Rio readies for the future

It’s not your father’s Rio anymore.  Whether you agree with the strategies employed or not (or believe entirely their reports of success), Rio’s government has been taking what they consider to be strategic actions over the past few years to clean up corruption, increase transparency in government, professionalize the police force and take technological steps forward to alert and coordinate various first-responders to emergencies, both natural and criminal.

There is a great post about this effort over on the outstanding new blog Rio Real. If you have not already been following Julia Michael’s postings there – start now.

Here is a taste. This is an official brief video (with English subtitles) that lays out the vision of the “new and improved” Rio in terms of service, safety and coordination, using high tech urban planning and other technology.

Taxes in Brazil

This is a sore subject for most Brazilians. Taxes in Brazil are outrageous. Everything is more expensive because of the taxes levied on them. It is generally understood that the high level of tax evasion among individuals and businesses is a direct result of the stupendously high tax rates at every turn. There is a campaign underway to educate residents as to just how ridiculously high their taxes are (on everything) and to get the government to simplify the tax system (lowering many consumer taxes) and thereby lower the rate of tax evasion.  A more sane taxing system would cost most people less, and raise more revenue for the government – or so goes the argument.

Remember that I am just a simple guy. I am not a tax accountant or attorney.  The information posted here is what I could learn from various web resources. So please do not take this as totally accurate.  If tax issues are your concern, consult a professional.

Let’s take a look at the overall tax situation for folks living in Brazil. [I got much of this information from this website.]

There’s the income tax. All Brazilians and foreign residents are subject to this tax. There are five categories for taxpayers:

Monthly Salary	Percentage	Deduction
R$1,434.59	Exempt	0
R$1,434.59 to 2,150.00	7.5%	R$107.59
R$2,150.01 to 2,866.70	15%	R$268.84
R$2,866.71 to 3,582.00	22.5%	R$483.84
above R$3,582.00	27.5%	R$662.94

Other taxes include:  taxes on services.  That is, for example, if you are a taxi driver, 2 -5% of your earnings are paid to your local jurisdiction (percentage varies by locality).

Inheritance tax. This is typically 8% on the value of your inheritance, but your local state may boost this a bit.

Tax on motor vehicles. This tax is based on the value of your vehicle and is paid annually.

Property tax. For urban and suburban property, the rate varies from 0.3 – 2%; rural property is taxed from 0.3 – 20%

Real estate transfer tax (paid by the buyer). This tax varies from 0.5 – 6%

Social Security tax (INSS).

Monthly Salary	Percentage
Up to R$911.70	8 percent
R$911.71 to R$1,519.50	9 percent
More than R$3,038.99	11 percent

And those are just the taxes you can see.

There are also taxes levied on virtually all the products Brazilians consume. Here is a 9 page pdf that lists scores of products from every sector and the taxes levied on them.  It is shocking. Nothing escapes the tax man.

Let me list some things. These are direct consumption taxes (not import taxes):

A soccer ball – 46.49%

A wooden chair – 30.57%

Cigarettes – 80.42%

Christmas tree ornaments – 48.02%

Books – 15.52%

Plastic masks – 43.93%

Sunscreen – 41.74%

A couch – 34.50%

Perfume (not imported) 69.13%

Perfume (imported) – 78.43%

A bikini - 33.44%

Clothes in general – 34.67%

Rice – 15.34%

Sugar 32.33%

Ketchup – 40.96%

Powdered milk – 28.17%

Bread – 16.86%

Microwave popcorn – 34.99%

Band-Aids – 30.39%

Dish washing liquid – 30.37%

Toothpaste – 34.67%

Shampoo – 44.20%

A pen – 47.78%

A pencil – 34.99%

Mineral water – 43.91%

Beer – 54.80%

Soda in a can – 45.80%

A bath towel – 26.05%

A DVD – 44.20%

A video game – 72.18%

A refrigerator – 46.98%

A cell phone – 39.80%

A day at the beauty salon – 26.32%

Going to the theater or a movie – 30.25%

A saxophone – 40.26%

A guitar – 38.77%

Cough syrup – 34.80%

Cachaça – 81.87%

WHERE DOES THIS MONEY GO!?

