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This is a list started on Amplicate.com (http://amplicate.com/hate/brazil
/1157440-20-reasons-i-hate-living-in-brazil/) that started out as a guy listing his
Top 20 reasons for hating living here. The list has since mushroomed with
additional reasons being added by other commentators. Most of this stuff I find
hysterical, or at least it lets me know I'm not completely crazy for thinking the
thoughts I do. Here are all 66 so far, feel free to add your own and continue the
thread!!
"Of course I'm generalizing and exceptions abound, but after living in Brazil for 3
years with my Brazilian spouse, my observations are as follows. In general:
1. Brazilians have no consideration for people outside their immediate circle, and
are often just plain rude. For example, a neighbor who plays loud music all night;
and even if you ask him politely to turn the volume down, he tells you to f**k off.
And basic politeness? A simple "excuse me" when someone almost knocks you
over on the street? Forget it.
2. Brazilians are aggressive and opportunistic, and usually at someone else's
expense. It's like a "survival instinct" in high gear, all the time. The best example
is driving. If they see a way to pass you, they will, even if it means almost killing
you, and even if they're not in a hurry. So why do they do it? It's just because
they can, because they see the opportunity. They feel like they always need to
take whatever they can, whenever they can, regardless of who is harmed as a
result.
3. Brazilians have no respect for their environment. They dump big loads of trash
anywhere and everywhere, and the littering is unbelievable. The streets are really
dirty. The natural resources, abundant as they are, are being squandered at an
Top Reasons I Hate Living in Brazil...
Page 1 1 2 3 145 >
Author
donpelon415
Senior Member
Joined: 24 February
2010
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 150
Topic: Top Reasons I Hate
Living in Brazil...
Posted: 07 February 2013 at 10:10
Top Reasons I Hate Living in Brazil... - Gringoes.com -... http://www.gringoes.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TI...
1 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
amazing rate with little or no recourse.
4. Brazilians tolerate an amazing amount of corruption in both business and
government. While all governments have corrupt officials, it's more obvious and
rampant in Brazil than most countries, and yet the population keeps re-electing
the same people.
5. Brazilian women are overly obsessed with their bodies and very critical of (and
competitive with) each other.
6. Brazilians, especially men, are highly prone to extramarital affairs. Unless the
man never leaves the house, odds are he has a mistress.
7. Brazilians are very expressive of their negative opinions of others, with
complete disregard about possibly hurting someone's feelings.
8. Brazilians, especially people who perform services, are usually unreliable, lazy
and almost always late.
9. Brazilians have a very prominent class system. The rich have a sense of
entitlement that is beyond a caricature. They think the rules do not apply to them,
that they are above the system, and are very arrogant and inconsiderate,
especially with each other. The poor, meanwhile, are paid so little that they never
have an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and therefore often turn to
crime or simply become lazy and indignant regarding their jobs because they see
no hope for the future and no point in trying to do a good job.
10. Brazilians constantly interrupt and talk over each other. Trying to have a
conversation is like a competition to be heard, a shouting match.
11. Brazilian police are essentially non-existent when it comes to enforcing laws to
protect the population, such as enforcing traffic laws, finding and arresting
thieves, etc. Laws exist, but no one enforces them, the judicial system is a joke
and there is usually no recourse for the citizen who is robbed, cheated or
otherwise harmed. People live in fear and build walls around their houses or pay
high fees to live in gated communities.
12. Brazilians make everything inconvenient and difficult. Nothing is streamlined
or designed with the customer's convenience in mind, and Brazilians have a high
tolerance for astounding levels of unnecessary and redundant bureaucracy.
13. Brazilians tolerate such high taxes and import duties that make everything,
especially home products, electronics and cars, unbelievably expensive. And for
business owners, following the rules and paying all your taxes makes it almost
impossible to be profitable. As a result, corruption and bribes in business and
government are commonplace. The bureaucracy, laws and high taxes exist to
provide the opportunity for the corrupt to facilitate "working around" the system.
Meanwhile the consumer is forced to bear an extraordinarily high cost of living,
thereby exacerbating poverty.
