Two weeks in Brazil - topic 2 - Apartment Hunting

This is a hard blog to write because our apartment saga isn’t completely over yet. At this very moment, we found an apartment we really like that is walking distance to everything AND we have been approved by the real estate company to move it! (See pics below) This is all very good news!! Here in Brazil, individual people own apartments within a building and then they hire an imobiliaria (real estate company that does sales and rentals) to do all the dirty work. There really isn’t a situation like I experienced in the US where you like a building, meet with the manager, run a credit check and move in. Nope.. nope…. Nope!! The cool thing is at least they give you keys to all the apartments you wanna check out and you can go on your own.

This has been an EXTREMELY difficult and VERY long process. I will be brief but start at the beginning.

Two Weeks in Brazil Part II : Apartment Hunting (part a – finding an apt and getting approved)

Here we are, Ana and I, excited about finding our very own Brazilian apartment, walking around town (which doesn’t take more than an hour) checking out 5 or 6 apartments to see what we like from the first imobiliaria, Anagê. The first round of apartments didn’t get us many results so we go to a different imobiliaria, Visão, (there are about 50 in a 3 mile radius) to see some more apartments. They give us the keys again and we go on another search looking for 2 or 3 more. At this point, a day has already passed but we had found two really cool apartments! We returned to the imobiliaria, and started all the paper work, still excited about the idea of our own apartment only to be told that without at least three months of paystubs, we can’t move in without a cosigner. No big deal. We ask Ana’s grandfather to be our cosigner or “fiador” thinking everything is going to be smoooooth and easy. WRONG! Apparently Ana’s grandfather owning more properties and cars than all my friends put together isn’t enough.  Most of his money is paid directly from his company and not technically “retirement” money so they basically said he didn’t earn enough! What!!?? Ana’s parents and all her uncles and aunts didn’t have to work their whole lives because of money from this company and he doesn’t make enough!? Geeeez!

At this point three days have passed and we decided to go back to the first imobiliaria, that gave us 5-6 apartments that we didn’t like, Anagê. This time, we met with another agent , Daisy, and she showed us two of which we both loved! We explained the whole apartment, fiador, not making enough money problem to her and she said there should be no problem because they are mostly concerned with movement within the bank accounts. Of course we had to get some more documentation from her Grandfather, making him unhappy. He was always VERY happy to help his granddaughter and never considered cancelling the whole thing but he was getting more irritated each minute and Ana had to go over to his house on two separate occasions to talk to him, explain the situation and calm him down.

We went through the entire application process again, waiting 48 hours to find out there was another problem. Turns out, because someone had tried to overcharge the family for trash removal from their beach house. It seems there is a trash pickup in front of the house on the street and also one at the back of the property in the street. They were only supposed to pay for one pickup but they were being charged trash pickup both in front and in back. Of course, they didn’t pay and a “restriction” was put on their names and we were denied our apartment. Needless to say now her grandfather was PISSED. 

Ana’s dad told us that only 30% of all applications are approved because people just don’t like to pay their bills and end up with restrictions on their names or they just don’t make enough. It also seems that if you want to rent an apartment, you need one of these things.

1)      You have to already own property and earn more than 3x your rent,

2)      pay the rental security and make more than 3x the rent,

3)      or get a fiador that owns property AND earns more than 3x the rent.

Sure sounds simpler than it is….. =)

Our next option was to get Ana’s uncle, whom had volunteered to help, to be our fiador so, yet again, the process ensued. Three more days passed during which everyone was trying to find alternatives for us. We talked to a friend of Ana’s Mom whom owned her own apartment and was willing to rent to us directly without an agency but we would have to wait until December. As much as I enjoy where we are staying, there just isn’t enough room for all of us along with 4 dogs! We also talked to the sister of the human resources manager at my job and she was going to help us as well. Neither of these options ended up panning out unfortunately.

We got the word that we were denied AGAIN (this makes three) and that there was a restriction on Ana’s uncle’s and aunt’s names as well. At this point, we were really starting to think that we would be living with Ana’s dad for awhile and starting to figure out how to store our clothes etc. We thought long and hard about it before moving to our last option. If I was to work for three months and collect my paystubs, then all I would have to do is pay a rental security company an amount of 3 times the rent per year to guarantee the apartment for us. I was willing to pay double the rent at this point strictly out of frustration!

