Emigration 2.0

Hey it's been some time this blog wasn't updated. I'm really busy recently and I don't have so much time or if you want to hear it I wasn't really in good mood to write something down. But it's getting better. Sometimes it's better to stop and think a little bit about what's going on.

That was exactly what I did. This is review of one of my first articles on this blog Emigration. After almost 2 years in Brazil I got feeling that it's going to same direction as in Prague. But there are some major differences.

Let me explain some of my past. I was student in Prague doing a lot of exciting stuff with robots and cybernetics. Then one day I decided to terminate my studies. I started work as shitty stock broker and I ended up doing wrong business. When I realised that my life is going to wrong direction I decided to quit. The fact I was an big egoistic asshole wasn't affecting only me but also other people who cared about me.

After time doing nothing and working on some meaningless jobs I choose emigration as something that could help me out resolve my life issues. I've met this guy LT on his blog who was keen to help me. I came to Brazil basically on his invitation. He placed me to some other czech looser house. And he gave us as a "gift" local shitty pizzeria for beginning.

The business was not doing so good. And I had difficulties with the other guy. When I'm looking back to the past I think it was mainly my problem. I wasn't ready to communicate with him. I wasn't ready to communicate with nobody in fact. And that cost me another trouble. The guy was so fucked up that he couldn't survive here with almost 100.000 BRL and he blamed for his failure everybody else but him.

So when we found out after couple moths that some money is missing he was sure it was me. It was my word against his. I wasn't sure how to defend me but since I used to resolve my problems with leaving I did it like this and went back to LT asking a help. Needles to say it was when his father was dying. He refused to help. I was desperate. For long time I had hard times. Difficult to get something to eat. I also stopped talking to him. I couldn't stand him. I was so selfish. I thought I have rights to demand his help. There were still some fuck-ups in my head from the past. Like overgrown ego and lies.

Today when I'm thinking about this I think it was the most friendly gesture I've ever received in my life. He could do nothing better to help me than refuse to help me. First time in my life I had to finally deal only with my self. I was suffering a lot. Hunger, pain, refuse, dropout, no czechs. Nobody just me. Living in the favela. Rathole. So emigration finally got me. This was the real purgatory. I got to the bottom and I had to start thinking about my self and my attitudes. I was homeless and I was literally begging for the food. I survived all of this and got the work in the hotel.

I'm still working there. Many times I had urge to leave back to Czech republic and I was feeling "better" that I'm staying and don't running away from trouble as I did it before many times (as you can read about that here). Reviewing that I can tell you that I am a looser no matter if I'd go back or stay here. That's the fact. And besides CZ and BR doesn't matter. It's the same shit as you can see on the top of this page. And what's more after some assimilating time you'll find your self in the same position as back in your country.

But things are changing... I don't run from the problems anymore. And also I'm trying to communicate and resolve the problems even though I'm feeling uncomfortable with it. I don't lie so much as before. And the life becomes more bearable. I found loneliness that I was always looking for.

Anyway I finally started some projects. Doing some freelancers jobs for Brazilians and their websites. I found I can still do the programming jobs in php. I can do a lot of stuff in Photoshop and it help me to get some money. I believe that on January I can quit the hotel job and concentrate myself only on the internet jobs. First time in my life I can work whole day constantly. I'm enjoying it. And I can do it all by myself. I don't need anybody else help.

Writer's crisis and happiness

It was some time that I didn't post here nothing. Frankly, I didn't have nothing to say. And I was ocupied. Considering the fact that I'm not citizen of Rocinha anymore. One beautiful day I've decided to move out and switch favela for garage of luxury hotel. Of course it was because of my crazy ex-girlfriend. Otherwise, I wouldn't have too much problems to stay there. And right now I can't even think about going there. It could cause me some injury.

Anyway, I'm working in some luxury hotel and I got promoted. So my salary is not that low, but still has some space to rise. And I'm not forced to do the dirty work. Altough, I'm still doing it but not that frequently. There's something positive on that. I'm swetting less. And that counts in summer Rio de Janeiro where the temperature isn't below 25C in the night and below 32C during the day. I found nice people also here in working enviroment. French owner, his brazilian wife and swedish guy working with me. We're having fun together. And yeah, on some hotel event, I've met this carioca girl. So, basicly those are people that I'm seeing frequently. Sometimes, I'm homesick and have to visit some czech comunity here. And that's it.

