Top Reasons I Hate Living in Brazil...

This is a list started on Amplicate.com (http://amplicate.com/hate/brazil/1157440-20-reasons-i-hate-living-in-brazil/) that started out as a guy listing his Top 20 reasons for hating living here. The list has since mushroomed with additional reasons being added by other commentators. Most of this stuff I find hysterical, or at least it lets me know I'm not completely crazy for thinking the thoughts I do. Here are all 66 so far, feel free to add your own and continue the thread!! "Of course I'm generalizing and exceptions abound, but after living in Brazil for 3 years with my Brazilian spouse, my observations are as follows. In general: 1. Brazilians have no consideration for people outside their immediate circle, and are often just plain rude. For example, a neighbor who plays loud music all night; and even if you ask him politely to turn the volume down, he tells you to f**k off. And basic politeness? A simple "excuse me" when someone almost knocks you over on the street? Forget it. 2. Brazilians are aggressive and opportunistic, and usually at someone else's expense. It's like a "survival instinct" in high gear, all the time. The best example is driving. If they see a way to pass you, they will, even if it means almost killing you, and even if they're not in a hurry. So why do they do it? It's just because they can, because they see the opportunity. They feel like they always need to take whatever they can, whenever they can, regardless of who is harmed as a result. 3. Brazilians have no respect for their environment. They dump big loads of trash anywhere and everywhere, and the littering is unbelievable. The streets are really dirty. The natural resources, abundant as they are, are being squandered at an amazing rate with little or no recourse. 4. Brazilians tolerate an amazing amount of corruption in both business and government. While all governments have corrupt officials, it's more obvious and rampant in Brazil than most countries, and yet the population keeps re-electing the same people. 5. Brazilian women are overly obsessed with their bodies and very critical of (and competitive with) each other. 6. Brazilians, especially men, are highly prone to extramarital affairs. Unless the man never leaves the house, odds are he has a mistress. 7. Brazilians are very expressive of their negative opinions of others, with complete disregard about possibly hurting someone's feelings. 8. Brazilians, especially people who perform services, are usually unreliable, lazy and almost always late. 9. Brazilians have a very prominent class system. The rich have a sense of entitlement that is beyond a caricature. They think the rules do not apply to them, that they are above the system, and are very arrogant and inconsiderate, especially with each other. The poor, meanwhile, are paid so little that they never have an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and therefore often turn to crime or simply become lazy and indignant regarding their jobs because they see no hope for the future and no point in trying to do a good job. 10. Brazilians constantly interrupt and talk over each other. Trying to have a conversation is like a competition to be heard, a shouting match. 11. Brazilian police are essentially non-existent when it comes to enforcing laws to protect the population, such as enforcing traffic laws, finding and arresting thieves, etc. Laws exist, but no one enforces them, the judicial system is a joke and there is usually no recourse for the citizen who is robbed, cheated or otherwise harmed. People live in fear and build walls around their houses or pay high fees to live in gated communities. 12. Brazilians make everything inconvenient and difficult. Nothing is streamlined or designed with the customer's convenience in mind, and Brazilians have a high tolerance for astounding levels of unnecessary and redundant bureaucracy. 13. Brazilians tolerate such high taxes and import duties that make everything, especially home products, electronics and cars, unbelievably expensive. And for business owners, following the rules and paying all your taxes makes it almost impossible to be profitable. As a result, corruption and bribes in business and government are commonplace. The bureaucracy, laws and high taxes exist to provide the opportunity for the corrupt to facilitate "working around" the system. Meanwhile the consumer is forced to bear an extraordinarily high cost of living, thereby exacerbating poverty. 14. It's hot as hell 9 months out of the year, and central heating/cooling doesn't exist here because the houses are not constructed to be airtight or insulated or include air ducts. So you either suffer for 9 months or confine yourself to a small room with a wall a/c unit. And in the 3 months where it actually gets "cold," you freeze at night. 15. The food may be fresher, less processed and generally healthier than American or European food, but it is bland, repetitive and very inconvenient. Processed, frozen or ready-made foods in the supermarket are few, expensive and generally terrible. Most foods are made from scratch and if you can't afford a maid to do it for you, you'll spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Restaurants abound but there are few convenient options, as Brazilians favor sit-down meals and there are almost no drive-thrus except crappy fast food. 16. Brazilians are super social and rarely spend any time alone, especially meals and weekends. This is not necessarily a bad quality but personally I hate it because I enjoy my space and privacy, but the cultural expectation is that you will attend (or worse, invite) friends and family to every single meal and you are criticized for not behaving "normally" if you choose to be alone. 