14. It's hot as hell 9 months out of the year, and central heating/cooling doesn't
exist here because the houses are not constructed to be airtight or insulated or
include air ducts. So you either suffer for 9 months or confine yourself to a small
room with a wall a/c unit. And in the 3 months where it actually gets "cold," you
2 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
freeze at night.
15. The food may be fresher, less processed and generally healthier than
American or European food, but it is bland, repetitive and very inconvenient.
Processed, frozen or ready-made foods in the supermarket are few, expensive and
generally terrible. Most foods are made from scratch and if you can't afford a maid
to do it for you, you'll spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Restaurants abound but
there are few convenient options, as Brazilians favor sit-down meals and there are
almost no drive-thrus except crappy fast food.
16. Brazilians are super social and rarely spend any time alone, especially meals
and weekends. This is not necessarily a bad quality but personally I hate it
because I enjoy my space and privacy, but the cultural expectation is that you will
attend (or worse, invite) friends and family to every single meal and you are
criticized for not behaving "normally" if you choose to be alone.
17. Brazilians stay very close, emotionally and geographically, to their families of
origin their whole lives. Like #16, this is not necessarily a bad quality but
personally I hate it because it makes me uncomfortable and affects my marriage.
Brazilian adults never "cut the cord" emotionally and their family of origin
(especially their mothers) continue to be involved in their daily lives, problems,
decisions, activities, etc. As you can imagine, this is extra difficult for a spouse
from another culture where we generally live in nuclear families and have a
different dynamic with our families of origin.
18. Electricity and internet service are completely unreliable.
19. Water safety is questionable. Brazilians drink it without dying, sure, but based
on the total lack of enforcement of other laws and abundance of corruption, I
don't trust the government that says it's totally safe and won't hurt you in the
long term.
20. And finally, Brazilians only have 1 kind of beer (a watery pilsner) and it really
sucks, and of course, imported beers are expensive.
21. The mosquitoes from HELL
Can only speak to Sao Paulo, but...
21. Most bus operators drive as though they're trying to break the bus, and
everyone inside it.
22. Sidewalks in my neighborhood are covered with piss and sh*t from ugly little
dogs that bark day and night.
23. Three and a half hour traffic jams every time it rains.
24. The weather is complete sh*t most of the time.
25. Rarely do things get done properly the first time. You have to go back to the
bank, the consulate, the office, email or telephone 2-10 times to get people to do
their job.
26. Very bad air quality and a putrid river. The air often smells like burning plastic.
27. Shopping malls and going to restaurants are the main activities. There is little
to do that doesn't revolve around spending your paycheck. There is one main park
and it's horribly crowded.
28. Grocery stores are inconsistent. Products will disappear for weeks or months
on end before resurfacing.
29. Workmanship standards are very low. Windows, doors, hinges, pipes,
3 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
electricity, sidewalks, are all built with the least effort possible. If the window
closes most of the way, what's the problem?
30. Trees, poles, telephones, planters, and utility boxes are placed in the center of
sidewalks, rendering them impassable.
31. You pay triple for products that will break within 1-2 years, maybe less.
32. cars cruising at night rocking music so loud it makes my house tremble or
however it's spelt.
32. Brazilians LOVE to stand right in your way. Favorite hangouts include: the top
of the escalator/stairs, doorways or simply coming to an abrupt, dead stop in the
middle of a busy sidewalk.
33. Best way to inspire blind hatred in Brazil? Politely refuse to eat food offered to
you. No matter how valid your reason this is considered an unpardonable sin in
the eyes of Brazilians & they will continue aggressively pestering you to eat it in
spite of your politely declining, until you give in or accept that they will now hold
you in permanent contempt.
34. People will push and shove you HARD with no regard or apology on public
transportation & you're packed in so tight you are unable to move anything but
your head.
35. Brazilians are raised to NEVER admit that Brazil is a crumby place to live.
Better is not always subjective. I think we can agree that all things being equal,
it's better to be rich than poor, beautiful than ugly, healthy instead of disabled. In
Brazil you pay much more and work much harder to try to equal the higher
standard of living achievable in the countries it lists itself in the same category as.