I guess one of the realities is that these taxes are never collected.  The rates are so high and the system so complicated that many businesses find their way around paying the full amount. And given the taxes, by the time the product makes it to the consumer, we are paying a ridiculously inflated price.

It seem like if you could get involved in some aspect of governmental reform here in Brazil – tax reform would be a good place to start – and would bring a hefty return with success.

MORE good tax info (and some taxes I have not included here) can be found here.

My first big encounter with a Brazilian health insurance company

Most people who have the means opt into a private health insurance network. There is free, universal health service for all Brazilians, but the quality of care can, at times, be sub-standard, and there are usually long waits for any interaction.
Luiz and I pay for private insurance as members of a large purchasing pool and get pretty good rates.  As a 51 year old consumer, my monthly premium, for example, is just over R$300 a month.

The system works pretty much like it does for HMOs in the States.  There is a network of providers, labs, hospitals and an ambulance service.  You must stay within the network.  Contrary to the USA comparison, there are no co-pays, deductibles or gate-keeper physicians.  If I want to see a cardiologist I just call and make an appointment, no need for a referral from a GP.

In November of 2010 I decided to get a gastric bypass operation to help me manage my weight and improve things like my high blood pressure and aching knees and feet. So we went to the surgeon’s office and started the process.

Over the coming weeks I went for numerous tests (endoscopy, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, overnight sleep apnea testing, multiple blood tests, x-rays, etc.).  I never paid a dime for any of it.

We also went to our insurance provider, UNIMED, to get the details as to what we needed to get approval for the procedure.  It seems being fat is considered a pre-existing condition. So I would not qualify for the procedure until I had logged two years with the insurer.  While I had been a client of UNIMED for over 3 years, it turns out that when I switched from UNIMED-Rio to UNIMED-Fluminense that moved me from one independent entity to another.  So I had to have two years with UNIMED-Fluminense.  Sigh.  So that pushed things back about 5 months.

Other than that delay, the insurance company pretty much played it straight down the middle.  If I could provide all of the necessary tests and recommendations, they would sign off. So eventually they got what they needed and approved the procedure.

From my point of view I got very good coverage.  But if you ask any provider along the food chain they will scream about how low the reimbursement is for their services.

Now – the story of the surgeon’s office and that adventure – ha! That’s another story! Stay tuned.

The good the bad and the ugly of Brazilian freedoms

One of the love hate relationships I have with Brazilian society is the lack of regulation or oversight or restriction imposed by the government.  I should say the lack of enforcement of these things.  Laws may exist and rules may have been drawn up, but seldom do you see any enforcement of same.

One example that reminds me of the vast gulf between the USA and Brazil in this regard is the simple fact that for the past several decades in Niteroi there has been a paved/mosaic waterfront promenade in Icaraí that goes all along the beach and rocky shoreline.  This promenade is sometimes at the same level as the sandy beach and at times it is 5 meters above a rocky shoreline.  At no place along this popular, crowded and open promenade is there a protective railing to prevent people from falling off the “cliff” (in places) and injuring themselves on the rocks below.

[I should say that just last year the city installed a railing, but as I say, it was not there for many, many years. My example holds.]

In the States there would be a railing or there would be a slew of law suits. Here, you are expected to take responsibility for your own safety and NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE – thank you very much.  If you fall over – well, it was not the City’s fault now was it?

So that’s the “love” side of my experience.  No government controlling your every move. But here is the “hate” side.

There is a successful and ever-expanding restaurant located directly across the street from our apartment.  As it has grown in popularity it has needed to expand in any of a number of ways: more storage, more water capacity, more seating space, etc.  This “construction” work has clearly been done in an informal way, sans any engineer or permits from the City.  The owner just hires some workers and oversees their work doing what he wants done.