17. Brazilians stay very close, emotionally and geographically, to their families of origin their whole lives. Like #16, this is not necessarily a bad quality but personally I hate it because it makes me uncomfortable and affects my marriage. Brazilian adults never "cut the cord" emotionally and their family of origin (especially their mothers) continue to be involved in their daily lives, problems, decisions, activities, etc. As you can imagine, this is extra difficult for a spouse from another culture where we generally live in nuclear families and have a different dynamic with our families of origin. 18. Electricity and internet service are completely unreliable. 19. Water safety is questionable. Brazilians drink it without dying, sure, but based on the total lack of enforcement of other laws and abundance of corruption, I don't trust the government that says it's totally safe and won't hurt you in the long term. 20. And finally, Brazilians only have 1 kind of beer (a watery pilsner) and it really sucks, and of course, imported beers are expensive. 21. The mosquitoes from HELL Can only speak to Sao Paulo, but... 21. Most bus operators drive as though they're trying to break the bus, and everyone inside it. 22. Sidewalks in my neighborhood are covered with piss and sh*t from ugly little dogs that bark day and night. 23. Three and a half hour traffic jams every time it rains. 24. The weather is complete sh*t most of the time. 25. Rarely do things get done properly the first time. You have to go back to the bank, the consulate, the office, email or telephone 2-10 times to get people to do their job. 26. Very bad air quality and a putrid river. The air often smells like burning plastic. 27. Shopping malls and going to restaurants are the main activities. There is little to do that doesn't revolve around spending your paycheck. There is one main park and it's horribly crowded. 28. Grocery stores are inconsistent. Products will disappear for weeks or months on end before resurfacing. 29. Workmanship standards are very low. Windows, doors, hinges, pipes, electricity, sidewalks, are all built with the least effort possible. If the window closes most of the way, what's the problem? 30. Trees, poles, telephones, planters, and utility boxes are placed in the center of sidewalks, rendering them impassable. 31. You pay triple for products that will break within 1-2 years, maybe less. 32. cars cruising at night rocking music so loud it makes my house tremble or however it's spelt. 32. Brazilians LOVE to stand right in your way. Favorite hangouts include: the top of the escalator/stairs, doorways or simply coming to an abrupt, dead stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk. 33. Best way to inspire blind hatred in Brazil? Politely refuse to eat food offered to you. No matter how valid your reason this is considered an unpardonable sin in the eyes of Brazilians & they will continue aggressively pestering you to eat it in spite of your politely declining, until you give in or accept that they will now hold you in permanent contempt. 34. People will push and shove you HARD with no regard or apology on public transportation & you're packed in so tight you are unable to move anything but your head. 35. Brazilians are raised to NEVER admit that Brazil is a crumby place to live. Better is not always subjective. I think we can agree that all things being equal, it's better to be rich than poor, beautiful than ugly, healthy instead of disabled. In Brazil you pay much more and work much harder to try to equal the higher standard of living achievable in the countries it lists itself in the same category as. 36. Brazil is a 3rd world country at ridiculously inflated prices for sub-par quality items. To give you an idea, S�o Paulo is ranked the 10th MOST EXPENSIVE city in the world. (New York is #32.) People go on 12-24 month payment plans to purchase a no-name hairdryer that will break before it's paid off. 37. Please stop saying the food is "the best in the world". We have beans & rice in my country too. 38. Snot Rockets & Spitting with reckless abandon on public streets. 39. The rampant infidelity. This is not just a stereotype, as much as I wish it were. Men in Brazilian society are conditioned to believe they are more "virile" and "manly" if they cheat. It is encouraged in their groups of friends. Many, many Brazilian men have told me this in a point blank, very matter-of-fact way & can't understand my reaction that it is a very serious issue. The women are encouraged to not like it, but not see it as a deal-breaker. 40. Zero respect for pedestrians. Yeah, they see you and accelerate. At best, they will honk but will never, under any circumstances press the brake. 41. Loud Fireworks at all hours. They can't get enough of them. 42. Saying S�o Paulo is "the New York of South America". Right. If NY closed at 10pm. 43. The fashion trend of "crop tops" with tight pants, stomach fitness need not be considered. 44. The plethora of orange highlights. You're not fooling anyone. 45. The pollution is on a par with the post-apocalyptic wastelands depicted in 70's sci-fi movies. I grow more and more tempted to rock one of those disposable surgical masks, a'la Michael Jackson, circa 1990. 46. People don't understand how "lining up" is supposed to work. It is perfectly acceptable to push right in front of you in any line. 47. Brazilians walk around like zombies & will slam right into you and bounce off like extras from Night of the Living dead. WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING! 48. Every time I purchase anything sold in a bunch (e.g. spinach) at the Farmers Market, it invariably has a family of live beetles waiting to jump out and surprise me when I'm preparing dinner. 49. No window screening. Apparently this technology is incompatible with the present infrastructure. A fancy suspension bridge is no problem, but screens are asking too much, even in the new suburban apartments, where mosquitoes are rampant. 