David and Lili's World Tour

BRAZIL

August 2009 - Rio de Janeiro to Brasília

After years of bureaucracy, I have finally, officially obtained Permanent Resident status in Brazil. At the airport immigration checkpoint, I used the line for Brazilians, not foreigners. Nice:-) The only problem is that now I live in New Zealand, so I will lose my P.R. status soon. Oh well.

Lili and I began this Brazilian journey in Rio de Janeiro where we met friends from New Zealand (Tino and Anca) and escorted them to Brasília via Ouro Preto, Belo Horizonte, Pirapora, and Uncle Jaime's farm. Our friend's favorite part was Uncle Jaime's farm.

Lili's sister, Leocádia, just moved to Brasília from Belo Horizonte so we visited her there. Brasília is quite different from other Brazilian cities, an enclave for the governing elite, where small apartments cost a fortune due to limited supply, and it is necessary to have a car. Leo's husband, Junior, studied for years to pass a test to get a job as a computer programmer for the Senate. Leo, a former history teacher, targeted a job with the Ministry of Justice. There were 50 job openings and 50,000 applicants, so the ministry made everyone take a test as a way to trim the numbers. Leo studied day and night, passed the test, and got the job! Congratulations Leocádia! Proof that hard work can pay off.

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