36. Brazil is a 3rd world country at ridiculously inflated prices for sub-par quality
items. To give you an idea, So Paulo is ranked the 10th MOST EXPENSIVE city in
the world. (New York is #32.) People go on 12-24 month payment plans to
purchase a no-name hairdryer that will break before it's paid off.
37. Please stop saying the food is "the best in the world". We have beans & rice in
my country too.
38. Snot Rockets & Spitting with reckless abandon on public streets.
39. The rampant infidelity. This is not just a stereotype, as much as I wish it were.
Men in Brazilian society are conditioned to believe they are more "virile" and
"manly" if they cheat. It is encouraged in their groups of friends. Many, many
Brazilian men have told me this in a point blank, very matter-of-fact way & can't
understand my reaction that it is a very serious issue. The women are encouraged
to not like it, but not see it as a deal-breaker.
40. Zero respect for pedestrians. Yeah, they see you and accelerate. At best, they
will honk but will never, under any circumstances press the brake.
41. Loud Fireworks at all hours. They can't get enough of them.
42. Saying So Paulo is "the New York of South America". Right. If NY closed at
10pm.
43. The fashion trend of "crop tops" with tight pants, stomach fitness need not be
4 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
considered.
44. The plethora of orange highlights. You're not fooling anyone.
45. The pollution is on a par with the post-apocalyptic wastelands depicted in 70's
sci-fi movies. I grow more and more tempted to rock one of those disposable
surgical masks, a'la Michael Jackson, circa 1990.
46. People don't understand how "lining up" is supposed to work. It is perfectly
acceptable to push right in front of you in any line.
47. Brazilians walk around like zombies & will slam right into you and bounce off
like extras from Night of the Living dead. WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!
48. Every time I purchase anything sold in a bunch (e.g. spinach) at the Farmers
Market, it invariably has a family of live beetles waiting to jump out and surprise
me when I'm preparing dinner.
49. No window screening. Apparently this technology is incompatible with the
present infrastructure. A fancy suspension bridge is no problem, but screens are
asking too much, even in the new suburban apartments, where mosquitoes are
rampant.
50. No heating or insulation. It's only cold 3 months a year, so why bother?
Americans typically scoff when I tell them, "Yes. It does get cold there, in the low
50s (F) during winter." One simply has to experience a Sao Paulo winter, where
you will be colder inside your home or office than you are outside. Where you will
need 3-4 layers to be sitting still indoors, but can still break a sweat the moment
you walk somewhere. Cinder blocks are magical like that.
51. I've heard of quite a few people being hospitalized after spending the
weekend at nearby beaches. Spending 3 hours in traffic to get to a beach 1 hour
away. Maybe the sewers work on weekdays. Once the place fills up with tourists,
you're swimming in poo.
52. When sidewalks are under construction it's expected that you walk in the
street. Some motorists refuse to make the slightest adjustment to your presence,
speeding to within inches of you even when the adjacent lane is free.
53. Don't even think about telling anyone, expat or local, when you are traveling
to the U.S. Everyone hits you up to bring Ipods, X-Boxes, laptops, apparel,
grocery store items, etc. in your suitcase because they are overpriced or
unavailable in Brazil.
54. Inflation. OMFG.
55. Motorists driving with their small children standing on the center armrests,
heads looking out over the sun roof. Look for it around lunch time when the
school day is over, sometimes 2-3 abreast in the bigger SUVs. I've witnessed it
about 4x. It's a jaw-dropper.
56. Giant Red Cockroaches. Tip out your shoe, open a cabinet, why- its
Cockroach Surprise!
57. Rampant, obnoxious patriotism. Wherever you are from, Brazilians will always
5 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
be immediately upfront in telling you that its better here. They will be quick
to tell you to your face all about how gringos dont bathe and are cold.
58. The average Brazilian Cannot, Will Not understand a foreigner speaking their
language, no matter how fluent you get in Portuguese. Ive lived in Central
America and Japan, people there always understood my broken, gringo Spanish
and gaijin Japanese. But still after 3 years in Brazil, peoples eyes still just bug
out of their head and they loudly say, UHH?!? OI?!? in response to even
the simplest of phrases (i.e.: Bathroom? How Much? Good Morning).