The next thing we knew everything changed dramatically. After we called Ana’s her uncle to tell him the news about the restriction he was convinced there had been a mistake and did some research. Guess what, there was no restriction so Ana’s dad called a neighbor of his, who is a manager at the imobiliaria Anagê that had denied us earlier in the afternoon, and asked him what the restrictions were on Ana’s uncles name since it appeared they didn’t exist. Well the neighbor had no idea we had even put in an application so he told Ana’a dad to return to the agency, bring all the paperwork back and he would look into it. Within an hour we were APPROVED! Turns out the restriction was VERY old and should not have been even considered in our application. Talk about strict approvals! I think if Ana’s dad didn’t know this neighbor personally, we would have ended up living at her Dad’s apartment for 3-4 months and then went the rental security route which definitely isn’t ideal or cheap.

Needless to say Ana and I are both relieve AND excited!

Now, I am sure this blog seems long and may be boring BUT I left out so many other challenges and details that I swear I could write a book just about this! If nobody makes it to the end of this blog, it really doesn’t matter because whats important here is the memory of what it took to get an apartment.

We still have to turn on the power, get the contracts signed and delivered, get the keys and start filling it with stuff.. Maybe I’ll save that part for another day.

Stay tuned for the next part. =)

PS. For those of you who know of the situation, doesn’t this drama reseemble our Permanent visa drama?

Here are a few TERRIBLE pics of the apartment that they agency took. I will take my own pictures later, once we get the keys!
Note: You may notice what seems like two toilets in the bathrooms. Nope. The second one is a bidet. Very common here in Brazil although I don't think anyone uses them. Sometimes its just a hygenic "hose" coming out of the wall to clean yourself with someone. I guess its always an option if you run out of toilet paper. =)
Also note, no water tanks.

Two weeks in Brazil - topic I - Food

A lot has been going on since I last posted. It’s been almost two weeks since we arrived here in Brazil and we are SLOWLY getting acclimated. Physically and mentally we have both adjusted pretty quickly. Well, Ana has moved to the US, back to Brazil, to the US again and now back to Brazil so I would have to say that she adjusts REALLY easy. Me, not so much, but it’s been pretty easy thus far. Because of all the things I want to write about, it would be quite a long blog so I’ve decided to break it down into sections or topics of interest starting with today’s posting… food!

Part I: Food typical for Brazilians from the southernmost states

The last few times I traveled to Brazil, I remember thinking that the food was different in some ways and maybe similar in others. Well, this time I am paying much closer attention and I have realized that practically nothing is the same. I mean, they have the same condiments and the same meats, etc. that we have but they have so much more of a selection and a MUCH different way of presenting it.

When Ana and I got here, on one of the first days we ate at a seafood restaurant next door to where we are staying (Ana’s Dad’s apt.). We ordered the fish of the day (some sort of delicious whitefish) which was cooked in a parmesan and spinach sauce and came with white rice, pirão (not sure what that is but it’s delicious!) and it cost us only $21 (R$40) for two people! Sorry but I don’t have any pictures of this one but I will be posting pics of the food in later posts. DELICIOUS! We also ordered a bottle of beer to share. Now I don’t mean a measly little beer that you can get in a six pack but a liter beer for $3. At this point I am realizing that I am really going to enjoy the food here and that I may end up really fat too. A gym membership must be forthcoming or I am in trouble.

The next day for breakfast we had coffee/tea with bread, honey, cream cheese, cheese, cookies, sweet bread, Romeo and Juliet (a thick guava jam with cheese) and crackers. We also had Pão de Queijo (bread filled with cheese) Can you tell it is a sweet breakfast? The thing is that Brazilians never eat anything salty for breakfast like an American may be accustomed to if they ever get eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, ham or toast at IHOP. So far I don’t miss these things but if I do, I can always make it at home you know?

For lunch, and MANY lunches before and after, we ate over and Ana’s Grandma’s house with a bunch of family members. Each time we head over there for lunch, there are always at least 6-7 people and they are usually always different. Cousins, aunts, more cousins and then some uncles. You get the idea. You see, most people here get from 1 ½ to a 2 hour lunch break so there is lots of time to drive somewhere to eat. The food there always changes but this is the meal where you have to EAT a lot because dinner is going to be light again and pretty much EXACTLY like breakfast was but just with less sweets and more cheeses. There are usually between 4 -5 dishes ranging from potatoes, roasted or broiled beef, stroganoff (very different that any stroganoff I’ve ever had in the US) etc. etc. etc. Usually its very good and I am completely stuffed!

