Our emigration: how Ukrainian emigrated with children to Brazil

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

Eight years ago, Oksana Kolesnikova from Zhitomir met love more than 10 thousand kilometers from home. The Ukrainian woman took a risk and emigrated to Brazil with her two children.

About how she turned her specialty into a profitable hobby, learned a complex language in a few months and why she still misses Ukraine - in her story “To the browser«.

My Brazilian story began in 2009, when a friend asked for registration in a marriage agency with foreigners. In my opinion, acquaintance via the Internet was hopeless and even to some extent shameful. It seemed to me that on the other side of the monitor there must be a pervert or a close-minded person who simply has nothing to do in life. But despite this, I still listened to her friend and followed her advice.

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

At the same time, a similar situation was happening on the other side of the Earth. A single man (Neil is my husband's name) was talking with a group of friends about marriage and family. By chance, in the circle of friends there was a man from Ukraine who claimed that Ukrainian women are the best wives in the world! And that you can find a Ukrainian wife on the Internet.

Upon returning home from a friendly company, Neil - an ardent opponent of online dating, but defeated by society's assertions - purposefully registered on a dating site. My photograph appears on the first pages of the site, and the following pages are left without attention.

And I receive a notification by email that a man from Brazil is interested in me. The fictional “pervert” turned out to be a meteorological scientist, a well-mannered and modest person, ready to make me happy.

This is how we met, and our love story was born. After two months of communication, we decided to meet in reality. Due to his work, he could not fly to Ukraine, so I flew to Brazil “for reconnaissance.”

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

We had confidence from the very beginning, and I practically did not fear such a long and unusual journey. A real meeting with a man confirmed the correctness of the choice and decision-making for the rest of his life.

A couple of months later, I flew back to Brazil with my two children in order to stay alive. From the outside, it all looked crazy. Distance! Different cultures! Tongue! Everything! Totally everything. It was a big risk. And as you know, who does not risk, he does not drink champagne! And we took the chance.

First impressions

Upon arrival in Brazil, nature is immediately striking in its beauty. A lot of greenery, huge, blooming bright colors. trees! Immediately I will write that Brazil is a very large-scale country. This is all perfectly seen on the world map.

Based on its size, it is very different - both in terms of natural landscape, financial situation, lifestyle, language pronunciation, cuisine, as well as customs and traditions of the population. I can only talk about the place where I ended up, or where I managed to visit. But I ended up not in the capital, or even in a medium-sized city, but in an urban village with only 30 thousand people.

About the climate: Brazil is very hot! Especially in November-February. These months are the height of the Brazilian summer. Temperatures can reach 45 degrees. It is impossible to be outside during the day. Only before 9 am and after 20 pm. The rest of the time only under air conditioning.

May-September are the most bearable months in terms of weather. Temperatures range from 20 to 27 degrees. But at night it can drop to 5. The houses here have no heating, and in winter it can be cold and uncomfortable. We walk around dressed like cabbage, and go outside to warm ourselves.

The next thing I can't get used to is the multitude of insects. I panic at the sight of these crawling and flying creatures. Cockroaches especially poison my life here. Huge, 5-7 cm long! There are, of course, ways to poison them, but they are not very effective. Cockroaches here have evolved so much that they have learned to fly and hiss!

On the plus side, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables available all year round. There is no need to can anything. Warm weather can also be seen as an advantage, which contributes to big savings in clothing and shoes. And there is very tasty meat here! In Brazil, special breeds of cows are bred. They make excellent Shurasko shish kebab!

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

Accomodation

The first step is to pay attention to the area away from the slums. The safest and, naturally, the most expensive housing is the so-called “Condominium”. That is, closed areas are protected. Although, frankly speaking, no security helps, and there are many cases of robberies.

Rent is concluded through a contract for a specific time and price. For the first six years of our life, we rented four-room apartments in a not very good area for 650 reais per month ($ 195).

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

In addition to this money, we paid for utilities (electricity, water, telephone, Internet). A total of 1000 Reals ($ 300) was released. About three years ago, the real dollar / dollar rate was stable. 1 dollar = 2 real. After that, Brazil faced a global crisis, and the dollar rose to 3,3 Reais, continuing to be unstable.

Work

At the moment in Brazil, the financial crisis, and therefore with the employment and complexity. Permanent misunderstandings with the authorities, impeachment of the president, etc., affect the country's economy. The minimum salary from 2018 will be 960 Reais ($ 288). The average s / n 3-5 thousands ($ 900- $ 1500).

