Any Brazilians familiar with Rio Maria?

[Mew 0]

I agree with Nessa for the most part. However, if Rio Maria is indeed in Pará, then the idea you have of a small town is totally different from what you'll find there. It's a poor rural area, it's extremely hot there and far from the capital of the state. I'm not even sure if teaching English would actually be an option there.

I know that Rio Maria is in the north. I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the locations. My husband teaches college there and I'm learning portuguese. I speak conversational Spanish so when we get hung up on something, we can quickly figure it out. Right now, I only speak to him in English and he only speaks to me in Portuguese so that we both learn. Where is Para?

Pará is in the north. I'll point to a map (you won't see Rio Maria there because it's too small): http://www.v-brazil.com/tourism/para/map-para.html - Rio Maria would be north from "Conceição do Araguaia". So, it's somewhat near to the Amazon.

Have you visited your fiance? I'd definitely recommend it.

He lives here in the States with me right now.

I do know that their farm borders the Amazon, but I never got the impression that they were poor. His brother emails me pictures all the time. It is definitely rural, though.

Yes, it is in Para. I just sent him a text message.

I didn't mean his family's poor, but that region is poor, compared to the south or south east of Brazil. Also, lots of action involving the Landless Movement and farmers there. Pará is a place I'd be more than happy to visit, but I don't think I'd want to live there.

Of course I would never commit to living anywhere before I saw it myself. I have a house here that I can rent out, though, and I have some flexibility in my job so I'd love to keep my options open. Making lots of money is not a goal for me. I want to see how and where this man grew up. I want to experience things he did.

I think you'll have a great time there. I've never been to Pará in my life, but if I had the opportunity, I would go in a second!

[Nessa 23]

Of course I would never commit to living anywhere before I saw it myself. I have a house here that I can rent out, though, and I have some flexibility in my job so I'd love to keep my options open. Making lots of money is not a goal for me. I want to see how and where this man grew up. I want to experience things he did.

I understand what you said and I agree the best thing to do is spend some time there, who knows maybe you'll love it.

Anyway, I am commiting to live somewhere I never went before, but that's because I'm very strong about my feelings for Charles and our relationship.

Making lots of money isn't a goal for me, what I meant I'd only move to a place like that for lots of money was because Pará is too hot, like it's hot all year, it doesn't have winter, I'd go crazy in a place like that, it just wouldn't work out for me. Again if I was american and Charles was from Pará and he wanted me to move to Brazil I'd probably go. It might sound lame, but really I'd go pretty much anywhere to be with him, except hell maybe

[isleta521 5]

We plan to someday - about 6 years, move back to Brazil when my (our) two daughters are of age (which then maybe they will go with us). We would go knowing we would not have a rich life moneywise and the beauracracy can be rough for Americans. My wife has property in Salvador but it is by no means luxurious, in fact in a very poor part of town, but everyone treats us good there - something to me that is heavily factored in. And I think we would be happier there.

Check out www.gringoes.com. which has information for Americans going to visit and live in Brasil. Good luck with whatever you decide but I would definately spend time there first before you make a decision.

Edited August 24, 2006 by isleta521

[Alex+R 0]

It might sound lame, but really I'd go pretty much anywhere to be with him, except hell maybe

Do you know much about Kansas/Kansas City yet? wink wink

Edited August 25, 2006 by Alex+R

[Erik 0]

Well my fiance is from Aquidauana, MS. which is a poor area in the Pantanal. I much like you, wanted to see how she grew up, and the challenges she faced there. So, I lived there with her and her family for a month (as much time as I could take off from work). It was certainly a humbling experience, and opened up entirely new perspectives in my life. So, it was certainly an experience I would not trade for the world.

That being said, I could never live in Aquidauana. Would I move to Brasil for my fiance? In a heart beat, but certainly not to Aquidauana. I don't know if I could get use to the idea of walking past Anaconda's, and Gators. That, and it is EXTREMELY hot there... good lord, almost killed this Gringo. If I had to move there, it would certainly be to a bigger city, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Rio, or maybe even Campo Grande.

I researched work there quite a bit, and being completely fluent in Portuguese is really a must. I speak Portuguese, but no where's near enough to be able to land a decent job there, especially in my field (Software Engineering). You would def. have a better chance in a bigger, more diversified city than a small rural Brasilian town. In her town, even she struggles to find work, it is very scarce, and of course the pay is horrid.

It's noble that you want to experience life as your fiance has, I think it's important for people to see, understand and experience the culture of they're counter part. Just be careful, and think things completely through before you make a big decision like that (of course, I know you will ). I have known many who have tried to make it out there, only to struggle for years, before eventually moving back to the States (and by then, they struggle to get back because they are poor).

My fiances uncle said something to me that made perfect sense about working there, why would a company/place in Brasil hire a person from a different country, that doesn't speak the language fluently, when there are thousands of unemployed Brasilians looking for that same kind of work. Your Portuguese is probably better than mine, so maybe it's a little less relevant for you, but made perfect sense for me. Your best chance would be if you could find an American company abroad, willing to relocate you.

