"Hey," he said to me as I turned to exit the room, "don't fuck it up."
So goes the general and less than eloquent advice of one of my greatest influences. They were applicable to just about anything, but always reserved for those moments when he knew that a person needed an extra prod to strive for greatness, and the comment would land perfectly so you knew what it was about.
His emphatic comments, critiques, and advice were always delivered to keep you motivated toward a goal and simplify difficulty. "Differences aren't dangerous," he would say, "they're just different. It's how you deal with them that matters."
The list of things that my intercultural mentor would imprint in my brain goes on. I really miss that man.
This post is a swift breakdown of some things you can expect to be confronted by as you drift across most national borders, presented through the lens of a side-by-side comparison of my homes away from home a little less informally than Tom would hear it.
Communicating with locals
One of the most obvious barriers that is going to pop up when you are in another country is language. The struggle seems greater the larger the linguistic difference is, but I assure you, it's not as difficult as you might think. That's just your brain trying to encourage you to stay comfortable.
Living and travelling abroad are experiences I am so grateful for, and a lot of that feeling comes from how it taught me a level of patience and problem solving I don't think I would have learned in other circumstances. Furthermore, communication is definitely one of the greatest channels for enhancing patience and problem solving.
With the initial lack of skills to navigate menus or talk to vendors at markets, it was necessary to point, or use calculators to shop and haggle. On one hand you feel ridiculous, on the other you have strategically maneuvered around a barrier to find a way to get what you need, or want.
Thai (no, people in Thailand DO NOT speak Taiwanese... a serious assumption that people have repeatedly made) was a much larger linguistic gap, with a completely different alphabet, tonal pronunciation, and a range of sounds that are a stretch from the foundations of English.
Brazilian Portuguese isn't as big of a struggle because of shared alphabet, sounds and vocabulary, however it is not without its difficulties. Nasal vowels, plural adjectives, and the difference in how time is referenced grammatically will still give you the run around if you aren't on a constant grind to lock down your skills.
Spending money
Exchange rates are a fun thing to play with, and some people are smart enough to make great money by paying close attention to currency trends. While I'm not one of these people, I am definitely one that enjoys accounting for how far you can stretch a dollar in whatever currency I'm using in a country.In Thailand, your money can go incredibly far. At approximately thirty to one, you can get meals for about $1, and hour massages for about seven. I rented a bungalow on the beach for about $6 a day, a week that cost less than the cheapest nights in an American motel.
Brazil isn't as favorable of an exchange rate, but also offers plenty of ways to keep your spending low and the rates in your favor. Here in Floripa, it is possible to rent a beach side studio for about $130 per month. Then, kilo restaurants offer a great place to get a wide variety of food while picking your own price.
One thing that Thailand and Brazil share is that people are commonly underpaid, and cost of living deters people's ability to save money. This keeps many people in constant cycle of spending all they make and doing a balancing act with credit. Come to think of it, that sounds a bit like the US.
The work scene
Not everyone wants to work abroad, but since it is part of my reality, I want to include it. Finding jobs is an experience that can have a great deal of variety depending on not only the country, but also person.
I remember talking to people that struggled to find stable work in Asia, and others that just fell into great jobs that helped them network into a blossoming career in a variety of industries.
Thailand gave me some interesting stories about people that had been less than honest when pursuing jobs, only to receive excellent pay and benefits because the firm didn't follow up with their references or experience.
In Brazil, landing substantial work is much harder. The fields are competitive and companies commonly give preference to Brazilian candidates. This causes many foreigners to work in the unofficial job market, which means they are like freelancers without contracts, delivering on projects or working with companies without being official employees.
Using the roadways
Getting around is essential to travel and living abroad, and many countries have effectively organized a multiplicity of ways for people to navigate without falling into dependency on taxis or walking.If you are traveling, it is likely that public transportation is going to suffice. However, if you relocate abroad, or stay a long period in a place, you are likely to want a mode that supplements your independance.