Leading professions: doctors, financial workers, lawyers, engineers. It’s not easy for emigrants to get here. There are no illegal workers either. In my opinion, Brazil is not a country where you can earn a lot of money, especially the emigrant. This can only happen if you are a genius and you are invited to work in some famous company.

If you are a creative and hardworking person, then you can open your business. An emigrant can go in for a restaurant or a travel business, open a beauty salon (there are few good specialists in manicure and pedicure here). With all this, knowledge of the language. A better few.

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

I am a specialty fashion designer top women's clothing. But the climatic conditions made my specialty irrelevant here. In my town, people dress up too simply. But I have a hobby that has grown into a mini-business. I sew Tilda-style dolls and sell them online.

Studies

Education in Brazil leaves much to be desired. It is hard to believe that there are still people in this country, children who have not been to school for a single day.

The school system is similar to ours in the sense that you can complete 9 grades (incomplete), or 11. The level of education is not an indicator. There are public free schools and private private ones. If you have the opportunity to pay for your studies, it is better to choose a paid school.

My children went to this exact place upon arrival. All items are immediately in Portuguese. For them it was indescribably difficult. Especially the first year. Since the daughter is younger (at that time she was 10 years old), she adapted faster and easier than her son (15 years old). At the same time, we attended Portuguese language courses with a teacher who knew only Portuguese. The way of communication between the teacher and us happened “on the fingers” and emotions. But even this method yielded results, and after four months we began to speak Portuguese.

Thus, the children successfully completed the 11 classes, fortunately, without repeating a single year. The son graduated this year from a university as a computer engineer. A daughter entered the faculty of architecture.

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

Universities in Brazil are also divided into public and private. But in this case, unlike schools, state universities are more valued. The quality of training is quite high, and most importantly, you don’t have to pay through the nose. Naturally, the price of private institutions also varies depending on the course.

For example, for a medicine course the monthly fee can reach eight thousand reais ($2400), and an engineering course can cost 1500 ($450). It is very difficult to get into a free university.

Every year the state exam “ENEN” takes place here. This is what you need to pass in order to enter a university. It can be taken by people of any age and social status. The exam is difficult. It all depends on the number of points you can score. Then you can consider which institution to enroll in.

Medicine

For eight years of life here, of course, we had to ask for help. There are two types of service. These are public clinics, which in most cases are in poor condition with a low level of service. Accepted for free.

The second option is private clinics and hospitals. High level service with new technologies. If you want to be served in these, you need to have health insurance or a fat wallet. Insurance is not cheap, which is why most of the Brazilian population is simply unable to obtain it.

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

Dental services are not included in health insurance. These are separate private clinics. The level of services is high and at the same time not cheap. If you need to treat, for example, three teeth, then this matter will be spread out over three weeks so as not to traumatize the psyche. When treating each clove, they will tell you a “fairy tale” to help you relax, and ask you a hundred times if it hurts? And I often remember the times of the harsh USSR, when a school dentist could pick out and fill the same three teeth for you in half an hour and without a drop of anesthesia!

Local residents

The Brazilians themselves are very friendly people! Open, simple, emotional, smiling! Among the younger generation, the qualities I mentioned are not so pronounced. But I really like the older generation. They seem to be living and enjoying life. They are never in a hurry. In constant relaxation. Maybe that's why they are too optional and unpunctual.

To emigrants are positive. They like to be interested in other cultures, and also to ask opinions about their country and hospitality. And they love to hear only flattering opinions.

Brazilians have not accepted criticism, and hospitality they do not hold. They love to invite to visit. And no matter how long you know each other: a week, a month or half an hour! You are always accepted as close relatives with compulsory hugs and kisses. I can't get used to this either. Too much to kiss. Relations with our neighbors are at the level of a polite greeting, not more.

Instagram by Oksana Kolesnikova

Conclusions

If you ask me if I like it in Brazil, I will answer - yes, just not 100%. Firstly, it is very far from my homeland, from my parents. Not seeing your family for so long is very difficult.

Well, if we consider only the country, I would choose the south of Brazil for life, if it were possible. The climate is better there, not so hot. The standard of living is higher and safer.

Security in general in the country is very lame. Robberies and attacks (many with fatal outcome) occur in broad daylight. Funny, but there are some Brazilians who, because of fear, have never visited Rio de Janeiro.

I was told a case when a gangster broke the chain from the girl, but after some couple of minutes he came back to her and threw this chain into her face, cursing that she had deceived him by hanging jewelry on herself.

But be that as it may, I am grateful to the fate that I ended up in this country. Because it was Brazil that taught me tolerance, freed me from stereotypes of thinking, taught me to respect other faiths and traditions.

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