Best of luck, and def go enjoy the many beautiful things about Brasil.

[Nessa 23]

It might sound lame, but really I'd go pretty much anywhere to be with him, except hell maybe

Do you know much about Kansas/Kansas City yet? wink wink

I know enough. I know about natural disasters, it's a better place to live, I'm not used to have hurricanes etc here in south Brazil and I know it's safe there, plus his house is very safe if mother nature decide to fu** with us, I know about the weather, that gets real cold on winters and real hot on summers, which is good, I know it's not big city like I was used to living in Curitiba, that I could walk 1 block and find a bakery, a gas station, a post office, a supermarket, a drugstore, a gym, u know?

I also know I'll have to get used to it and I'll have to adapt living there, and most important of all I know Charles will be there with me and for me he comes first, the rest is manageable.

So yeah I know I won't be in hell

[Alex+R 0]

It might sound lame, but really I'd go pretty much anywhere to be with him, except hell maybe

Do you know much about Kansas/Kansas City yet? wink wink

I know enough. I know about natural disasters, it's a better place to live, I'm not used to have hurricanes etc here in south Brazil and I know it's safe there, plus his house is very safe if mother nature decide to fu** with us, I know about the weather, that gets real cold on winters and real hot on summers, which is good, I know it's not big city like I was used to living in Curitiba, that I could walk 1 block and find a bakery, a gas station, a post office, a supermarket, a drugstore, a gym, u know?

I also know I'll have to get used to it and I'll have to adapt living there, and most important of all I know Charles will be there with me and for me he comes first, the rest is manageable.

So yeah I know I won't be in hell

Well, I'm sure being with Charles will make you happy; I was just kidding anyway. Charles already knows I think Kansas City is the armpit of the United States!

[Nessa 23]

Well, I'm sure being with Charles will make you happy; I was just kidding anyway. Charles already knows I think Kansas City is the armpit of the United States!

Really? lol Have you lived there? Anyways we won't be living in KC

[Ladylethal 12]

I´ve been to Pará. It´s a simple way of living but it´s good if you like the wild and simple people.

[Alex+R 0]

Well, I'm sure being with Charles will make you happy; I was just kidding anyway. Charles already knows I think Kansas City is the armpit of the United States!

Really? lol Have you lived there? Anyways we won't be living in KC

I'm glad you won't be in KC... parts of Kansas are really quite beautiful I hear. And I do love nature.

Rey got an internship in KC except the company messed up the paperwork and his visa was denied. That's when we started the K1. In May (just before the fateful interview in Sao Paulo consulate) I went to KC to see what it was like, I saw about 5 apartments etc and had a pretty awful experience in my week there. But it is just not my style because I like more metropolitan places. They DO have some cultural stuff and arts there, but not really enough for me to feel at home. And it's not a very pretty city. When you want to go to the city, St. Louis is not TOO far and I hear it's pretty interesting. Also Lawrence, KS is really cool.

[Ban Hammer 13,276]

Well, I'm sure being with Charles will make you happy; I was just kidding anyway. Charles already knows I think Kansas City is the armpit of the United States!

Really? lol Have you lived there? Anyways we won't be living in KC

I'm glad you won't be in KC... parts of Kansas are really quite beautiful I hear. And I do love nature.

Rey got an internship in KC except the company messed up the paperwork and his visa was denied. That's when we started the K1. In May (just before the fateful interview in Sao Paulo consulate) I went to KC to see what it was like, I saw about 5 apartments etc and had a pretty awful experience in my week there. But it is just not my style because I like more metropolitan places. They DO have some cultural stuff and arts there, but not really enough for me to feel at home. And it's not a very pretty city. When you want to go to the city, St. Louis is not TOO far and I hear it's pretty interesting. Also Lawrence, KS is really cool.

this ain't an apartment.......it's out in the country. if you want a nice place to live, don't live in kc!

and it has a big back yard........

oh did i mention it has all kinds of wildlike?

there's actually 4 squirrels around that deer feeder, one is under the barrel scraping the corn out to the others.

there's about 3-4 of them in that pic

and trees all over

i have 3 apple trees (2 granny smith, 1 jana), 3 peach trees, 1 pear tree, a grape vine, a strawberry patch, and a black walnut tree.

oh and when the sun sets, i get to watch it from the back deck

[LiszyandKenny 5]

hummmmm

I'd say I love KC then it is a very beautiful place. Go for it, Nessa

[Alex+R 0]

ok now THAT's a nice place to live Charles

[Nessa 23]

hummmmm

I'd say I love KC then it is a very beautiful place. Go for it, Nessa

It is nice. I'm lucky to have him.

[andy28 0]

Hey Nessa

I hope you like cold winters, because they're long and cold there!!

My wife and I moved back to Iowa in March and she had a fit. I told her to wait until December, when there's 2 feet of snow on the ground and it's -15 degrees Celsius. The midwest is a great place to live, the people are great, but those winters are a killer!!

I guess that's why we're living in Arizona now, lol

But you're right, the important thing is being with the person you love. For most of us going through this BS with immigration is a nightmare, when we only want to be with the person we love.

Anyway I wish you the best