Thailand is known for having a manic motorbike scene, but it is nothing like Vietnam. The organized chaos and unwritten rules that dictate the Thai driving experience may seem like a web of confusion for those who don't fully grasp it. In time, a driver has very clear expectations of how to act on the road, and driving seems less suicidal and more controlled.
Brazil still baffles me a bit, even though I have driven and feel just fine behind the wheel. In fact, I am much more comfortable driving a car than a motorbike here in Brazil. This may be because in Brazil you drive on the same side of the road as the US, but I tend to think that it is because Brazilian motorcyclists are simply hell on two wheels. Driving a motorbike in Thailand for over a year did not give me enough confidence to jump behind the handlebars in Brazil.
Filling your belly
In Thailand food is, without a doubt, cheaper. I would argue that it is better, as well, but that is because I enjoy the plethora of flavors that are common in Thai food. In Brazil, it's not that the food is bland so much as there just isn't as great of a variety of spices to enhance flavor. Generally speaking, salt and pepper are the king and queen of flavor, while onions and meat are used to supplement flavors in other dishes.
One thing that these two countries share is an affinity for fried food. Glooway tawd (กล้วยทอด), or deep fried bananas, will forever have a place in my heart when it comes to Thai fried things, and in Brazil, it is hard to beat a pastel with proper filling.
As for cooking, many smaller apartments in Thailand don't have kitchens, and people buy appliances to cook on the patio because there isn't ventilation in the apartment for cooking. I lived in a couple of houses in Thailand that had a double burner stove that sat on the counter in the kitchen, to which a tank of gas was attached by hose.
An apartment of equal size in Brazil is likely to have a stove that may be attached to a tank of gas, but it isn't going to be a pair of burners on the counter. The apartments in Brazil are likely to have a smaller version of the western style oven with a stovetop.
Making friends
Thailand has a great scene of travellers, artists, teachers, NGO workers, entrepreneurs, and more. You just can't go long without meeting people that ignite enthusiasm for life. People who have relocated to stretch their dollar while they launch a startup, all the way to those that work with refugee assistance NGOs, the variety of passions and perspectives sticks you right in the middle of creativity and inspiration. The Facebook groups in Thailand that unite foreigners around different personal and professional interests also exacerbates this access to new people.
Brazil has an interesting expat scene. In Floripa, many of the foreigners are either exchange students or older people that are married to a Brazilian. The vagabond types that come from all over the world to immerse in the riches of Asia are, here in southern Brazil, commonly assumed to be Argentinians that live on a fine line between homeless and backpacker.
The Sun and the rain
The sun in both countries is strong enough to burn the fair-skinned just by stepping outside to toss the trash. Furthermore, the weather might change at the drop of a hat, and the sunny morning will be washed away dark clouds and afternoon rain. However, there is a unique difference that I have observed since arriving in Floripa.
The rain in Thailand was torrential, but it didn't often linger for long periods of time. Thick, dark clouds would roll in, wind would whip up out of nowhere, and a heavy deluge would flood the street in less than an hour. Then, like an angry person just forgot why they were mad, the rain could stop, clouds would get thin, and all that would remain is a light breeze, cooler temps, and the water lingering in the streets.
In southern Brazil it is much different. Here, it is common for the rain to linger for days at a constant light drizzle. The moisture is just strong enough to keep everything wet, but light enough that you feel like the end is near. It produces a very tense feeling, and it reminds me of how people speak of the feeling you get living in Seattle. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the approach of Summer.
Regardless of their differences, Brazil and Thailand have both given me great opportunities to adapt to new ways, learn new languages, navigate new lands, adopt new habits and perspectives, and make new friends who've only enhanced every part of it.
Did I forget something? Do you have an experience to share from another country? Write in the comments below about anything that you experienced abroad regarding these topics, or something I missed.
I look forward to reading your comments and stories! And before you beat me up too bad, remember that what I say regarding Brazil is after three months.
Great write-up Jairet! I loved sharing many experiences in Thailand with you and I hope to reunite in Brazil one day. Keep up the writing!
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