Born in São Paulo, I live in the interior of the State since very early, more than 30 years ago. I live in Dracena, extreme west of São Paulo. I am 33 years old, I graduated in Business Administration and I am a municipal civil servant of Dracena City Hall for 13 years. I decided to come to Ireland because I always had a dream of being able to learn English while living in a country that had this language as a native language. Another preference was to be curious to know how life is in a predominantly cold country most of the year, since where I come the sun and the heat are present almost every day.
When did you arrive in Ireland and how long did you stay?
I arrived in Ireland on 9 May 2018 and I am still here. The visa for
Brazilians to study and work here is valid for 8 months and allows it to
be renewed for another 2 times for the same period. Therefore my first
visa was in the period from May 2018 to January 2019 and now I am in my
second period between January 2019 to September 2019.
How does the lifestyle differ from the Brazilian way of life? I think the big difference really is with the weather. We Brazilians are not accustomed to living much of the year wearing several layers of clothing and attending completely closed environments. Another notorious difference is food. The Brazilian cuisine is incredible, with different and exotic natural flavors. The Irish cuisine is more restricted, without the same ‘flexibility’ as the Brazilian.
How did you find the city/cities you lived in? Since I arrived I have settled in Dublin. Always living in the central area (D7, then D1 and now D7 again). I confess that I still do not know other Irish cities, but the Dublin lifestyle is very hectic, always with many tourists circling the streets (especially in the Temple Bar area) and with plenty of cultural and artistic attractions throughout the year, some of them free of charge.
What is the difference between the Irish and the Brazilians? Perhaps the main difference is the ‘human warm’ that the Brazilian has, always greet, dismiss or simply show affection to others with kisses on the face, hug, hands etc. In Ireland, they do not have this custom and sometimes it gives the impression that the Irish are very cold, or without feelings. But it’s just the way their culture works.
What is your favourite thing about living in Ireland? Safety, the ease of being able to travel around the Island and across Europe.
What are some of the things you dislike most about living in Ireland? Increasing cases of racism, moral insult and aggression against Brazilians and other immigrants (especially from South and Central America). And the high cost of living relative to the prices of rents practiced and the conditions not very worthy of housing here.
What are the things you or Brazilians miss most about living in Ireland? Certainly from our family and friends who stayed in Brazil. Brazilian is very attached to people who are expensive.
Where is your favourite place to visit in Ireland, and why? I really enjoy visiting the traditional Irish Pubs and being able to experience some of the local music and culture with the audience that goes there.
What advice would you give to somebody thinking about moving to Ireland? Come with open mind and heart. Practice your humility and learn to control your emotions because you will face (and overcome) countless new situations, in different ways and with people from various parts of the world, with cultures totally different from ours.
