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Definitely Brazil. As an American I do appreciate what the country offers in terms of size, diversity, and culture. I agree with what RudyOD statement about Brazilian cuisine being phenomenal. It will also be nice to not have to deal with so much racial hostility like you see in the United States. I know Brazil isn't a perfect utopia but it's nice to not have to be constantly reminded everyday that I am "Black" as opposed to just being seen as an American. That is something that I do appreciate when I travel to different countries as I am normally viewed as a foreigner first before my skin color. In the United States it's the opposite, they tend to look at your skin color first than perceive you as a foreigner second. I plan on learning Brazilian Portuguese soon.
My second choice would be Belize since I have some family members who live there but if the OP is excluding Belize from the conversation than I would say Colombia.
I know that blacks in Latin America are treated very poorly what makes you think Blacks from other places will get special treatment is it more the nationality side?
Anyway I would choose Southern Chile or Southern Chile lol
I know that blacks in Latin America are treated very poorly what makes you think Blacks from other places will get special treatment is it more the nationality side?
Anyway I would choose Southern Chile or Southern Chile lol
I never said Brazil was a perfect racial paradise but I do notice when I travel to Latin American countries, I don't feel as much racial hostility compared to the United States, which has a stronger racial divide than national identity. Most people from Latin America identify more with their nationality than they do their skin color. Latin American posters on here who have traveled to the United States know exactly what I'm talking about.
Hahaha - Let me guess YW is your wife or girlfriend? How's Peru treating you? One of my best friends is Peruvian a Limeño from Lima...I've wanted to get up there for a visit but it's soo expensive. How long have you been up there?
YW= Young Wife (she is 28 years younger). I have been living in Lima for 11 years (YW is Limeno) and it IS very expensive now as the Dollar has lost 30% or so. We live on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific (Miraflores district) and are pretty much sheltered from any ugliness We have a 9 year old and YW is expecting our 2nd child next April. Besides the Social Security aspect, we would like to educate our children stateside as private schools for two run around 24k/yr which pay's a lot of school taxes in a top US district. Also while my Wife has a good job here, she would like to advance her career in the USA, and then maybe come back to Lima where they pay up for US experience. Me, I could stay here forever (my original plan), but I can adapt to anyplace as I lived in/around NYC for 50 years. If I had to work for a living, I am sure my feelings about Lima would be quite different. We were vacationing in a Austrian community in the high jungle a few months back and I was ready to move but my Wife could not imagine not having a cell phone app that gets you a secure taxi in 5 min at the push of a button, 24 hr supermarkets, 50 movie screens within 10 blocks of our apartment,etc.
YW= Young Wife (she is 28 years younger). I have been living in Lima for 11 years (YW is Limeno) and it IS very expensive now as the Dollar has lost 30% or so. We live on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific (Miraflores district) and are pretty much sheltered from any ugliness We have a 9 year old and YW is expecting our 2nd child next April. Besides the Social Security aspect, we would like to educate our children stateside as private schools for two run around 24k/yr which pay's a lot of school taxes in a top US district. Also while my Wife has a good job here, she would like to advance her career in the USA, and then maybe come back to Lima where they pay up for US experience. Me, I could stay here forever (my original plan), but I can adapt to anyplace as I lived in/around NYC for 50 years. If I had to work for a living, I am sure my feelings about Lima would be quite different. We were vacationing in a Austrian community in the high jungle a few months back and I was ready to move but my Wife could not imagine not having a cell phone app that gets you a secure taxi in 5 min at the push of a button, 24 hr supermarkets, 50 movie screens within 10 blocks of our apartment,etc.
Reading the last part..your wife sounds like my Argentine wife lol.
Last edited by EricOldTime; 09-16-2014 at 07:26 PM..
Brazil is too dangerous in most of it's cities...I wouldn't recommend it.
I seriously doubt you'd want to live in Cuba....have you ever been there?
Uruguay is ok, but I thought that Montivideo, the capital city was rather run down and dilapidated. Rural Uruguay and some of the small towns are nice, as is Argentina, in the very rural areas.....although that also 9 times out of 10 means no internet, no electricity, no transportion ( some rural towns might only have a bus that comes once every few hours, or .....only once a day. Taxis or remises, if their "were" any would cost you a fortune, lot's of folks in the rural areas here just hitchhike... Restaraunts, night life in the rural areas of these countries? Seriously...jobs in these small towns? Nope...?
I'd choose Chile hands down, if I had the money and could purchase some land. It's relatively safe, ( although it's deteriorating quite a bit in the cities) compared to it's closest neighbors, organized, not as helter skelter as other latin countries and the folks are more laid back. Besides it has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of SA. Even so chilean spanish is mighty tough to master....even other latinos have a hard time understanding them.
I'll give most north americans 2 years max in some latin american countries, then they'll be rarin n' ready to come back, especially being from California. Colombia, Peru, Central America, Mexico? I give most only 1 year max, then they'll head back. It seems that the California ex-pats have the hardest time adjusting. We americans just have too many amenities and conveniences to let go of....because you have to give "alot" of it up when you come down here....it's a whole other ball game gents! Unless of course you have some big bucks, but living it down here doing the "reality" thing, "real life" trying to make a living, really living the culture, it's a very mixed blessing....
I had 3 sets of friends that came to Arg from Calif to live, both were gone and ready to go back after 1 year, they had a rough time adapting, had trouble learning the language as well. One set of friends I had from San Diego said they had no interest in returning other than a brief visit, but if they had to do it all again they wouldn't have come here to live.
