Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings on 02. Nov, 2011
Hi all, Today is (yet another) holiday in Brazil, All Souls Day. Most businesses are closed, and I have no classes, giving me a chance to catch up. Monday was of course Halloween but also marked the third anniversary of my arrival here in Brazil. As such, it was a time to reflect. First, I [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings, Tips for Travelers on 27. Oct, 2011
Hi all, OK, today’s post may seem a bit mundane – unless, like me, you’ve found yourself unwittingly robbed of an hour and careening madly through traffic trying to make your flight at Tom Jobim International Airport (aka GIG). (Only to find that your flight of course was delayed, making your hair-raising slalom through cars, [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 22. Oct, 2011
Hi all, I’ve written about Brazilian bureaucracy before. Unfortunately, I have occasion to write about it again. Bem, o negocio é o seguinte… (The business/story is the following…) I recently got permanent resident status here in Brazil. As a part of the arrangement, I had to open a “microempresa,” or small business. So I’m now [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 07. Oct, 2011
Hi all, As I am sure you know, Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, passed away Wednesday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs was a man of vision and energy, who accomplished many things. One thing that he did not manage to do was to truly break into the Brazilian market. It’s [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 11. Sep, 2011
Hi all, Today, as every American knows, marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I remember that day very well. I was working in my home office when a co-worker called me, asking if I had seen what had happened. Having no idea what Wendy was talking [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings on 01. Sep, 2011
Hello all! Once again I must apologize for being not posting in awhile. I returned only recently where I was helping my mother move from Texas to Louisiana. During my stay there I had limited internet access. (While I am writing this post using the free WiFi provided in the free concierge lounge at Shopping [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 24. Aug, 2011
Hi all, When you go ex-pat, you think about the challenges you will face living abroad. You don’t really give much thought to the problems you may have when you return. I’m currently in the US (and soooo ready to get back to Brazil). I’m here to help my mother, who recently retired, move from [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 16. Aug, 2011
Greetings all! This John in Brazil post comes to you from Texas. I am up here visiting with my mom, helping her move to Louisiana. (Insert education / firearms / IQ joke here.) As I help my mom purge out the house and garage and cart load after load to donate to the local thrift [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings, Tips for Travelers on 05. Aug, 2011
Hi all, I have been living here in Rio for over 2 1/2 years now, and there is one thing I simply adjusted to yet: The elevators. First, you should know that Rio had a construction boom in the 1930s and 1940s, and many of the buildings in the downtown area and Zona Sul (which [...]
Posted in Random Musings on 30. Jul, 2011
Hello all, The wheels do turn, especially when you know someone who knows someone, and yesterday I was approved for permanent residency here in Brasil. This is basically like getting a green card. I am not a full citizen, and I can’t vote. However, barring any bad behavior on my part (and I am much [...]
Welcome to MY Brasil.