Now comes the part that is hard to convince an American of the taste. Believe me I was SUPER skeptical when I was told what I am about to tell you but its actually VERY good. Imaging eating bread with pasta, its good right? How about bread with something sweet like honey? Good too? Now throw away your ideas of what a pizza is. Now imagine circular flat bread with NO tomato sauce, covered in cheese with meat and French fries or how about ham with egg and peas and hearts of palm? Still sound good? The best part is to imagine a different circular piece of bread covered in chocolate and strawberries? If you can imagine these things tasting good you are right! Now you have to eat it with a fork and knife because you can’t possibly keep all the ingredients on the bread if you pick it up. Pizza in Brazil is something that everyone has to try. Especially the all you can eat places where they serve you every flavor you want for only $10 a person.

I didn't even get the the selection of juices they have here! I have never heard of half of them but I have yet to find one that I don't like although its a little hard getting used to coconut juice but its growing on me. Anyway, rather than ramble on, take a look at the few pics I have of the food here. Ana’s job is to remind me to take pictures of the food more often. It’s a little embarrassing but I really don’t care. I get enough looks and stares when I speak English so taking pictures of food shouldn’t hurt me too much more. =) Oh and keep in mind I haven't even experienced a 50th of the selections of food here but I will save the special ones for another blog.

Half cheddar cheese, beef and shoestring fries; half ham cheese, egg, peas and hearts of palm

Ana and her dad during our cheese and bread-filled dinner

1/3 4-cheese pizza; 1/3 chocolate and strawberries; 1/3 cheese and sundried tomatoes

Brigadeiro - basically rich chocolate before its rolled into balls. You can also eat it with a spoon.

This is the chocolate (brigadeiro) and strawberry pizza... mmmmm

bread filled with cheese ham and potatoes - don't remember the name sorry.

Our Brazil Journey - Part I

If you asked me 5 years ago that I would be married to a beautiful woman and that I would be living in Brazil, I don’t think I would laugh or think you were crazy. I think I would wonder for a minute or two and say that I wish that were true. Well, life has thrown me many different things and I have been many different places and now living in Brazil and being married is my reality. The purpose of this blog will be to try to bring you, my friends and family, a bit closer than the 6300 miles that separate us.


Our journey Day 1:
The day of our move, my mom and my dad came with us to the airport in an SUV limo. Not the stretch kind of limo that we were hoping for but it was still very big and very useful to carry six suitcases FULL of clothes and 2 large dog kennels (One for Angel and the other for Samantha). It was very surreal to be driving in a limo with my mom and dad knowing that today may be the last time I see either one of them for at least a year.

We arrived at the airport too early to check in so we waited around and took the puppies out for a quick walk around the airport because they were soon going to be locked in their kennels for about 20 hours!

Before we knew it, it was time to check in the bags and say goodbye. Because everything was so hectic at the airport and because my parents had to leave to meet the limo driver to meet his schedule, we didn’t have time for a long goodbye. This was both bad and good. It was bad because, of course, I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. It was good because it made it easier and not too emotional. Of course it WAS emotional but it was so quick that I didn’t quite know what was happening. Before I knew it, we were going through the difficulties of metal detectors, screenings etc before boarding the plane. Now, most people that know me understand that I don’t love to fly and become quite anxious beforehand but because of the finality of the journey, I had no idea what to feel so I pretty much felt nothing. We boarded the plane and were in the air within minutes. We lucked out AGAIN and had an entire row to
ourselves! We both got very excited about all the movies that we would be able to watch because the plane had 33 movies to choose from and that doesn’t include any shorts, classics or tv shows that we had at our disposal nor the video games that we could enjoy. That being said, I watched ONE movie “I love you man” which was pretty cool and then we slept. The entire 12 hour flight seemed to last about 4 hours. The only interruptions were the multitude of services that Korean Air brings to its passengers. Within the first hour we were brought pillows, blankets, socks, waterbottles, toothbrushes and blindfolds. Then we were given a “refreshing cloth” to clean ourselves with along with roasted peanuts and orange juice or apple juice. Two hours later we were brought dinner (chicken/rice, veggies with strawberry cake) and coffee and tea. In the morning we had pineapple juice, breakfast (noodles/pasta omelet coffee, tea, fruit, muffin and yogurt. Needless to say we were well taken care of which probably helped the trip go by faster.
The next thing we knew, we were landing in São Paulo. Our landing was very rough with our heads landing in our laps and people screaming. I think it was more of the shock of the whole thing that made everybody scream but it was pretty smooth after we bounced on the runway a bit. After disembarking, going through immigration again was very easy. While Ana was waiting for me to go through the line for “estrangeiros” which was longer than the line for Brazilians she met a porter who helped her get the dogs and all of our suitcases and then, for a little money, helped us COMPLETELY bypass customs. We just had some girl take our papers for the dogs and we were on our way. It was very surreal. We again let the dogs get some walking and do their business because they had been locked up for so long. It was amazing because they were in such good spirits and were very excited to explore the outside of the airport.