59. Physical safety of themselves and for others simply is not even an
afterthought. The 30-second later consequences of your actions having an effect
on other people out there somewhere in the world? Nonexistent. Riding your
motorbike in heavy traffic with your newborn baby seated on your lap in nothing
but his diapers (yes, Ive seen this), whats the problem? Riding your bicycle at
night along the freeway shoulder going against traffic, why worry?
60. Unless you are really into football or reality TV shows (i.e. Big Brother), there
is nothing much to talk about with average Brazilians. You can learn fluent
Portuguese, but in the end, conversation gets very limited, very quickly.
61. Everything is built for cars and driving, even though cars are 3x the price of
any other country. The intercity luxury buses are efficient, but public
transportation is inconvenient, expensive and uncomfortable to ride.
Consequently, traffic in Sao Paulo and Rio is now considered some of the worst on
Earth (for SP possibly the worst). Even mid-day can have massive traffic jams
that make moving outside a small limited area all but impossible unless you have
a small motorcycle.
62. Brazilians tend to publically snort their snot backwards into their sinus
cavities, often and loudly. I guess they like the taste? Even attractive women do
this.
63. Brazilians also do not cover their mouths when they cough, even upper-class
folk who should know better. Sealed in a crowded elevator? The waiter serving
your food? The guy sitting behind you on the bus? Enjoy the TB my friend
62. All Brazilian cities (with perhaps the exception of Rio and the old Pelourinho
district in Salvador), are ugly, concrete, hyper-modern and devoid of character,
architecture, trees or charm. Most are monotonous and completely identical in
appearance. Any colonial history or beautiful old mansion is quickly slated for
demolition to make way for a parking lot or shopping mall. Massive, identical gray
blockhouse apartment buildings dominate the skyline of even the smaller towns.
Zero neighborhoods are built to walk around in, enjoy a coffee at an outdoor
table, meet your neighbors or window shop. Parks are few and far between and
the lack of trees or natural shade concentrates the sun and heat into the concrete,
making it often uncomfortable to even step out into the street.
63. For some reason (as we can see on this thread), Brazilians love to logon to
English-speaking internet forums and write only in Portuguese! Would I enter a
Portuguese forum and write my responses in English only?
64. Dont forget that stinky garbage can of excrement-stained tissue right next
to the toilet
6 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
65. Brazilians are the worlds Pickiest/Most Conservative Eaters. Trying to go out to
eat with Brazilians is like trying to go bar hopping with Muslims. Anything different
with flavor, spices or color is viewed with major suspicion. Chinese food- gross!
Mexican- revolting! Thai, dont even bother. Seriously, I have gone out in a
group, where one guy could not eat anything with garlic, nor ketchup or mustard.
The other guy did not eat, any, I mean, anything with vegetables. Another hated
onions. The other girl would always invent something not on the menu for the
waiter to tell the kitchen to make. Eventually, all we could ever go out to eat was
McDonalds. If it's not deep-fried, unseasoned, unfresh and composed of salty beef
or pork, hamburgers, hot dogs or pizza, basically Brazilians are not going to eat it.
66. Everytime it rains, people have no compunction about poking your eye out
with the metal part of their umbrella as you walk down the sidewalk. Raising or
lowering your umbrella, moving it to the side so it doesnt blind you will pretty
much never happen. I seriously have to hold my hand and forearm up against my
temples to avoid being struck in the face as I walk down the street during a
thunderstorm (of which there are many).
I disappeared for a couple of months, and then I came back. I think I must attract
trolls.
Some of what you say exists here where I live, and other things not. It's a
different culture, what do you expect? For everything to be the same?
Jeez, time to disappear again.
-
** Just sayin' **
** Make lemonaid out of lemons. **
** Trolls get old...**
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spongebob
Gringoes.com Guru
Joined: 18 June 2007
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 2730
Posted: 07 February 2013 at
10:19
sven
10:32
7 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
I guess it's time for the OP to think about going home.
