Religion and Temples

Both Brazil and Mexico are predominantly catholic countries. You can find catholic churches in almost all neighborhoods. But what if you're not catholic?


No problem! Like in most big cities it seems like every religion is represented in Sao Paulo and Mexico City.  There are synagogues and kabballah centers in both cities. There are episcopalian, anglican churches there as well. Some of them offer service in english. There are also greek orthodox, adventist of the 7th day, Jesus Christ of the Latter Days churches in both cities. There are also local evangelical churches. There's a Scandinavian church. Buddhist temples. Hindu temples. Mosques. And much more. I am sure you will be able to find a temple of your religion.


So it seems like no matter what your religion is you will be able to find a place to go to. We're not a religious family but we did take a family trip to the Nossa Senhora do Brasil church in Sao Paulo and to the Virgem de Guadalupe church in Mexico City. Both are beautiful churches and you can't help feel peace as you walk in. It is totally worth a visit. The newcomers club will likely be able to help you find your house of prayers. And God bless us all.

Going to the Supermarket

What's the main difference between an american and a mexican supermarket? The mexican supermarket will have a lot less frozen, processed food than the american. Mexicans love fresh food. Everything eaten at home is cooked from scratch and this is why their food tastes so good! The produce session of the market is full of beautiful, fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables.  Oh, and the mexican soda  also tastes better, specially Coke. They use sugar-cane sugar to sweeten it instead of fructose syrup. 


Most brands that we're used to in the U.S. you can find in Mexico. Laundry detergents, fabric softner, cleaning products, cereal, cream cheese, etc...


But in Brazil... Oh, my God!! The choices of cereals are extremely limited. Sometimes you will be able to find Philadelphia cream cheese and other american stuff. Be prepared to pay over 10 dollars for a bag of cookies. Or 15 dollars for a tiny slice of cheddar cheese when you're lucky enough to find it. Lysol wipes? Forget about it! Playtex? No way!! Gillete Venus? Of course not! Neosporin? Tylenol Cold? Sudafed PE Sinus? Arizona Iced Tea? French Onion dip? Lays Potato Chips? Oreo Cookies? No, no, no! There are lots of local products and brands that you'll have to use but not the ones we're familiar with. You'll either get used to it or you'll end up bringing it all from the US when you come back from your home leave.


The food in Brazil is also excellent. My kids miss it a lot. Everything is also cooked fresh. The fruits, vegetables and meat are exotic and delicious. This may be one of the reasons why the women there have beautiful bodies. So let's keep it in mind when we go shopping and get frustrated when we can not find the things we're used to. 

Tipping in Mexico and Brazil

Sometimes I have a hard time trying to figure out who, where and when to tip. In my definition tip as giving someone extra money to reward a service provided to me.  But how does it work overseas?


In Sao Paulo we tip almost like in the U.S.. But in Mexico you need to always have coins with you to tip everybody. Even if they are providing a service you don't want and didn't request. In Sao Paulo I learned not to walk around with cash. My debit/credit card was my best friend, in Mexico I need cash because lots of places won't take a debit/credit card. But because of all the robbery concerns I don't feel comfortable carrying cash. But I need to have cash for the tips.


Restaurants in Brazil already include the tip in the bill when they bring it to you. The tip is 10% of the total but you can leave extra money if you wish. I recommend you do so if you go there often. And 10% is the norm for everything in  Brazil. You also tip your manicure, hairstylist and other service providers, I used to tip them 20% because they were really good. If you use a vallet to park your car and don't pay for the service you tip them 2 to 5 Reais. If you have to pay for the parking there is no need to tip. If someone help you bag and carry your groceries to the car you tip them 2 dollars, but you don't tip them if they just put your groceries in the bag. Cab drivers are also tipped a couple of Reais, but remember in Brazil they run the meter and in Mexico they don't. 


