June 19th....Observations

Hi, Everybody...

Norman is fine-tuning my web site which should be up by the end of the week; at that time I'll be able to include pictures in my BLOG...but this week I think I won't send out any pictures to you with my notification. I thought I might take this week's BLOG to include a couple of my observations so far.


THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE:

All of the Brazilian people that I have met have really been wonderful. Many speak English and are very willing to carry on a conversation in English or, as I attempt to do, a combination of English and Portuguese. Their English is always much better than my Portuguese. They never laugh at my lack of Portuguese; they always try to help me correct what I say and teach me a little more.

The Brazilians that I have met are much more aware of world-surroundings than most Americans. They read more and almost all have traveled to Europe and the United States. They like Americans but really don't care for our International politics. While they are focused on their own country's problems, they know what is going on in other parts of the world. The United States still plays a big part in Brazil and the Brazilians are disappointed that we have moved in our present direction Internationally.

Middle-class Brazilians are usually much better educated than we are; the requirements to get into the University are very stringent and young Brazilians take it very seriously. There are three or four weeks of intense testing before an applicant can even be admitted and many who apply don't make it. For those who do the unfortunate thing is that even after they receive their degree the pay isn't anything like it is in the US. Pay in Brazil is very poor and most people don't make anything near what their US counterparts make for the same profession.


THE BRAZILIAN WOMEN:

Brazilian women are beautiful; there is no arguing that. While there are beautiful women throughout the world, Brazilian women have a special sensuality that isn't found anywhere else. It probably is a combination of genes, health and packaging.

Genes: Most Brazilians are a mixed race consisting of Europeans, indigent Indians and sometimes Africans. The depth of the mixture will determine the basic features of the person.

Because Indian genes are found in practically all Brazilians, the women tend to be more petite, darker in skin color and eyes, have high cheekbones, dark or even black hair, and smaller bodies than North Americans. Their features usually combine the best of all the mixes which create beautiful women. I have a friend who has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen; they hold a sensuality to them that is indescribable.

Health: Brazilians try to be healthy. They eat right, they exercise and they take care of themselves. The women are very aware of their bodies and want to keep it in good shape. Brazilians eat their main meal at mid-day; this allows them to burn off calories in the afternoon. Their evening meal is usually small; a cup of soup, a small sandwich, a waffle. Very little food is fried and if it is, it is usually fried in olive oil. I have another friend from Sao Luis, a city north of Fortaleza who has a beautiful figure; she said that if she gains five kilo's she starts dieting and exercising...she has to look good in her bikini.

There is a academia (gym) on nearly every corner and the cost is very little to join. Women go there every day to exercise and keep their weight down and their figure in control. Most walk a lot, especially to close places. Dentists are available and inexpensive so the women have their teeth cleaned and taken care of two or three times a year; that explains those beautiful smiles. A woman will shower more than once a day if she finds that she becomes sweaty or doesn't feel clean.

Packaging: OK, here's the big one!!! Women in Brazil look like WOMEN!!! They don't go to the market or to a restaurant looking like they crawled out of bed thirty seconds ago; they wouldn't go to the front door looking like that! If you see a woman in work-out cloths it's because she IS going to the academia or out to exercise. They spend time at the beauty parlor getting their hair correct and I don't think I have ever seen a woman in public who's hair isn't in place; many of the women wear their hair long.

Most of the time, the women (and I want to point out that this is not age-restricted...I've seen 50 year old women who would put US twenty-year-olds to shame) wear cloths that are tighter and reveal some of their body. Brittany Spears DID NOT invent the mid-rift blouse. A lot of the time women wear a shoulderless, mid-rift tops and jeans or a skirt or even pants. However, the difference is that it usually looks like it just came of the rack...no holes, no tears, no dirt. The women like to wear high heels a lot which accent their legs.

Posture is important; if you were to take a line and draw it straight down from the top of the head to the ground, either frontal or sideways, a Brazilian woman would fit perfect. When she walks, she doesn't sway more than a degree either way; her body is perfectly straight from the head to the pelvic area. There is no bobbing of the head; you can draw a line where she will walk and her head will always be in the same place along that line. Because of this, the rest of her body moves much more sensually; I always refer to it as a sailboat gliding across a calm sea. If there is anything that sets her aside from other women, it's that.

All in all, Brazilian women have something that isn't found elsewhere. They are aware of it and don't try to shy away from their beauty. A model once asked her mentor how she could become a top model; her mentor told her, "Watch the Brazilians". I think that says it all.

Well, this was a longer BLOG than I had intended; I hope you enjoyed it and perhaps learned something different. I'm still enjoying my time here while I've evaluating things. Brazil is a wonderful country and the people are fantastic. They are always helpful in showing me customs, language and experiences. I haven't lost my love for Fortaleza though I'm REALLY GETTING TIRED OF THE RAIN!!!

Please send comments, whether on the BLOG or email me. Have a good week and I'll write more as things happen.