Over time the restaurant owner has added two huge water tanks up on the hillside behind the restaurant. (Water systems in Brazil are generally gravity-based, so water is pumped to a tank higher up than where it is needed and gravity moves it down to faucets below.) In order to keep the restaurant supplied in water, a water tank truck arrives every morning to pump water up into the tanks above.

Here’s the problem. A restaurant employee must scramble up the rocks to the platform where the water tanks are located to facilitate their filling.  There is a small walking trail now worn into the hillside, but it is not terribly safe. (Cue dark sound effects.)

A couple of weeks ago the employee who was assisting the water company in filling the tanks slipped on the hillside, hit his head on the rocks – and died.

So the “freedom” to build your restaurant without pesky city permits or construction designed by engineers is now paid for by a dead employee.

The restaurant closed for three days – and is now back open for business.  But what to our wondering eyes should appear – but an engineer-designed metal stairway and rails around the water tanks.  Duh!

The personal liberty that is so palpable here in Brazil does not come without risk or consequences.  I’m prepared to take some of those risks, but employers should not be able to put their workers at risk in the service of saving themselves a few bucks. Some government oversight and enforcement can be a good (and life-saving) thing.

Finding gainful employment in Brazil

This post is for the newbies.  Perhaps some of the regulars can add your comments, including tips and strategies. I am certainly no top authority on this, but I can lay some groundwork.  Other bloggers have covered this territory before me.

I get a lot of emails from people who have found my blog and are thinking of also moving to Brazil (to be with their partner, to escape from back home, to turn the page in their life, to learn Portuguese, whatever).  Their main question goes something like this: “I am a professional accountant (or physical trainer, or engineer, or project manager, or radio broadcaster, or…) and I’d like to know how easy it would be for me to find a good job in Brazil.

Sitting next to my keyboard is a long shiny needle I keep on hand to burst these bubbles when they come to my inbox.  Sorry. Unless I have missed something, finding good employment in Brazil is never “easy” and the notion of being a professional in a field in the US (or Canada, or Australia, etc.) is different than here, where the key is a specific university degree in a specific field (and usually that degree must be from a public university to boot).  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First things first.  You have to be legally able to work (via various visa routes) or your options shrink to casual labor, under the table consulting and of course: teaching English in one way or another. Job security, health benefits, paid time off, retirement income, career possibilities – these all come first in the form of a Carteira de Trabalho, a lovely bureaucratic relic of times gone by that records in one handy booklet information about all your jobs/employers/dates of employment/salary, etc.  This book is golden when it comes to earning a living wage with benefits (and generous unemployment compensation should you ever be let go by your employer).  No legal visa with working rights – no Carteira de Trabalho.

Some people don’t have to sweat this quite so much.  They have moved here because their partner has a position they obtained while still in their country of origin that pays nicely and may come with some pretty sweet benefits.  For them working is more about keeping busy and mindfully occupied. 

But if you just want to come and live here for a while – and work – be careful what you wish for.

Oh – and how is your Portuguese?

Another big factor in terms of getting a job in your field is where will you be living?  If you dive into a metropolis like São Paulo – you’ve got some options.  Brazilian companies may see your international experience and language skills as an asset and give you a chance.  Smaller cities and towns (which may be beautiful to live in) have no such incentive.

For many, a move to Brazil is NOT about kick-starting an exciting, new, lucrative career. Rather, it is about getting the heck OUT of the consumerist rat race than can be the hallmark of US American work careers and trying out an alternative approach to ones quality of life (Luiz and I resemble this remark.)  So living in the mega-city that is São Paulo (even with its wonderful cultural and culinary options) was not our first choice.  The smaller the city, the fewer your employment options.