It's probably first time in my life, that I'm spending most of my "free" time alone. And frankly, I'm fine with that. I don't want to spend my time talking shit about weather and hobbies. Actually, I think that speaking portuguese is not that big advantage. I see it as a burden. If I'd not speak pt I'd probably had more time to take care of my online businesses.

First time in my life, I'm realizing that I don't actually know what I want to do with my life. Do I really want to stay in Brazil whole life? Where do I want to stay? What do I want to do? Do I want to fuck everyday another girl? Do I want stable relationship? Do I want to work at hotel? Do I want to work as employee? Do I want to make some business? I don't really know. I'm stucked in that situation. And paradoxically after couple years I stoped woried.

I was thinking a lot about my feelings and it's maybe some kind of my nature to be uncertain about everything. And I guess that I don't have right to ask anything from my life. Even that everybody is telling me, that I have to be and I have right to be happy. I don't believe in that. I don't think that happiness is something that can help me with something. In an effort to expect happiness always comes suffering and disapointment. So why should I keep thinking like that. There's obviously something wrong with that. Somebody really fucked us up guys!

I found that is extremly difficult to focus on work here. We had the carnival here, it's heating every day, you're seeing all the beach people everytime you start thinking about work. It's funny.

And sorry for that title, I'm no writer and I don't looking for happiness in this lifetime.

Rocinha described by LA Times

Yeah guys, things are going more or less well and I'm enjoying my life. But besides my life there are many interesting things. I found some article about favela in LA Times  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-brazil-favelas-20121125,0,4302500.story?page=1

I have to admint that this article is incredibly correct article. Right now favelados are complaining about police units and also cocaine isn't that easy to buy.

Other things is that after so called pacification of Rocinha and police's takeover went prices of houses up. Normal 2-3 bedrooms house close to public transportation is now around 100.000 BRL and the same house costed 30-40.000 BRL on time of my arrival 6 months ago. Over 120% of growth.

i will feel like a loser if i go back to my country

Hey guys, this is what I found on my Google Analytics tools. And this is what someone googled. And this is exactly my case. Or I telling this to myself. It would be too easy to go back to my country and get a well payed job in some big bank. And rent a realy good loking apartment near to downtown close to good restaurants and also to my normal middle class friends with the same interests and topics as I have. But it's gone because of to feel like a loser and don't have nothing.

Actualy it's one year that I've came here and I have to say it was a hell of a year. I experienced a lot and I realized what has value for me personaly.

Last monht I've been working and collecting new wisdoms. I've met some interesting people like: http://bigglobetrotter.blogspot.com who is my fellow compatriot. And also I'm still working in hotel and I've met there some other Czech who's living in São Paulo for 8 years. What a coincidence!

Finally I'd like to say that I'm not giving it up and I will continue staying here in Rio de Janeiro.

Rocinha blackout

The part of hill where I've been living had today more than 15 hours blackout. No internet... Whole nearby transformer was burned aproximately in 2 AM and technicians of local electric company called Light (I don't know why Brazilian use english words if they even can't pronounce it at all) wasn't able to came here around midday. And without internet it sucks.

So I started to read book called Ater Dark by Murakami that I borrowed in hotel. Luckily in english. It's my first meeting with Murakami and after almost entire day blackout and around 100 pages I have to say that I like it.

In this book he is extraordinary detail describer. Scenes that he's describing are let's say at least mysterious.

After complete reading I will post here more what I think. Right now I have to check like million things on internet.

Police was killed in Rocinha

It has been couple days that here in Rocinha that the member of police unit was killed here on the hill. It looks like police unit and two gangsters were confronted face to face in one little street in part called Terrerão. The bandidos jigged up and one shot police man in the face which on the way to hospital died.

Police striked back with bothering every person on streets of Rocinha. The gangster who killed the man was found two days after the incident in one sewer in Botafogo which is nearby neighborhud.

