Of:

Canada

HR/Relo
Professional:

Provider of Expat-Related Services & Products

Some Forum Posts:

Brazil: American hairstylist looking to move to Brasil:

Hi there! I know Marlington and she is exactly right as it is difficult to live in Brazil without one of the conditions she mentions. I have one thought about Australia and I have not lived there.Back in Canada in the late 80s, I was working as a headhunter in the computer industry...big hardware and software and applications. I had a young Canadian couple come in to see me who had just arrived back from six months of living in Australia. The told me several reasons why they moved back to Canada. One was that Australians didn't appear to them to have much of a work ethic...they said the Australians were in at 9 and out at 5 and party, party, party! The other thing they mentioned which turned them off was that they seemed to have little regard for women...or Sheilas, as they call them. Sort of second class citizens. Just a couple of observations from people who took the opportunity to move there and then in six months, moved right back to Canada.

Brazil: Au pair/nanny jobs in Brazil : ):

Hi there! What area of Brazil are you looking in? I would think the larger cities like Sao Paulo would be a better bet having business families that need assistance with children. Having said that, even though jobs might be more scarce in smaller cities away from the business south...where I live in Fortaleza has a good percentage of families which are in the top percentile of the economy and also need assistance. The pay is probably less but so is the cost. Also the weather is better and the beaches are great, as you already know. I have lived here for ten years and have some friends in that percentile. I think a small ad in the classifieds of the local papers here would be a good idea. But you are also right in that finding work when you already have "boots on the ground" as they say, is a good idea, even if it's just for a visit. I have assisted a lot of people coming to this area over the time period beginning in 2005 os if you want to explore that possibility, I can help. andy@andyneill.com

Brazil: moving to brazil:

Hi there! I came here to Fortaleza, Brazil exactly ten years ago from San Diego California, although I had only been there 4 years after moving from Toronto, Canada. Withing the year, I was married to a simply beautiful Brazilian lady. We are still married and reamin close friends but not living together now. I have not had trouble with assaults, as petty crime is called here, but people I know say they have been victims. I have been pick-picketed and been the victim of a shyster but he also helped me in other ways. I am retired but still keep my hand in with a couple of things I do, including a service called Fortaleza Adventure, which assists people wanting to come here. My opinion is that Brazil is one of the few places in the World which provides a good environment for families, but you have to leave your North American lifestyle at the airport when you leave. Again, in my opinion, the Northeast coast is the best place unless you are required to be near or in the middle of the biggest business communities. Then Sao Paulo or Rio are probably best although the adjustments required are different and much more expensive. Here in the Northeast, life is slower and less complicated. I lived for most of the ten years in the tourist area of Meireles in Fortaleza but have now moved away from the beach to an area called Montese and here, virtually all the people only speak Portuguese. I am hoping MY Portuguese improves here because for the time my wife and I were together, we spoke English, which helped her but not me! To sum up, Brazil is a good place and if you can learn the language and adapt to the culture, better than North America. But it does take adapting. Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: Home Schooling in Brazil Legal or Not?:

If you are looking for good schools, in this area they are usually run by church organizations like the Catholic Church. The largest private school in Fortaleza is called Christus and has several campuses in the city. It is not cheap but what they do is good in my experience. They have a high school which is taught all in English. Also I wanted to mention that if anyone is coming to Fortaleza, I know about apartments to rent or purchase here. Just message me at andy@andyneill.com.

Brazil: English teaching in Salvador? Other expats in Salvador?:

Hi there! I was talking to a manager of the local Wizard School a few days ago and he indicated that there were jobs available in the company and in particular for "native speakers"! In my experience, which was years ago now, the schools don't pay very well. If you can survive for a while on the low payments and build up a private clientele, then maybe it will work. I have an American who has private clients and I think he is getting something like R$30-35 an hour.

Brazil: Which factors make expatriation successful?:

Hi there! Fellow expats. Just keep in mind, this is not the first request for information from people like us. They claim it is completely anonymous...but also keep in mind that nothing these days is completely that way on the Internet! The US govt in particular is looking for people like us (even though I'm Canadian, I know this) and looking for income they can claim tax on. So just beware when you put ANY personal info on forms you send to someone you don't know! The good old NSA may be somewhere in the loop as well. Better not to put it out there. Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: need help for work:

Hi there! Job opportunities here will depend first on your fluency in Portuguese...without that, it will be very difficult because there will be Brazilians who ARE fluent...and sometimes in both languages, who will get the available jobs. I can't tell you how many emails I get at andy@andyneill.com asking about this situation and the main thing is you have to have the language first. Either that or you have to be working at something on the Internet which pays in US$ or Euros so that you can take advantage of the exchange. Good luck with your plans.

Brazil: Semi-Retired in Brazil?:

Not nice but unfortunately true.

Brazil: Moving to Salvador da Bahia:

Hi there! I would be very careful about choosing Salvador as a destination in Brazil. I know there is a big attraction because of their large black population, but there are differences between the black population in Brazil and those from the US...both cultural and language based. Not only that but Salvador is one of the most dangerous cities in the country. I live in Fortaleza and there is a fairly large black population here as well...just please don't expect to move to Brazil...even Salvador...and expect it to be like the US. Andy Neill Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil: how to live in brasil without work visa:

Hi there! The first thing is that you must speak the language...Portuguese...not Spanish. But you would know this already, having been here. The IT area seems to be the most popular one for foreigners moving to Brazil. If you have the language, then there are other possibilities, perhaps in the tourist industry.

Date Joined:

12/25/2003

Total Posts:

55

Posts/Day:

0.01