John

Wednesday, June 8th

Hello, everybody...

Well, I've been here for over a month now and am settling in nicely. It rained ALL last evening well into the morning hours but the sun is now shining and it's a beautiful day. The weather is forecasted to dry out and we're supposed to be moving out of the rainy season; however, it wasn't forecasted to last this late to begin with.

It's been an interesting week; a movie, a couple of meetings with a special friend, a trip to the beach, driving into the countryside to look at two houses...all of these have given me new perspectives of Fortaleza and my time here.

Last Wednesday I went to the movies with my friend, Howard. The movie theaters are similar to those in the US except probably a little smaller. They play the sound at maximum volume which means that you have a headache and can't hear anything for at least ten minutes after leaving the theater. However, I have to say that watching Star Wars and The Crusader you felt like you were in the middle of the wars. (It is interesting watching the two back to back...One a thousand years in the past, the other a thousand years in the future, yet war is the same...scary thought.)

Saturday afternoon I received a call from a friend to meet for lunch; I had only met her one other time and I was very happy that she called. She had been an exchange student in Knoxville, Tennessee several years ago and speaks excellent English. It was wonderful to listen to her slant on things here; I learned quite a bit about Brazil and Fortaleza. She's an extremely nice person to talk to with a beautiful smile and a warm personality; I think she personifies the beauty of Brazilian women.

We met in one of the shopping malls along with my friend, Andy and had an extremely pleasant afternoon. This particular mall has musicians in the food court that play MPB and Bossa Nova as well as some jazz on Saturday afternoons so I got a little bit of live entertainment. I had met the keyboard player, Luciano the Saturday before and was able to chat with him for a few moments.

The malls here are very upscale and nice. They are in a par with the nicest malls in the States; however, the products found there are also equal in price to the States. All the stores have excellent, knowledgeable people as help; the interesting thing is that when you go into one of these stores there are several people right there to assist you; you, the customer is number one in their eyes and they are there for you.

After we left the mall, we drove into the countryside about fifty miles looking for a house. (More on that later.) While it didn't rain on our trip out and back, the clouds hung low to the ground and we could see off into the distant south rain falling in torrents. (That rain arrived in Fortaleza later that evening.) We drove through the center of a little village looking for the road that would take us to Caponga Beach but never did find it. What struck me was the cleanliness of the village. While it had a very South American flavor, the streets were immaculately kept up. This is something I have found throughout Ceara; once you get outside of the city of Fortaleza, people take exteme pride in their villages and keep make them very livable.

Sunday, Andy and I went to the beach and met our friend, James. James has spent many years in Brazil and Fortaleza and is quite comfortable in the surroundings. He speaks excellent Portuguese and is able to interact with the local people in a way that most think he is from here. He was with his lovely lady friend, Rosemary which made the afternoon quite enjoyable. Being surrounded with good friends, sun, sand, beach, ocean breezes, the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, good food and drink along with beautiful people made for a wonderful time. (I know, some of you are wondering what I was doing there with beautiful people...lol.)

That night Andy and I walked to Beira Mar (the beach walk) where Andy made some calls and I watched the people. Beira Mar becomes a city within it's self after the sun goes down; there are thousands of people who walk, jog, stroll, talk and interact every night there. The city has set aside a part of it for an open market and you can buy just about anything there; leather goods, cashew nuts, cloths, hand made items. About a block to the east there is an open gallery for artists; some of the pictures are so beautiful that they would be scooped up in seconds in the United States.

Andy and I have found a deli/restaurant a block from us that we go to each morning for breakfast. For around four dollars we can get an egg and cheese sandwich on a French roll, a large glass of orange juice and two cups of coffee. It's a place where a lot of the important people of our area (Meireles) meet and discuss the events of the day. We've met several interesting people there.

After breakfast we met Helia, a salesman and drove twenty minutes into the countryside to look at a house there; it is a beautiful four bedroom house located on a lagoon. It's about 3300 sq. ft. on a large lot. All the materials are first class and the construction is top rate. You can see the pride that was put into the house. It is brand new and has never been lived in; the price is about $145,000 American for the house. (In the States it would sell for $350,000 or more.) I will include one picture of it but have several more if you would like to see them.

Yesterday, after breakfast Andy, Thieny and I drove to Caponga Beach (about an hour east of town) to look at Neil's house. His home is right on the beach; looking out all of his windows to the Northeast you can almost touch the Atlantic Ocean. It is on a HUGE lot that is all landscaped with a large pool; the total size of the house is over 4200 sq. ft. It is absolutely beautiful and would cost close to a million dollars in the United States. He's asking around $110,000 American for it. Again, I will include one picture but have several if you are interested in seeing what $110,000 will buy in Brazil!!!!

