mberigan
American expat in Brazil
Forum posts
349
Contacts
2
About me
American
Lives in Campina Grande, Paraiba
Speaks Portuguese, English
Registration: 21 January 2020
Activity
New members of the Brazil forum, introduce yourselves here - 2025 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Brazil forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
@Ipanema777,Hi John! Welcome aboard.Glad you showed up.mberigan Read More
FAX fix - here's a solution to an old problem
I was going to resurrect an old thread that ended in 2019 (without a solution) BUT decided to revive it here instead as there may be additional new solutions to needing to FAX in this modern age when FAXing is mostly a thing of the past.Old thread: ... Read More
Cheddar Cheese in Brasil? by alan279
Anyone know where I can buy cheddar cheese in Brazil?Thanks for any advice.Alan
Update: Riomar (in Recife) no longer has a Campo da Serra store. TThey do have a store located in Gravatá and they have a good selection of interesting cheeses. Search up their site for a list.I DID find mild cheddar imported from Cheshire ... Read More
SUS for Dummies by alan279
I need to learn what services SUS offers and how to navigate the bureaucracy. Can anyone point me to a "SUS for Dummies"?Thanks.Alan
@alan279Is this SUS or a private clinic?mberigan Read More
Cheddar Cheese in Brasil? by alan279
Anyone know where I can buy cheddar cheese in Brazil?Thanks for any advice.Alan
They don't have cheddar but my favorite cheese store closest to home is in Pernambuco. It is called Campo da Serra and I won't put their website here because you can easily search it up. They have a store at the Riomar shopping mall and their main ... Read More
Are you assimilated to Brazil? Fun Facts by bepmoht
Todays Fun Fact Quiz. Are you assimilated to Brazillian Society Three easy questions to evaluate your Brazillian assimilation.1. Have you memorized your CPF number?2. Do you turn the key in your house door two rotations to lock it?3. Have you ...
@Alan279I get it. I'm offended by all of the advertising too but realize that the platform exists to generate income for somebody - not simply a forum for us. What really irks me is when one pays for a service and still gets bombarded by undesired ... Read More
DOGE is verifying your Social Security Payments as of March 31st. by roddiesho
Social Security Payments are the latest targets for DOGE. As of March 31st., there will be NO phone verification, you will have to verify on-site or....Roddie in Retirement🕵
..................."Don`t Do Anything". Roddie in Retirement🕵 - @roddiesho Yeah but maybe something to consider (I'm going to do this ASAP) is if you have a Brazilian spouse involved in the INSS/SSA agreement of 2018 (spousal ... Read More
Any interest in an Expat Meeting In Recife or João Pessoa? by Pablo888
Mar 14, 2025I will be near Recife from mid June to mid July. Is there an interest to do an expat lunch or dinner meeting either in Recife or João Pessoa?
@Pablo888Sure! We've done this before. I'll send you a DM.mberigan Read More
Buying books in Brazil
A way to avoid feeding the Bezos machine, get Brazilian books cheaper, re-use books (more ecological than buying new), AND finding [at times] rare gems, is by using EstanteVirtual which represents many used book stores (sebos) throughout Brazil. ... Read More
Allergies on the Beach in Brazil by alan279
I've developed allergies in the past five years, after living on the beach in Ilhéus for ten years previously without allergy symptoms.Some pharmacists have suggested that living near the ocean could be the cause of my allergic reaction. My ...
My anecdotal observation of seaside living is that the "fresh" maresia (sea spray) comes with cost. I used to spend a lot of time in Santos and learned that one does not store leather goods in a closet for long periods without suffering a plague of ... Read More
How to Get "Idoso" ID in Brazil by Pablo888
March 4, 2025As everyone knows, we are not getting older - just better....One of the most attractive features of retiring in Brazil is how well "idosos" are treated. Privileged parking, cutting to the front of the line, getting served first, ...
@bepmoht @mikehunterSorry! Good points/question!Up until this year I had been getting a municipal over-60 parking permit from our Superintendent of Traffic and Public Transportation. Maybe where you live something is available for your needs.mberigan Read More
How to Get "Idoso" ID in Brazil by Pablo888
March 4, 2025As everyone knows, we are not getting older - just better....One of the most attractive features of retiring in Brazil is how well "idosos" are treated. Privileged parking, cutting to the front of the line, getting served first, ...
@Pablo888You need a GOV.BR login and then go to Senatran and look under "Usuário" in the left column, then "Credencial de Estacionamento." It'll produce a credential that you can get plasticized. It's a nation wide parking permit for those ... Read More
Beach Trike by alan279
I'm thinking about buying a beach trike. Would it be quickly stolen?
@alan279Nice trike!!! Just add some shiny chrome and a faux tiny gas tank and you almost have a "Captain America" like Peter Fonda's from Easy Rider.... Kidding!Really, the best way to maintain mobility is to be active and what could be better than ... Read More
Productivity in Brazil. Time for a change? by bepmoht
Here are five countries where productivity loss due to holidays can be especially significant:1. India • Holidays: India has a large number of public holidays, with various festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, and regional holidays. Many of these ...
......people take a "sandwich" day - the Monday or Friday - off as well, resulting in a 4 day break. ....... - @Peter ItamaracaHah! I used to be quite involved in non-profit organizations here in PB and the rule of thumb was to get work completed ... Read More
A simple story from the Brazilian flyover zone
This morning I was reading the online book description of "Forty Acres Deep," by Michael Perry and the description included a phrase that reminded me of a recent encounter here in my interior Paraiba city. The phrase is "Seamed with grim humor and ... Read More