And today was also the big Day for Rocinha. After all day police chopper in the air and black uniformed police on streets patroling was inaugurated the UPP. This is Unidade da policia pacificadora do estado Rio de Janeiro - pacification police. Right now is more than 700 members of police in Rocinha.

Yeah, right on police :D

About hotel job and new shoes

Hey,
it was a long time that i didn't post nothing. I've been busy and actualy I don't like posts without subject. I'm not able to write about bullshit as a lot of bloggers do only for get readers.

I have so many news. My job is outstanding. I'm working in 5 stars boutique hotel in Rio de Janeiro as hotel staff with owners' promises to become a sub manager. Hotel has only 5 employes so it should be easy to manage it.

Owner is suprisingly nice guy and with his wife are making great couple. They are living in a hotel more than 8 years. I assume that life in work is very exhausting for them and also with the same people.

There is also 2 guys working 8 years but without life force. Their life is only to go to work to have money for beer. On one side I get it when you realize that your life is meaningless and your only important thing to do is clean shit of others (but just for the record people on other side of this barriere feels way to more important than is needed). But on the other side they actualy don't want to do nothing and more or less are satysfied with their lifes.

And than is there one iliterate girl. She is very warmhearted but itt's very dificult to explain her something simple like that she has to prepare 3 different eggs for 3 different people. And cheif of kitchen who is realy the laziest man i've ever seen. Actually he is going for work only to sleep. When he has to do something he starts to complain. I've heard from the owners' wife that he asked for rising the salary. He isn't even able to answer to phone and ask the calling party what he/she wants.

I'm still living in Rocinha. Sometimes I guide the clients of the hotel to show them this place. Of course  everybody is scared to death of violent behavior of residents :))

Oh yeah and I bought new shoes for R$ 99,00 in Copacabana

Hotel stuff

I got big news... After hard work on carrying furniture on favela I got a new job. In hotel here in Gavea. It's luxury and close to my house. Salary 1000 BRL. Tomorrow I will start at 7.30.

With this job helped me my old boss and some girl called Rachel who was working in that hotel before me. I carried a bed for her house with owner of store and he mentioned for her that gringo here needs a better job because he speaks other languages and this job could do 95% favelados of Rocinha. :D And she told us that she works in some little hotel where owner is a french and for sure needs someone who speaks english.

Yeah I met with that guy and he said ok that I can start work on monday. What is ironic that the girl who helped me got fired for money robery in hotel. Life is in circles :D

Job in favela Rocinha

Hey there, I got a job here in Rocinha. In a furniture store where we bought bed and some other stuff. Owner is good man who knows all that stuff about giving workers 30 brl per day for carrying realy heavy things and deliverying in their homes. But in a country where is minimal salary around 625 BRL per month (300 USD) is this realy good.

For someone it's difficult to deal with it because it's the worst kind of job that you can get it here, worst paid and after 10 hours shift you are completely broken. It's not like czech expats in USA because in USA even with minimal salary can live with european standards. Here is favela. Nothing here  reminds european standards. And it's way beyond brazilian standard.

But as I noticed inside of their favela's houses there is lot of comfort of middle class like plasma TV and airconditioning system and Xbox :) But of course there's a lot of poverty when people has nothing and they are living in shanty houses.

When you carry furniture you will get attention of people because they never seen white man with blond hair and blue eyes doing this kind of job.

And other news: as I wrote before there is many police officers with submashine guns. One night I was in local bar drinking beer and police was checking on me. With a serious face I had to pull off my T-shirt and they checked my balls :D

Dot-com bubble 2.0 called Facebook

I want to share with you my pervert point of view on ongoing dot-com bubble 2.0. As you could  notice, there was an IPO (initial public offering) of Facebook and it was overpriced. Who certainly has profited was Mark Zuckerberg - CEO of company and other employes who has been given so called employes' shares. IPO was priced at 38 USD, but according other analytics the real price was something around 28-29 USD for share.

No wonder, Zuckerberg just used oportonity to gain more money. After previous IPOs of social media related companies such as LinkedIn and Zynga which prices climbed up rapidly after market-opening, overpriced Facebook wasn't too confidential.