Then there is the hurdle that is your résumé.  Employers expect to see included: your age, your gender, your marital status, your race (they will ask for a picture), do you have kids… all of which is illegal in the USA for reasons of employment discrimination.  If it is illegal here I have not seen too much compliance. Friends have commented again and again about age discrimination, marital status discrimination, being told that only candidates from public universities are considered (it’s a class thing) and the need to have a degree in exactly the field of the position you are applying for.

Take me, for example, I have a Masters in Clinical Psychology and twenty years of experience as a non-profit executive director.  I’ve managed medium large staffs and $15 million dollar budgets.  But my degree qualifies me to be a counselor, not a manager.  Unless I can get through the front door via a personal connection, my résumé does not suffice.

Again, maybe I have missed something.  I have not really beaten down the doors of businesses looking for a new career, but I have had dozens and dozens of conversations with others (Brazilians) who have.

Luiz came prepared to start his own floral design business. We hired a lawyer and a tax accountant to help with the paperwork.  It took about 6 months to get everything settled.  Back in San Francisco it took Luiz about 16 minutes to open a small business.  So keep your eyes wide open about entrepreneurial ambitions as well.  Brazilians are exceptionally clever and hardworking when it comes to building a business.  The competition is no cake walk.

And so I, like so many other expats, teach English and provide cross-cultural business consulting and written translation services.  It’s not glamorous, but it’s good work if you can find it.  I worked briefly in a couple language schools, but they are nearly all “puppy mills” that pay shit and offer no real, reasonable work days (but the benefits are nice, if they will sign your work book).  But I would hate to try and live on that salary.

Together Luiz and I have found a sweet spot in which we work as much as we want and enjoy our quieter quality of life.  At this point word of mouth referrals keep us both in enough clients to make it work. But we are over 50 and have a lifetime of savings and assets to keep the wolves at bay.  I’m glad we did not try this at 30.

Surely there are those who have found a path of less resistance than I have described here.  But as is so often repeated: “Brazil is not for beginners.” Think carefully (and save heftily) before you make the jump.  The rewards can be life changing and affirming.  They certainly have been for us.

Fellow expats – what did I get wrong? What did I forget? What would you add?  Let’s help out the newbies.

Public / private healthcare observation

Today we went to a private hospital followed by a public health clinic.

Zozó wrecked up her big toe on her right foot two nights ago. She was returning from some travel and while dragging her heavy rolling suitcase up the stoop to her apartment, she yanked it over her foot and (since she always wears open-toe shoes) ripped open her toe (and nearly tore off her nail) – OUCH! But it was 2:00 in the morning, so she took one for the team, wrapped her foot and went to bed.

The next morning she called me to come help her clean and dress her wound. It was NASTY! I got her comfortable, and then I went to the pharmacy to get what I needed to attend to her toe and the pain it was giving her.

Then today we thought it best to take her to the ambulatory urgent care center at a nearby private hospital to make sure we were not in over our heads. I waited in the air conditioned waiting room and enjoyed a coffee from the machine in the corner while Luiz and his mother were seen within about 10 minutes. We did not have an appointment.

The doctor took off Zozó’s toenail, cleaned up the torn flesh and wrapped her up. But for some reason they referred us to a public health clinic for Zozó to get a tetanus shot. I have no idea why they did not just give her one there on site.

A quick bus ride later we were dropped off in front of the public clinic. The line in front of us had about 20 people in it. No air conditioning, in fact, the waiting area was outside with cement benches. No coffee machine (or drinking fountain for that matter).

Zozó never lets a line stop her from walking right up to the front to inquire about the best course of action. Being a senior female with a bandaged toe and a story long enough to stall the line for 20 minutes, they decided to escort her to the nurses giving shots (Hep B, rabies, flu shots, baby vaccinations, and tetanus). In spite of the line we were in and out in less than 15 minutes.

Work it girl!

There is definitely a gulf between the realities of private and public healthcare here in Brazil, but if you’ve got a no-nonsense 79 year old Brazileira (whose middle name is jeitinho) on your team, you can often bridge some of the gap.

