Thoughts after 3 months in Brazil
I left for Europe 8 years ago not expecting to move back. Funny how things go. While I do think Europe has better standards of living1, I'm not one to see through rose-tinted glasses and ignore some deep social problems that some Europeans refuse to address. Still, pretty good continent overall, 8/10 recommend living there — if you can tank the cost of living.
Anyway, I moved back to Brazil — which, btw, was cheaper than moving to another apartment in Portugal — and didn't have that much of a reverse cultural shock that many emigrants have when they come back. I'm always a bit of a realist, to my own detriment. But yeah, some things definitely changed around here, not all of them for the best. I think the most obvious one was that the far-right government we had left deep marks on the social fabric, and even tho it was objectively a bad government, many people still defend it because "they removed the leftists from power". And although I have my fair share of criticism for the Brazilian left, at least they aren't, you know, actively destroying the country just for fun. They can be hard-headed and make stupid decisions, but at least they don't try to subvert the whole system to become an autocracy and all that. I think most people don't realize how close Brazil got to becoming what the USA is right now, and how that could've made the world many times worse due to the weight Brazil has with other developing nations.
So, we have a decent government working overtime to make sure the far-right doesn't get their way — even tho they are still trying — but most of the population doesn't really engage with politics because they've been burned too many times and propaganda through social networks is too strong. Still, working people will pay less taxes now and the super-rich will pay more, so it's progress. I'm not really a fan of Lula and his party for reasons too complex to explain here, but I would vote for him 10x over to keep Bolsonaro and his lackeys out of power.
So, the state of Brazil nowadays is: existing, but with deeper inequality than before, and you can see the result of COVID + Bolsonaro on the streets, with more beggars and homeless people than before. Things seem more rundown too. My city's downtown used to be a thriving place full of stores, parking lots were always full, but now many stores have old paint peeling off, banners that faded years ago, too many closed and boarded places, and parking lots for people driving from the outskirts of town are half-empty at best. In São Paulo, things seem a bit better, but I guess that's expected from a city that has more people than some European countries, although I did notice that women seem more afraid to walk on the street or even on public transportation, avoiding eye contact and clutching their purses. I can't blame them, as feminicied apparently rose a lot through the years and the far-right keeps encouraging unhinged people into doing unhinged things.
Being paid in Euros and Dollars put me above most of the Brazilian society, even tho the money I make is mostly what a proper middle-class income should be to afford a comfortable life here — because, yeah, other than rent, everything else in Brazil costs almost as much as in Central and Southern Europe, so it's not the "cheap country" many people think, especially if you're making Brazilian wages. Although now that I can afford my hobbies, the social divide is even clearer: I have access to places I didn't in the past, and the contrast between the rich and poor is even more obvious if you've been on both sides.
I count myself immensely lucky to have been born in the city I have, with access to the stuff I had, or I wouldn't have had most of the opportunities that got me where I am in life right now, and it breaks my heart to see how much privilege it still is to have the basics around here.
So, yeah, not a reverse cultural shock, but I still have to adapt again to seeing such a stark social contrast. On the other hand, I'm back to having completely free healthcare2 and not spending half of my income on rent, so it's a win. Also, I miss big cities like São Paulo and its variety of services and workable public transportation. Unless you're in an urban hub in Europe (or in the Netherlands), you're still car-dependent, so I'm glad I'll not have to use my driver's license here. Besides this, a lot of the public services are now online, and most places accept credit/debit cards or Pix3, which is a breath of fresh air compared to always having to carry cash and physically go to places to deal with bureaucracy in Europe.
I'm still not sure if I'll stay here for good now, or if I'll try to leave again if the opportunity arises. I'm getting old to be moving around the world — I'll be 40 next year — and I'm definitely not rich enough to move my stuff from country to country. We'll see how things go. For now, the living arrangements I'm making and the money I'm saving are ok here, and I can handle all the rest. Except the heat. My hometown gets to 30ºC year-round and a/c is still to expensive, so I just spend my day sweating away in front of a fan.
Fuck tropical/subtropical climates.
I'm aware that's due to historical reasons, as colonialism turned conflict outwards and much of the world is still dealing with its consequences, because deep economic, cultural, and social marks aren't as easily removed from one generation to the next or easily erased from unfair laws and social inequality. Also, a lot of countries only got their independence in the last 100 years or so.↩
Fun fact: even foreigners and tourists get free healthcare in Brazil, even without any sort of health insurance, if they have an emergency. Even outside of an emergency they can get an appointment, if they have the patience to wait 6+ hours until the doctor is available.↩
Sort of like Venmo, except that instead of a 3rd-party app, it's part of the banking system and under the control of the Central Bank. If you have a bank account in Brazil, you have Pix. And it's free.↩