This kind of stock like Apple, Google and now Facebook are so called cool stock - every of retail investor must have it. And retail investor usualy doesn't know how to calculate price of stock. Upcoming IPO of Twitter will be probably much more difficult than previous.

Another side of this business is an institution that is in the role of guarantor. In this case was Morgan Stanley - American multinacional financial services corporation (not only investment banking). The Facebooks' IPO was a great example what this company is doing for living. Take money from dummy "investors".

But on another side it is problem of people what to do with their savings and one of the simpliest way is to get rid of the money - usualy unconsciously. They trust their stock market broker or in this case multinational financial services corporation with Name and after expected decline they will sue them. But getting rid of the money is what people usualy do in their lifes. We are working like slaves in our jobs and than we spend all salary for buying useless stuff like home theatres or in advanced case Lamborghinies for feeling a little freedom in our lives but who profit from this are only those big multinational financial services corporation and they're making of us more slaves that we are willing to admit.

And Facebook? There are two ways what company will do with money "gained" in IPO - free cashflow to firm and free cashflow to equity. They have now 4 bilions USD. What with them? Buy 4 Instagrams? Buy back or dividend are too far and right now too unreachable. But who knows. 

Homeless in São Paulo returned 20.000 BRL to owner?

Lately, a Brazilian mass media showed up story of homeless couple living on the street who found stolen money from robery. And guess what. They have returned money for owner of the robbed restaurant.

For those of you who can speak portuguese http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/07/moradores-de-rua-encontram-r-20-mil-e-os-entregam-para-pm-em-sp.html

It seems like urban legend, huh? Or Brazilian TV Globo doesn't have enough topic to talk about in Jornal Nacional? Do you guys think that Brazilian people are too good? Or TV are just trying to "educate" people, that normal Brazilian would return money?

It's almost impossible describe how Brazilian medias are making too much noise about it. And just for the record, according all information Globo and other BR TVs are private.

Reconstruction of the favela house

I have delay of writing my blogposts almost because of reconstruction my (ex)girlfriends' house here in Rocinha. This is something that I never did except wall painting so I'm a bit slow. I was without internet connection and used internet only for important things like doing some SEO for my other websites.

So about that house reconstruction, i will post photos when i will have more time. My (ex) girlfriend has house in Rocinha, but it was occupied by tenants. But since she is in Brazil more than 7 months she asked her house back.

House was totally broken and I've been told that I can fix it. I didn't hasite and did whatever I could. I took almost 3 weeks but I'm "proud" of me...

Yeah and for the record, tomorrow I'm going to Ipanema again ask for new job. Wish me good luck ;)

Waiter in Ipanema

Yeah, i finally get a job and i was actualy working in one bar/restaurant in Ipanema. For 3 days and 36 hours of netto working time my boss decided that she will try other person. Yeah bad luck. 

I think that she didn't call me because of my portuguese. I have things mixed up right now. I wasn't physically capable to work alone in that restaurant for 3 days. I feel like a loser again :-) Something is happening with my head. But for nextime.

Have to search for another job right now. Valeu

Job in Rio de Janeiro #3

Hey guys,
after never ending searching for job in Rio de Janeiro I started believe that I'm going to die here in my place full of rats and cockroaches. It was realy the worst situation I've ever experienced but not as that worst like working as stock broker.

I accepted that I'll maybe not be able to find a job here and get some money for surviving. I totally accept that I may have go back to my country with a shame of loser that I certainly am just like all of us. But what ust happend was awesome.

I just got a job!!

Yesterday I was in some interview in small restaurant in Ipanema. I explained to a proprietor that I'm here without carteira de trabalho (any work permission) and she hadn't any problem with that. I'll be doing waiter there and I'm starting today at 5.30 PM. It low classes work but I find that really better that calling to my clients that we just lost money in "our" portfoilio during the Greek election.

Reality helped me after I accept the worst scenario can happen. This is Brazil for me. It's fucking carusel.

So let's get a work! 