Bonding with the Brazilian Bureaucracy

Recently I waded a little further into the pool. I have officially submitted my signature into the public record. Now everyone can confirm it was really me who signed whatever document I signed.

We spent about an hour at the cartório (the notary’s office) down the street from us to register my signature. Upon entering we took a number. I was 862, they were serving 853. Not bad. There were lots of chairs and thankfully the television was off.

I’m getting close to some major elective surgery (more about that in a later post) and I needed to sign a release form. Not only sign the form, but have the cartório affix a stamp to the document assuring it was in fact my signature. So I had to go register with the cartório.

Once I got to the window the clerk took my Carteira de Trabalho (work book) for identification purposes and had me fill out a form and sign it twice. There was a meddling secretary who kept insisting I could not register with them because I was not born in Brazil. Luckily she was out ranked by the clerk (and both of their boss, who was consulted for clarification) and I was made a member of the club.

The clerk took a HUGE hard bound book from an enormous set of shelves storing scores of similar books (some appeared to be 75 years old) and had me print and sign my name in the next available space. Stamp. Stamp. R$18,00. Done.

Once again… I’m official.

What the United States can learn from Brazil

Don’t get me wrong.  There is WAY MORE that the United States can learn from humble Brazil than what I’m about to note.  But let’s just name a couple things.

According to the Brazilian Health Ministry, an estimated 33 million people, or 17 percent of Brazil's population suffer from hypertension and some 7.5 million suffer from diabetes.

If you were a concerned politician and you knew that about 34% of the deaths in your country each year were caused by hypertension- and diabetes-related complications, would you pick your nose up out of the trough long enough to consider a remedy?

Lucky for us we have a socialist-minded president who gets it that helping people AVOID these conditions will save lives and save a gazillion in health care expenses.

As such, Brazil’s new president Dilma announced recently that the government will now provide free hypertension and diabetes medication though the “Popular Pharmacy” program.

The diabetes medication was already available at nearly free prices, but this extends the wellness program even further.

As a further note (and one I extend to my policy maker friends in the US) I will mention that in the case of poor people with cancer, the government also offers a helping hand.

My mother in law is a breast cancer survivor.  When she completed her treatment she was placed on a drug called Tamoxifen, which is designed to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer.  It is state of the art treatment, and it is expensive.  She must take this drug for five years.

Well, my mother in law could not afford the R$500+ needed per month to buy this drug, so she went to the city government and said: “Look, I’m a poor old woman.  I’m retired.  How am I going to afford this drug?  Give me a break.”  And guess what?  The government said “OK, we understand.  We will provide the drug to you for free.”

And so my mother in law receives the drug at no cost to her and continues to live a robust life – and it is worth noting that she did not have to sell her house and all her family’s assets in the process.

Take a note United States.  If a poor country like Brazil can do this for its people, so can you.

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" finally hits the trash bin

While I intend this blog to be about how Luiz and I are thriving in Brazil, there are a few occasions wherein I stray from that focus.  Usually it has something to do with US politics, and more specifically, US politics as it affects our lives as gay men.

So I’m sure you’ve heard: the Congress has repealed the punishing and hypocritical “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that our last disappointing Democratic president put into place.  (Nobody disappoints like an ally.)

Credit where it is due: President Obama has made good on a promise and has done so in a politically solid way.  He has beaten the Republicans at their own game – although I’m sure Senator McCain is not finished with his temper tantrums.

But can I work up a lather about allowing LGB people (note: trans folk are not included in this ‘victory’) to serve as pawns for the political elites who would send our armed forces to invade and/or destroy (and die, don’t forget) for invariably political purposes?  Not so much…

I have been walking an anti-war walk since I first understood what that meant.  Fighting to let ‘gays’ serve in the military has never been a top priority for me.

But then – the US military is the LARGEST employer in the United States.  Ending employment discrimination IS a top priority for me.  And for this reason I am glad that the military ban against LGB people has been lifted.