After we saw that we drove to a house that belonged to someone that Andy has been corresponding with for a while; it's supposed to be the largest house in Fortaleza. I haven't seen all of the houses, but this one is definitely HUGE. The main house is over 10,000 sq. ft. in size with an elevator, two large master suites, a kitchen that is larger than my apartment as well as many other amenities. There are four other buildings in the compound, three of them having large two bedroom suites. The entire complex will cost close to a million dollars when completed; if built in the US it would probably cost nearly ten million dollars.

After we came back I relaxed and ate dinner but around eight in the evening received a call from my friend inviting me out for dinner. Since I had already eaten, I wasn't hungry but joined her for coffee. It was a delightful time with very stimulating conversation. It is really interesting to talk to her; she is very well educated and extremely intelligent, has excellent insights both about Brazil and the United States and where we as two different peoples are going in respect to each other. The other wonderful thing about her is that she has excellent taste in music and knows all the good spots around the city to listen to MPB.

Normally I try to write my insights and observations but this time decided to give you and idea of a typical week here. I'm sure that it will be different as time goes on, but you can see that I'm keeping busy. I haven't had as much of a chance to work on my books as I would like, but I'm still at it.

My maid is here right now; I want to say something about that. I think some people feel like a maid is a "second grade person" because they do the work for you; I don't!! My maid is wonderful...not only does she keep my apartment immaculate and does the other things such as washing, ironing and cooking, but she does all of it with a smile and a wonderful attitude. It is really a pleasure to have her here and I try to treat her with the respect and caring that every person is entitled to.

Coming here is a wonderful experience for me. I love Brazil and Fortaleza; this was definitely the right decision for me. I never thought that I would have such a fantastic time as I'm having now. There are some things that I don't care for, mainly the rain, but it's great.

Brazilian people are wonderful; they have a spirit and an attitude that is different that Americans do; they are positive about almost everything and seem to be able to see the positive almost all of the time. I have found that most are "glass half full" people. I am treated with smiles and nice laughter where ever I go; I don't see sour glum faces on people.

I still feel as though we all have to follow our dream and do what we don't dare do; it is the only way that we can feel truly complete. Once that experience happens, the world looks different.

Anyway, so much for my philosophizing for today. I will include three pictures as usual but I hope to be able to have a link to my pictures after this BLOG; my friend, Norman in Cowchip, Alabama is working on it. (He is that unknown genius who lives just outside of town and associates with Doc from "Back to the Future".)

I always appreciate any comments that you might make, either on the BLOG or emailing me direct. I try to answer them all but sometimes don't get a chance.

Until next time....

Moving to Brazil...

Hi, everybody...

Usually I try to wait a week before writing anything but I thought I'd pass this along while it's on my mind; it may cause someone to rethink their options.

I have spent a lot of time the last three weeks with ex-pats from several countries but particularly North America. Like most people they hear about the cheap prices and how wonderful the weather is, etc., and think "Maybe I'd want to move down there..."; as you know I'm here for that very reason.

First rule...if you don't have money, don't move. A lot of people think that they'll come down here and get a job teaching English to live or they have computer skills that they can use or something like that. DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! My friend teaches English twice a week; for four hours of work he gets R$25.00 or $10.62; the guy that works on my computer spent four hours on it for R$30.00 or $12.21. A college professor I know makes R$1500 or $610 a month. The English teacher has one student because of the competition; the computer wizard has two big accounts as well as several smaller people like myself to keep him going; the professor had to compete with more than 100 other people for his position.

Jobs here pay next to nothing; I have a friend who is a lawyer who is working in an office trying for a position as a judge; if she gets it she will have a job for life. In the meantime she's had to work as an interpreter and is now working as an assistant lawyer because of the job situation. The unemployment in Brazil is 18% and in Fortaleza is even higher; if you are a woman it is terrible.

Is it true that your buying power is greater; that depends. If you are living off an American funds you're tied to the exchange rate. When I came down here an month ago my apartment rent was $$385; when I drew out the money to pay this month's rent it was $420 and today it would be $407. International money exchanges play a huge part in your buying power. When I was down here in October I could have bought my apartment for $38,000...today it's $48,000 and might be less or more in a month.

I have some money in the bank and a decent retirement; I could probably make it...however, if I didn't have that there is no way that I could afford to move here to live. Brazil is a mixed country; while there are areas that are 100 years behind the US there are also areas that are equal to the US in technology or even more advanced. You see wealth next to poverty and both are different than what we are used to. Remember that five percent of the population control eighty-five percent of the wealth; there is a very small middle-class in Brazil. If you want to live like you were used to living in the US, stay in the US unless you have a good amount of money and just want to try a different lifestyle.

Don't try "get rich schemes" here; they've all been tried and believe me when I say that Brazilians are much better at them than North Americans. Your new idea is probably an old idea here that has already been tried and been found to not succeed or is being done already.

So much for the lecture; I wanted to pass this along because I've been hearing so many people complain that they need to find a way to generate money here; even people who are living on an inheritance or other income are complaining that their money is depleting faster than it's being replenished.

Anyway, as always, your comments are appreciated, either via email or on my BLOG. Hope to hear from you...

John