Job in Rio de Janeiro 2

Heh, working in Rio de Janeiro isn't that easy as I tought and wrote here :) I was working for one man who wants to make a tourist agency in Rocinha. I was creating the site and helping him to create structure of his company because evidently he doesn't know anything about earns and costs. But after some time I realized that he always leaves me when I asked money. Aftere 100x asking money he told me that unfortunately he right now doesn't have money to pay me but he is trying to get sponsor of his project. Men it sucks. I stoped doing everything for him. I once again believed someone that it will be OK.

Sometimes I live (you too) in dream that everyone is pure and has the best intentions. But the reality is only ilusion and this was my excuse for not holding my life in my own hands. I'm sure that I knew it but I didn't admit it.

And Brazil has one advantage: if you make a mistake, you will know imediatelly. What I want to say is that after making mistakes there will be no dealey after misteke and before reality will notice you. This means for me that I will loose other 5kg of my weight.

Projects on internet are in advantage stage of making money but money is too small for debiting and what is more important when I'm not brazilian resident I don't have any accounts here. I'm solving that problem too but during all the restrictions have to wait more than I can handle without the food.

So I have to find a job. I noticed a lot of people that I know for "helping" me find the job. But I know that I have to make this alone.

For any qualified and unqualified type of work you have to submitt a CV. So I made my CV in portuguese. I spend hours to send my cv on internet, but if someone rarely responded and asked me if I have carteira de trabalho, he thanked me for my time and when I have my docs all right I can call him again. This sucks.

What remains is print out my curriculum and go for street. I've visited almost 50 businesses for offering my services. Should be noted that I can work on any possition in their business and my portuguese is advanced but until now is without responce. It's/I'm starting to be crazy.

So wish me good luck I'll go for street once again.

Living costs in Rio de Janeiro

Hey I'm little delaying on posting here but it doesn't mean that nothing happened. I've search internet and I've found a lot of stuff about cost of life in Rio de Janeiro. Is it full of shits about middle class life and maintaining living standards etc. I just want to say if you want to come to Brazil and you don't have to enough money, you have to accept the fact that you will LOSE your life standards. And besides Brazil doesn't offer the same things as Europe offers.

And other thing, if you're afraid that you will lose something you should probably stay at home. Leaving your country you will lose so much that you expect. It's like some people want to start a business and don't have balls for losing money. It will always lead to hell.  

In Rio de Janeiro is a huge difference between poor and rich people. The poorest live in shacks. The most rich people lives in 500m2 penthouses with spectacular view. But don't be confused almost all the slums are located on hills and it's giving an advantage. You can get a spectacular view for less price. But probably the asphalt road won't be in front of your house.

If you want to rent small apartment in Copacabana or Leblon, you'll pay something around 1.300 BRL. But you'll need Brazilian guarantor if you never had a rented apps in Brazil.  In Rocinha the price for small "house" is around 500 BRL and you'll get 2 bedrooms, living room and kitchen. Usually unfurnished.

Let's say that you don't need too much electric devices and in that case you'll consume something around 50 BRL per month. Water consumption for 2 people is around 30 BRL. Water in Rocinha is for free but the quality is questionable (a little bit stinky).

Price of internet in Rio is around 30 BRL. The provider NET has for that price 10 Mbps. In Rocinha is that price for 700-1000 kbps.

Food depends on your personal desires and needs :D If you're fat pig that eats every 30 minutes you need a lot of money. But I think in low cost version is about 200 BRL if you prepare food in your house. Eating on street is quite expensive. I guess 30 BRL per day in low cost version.

OK comparing this expenses with a minimal wage in Rio de Janeiro 630 BRL it seems that life is impossible here :)

Police invasion against the drug dealers in Rocinha

I want to describe how is the situation in Rocinha after police invasion.

Let me describe situation in Rio de Janeiro first. In Brazil the homicides doubled since 1980 and looks like a constant problem in country where doesn't exist religious, ethnic and racist conflicts. Almost 50,000 people are killed in Brazil every year.

However,  the situation in Rio de Janeiro is statisticly better. According this document http://mapadaviolencia.org.br/pdf2012/mapa2012_rj.pdf the homicide crime is dropping down in last decade. In year 2000 was in state of Rio de Janeiro 51 homicides per 100,000 habitants and 56.1 in city Rio de Janeiro and its agglomeration. In year 2010 was half on both sides.