Lots of people have lots of reasons why joining the military makes sense for them.  I will not stand in opposition to all that.  I do, however, look forever with a critical eye on what and why the military is doing what it is doing – and who is telling them to do it.

But today is a day of victory for equal rights in the workplace.  I’ll take it.

Getting out from under the phone company

As a linguistically challenged relative new resident here in Brazil I rarely use the phone. Who am I going to call? Add email into the mix and I’m just not chatting on my cell.

I really don’t need a cell phone, but nobody else can wrap their head around that idea. “No cell phone!? Are you crazy? You NEED one.” So I carry one around in my pocket (and often forget to turn it on, or to recharge it when the battery dies.) Even when it is charged and turned on I never hear it because I’ve got my iPod ear buds in my ears.

Plus, I’ve disabled leaving voice mail because, first, NOBODY leaves a message (you have to pay to leave a message), and second, you have to pay to check your messages.

Since most phone company packages are stupid expensive in the first place, Luiz and I decided to switch to one that provides unlimited calls from our house phone and internet service but no cell service. We buy time on a chip rather than paying for a package of minutes, etc. It seemed like a good solution to the “I never use my cell phone but everyone says I need one” dilemma.

Not really. Here’s how it really works: You buy R$10 worth of credit, which might get you 7 minutes of phone time. Then, if you’re like me, you never use the phone all month, except maybe to receive a few calls from your partner (receiving calls is free).

Next month comes along and you need to place a call. You have not placed a call since you charged the chip. But – it’s another month, so your chip is blocked. It needs to be “re-activated” by buying more credit (minimum R$10 per re-charge). Now you have R$20 worth of credit.

Right now I have about R$35 worth of credit, but since we just moved into December, my phone is blocked from placing calls until I re-activate it with ANOTHER R$10. We have to remember to switch phones when Luiz wants to make some calls, just so we use up the credit I had to buy.

We should have known better. It’s the phone company. They always have an angle.

If anybody has cracked this nut and has a better solution, please share your secret.

Pension rights granted to gay couples in Brazil

According to the Associated Press, run in dozens of news outlets today:

The Brazilian government says gay couples in a stable relationship are entitled to the same social security pension benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

The Social Security Ministry says in a Friday statement that the gay spouse of a retiree who dies will now be able to receive the pension payments once received by his or her companion. The policy covers formally registered workers who pay monthly social security fees.

Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Brazil, but 10 years ago a court in the state of Rio Grande do Sul granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance and retirement plans.

Since then, gay couples have been fighting for pension rights.

So another crumb of equality falls from the table.  Sure, we'll take it.  But let's get on with true equality here and elsewhere around the globe.

You know you are in Brazil when

You know you are in Brazil when people question the authenticity of a government agency website because it seems too well done for a government website.

There is a blogger in Niterói who blogs about all things Niterói. His most recent post lists all the locations (every neighborhood) and contact information for Military Police offices, kiosks (mini-offices), Civil Police offices, and the main training facility for the Military Police.

When he gets to directing readers to the new website for the 12th Battalion of the Military Police he offers a caution:

“A few months ago, they launched the website of the 12th Military Police Battalion (Niterói): www.12bpm.net, as well as an official Twitter feed. As the address is not “.gov” and the site is too well done, too much for a government agency (unfortunately so), we suspect its authenticity. We tried to contact the 12th Battalion by telephone, but no one answered.”

It's more likely they have a new, young computer wiz kid on staff and are exceeding expectation in the web design department.  The site looks a little too thorough for a practical joke.  But I guess local confidence is slow to catch up.

Brazilian economics

We all know things have been tumultuous in Brazilian economics over the past thirty years.

Those of us who are recent immigrants to Brazil have NO IDEA about (or better, no practical experience with) the roller coaster of the past local economic reality.

Listen to this recent US National Public Radio – Planet Money podcast that lays out a stunning picture of the bullet we have dodged.