In Mexico I feel like I have to tip everyone all the time! Anywhere you go there's someone ready to get some money. I am not a cheap person and I consider myself a good tipper - the 20% kind - but sometimes I feel like I am being taken advantage of in Mexico City. For instance, when I go to the supermarket - the Superama in Santa Fe - I have to tip the guy who stands next to the car in the closed parking lot where I have to either get my ticket stamped or pay for it. Then I have to tip the person who bags my groceries and also there will be a person coming out of nowhere and grabbing my groceries and start loading them in my car. All of them expect 5 pesos. I know that it's not much but it bothers me - I'm ok with the person who bags the groceries but not with tipping the other two. Vallets also expect a tip even if you had to pay for parking. At restaurants service is already included but sometimes they'll ask for more. Hairstylists and all are the same as in Brazil, around 10%. And now the cabs. There is no meter and the prices can vary depending of who's the driver. They usually overcharge foreigners. I still haven't figured out how to tip them. If anyone knows how please tell me. I also need help.

Getting Ready To Receive Your Shipment

So you've packed and moved. Now it is time to have your belongings cleared from customs. This means more bureaucracy. 


Your air shipment will arrive first so you'll need to decide where your things are going to. Are you still in temporary housing? Have you find your permanent house?


There will be lots of power of attorneys to sign and notarize for you to have your boxes cleared. And the air shipment is usually small so there are no worries there. 


But now it is time for the real deal, your container. Is someone from the relocation company or your spouse company going to be with you on the day of the delivery? You will need someone who can speak their language there with you to help you get the delivery organized. If you also have a housekeeper it's even better. And if you can afford, a professional organizer. having your spouse at home with you on the first day is also helpful. 


Oh, and depending on the development you're moving to you will have to schedule with their management your moving date. You should check this out to avoid not having your shipment delivered on the scheduled date.


The day of the delivery is extremely overwhelming. You have hundreds of boxes coming in and you will have to run around telling people where to put them. You will have a new house and will probably have to arrange things differently. And you will have to make the decisions.


I would suggest you have the movers take everything out of the boxes and take the boxes away. And I mean EVERYTHING. In Mexico and in Brazil it can be a little hard to dispose these boxes afterwords. Plus, my experience says that if something doesn't come out of the box on these days it will stay there forever. 


Also have the movers assemble everything that needs to be assembled. And installed. And hung. The company paid big bucks to them so have them do their job. And if they do a good job reward them with a nice tip. And don't be afraid to ask them to move furniture around if you didn't like the place you first put it in.


Keep a close eye on your china, crystal, collectables and other fragile items. Something will break and the movers will try to hide it from you. And you will only figure it out after you can not complain to the insurance company anymore.


Yes, you will be living with a huge mess for a few days - maybe months - but your goal is to turn your rental into a home. And it may take a little bit of time. But this is where you'll live for a few years so you might as well take your time and do it now.

Your Container

It's time to pack. So what should we bring?


First you need to figure out what kind of shipment your company is paying for. I know companies that only allow a small air shipment but most companies will pay for a small air shipment - around 2 square meters - and a large container - 40 feet high cube. There are cases where the company will pay for a small container. This has to be negotiated between you and them. I do suggest you to go with the small air shipment and the large container if your family has at least 2 adults and a child.


What to bring can also be influenced by your company policies. I know of some companies who don't allow its employees to ship appliances. Why? I have no idea, but I think it may be because some countries have different voltage and plugs for them and the company just want to avoid problems.


So these are the first things you need to check. Brazil and Mexico have the same voltage then the US, so it is ok to Bring your appliances. And if you're moving to Brazil I would highly recommend you to do so.


Mexico and the US have a trade agreement so basically you can buy there everything you can buy in the US. But Brazil... It is a completely different story. So get ready to load your container. I have a huge list of things I would bring to Brazil if we were to move back there.


The moving company will provide you a list of items that are not allowed in the country you're moving to. There are some items that are not allowed in the container by the shipping company - flammable items. Same for the air shipment.


