Having lived in Belo Horizonte for around a year and a half, I need to write a post explaining why I spent so much time in the city. Whenever I travel outside of BH and tell Brazilians how much time I spent in BH they get confused as to why I would hang up my […]
11 Razões Porque eu Gosto de Morar em Belo Horizonte
Sendo que eu morei em Belo Horizonte por um ano e meio, eu preciso escrever um texto explicando porque eu fiquei tanto tempo na cidade. Quando eu viajo para outras cidades e relato para Brasileiros quanto tempo eu fiquei na capital mineira, eles ficam confusos por que eu decedi morar tanto tempo lá. Até alguns […]
The Guide to Living in Belo Horizonte
By far the biggest challenge that foreigners face when moving to Brazil is the lack of reliable information for which to plan their lives around. When you move to a 2nd tier city like Belo Horizonte you may at times feel like you’re the only foreigner in town. While this can be good for […]
Is Gringo an Offensive Word in Brazil?
“Hey Gringo!” As the word pierced my ears it sent an immediate reaction throughout my body. Adrenaline started pumping through my veins and I got ready for an altercation with the man who had just insulted me. “Gringo get off your phone.” It was one of my first days in Brazil and I was out […]
Volunteer to Teach DJing to kids in Rocinha Favela
My friend Zezinho da Rocinha does a lot of cool things to help out his home Rocinha. Yesterday we talked to him about the favela tours he does in order to promote a more positive image of life in the favela than you will find on the news. You heard him mention that he has […]
Take a Favela Tour with Zezinho da Rocinha
Recently I was in Rio de Janeiro and I had the opportunity to meet some interesting characters while I was there. One such character was Zezinho da Rocinha, a tour guide and resident of Rocinha favela. Favelas and favela tours often get a lot of bad press, so I wanted to talk with Zezinho about […]
How to Speak to Beginner English Students
Recently I’ve observed a lot of miscommunication between gringo and Brazilians so I’ve decided to write this post to help clear up the confusion. The advice contained here will be useful for anyone who is communicating to someone in a foreign language, whether in a casual setting or in a classroom setting. The way you […]
Online Resources for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
A lot has been written on this site about how to get a job as an English teacher in Brazil, and you’ve heard from various English teachers about their experiences teaching English in many different cities in Brazil, but there are still many more resources that can be shared about English teaching. Below are some […]
How to Open a Brazilian Bank Account
Guest post from Kevin in São Paulo I just want to warn you now that opening a bank account in Brazil is going to be complicated. This is no formal rule preventing foreigners from opening bank accounts, but each bank has their own policies. And even more frustratingly, each bank branch has their own interpretation […]
The Best Credit and Debit Cards for American Expats
Hey there gringos. I’m going to be away at a meditation retreat until April 21st but I can’t leave you guys out to dry. I’m going to be sharing some guest posts here on the site until I get back two weeks from now. Today’s post is from Kevin, an English teacher in São Paulo who […]