We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
~Oscar Wilde
"14. It's hot as hell 9 months out of the year, and central heating/cooling doesn't
exist here because the houses are not constructed to be airtight or insulated or
include air ducts. So you either suffer for 9 months or confine yourself to a small
room with a wall a/c unit. And in the 3 months where it actually gets "cold," you
freeze at night."
Where in Brazil do you live ? I am in So Paulo, its 23 degrees and raining. And,
btw, its summer.
BUt if you came from Yellowknife in Canada, or Vladivostok in Russia I
understand....
"You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an
opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."
57. Rampant, obnoxious patriotism. Wherever you are from, Brazilians will always
be immediately upfront in telling you that its better here. They will be quick
to tell you to your face all about how gringos dont bathe and are cold.
ITS true: Brazilians take 3 showers a day on average. Try to enter a bus or tram
in some European country and you will see the difference. Body odor that could
kill.
Sure that "latinos" are warmer people
Gringoes.com Guru
Joined: 14 March 2007
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 13887
WENGER
Senior Member
Joined: 02 February
2012
Status: Offline
Points: 600
11:17
WENGER
Senior Member
Joined: 02 February
2012
Status: Offline
Points: 600
11:26
8 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
63. Brazilians also do not cover their mouths when they cough, even upper-class
folk who should know better. Sealed in a crowded elevator? The waiter serving
your food? The guy sitting behind you on the bus?
Sad, but TRue
64. Dont forget that stinky garbage can of excrement-stained tissue right next
to the toilet
Allow me to add, that this stuff is LOVED by cockroaches, its a big Yummy for them to
eat this used paper
Edited by WENGER - 07 February 2013 at 11:31
36. Brazil is a 3rd world country at ridiculously inflated prices for sub-par quality
items. To give you an idea, So Paulo is ranked the 10th MOST EXPENSIVE city in
the world. (New York is #32.) People go on 12-24 month payment plans to
purchase a no-name hairdryer that will break before it's paid off.
Now you have got me. I thought that So Paulo is at least the 3rd expensive in
the world
WENGER
Senior Member
Joined: 02 February
2012
Status: Offline
Points: 600
11:27
WENGER
Senior Member
Joined: 02 February
2012
Status: Offline
Points: 600
11:29
WENGER
Senior Member
Joined: 02 February
2012
Status: Offline
Points: 600
11:31
9 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
You can come up with negativity about any country. I have my issues with Brasil
and to some extent I think most people that complain about Brasil here only do so
on the threads to vent. I feel that way, I don't complain much here, but if I do it's
because it's a group of people that can understand. All that being said, after my
last trip to the US I have decided that Brazilians are the new "Americans", terrible
travlers, they speak loudly their own language, don't tip well and in general are
very entitled. I would argue much more so than the typical US world traveler.
andrewfroboy wrote:
You can come up with negativity about any country. I have my issues with Brasil
and to some extent I think most people that complain about Brasil here only do
so on the threads to vent. I feel that way, I don't complain much here, but if I
do it's because it's a group of people that can understand. All that being said,
after my last trip to the US I have decided that Brazilians are the new
"Americans", terrible travlers, they speak loudly their own language, don't tip
well and in general are very entitled. I would argue much more so than the
typical US world traveler.
While it is true that you can come up with negativity about any country Brazil and
its people seem to inspire a lot more discussion about its and their short comings
than almost any other country. This is of course just anecdotal but I have the
habit of reading the comments of about every article I find about Brazil. Of course
andrewfroboy
Senior Member
Joined: 16 April 2009
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 1600
11:51
nesne2
Senior Member
Joined: 16 July 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 1114
12:47
10 de 11 15-07-2014 02:27
the USofA and its people receive a lot of criticism a lot of it deserved, but given
Brazil's relatively small international presence and the small quantity of foreigners
who actually travel and live here compared to other countries, there must be
something about it and its people that rub many people from other countries the
wrong way. A really intelligent student of mine once made the comment "Every
Brazilian is an American in Training" I thought at the time it was pretty funny and
possibly true but I now think it might be more appropriate to say "Your average
Brazilian is your stereotypical American...on steroids"
Edited by nesne2 - 07 February 2013 at 12:49
Um carioca e um ser humano entram num bar.....
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