I read alot of comments on these forums from folks that are ready to get out of the US and start all over in one of these countries, all googley-eye'd and ready for adventure with their rose colored glasses LOL. I understand, I was just like them, a bit adventurous and also naive... so I understand. Most of them wouldn't last 1 year, some less....some will make it as long as I have, but very very few. It's not easy, it takes alot out of you, you'll go through some stuff, but if you can stick it out, you'll have a lifetime of experiences and memories that nobody can take away I will say that! I'd like to stay, but I just can't see it, my wife either. She has the most to lose with her family being here, but she's ready. Having a child and a family changes alot. We just don't like the way things are going down here, the direction....it's really changed and it's really quite sad.
Another one of my best friends, married to an Argentine, been here 14 years, started a charity...they're gone, out by years end.....
I dunno maybe my vision is tainted, I've just seen and dealt with too much here since I've been here I guess....especially these last 2 years or so. It kinda affects you when you see you're friend lying in a hospital with 3 bullit holes in his back, all because some punk wanted to rob a few laptops. It's great to visit but think long and hard about trying to live in one of these countries, adapting to another country is generally more challenging than one thinks, but, it does have it's rewards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOldTime
Brazil is too dangerous in most of it's cities...I wouldn't recommend it.
I lived in Brazil for six months, and I didn't find it any more dangerous than anywhere else in South America. It's an enormous country as well. It's not all one big fravela or anything. There is an enormous about of variation.
I haven't been to Cuba, but I've been almost everywhere else in South America. Brazil was the one I loved, I was quite indifferent to all the Spanish-speaking countries in South America. I think I'd equally be indifferent to the Central American ones. However, I really liked Dominican Republic, and I have a feeling I'd like Cuba, but again, post-Castro, when things are different than the present time. I think the people and mix of people would be most similar to Brazil, which I already know I like.
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 09-17-2014 at 12:06 AM..
I lived in Brazil for six months, and I didn't find it any more dangerous than anywhere else in South America. It's an enormous country as well. It's not all one big fravela or anything. There is an enormous about of variation.
I haven't been to Cuba, but I've been almost everywhere else in South America. Brazil was the one I loved, I was quite indifferent to all the Spanish-speaking countries in South America. I think I'd equally be indifferent to the Central American ones. However, I really liked Dominican Republic, and I have a feeling I'd like Cuba, but again, post-Castro, when things are different than the present time. I think the people and mix of people would be most similiar, which I already know I like.
If you don't mind my asking, how long did it take for you to learn Brazilian Portuguese?
I'll give most north americans 2 years max in some latin american countries, then they'll be rarin n' ready to come back, especially being from California. Colombia, Peru, Central America, Mexico? I give most only 1 year max, then they'll head back. It seems that the California ex-pats have the hardest time adjusting. We americans just have too many amenities and conveniences to let go of....because you have to give "alot" of it up when you come down here....it's a whole other ball game gents! Unless of course you have some big bucks, but living it down here doing the "reality" thing, "real life" trying to make a living, really living the culture, it's a very mixed blessing....
I had 3 sets of friends that came to Arg from Calif to live, both were gone and ready to go back after 1 year, they had a rough time adapting, had trouble learning the language as well. One set of friends I had from San Diego said they had no interest in returning other than a brief visit, but if they had to do it all again they wouldn't have come here to live.
I read alot of comments on these forums from folks that are ready to get out of the US and start all over in one of these countries, all googley-eye'd and ready for adventure with their rose colored glasses LOL. I understand, I was just like them, a bit adventurous and also naive... so I understand. Most of them wouldn't last 1 year, some less....some will make it as long as I have, but very very few. It's not easy, it takes alot out of you, you'll go through some stuff, but if you can stick it out, you'll have a lifetime of experiences and memories that nobody can take away I will say that! I'd like to stay, but I just can't see it, my wife either. She has the most to lose with her family being here, but she's ready. Having a child and a family changes alot. We just don't like the way things are going down here, the direction....it's really changed and it's really quite sad.
I really dislike the 'Americans can't adjust' argument.
I mean, I agree that SOME can't. But there is just an enormous amount of variation. I think when people make that statement, they automatically view that all Americans are some monolithic bunch, probably from some wealthy suburb, potentially California where they have so much money they both ski and surf, while living in some kind of gated community of sorts.
I've been an American living abroad for many years, and have met an enormous amount that can easily adjust. The variation of Americans are just huge, and not everyone of them comes from the same background.
That being said, I do realize that the 'escaping from something' kind is just a special breed altogether, already prone to failure.
But, I think the majority of regular 'Americas' Forum viewers are the types who are quite far-gone into having already considered Americas, or already experienced it. It's more the types who never view the Forum, post once with some grandiose plan, and never respond to it again. Those are the types that also wouldn't make it if they moved.
If you don't mind my asking, how long did it take for you to learn Brazilian Portuguese?
I went down there knowing nothing. However, I really spent a lot of time once there, to constantly study phrasebooks, Portuguese language workbooks, and trying to interact with Brazilians all the time.
It's simply a process, a long process. I still wouldn't say that 'I know Portuguese'. But, I can definitely communicate most my needs, mostly because I was constantly trying to do exactly that while there.
However, if someone wanted me to convey something a bit complex in Portuguese, I'd be at a loss to articulate it half way decently. I also got into a lot of trouble with listening comprehension. I think I'd get the person, only to realize that I didn't get it at all. But I couldn't always adequately convey or articulate well enough to resolve the confusion or complexities of it.
Like everyone else, I'd highly recommend studying as much as you possibly can before going. But, if you absolutely cannot for some reason, like myself, it's not like you can't go into serious 'crash course' mode as well, although of course highly unrecommended.
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