On the air shipment I suggest you to ship clothes, toys and some food your kids are used to. There may be a discussion about food but you will want your kids to have something to eat on the first weeks that they are familiar with. 


So start packing whatever you think you'll need.

Hiring and Training the Housekeeper

This is a delicate subject. If you had a housekeeper before you know what I am talking about. It is not an easy task because you're dealing with a person, who has feelings, needs, duties and rights. And each experience is different. What works for my family may not necessarily work for yours. We all have different needs and schedules. But I want to share some guidelines:

1. Only hire a housekeeper who has been recommended by someone you know;
2. Check with the previous employees her references;
3. Ask how long she worked for this family and for the previous one. The longer she worked for a family the more trustworthy she can be. And remember, she will be caring for your family;
4. Ask what her salary expectations are; 
5. Ask the previous employer what her salary was and ask your neighbors how much they pay theirs;
6. Decide if you need a live-in maid or not;
7. Be upfront with how many days you expect her to work. Some will work from Monday until Saturday at noon and some will work until Saturday at 5;
8. Talk about the vacation. If you have pets, she may not take a full vacation when you're on your home-leave. You also don't want to get them in the habit of not working when you're not home;
9. Tell her exactly what you expect her to do as part of her routine. Take care of the house, take car of the kids and/or take care of the pets. And trust me, if you have her taking care of the kids don't ask her to also do house chores at the same time. She will end up not caring for the kids;
10.  Their job is to clean the house, cook all the meals; do the laundry, iron the clothes, make all the beds;
11. Make sure she treats everyone with respect. Treat her with respect too;
12. Watch closely how she interacts with your kids and how your kids react to her;
13. It is ok to tell the housekeeper that she is not supposed to drink all your soda, your expensive cheese or other things you like. But make sure you buy food she likes to eat. I usually take mine to the grocery store with me and she picks what she likes and I pay for it;
14. Using a uniform is a good idea. You buy them 4 when they are hired. 2 for regular use and 2 for cleaning;
15. It is a good idea to buy a recipe book in their language and mark the recipes you would like to try. But make sure they know how to read. Some don't, believe me;
16. Buy the cleaning supplies you use and make sure she knows how to use them correctly;
17. Spend the first week overlooking what they do and guiding them to do things your way. If you don't take this time in the beginning of this relationship you may regret it later. Once they create habits you will have a hard time changing them;
18. Tell the housekeeper that you're there to answer all her questions. And that it is better to ask a question than to have something go wrong;
19. Depending on the size of your house, the size of your family and the age of your children, you will need 2 housekeepers.
20. If you hire 2 housekeepers make sure you define their roles. Don't leave it up to them to decide it. It may create issues in the future.
21. If you hire a driver keep him away from the housekeepers. Their closeness can also create issues;
22. Don't be surprised if your mexican housekeepers decides that she doen't want to work for you anymore and instead of telling you, so you can work things out, she disappears. I've heard it happens often;
23. They are not required to work in most holidays. Check with people from the country you moved to what these holidays are;
24. Keep all you valuables in a safe;
25. They are women so they also PMS. Treat them kindly;

This list can go on and on. We could go into more detail,  but I probably would have to write a book about it. So now, good luck finding, hiring, training and keeping your housekeeper. 

I also have great tips on how to train the driver. And the nannie.

Kids and Relocations

God Bless all the kids who've been thru relocations!! 


Most of us parents think that relocating will be great for our children. They will learn another language, visit exotic places and meet other kids from all over the world. This is all true and it's great. Who doesn't want to raise a bi-lingual child? Plus, the college applications look a lot better with the international experience. 


It seems so perfect. But what could be the down side? 


Well, first, the school choices are limited. Second, the kids will lose their freedom. And third, their friend choices will be limited for a while. I think I've already covered the school subject, so lets talk about the other stuff.