Inflation in the past in Brazil was unbelievable.

Monetary policy was unfathomable.

Listen to this podcast. It is eye-opening. Seriously. Listen to it. It's not boring and it is very understandable.

Stabilizing the economy/currency in Brazil has not been an easy process. Ask any of the Brazilian friends you have over 60 years old. They have lived through it. This story explains why people have been stashing away chunks of cash in secret hideaways outside of the banks for so many years. It helps to explain why people run to the bank to cash a check the day they receive it.

Give it a listen.  It's good stuff.

[all those links go to the same place - I just got excited...]

You know you are in Brazil when

You know you are in Brazil when a family decides to build their house (while the city is not paying attention) directly in the middle of the road.

Last month, after a long legal process involving four city departments plus Niterói’s attorney general, this two story house (nearly completed) in the coastal Niterói neighborhood of Piratininga was torn down.

To be fair, it was at the end of the street. But there was no residential lot at the end of the road, rather the open space was to provide access to the lagoon immediately beyond what was the end of the street.

In this case a family decided the paved road provided a ready-made foundation for their construction site. Plus they got a prime location with an unobstructed view of the lagoon!

I can just hear the neighbors growling: “What are they doing? Ah, oh well, what can we do about it anyways? Sigh.” The construction clearly went on for months and months to get to the point it was at before the family (likely smelling the city closing in on them) abandoned the project without a trace.

The fuzzy photo above is of the city’s bulldozer finally taking the house down and restoring the open space.

Will you marry me?

Why is this so difficult to understand?



Luiz and I have been "married" three times - but as of now none are legal... sigh.

It's in the mail

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”  Fond memory, that’s all I’m gonna say.

What’s weird is that in Brazil the postal service is really an afterthought. Nobody, it seems, uses the post office. Although, come to think of it, there is always a slow-moving line at our neighborhood office.

I worked in a business office in Rio for nearly a year and we probably mailed a half dozen letters the whole time. We were always using messenger boys, faxes or personal delivery. Around the holidays I suggested we send a (constituent relationship management) Christmas greeting to our clients and my boss looked at me like I was off my rocker. “Through the mail?” he wondered. “Why would we do that?”

One big difference between here and back in the States is that one does not pay ones bills via the mail. In fact I’ve been told that it is specifically illegal to send money/checks through the mail. Bills arrive in the mail (often with one day left before the due date!), but people pay them at the ATM machine, at bill payment storefronts (always a long line) or via the internet.

Days can go by and we will receive nothing in our mailbox. There is practically no junk mail. Imagine.

Package delivery can be hit or miss. My mom has remarked more than once that she believes her packages sent from Florida are transported via canoe.

I once had a phone conversation with an US IRS representative to settle an outstanding situation and she concluded: “OK then, we’ll expect to get that in the mail within two weeks.” I just laughed. “Honey,” I said, “I’m calling from Brazil. NOTHING happens in just two weeks – especially a postal delivery!”

If we are really concerned about something actually getting to its destination we send it ‘registered’ (which slows it down even further). But in general we have joined the masses that utilize other means for most deliveries and communications.

Carlos – if you are reading this – we sent your bathing suit two weeks ago. And Jake, that World Cup jersey we promised… it’s in the mail!

Business at the US Consulate then hitting the beach

Our good friend Carlinhos from Belo Horizontes spent a couple days with us this week. He had to visit the US Consulate in Rio to get his US passport renewed before its expiration later this month. Lucky for us that meant we could host his stay and enjoy his company.

Taking care of business at the US Consulate in Rio is always a trip. Without fail there is a line of several hundred Brazilians snaking down the sidewalk outside the entrance to the building. We American citizens, on the other hand, simply walk to the front of the line, present our passport, and get ushered through the door. Membership has its privileges, I suppose.

Passing through the crowded waiting area filled with locals seeking a visa to visit the United States, one scoots up a quick flight of stairs and enters a much smaller room for a much more comfortable (and brief) wait for “citizen services.”