Before we knew it, it was time to check into TAM airlines and recheck all of our luggage and the dogs. This time didn’t go quite as smoothly (imagine an extra 10 minutes at the checkout counter in LAX and then an extra 25 minutes at the checkout counter in São Paulo) but it all still went ok and we were soon waiting for our next plane. I called my mom and talked for 10 minutes or so ( I thought a CDMA phone from the US wouldn’t work outside of the US but it did) and I tried to call my dad but I got his voicemail. Up to this point, it DID NOT feel like I was in another country outside of the language.


We got on our next plane and after an hour we landed in Curitiba. This time we were so excited to see our dogs that we ran off the plane and gathered them and our luggage. This was the end of the air portion of our trip which I wasn’t upset about. It hadn’t been an overly long journey thus far and none of us was overly tired including the dogs which was a shock! When the doors opened at the Curitiba airport, we were greeted by Ana’s mom Rosana, dad Paulo, uncle Sérgio and cousin Victor. They were SUPER excited to see Ana and hugged her from quite some time. I got this one on video. =) Ana’s dad and I walked the puppies and let them stretch AGAIN. Yet again they were still in GREAT spirits and very excited to explore again. I know I keep saying it but I am completely surprised by this. I thought they would be the most difficult part of the trip but I was severely wrong.

We loaded the suitcases into the 4 cars and hightailed out of Curitiba for an hour journey to Joinville which would be the FINAL stop for us. I rode with Ana’s dad and with Samantha who was very comfortable staying in her kennel with the door open for the journey. Of all the times I came to Brazil, we always took the same drive from Curitiba to Joinville but this was my first trip in the daytime (It was 5pm local time) and the view was beautiful. There were lots of lakes and forests that we drove through that I unfortunately never saw previously. We arrived fairly quickly, compared to the other parts of our journey, and put all of our stuff in her dad’s apartment. The rest of the night was somewhat of a blur. I know Ana’s sister Manuela, Manu for short, came over to welcome us and that it was quite entertaining watching 4 small dogs run all over the place. Ana’s dad has two poodles, Cookie and Boopie. I vaguely remember the length of the journey starting to take its toll so I faded pretty quickly. I slept a dreamless sleep on a full size bed with Ana and our two dogs. Any other day it would’ve been uncomfortable but not this day. When I look back on our trip, it was surprisingly easy with everything that could’ve gone wrong. The hardest part was leaving my family and the place that I was not only born but that I also grew up in. It was hard for Ana as well because she had become close to both my mom and my dad. I hope that my family will be able to visit us in Brazil very soon and before a year passes.
Along with that sadness though is also a happiness that Ana is finally back with her family who she had been away from for over two years (minus one trip we took). Even though she never complained about it, I knew how much she wanted to be back in a place where she had LOTS of friends and close family. The people here seem to be EXTREMELY friendly and warm. I have already met 3-4 of her friends by accident while we were walking down the street going here or there and they were super cool. I hope this is a sign of things to come here.
I wish it hadn’t taken me 6 days to write this blog but there have been lots of things going on. I plan on updating the blog weekly with the highlights of the week both in words and in pictures. You can expect the next part soon. Subjects to follow: Adapting our first week, looking for our first apartment and adjusting to a new and challenging language. For now I hope you all are having a great weekend and I hope you have a great week to come!!

Valeu até mais!!!