Most developments in the US are safe. The kids can play on the streets, ride their bikes to friends homes and wait for the school buses by themselves. In both Mexico City and Sao Paulo this won't happen. Unless you live in a gated community. But once you leave your bubble the kids could be in danger. But often the fear is of robberies and not sexual assault. Still, it is a real fear. So the kids are constantly under surveillance. So good-bye freedom.


The friends are a huge issue. The kids leave all their friends behind and get out of their comfort zone. They need to re start their whole lives. Just like with us, the kids will try to make friends with other people who can speak their language. Most times this choices are limited. They'll have the kids form school and maybe a couple of kids in the neighborhood. But are they going to become friends? Speaking the same language is one thing, having common interests is something else.


What if your child ends up in a classroom with bullies? As I told you before, there is no bullying policies in place at the international schools. Well, the Graded is starting to establish one, but they are not quite there yet. And kids can be mean. 


Many times the kids in the neighborhood will play in their native language. If it is not english - or your native language - your kids will feel left out. The sports the kids play can also be different, making it hard to socialize.  


My advice is to talk to your child about all the challenges and rewards and to get ready to host as many play dates as you can. By doing so you meet your kids  friends and their parents. It will help your kids adapt quicker. Maybe you'll also make some new friends. And always listen to your children and their concerns. In the end this will be an unforgettable experience for them!

Flying With Pets On-board or Cargo?

It seems like most families who decide to have pets - I am only referring to cats and dogs - end up loving the pets as a family member. i don't know if this is something recent or not, but it is a fact.


All my family members love having pets. And it has been this way for generations. My great grandmother used to tell me stories about her pets - she had dogs, cats and bunnies. My grandparents had lots of dogs. I remember one in particular, a great dane named Big, to whom my grandfather, who was an ear, nose and throat doctor, used to give all the vitamins samples he was given. That dog was huge, and so loving. I remember riding him like a horse.  And I had dogs, cats, bunnies, goldfish and chicks growing up. My husband's family is the same way. So when we bought our dogs and adopted our cats they had the status of family members.


Of course my pets are extremely well taken care of. They have all their shots and are very healthy. The bag of cat food and dog food we bought for them in Brazil costs 80 Reais each - about 45 dollars. We feed them Science Diet. And most dog owners I know take the same kind of care of their pets. Maybe they feed them other brands, but you get the idea. I know I take better care of my pets then some people do of their family members. Why can't they fly on board? Wouldn't it be great to have an airline cater to families with pets?


I understand that some people don't like animals. Or have allergies to cats or dogs. And I respect it. If someone doesn't like my dog I am happy to keep him away. But to have them prohibited from flying on board seems a bit much.  


There is the safety concern. In case of an accident they can get on the way and all. But isn't it the same with a baby? The airlines should have a waiver passing all the responsibilities of what happens to the pets to us, easy. I would sign it. And sell the extra seat to us. I would buy an extra seat for my pets!


You all must be thinking I am crazy by now, but what is our alternative? Flying them in cargo. And what does it means?


It means that our precious family members are going to be flying in a pressurized, acclimatized basement. Some airplanes have a special compartment for the pets to travel - most don't. But it is still loud and dark. And because usually the pets fly with luggage if there is a chance to have a loss of pressurization. It won't matter for who's in the cabin but it can kill the animal. The temperature variation can also happen. This is why short nosed breeds can not fly during certain periods of time.


Can you put yourself on your pet's shoes? Being frightened, away from your family in a dark, loud and too hot or too cold place? Add some turbulence to this. It is not uncommon for pets to die after a flight. The older they are, the more it happens.


A good compromise would be to have the plane manufactures - hello, Boing and Airbus!! - build a small area in cargo for the pets in all planes. An area with dimmed light, controlled temperature and pressurization, and a camera, so the pilot, co-pilot or even the owner could see if everything is ok. I would fly my pets this way.  We wouldn't bother anyone and we would know our pets are safe. Everyone would be happy, and the pets would also be safe!