Author: geekpivot
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School Enrollment for Kids—Talking to Administrators in Portuguese
I first tasted Brazilian bureaucracy at the gates of Colégio Estrela do Sul, clutching my nephew’s paperwork like a reluctant skydiver gripping the doorframe. Back in the Dominican Republic, enrollment was a quick handshake and a birth certificate photocopy. In São Paulo, however, the registrar welcomed me with a smile, a stack of forms, and…
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Plugged In: Scripts & Vocabulary for Setting Up Internet and Utilities in Portuguese
Moving apartments is my least favorite sport, yet somehow I keep signing up for new matches. Last month in Belo Horizonte I lugged boxes up three flights of stairs, day-dreaming of the moment fiber-optic bliss would return to my laptop. Instead, I found myself on hold with a customer-service rep, translating tech jargon on the…
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Doing the Numbers: Filing Taxes as an Expat in Brazil
The first time I opened Brazil’s Receita Federal portal, I felt like I’d stumbled into a carnival mirror maze: every link reflected more acronyms, and nothing looked familiar. Back in the Dominican Republic, my accountant handled most of the heavy lifting while I focused on chasing freelance invoices and enjoying beach sunsets. In Brazil, though,…
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Claiming Calm: Explaining Insurance Claims in Brazil After an Accident
A fender-bender on Avenida Paulista isn’t how anyone plans to spend a Tuesday, but life loves these unscripted language tests. Mine came two years ago when a delivery bike clipped my rental car’s mirror while I was singing along to a Dominican bachata playlist. The biker and I were safe—just shaken—but the real adrenaline hit…
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Healthcare Basics: Scheduling a Doctor’s Visit in Portuguese
I learned the hard way that you can’t outrun Dominican street food forever. One rainy afternoon in Fortaleza, after a week of generous servings of acarajé and late-night pastel de feira, my stomach staged a revolt. I needed a doctor—fast. Marching into the clinic with confidence borrowed from my years juggling paperwork in Santo Domingo,…
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Opening a Bank Account in Brazil: Portuguese Terminology You’ll Hear
The first time I tried to open a conta corrente in São Paulo, I walked into the branch feeling that confident-but-clueless energy only an expat can embody. My backpack rattled with photocopies, proof of address, and an overzealous stack of passport photos, yet I still missed one vital document. The manager, polite but amused, asked…
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Navigating Brazilian Immigration Offices: Key Phrases and Forms for Smooth Sailing
I still remember the first time I stepped into the Polícia Federal hall in Salvador with a folder full of papers and the hopeful grin of a newcomer. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, numbers flickered on the ticket board, and everyone seemed to know exactly which window to approach—except me. That morning’s confusion taught me…
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Between Grammar Books and Favela Graffiti — Local Slang vs. Standard Portuguese for the Curious Expat
I was halfway through ordering an açai bowl in Ipanema when the server flashed a thumbs-up and replied, “Fechou, chefia—já já tá na mão.” I understood chefia (boss) from previous bar stops, but fechou (“locked in”) and já já (any minute) left me staring at my sandals. She must have noticed the lag in my…
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Ringing Rio — Mastering Phone Calls in Brazilian Portuguese as an Expat
The call that shook my confidence The first time my Brazilian bank phoned, I was balanced on a Santo Domingo balcony, toast in one hand, phone vibrating against my ear. A cheery voice launched into rapid-fire Portuguese, asking to confirm a Pix transfer. I caught “bom dia, poderia confirmar seu CPF?” and then static between…
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Making (and Canceling) Appointments Politely in Brazilian Portuguese
When the dentist called back Last May, a molar rebellion sent me hobbling to a small dental clinic in Leblon. The receptionist, Dona Cláudia, flipped through her schedule and asked, “Pode na terça, às quinze?” I answered with reflexive Spanish, mixed numbers, and the wrong preposition—pure linguistic spaghetti. She smiled, penciled me in anyway, and…