Carlos was in and out in well under an hour. Then it was off for some sightseeing and a walk along Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Carlos has rarely been to Rio’s famous beaches and has seen even less of the city at large. We tried to chip away at that.

Following a few beers and some great people watching at the “gay kiosk” in Ipanema we went to Leme for a terrific seafood lunch. Then it was back to the ferry to take us home.

The next day we went to Piratininga beach. Beautiful day. Quiet beach. Fresh fish for lunch on the sand. Sun and surf. Ahhh… qualidade de vida!

Then all too soon it was time for Carlos’ late-night bus back to Belo Horizontes. Bye Carlos – see you next time!  Three days go so quickly!

Zozó's our new neighbor

Brazilian law requires that when fathers like our Tonico die, a portion of their assets must be distributed to their children. Even if their wife survives them, an inventory of their assets is taken and a portion must be distributed to surviving children. Writing out a will cannot completely override this requirement. (Tonico had a will.)

In our case this means that the house Zozó has been living in for the past 15 years with Tonico (pictured here) must be sold and a portion given to his biological son. (Tonico was Luiz’s step-father.) The house is now in probate, waiting for the paperwork to be sorted out. And we are told this could take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years depending on any insistences on the part of Tonico’s son, plus any delays within the court system.

So we wait.

In the mean time Zozó is moving to a significantly smaller apartment with significantly smaller monthly expenses and way fewer upkeep chores.

Actually, since we lost Tonico, Zozó has been living with Luiz and me in our two bedroom apartment, with weekend visits by all to the house. (Shout out to Stephanie here.)

Zozó’s lawyer has made good progress and so far everything seems positive (knock wood).

Today we got some good news. Zozó has secured an apartment. Her new apartment is located three doors down the street from ours. (Again, hey Stephanie!) This puts her in the neighborhood she loves and within shouting distance of us should she need our help. She is delighted.

Stay tuned.

You know you are in Brazil when

You know you are in Brazil when the bill for your internet service arrives in the mail today and the due date is (wait for it…) TODAY. If you are late even a moment, there will be a penalty.

This is not an uncommon occurrence. When the mail service was spotty late last year we would get some bills AFTER the due date – and yes, we were responsible for late fees. It was our responsibility to call the company and ask what we owed and to pay it, before the passing of the due date.

For my Portuguese class at the federal university I waited more than two months to finally get a bill. I was told the internal billing and payment processing system at the university was experiencing problems. It was not possible for me to pay prior to being issued a statement. When I finally got the statement from my instructor, the bill was due three days later. Carving out the time to wait in line at the bank to make the payment (no, you cannot just put a check in the mail – in fact it is against the law to send money/a check through the mail) I paid one day after the due date and was charged interest on the unpaid/late balance.

It can be a little ridiculous. (OK, maybe a lot ridiculous.)

Everything is the consumers’ responsibility.

Oh – how about this one? Luiz went to return a Christmas gift from a major clothing store (it was a personal appointment calendar). It turned out that he could have exchanged it for an item of the same value only until Christmas day (since past.) Then for the next week he could exchange it for 80% of its original value, then after the first of the year, just 60% of its original value. The store never loses.

Retail returns of things like cell phones are allowed only in the first 72 hours. After that you must deal with the manufacturer. The retailer passes you along…

Now believe me, we are grateful for the privilege of simply paying our bills on time, arranging for many to be paid via automatic deduction, and to pay some via the internet. Plus, we have sufficient funds in the bank to avoid all of the ridiculous and exorbitant banking fees charged regular folks here in Brazil.

My post is not meant to be a whine or a complaint. But I do think it is worth commenting on the high cost of just trying to engage with businesses. It seems we must anticipate occasionally paying a penalty just for the privilege of spending our money.

(Oh - and you should hear Luiz on the phone gettin' all American with the customer service rep. They don't have a chance. And he usually saves us a ton of money!)