50. No heating or insulation. It's only cold 3 months a year, so why bother? Americans typically scoff when I tell them, "Yes. It does get cold there, in the low 50s (F) during winter." One simply has to experience a Sao Paulo winter, where you will be colder inside your home or office than you are outside. Where you will need 3-4 layers to be sitting still indoors, but can still break a sweat the moment you walk somewhere. Cinder blocks are magical like that. 51. I've heard of quite a few people being hospitalized after spending the weekend at nearby beaches. Spending 3 hours in traffic to get to a beach 1 hour away. Maybe the sewers work on weekdays. Once the place fills up with tourists, you're swimming in poo. 52. When sidewalks are under construction it's expected that you walk in the street. Some motorists refuse to make the slightest adjustment to your presence, speeding to within inches of you even when the adjacent lane is free. 53. Don't even think about telling anyone, expat or local, when you are traveling to the U.S. Everyone hits you up to bring Ipods, X-Boxes, laptops, apparel, grocery store items, etc. in your suitcase because they are overpriced or unavailable in Brazil. 54. Inflation. OMFG. 55. Motorists driving with their small children standing on the center armrests, heads looking out over the sun roof. Look for it around lunch time when the school day is over, sometimes 2-3 abreast in the bigger SUVs. I've witnessed it about 4x. It's a jaw-dropper. 56. Giant Red Cockroaches. Tip out your shoe, open a cabinet, why- it�s Cockroach Surprise! 57. Rampant, obnoxious patriotism. Wherever you are from, Brazilians will always be immediately upfront in telling you that it�s �better here�. They will be quick to tell you to your face all about how gringos don�t bathe and are �cold�. 58. The average Brazilian Cannot, Will Not understand a foreigner speaking their language, no matter how fluent you get in Portuguese. I�ve lived in Central America and Japan, people there always understood my broken, gringo Spanish and gaijin Japanese. But still after 3 years in Brazil, people�s eyes still just bug out of their head and they loudly say, �UHH?!?� �OI?!?� in response to even the simplest of phrases (i.e.: Bathroom? How Much? Good Morning). 59. Physical safety of themselves and for others simply is not even an afterthought. The 30-second later consequences of your actions having an effect on other people out there somewhere in the world? Nonexistent. Riding your motorbike in heavy traffic with your newborn baby seated on your lap in nothing but his diapers (yes, I�ve seen this), what�s the problem? Riding your bicycle at night along the freeway shoulder going against traffic, why worry? 60. Unless you are really into football or reality TV shows (i.e. Big Brother), there is nothing much to talk about with average Brazilians. You can learn fluent Portuguese, but in the end, conversation gets very limited, very quickly. 61. Everything is built for cars and driving, even though cars are 3x the price of any other country. The intercity luxury buses are efficient, but public transportation is inconvenient, expensive and uncomfortable to ride. Consequently, traffic in Sao Paulo and Rio is now considered some of the worst on Earth (for SP possibly the worst). Even mid-day can have massive traffic jams that make moving outside a small limited area all but impossible unless you have a small motorcycle. 62. Brazilians tend to publically snort their snot backwards into their sinus cavities, often and loudly. I guess they like the taste? Even attractive women do this. 63. Brazilians also do not cover their mouths when they cough, even upper-class folk who should know better. Sealed in a crowded elevator? The waiter serving your food? The guy sitting behind you on the bus? Enjoy the TB my friend� 62. All Brazilian cities (with perhaps the exception of Rio and the old Pelourinho district in Salvador), are ugly, concrete, hyper-modern and devoid of character, architecture, trees or charm. Most are monotonous and completely identical in appearance. Any colonial history or beautiful old mansion is quickly slated for demolition to make way for a parking lot or shopping mall. Massive, identical gray blockhouse apartment buildings dominate the skyline of even the smaller towns. Zero neighborhoods are built to walk around in, enjoy a coffee at an outdoor table, meet your neighbors or window shop. Parks are few and far between and the lack of trees or natural shade concentrates the sun and heat into the concrete, making it often uncomfortable to even step out into the street. 63. For some reason (as we can see on this thread), Brazilians love to logon to English-speaking internet forums and write only in Portuguese! Would I enter a Portuguese forum and write my responses in English only? 64. Don�t forget that stinky garbage can of excrement-stained tissue right next to the toilet  65. Brazilians are the worlds Pickiest/Most Conservative Eaters. Trying to go out to eat with Brazilians is like trying to go bar hopping with Muslims. Anything different with flavor, spices or color is viewed with major suspicion. Chinese food- gross! Mexican- revolting! Thai, don�t even bother. Seriously, I have gone out in a group, where one guy could not eat anything with garlic, nor ketchup or mustard. The other guy did not eat, any, I mean, anything with vegetables. Another hated onions. The other girl would always invent something not on the menu for the waiter to tell the kitchen to make. Eventually, all we could ever go out to eat was McDonalds. If it's not deep-fried, unseasoned, unfresh and composed of salty beef or pork, hamburgers, hot dogs or pizza, basically Brazilians are not going to eat it. 66. Everytime it rains, people have no compunction about poking your eye out with the metal part of their umbrella as you walk down the sidewalk. Raising or lowering your umbrella, moving it to the side so it doesn�t blind you will pretty much never happen. I seriously have to hold my hand and forearm up against my temples to avoid being struck in the face as I walk down the street during a thunderstorm (of which there are many). http://www.gringoes.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17615&PN=1&title=top-reasons-i-hate-living-in-brazil