A Stranger In A Stranger Land: Memoirs Of An American Teacher Living In Brazil

By Alex Hollywood

This book is about my experiences in Brazil. I am a teacher from the US. I met a wonderful lady from Brazil. After we met I realized she was my soul mate. After we got married, she was home sick for her native country, so I followed her to Brazil. After living here awhile, I decided it would be a good thing to write my memoirs. Since I have been here I learned and discovered many things about the people and culture that I want to share with others. Much of the culture and information stays in the country and many tourists and people that want to become citizens really do not know the true Brazil. This is the first book you will read about Brazil, that will depict the true experiences of the harsh life here. If you are looking to read a book about Brazil, that is full of roses then this is the wrong book for you. Everything you will read is true stories of realistic events that happen here and go unnoticed by the outside world. None of the information is exaggerated or sugar coated. I hope this book will give you a real insight of life here. At least when you read this book, you will not be as surprised as I was when I got here. I hope this book will give you valuable information about life here.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469157719

Alex Hollywood

NA

Book preview

CARNIVAL

When tourists come to Brazil, many come for the festival called carnival. Rio de Janeiro is usually the city they visit. Even though carnival gets all the hype, do not be fooled by all the high expectations. The festival is not all it is cracked up to be. If you expect to do a lot of dancing, do not hold your breath. There is no room to dance and in most cases there is no room to move. People are so pressed together like a can of sardines. It is very dangerous there. The pick pockets and thieves know tourists are drunk and take advantage of the situation. There are only designated areas where you are safe. These areas are roped in, if you stand anywhere else than you are asking for trouble. Outside the roped in areas men rub their penis against your butt, whether you are a man or woman. Now if you like that kind of action, then so be it, but if you do not then I think you should beware. Even if you meet a prostitute (prostitution is not legal, but like all laws here, it is not enforced) then DO NOT wander away from the crowd. Most of the crime in Brazil happens in isolated areas, where the criminal is in his element and where there are no witnesses. My suggestion is if you want to celebrate carnival, then skip Rio. Carnival is celebrated all over Brazil and there are many safer and less crowded areas.

SAFETY AND

SECURITY

Like in all countries, when you are not familiar with the culture or your way around it is good to be safe than sorry. The truth of the matter is the government of Brazil has very little concern for the safety and security of its citizens (This subject will be addressed in a latter chapter). So it’s important to keep this in mind when traveling. So after knowing, about this sad situation that is prevalent here, then please be extra careful when going places. Most of the crimes that take place here are in poor areas, but now that crime is rampant, rich areas are also targeted. Most of the crimes occur at night or in poor lit areas. Not all areas have street lights. So at night you need to be more alert and careful. Always be aware of your surroundings. If you are not taking a taxi or renting a car, then when leaving a restaurant keep your heads on a swivel. Even if you are feeling romantic and want to take a walk on a secluded beach after dining, then try to squash that urge. If you decide to throw caution to the wind, then do not wear anything that will attract attention from the bad element. When going out for the night here are a few precautions to take to secure your safety. I know when ladies go out for dinner or a night club, they tend to show off their clothes and jewelry. That is perfectly understandable, but by doing that then you run the risk of drawing attention towards yourself. Here that is not a risk you want to take. It is better to dress down than up. Leave you expensive jewelry at your hotel. Do not be flashy. No Rolex or diamonds should be worn, unless you are with a group of friends. Only take enough money that you will need for the night. If you have the need to take extra money so you are not shorthanded, then it is always good to place any extra jewelry or cash in something concealed like a hidden pocket or money belt. Criminals do not like to be seen or heard. Other valuables to be aware of are fancy watches, cameras, cell phones (favorite item of theft for criminals), necklaces, travelers checks, passports, and credit cards etc. It is a good idea to leave home items that can not be replaced like (passports, travelers checks, airline tickets and credit cards). It is wise to bring with you some type of identification (a drivers license) in case you need to prove who you are. Now pay attention this is of the utmost importance. When confronted by a criminal, never resist or struggle. Sometimes the man tries to be macho and tries to protect his wife or sweetheart, but in this case do not be a hero. In Brazil it is very hard to get a gun permit and the bad element knows this. Many thieves carry guns or knives, because they know you can not. So they are armed and dangerous and many steal to pay for drugs. The last thing you want to do is resist or reason with these dangerous beings. Give them anything they want. Most criminals even though they might be drugged out are not violent, robbing here is tolerated, but killing a tourist can result in tougher consequences. They just want to take your valuables as quickly and quietly as they can without drawing any unwanted attention their way. If you do get robed (this is the hard part) you probably will never get your valuables back. In Brazil 80 percent of crimes go unreported, because in