Drug dealers are responsible for most homicides. There is no dead bodies in Rio de Janeiro. Who is scared of violence are again middle and upper class. I believe, that you can be robbed in Rio, as the most people said but you can be robbed also in other bigger city.

Rio de Janeiro has approximately 700 shanty towns called favelas. Ten years ago was almost all of them occupied by one of the drug dealing gang. There are 3 biggest gangs in Rio that are occupiing favelas. Probably the biggest and oldest faction is Comando Vermelho (CV), Amigo dos Amigos (ADA) and Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) which starts a "business" after masacre in prison Bangu where a part of CV splited and killed almost all of remaining command of CV.

Situation after 10 years was different. Politicans felt electoral power because 1/3 of habitant of city is considered to be habitant of favela. Goverment stared huge operation for throwning out dealers from favelas. In these pacified favelas are in charge police militias which are recieving money for protecting habitants against violence and drug gangs. Pacified favela is considered to be a "property" of PMRJ(Rio de Janeiro Police Department) and was distributed to high-ranking police chiefs who has profits of it.

In Rocinha was since 2004 in charge ADA but after November 2011 arrrest of Antônio Francisco Bofim Lopes also called Nem is considered to be pacified. On every corner is a police patrol with submachine guns. And indenpendent teams are patroling becos (small street).


The presence of guns is prety disturbing but you can used to it. Police is checking a lot of people and the worst situation is on night. It's not good to leave you home without identification. Sometimes I can hear gunshots but it's a far away. There is no sign of drug dealers but I can bet that some of the people that I know are.  

Baile funk - "music" of Rio de Janeiro

Last weekend I had honor to visit a local show. It's called baile funk and it's party. Its visitors are mostly poor people from slums, but there are parties for not too low classes on a borders of slums.

Baile funk is a party. There are MC's which play music simply called funk. It doesn't have anything common with funk that is known in Europe or USA. Texts content a lot of violence, social injustice and sex. It's very simple. Singers are trying (or even not trying) to rap the text.

Here is a great exaple of what girls are doing. The move is called bum bum

 On show was a lot of girls with big asses shaking all time in front of my face... I think that for person from western world is this a lot of temptation. Girls are very comunicative and provocative.

Frankly I had to leave very quckly because...

Make your opinion yourself.

My flat in Rio de Janeiro again

I forgot to post some fotos that I promissed. The flat where I'm sleeping is under rat atack right now. On terase is a lot of eletronic stuff such as trasmitors, loudspeakers, amplifiers etc. It looks like I'm living in trash.
A closer look:

The proprietor of the radio isn't a person who wants to change anything and in that case I have to convince him to do it.

Here is another picture of a street below. The fact is that I have security for free.

Nevertheless, I have to solve the rat problem because I'm really unconfortable with this. But sofar I didn't make nothing.
Any idea?

Usefull feature for solving this problem is to have a door on terrace. Let's see if it's possible.

Mothers' day in Brazil and churrasco on the roof

Yesterday was Mothers' day all around the world. But since Brazil is matriarchy it was big event. Mom here is a head of family. The cult of mother is so strong that almost every family doesn't have father. I think that it has something in common with divorces and family separation in Brazil. It looks like woman is more important here than man.

I was invited for family barbecue on favela. I have to say that I'm not so social right now, but someone said to me that is quiete impolite to refuse invitation for churrasco. So I went.

Sunday here in Rocinha was really rainy, but in my opinion was there in small house on favela a lot of people. Aproximatelly 12. Acording of other it wasn't so much. For that 12 invited persons was 30kg of all kind of meat. All was coming with wishing for mom of the family. Just like on birthday.

This event was on roof of house with a kind of roof of sails. In the middle of roof was homemade barbecue grill and 2kW big loudspeaker. I didn't hear what others were saying. Nothing usual. Brazilian are always like that. Frankly, I didn't care what they were saying. I was on my wave with laptop.

They found it outrageous too. When it's party you can't work. I have to explain what I do every day. It's quiete anoying. But funny.

When you realize that people from the poorest circles don't want to spend more time with working besides their job, it is funny, because person they considere to be rich or from rich country trying to work every minute of his life. They don't understand me why. I'm trying to explain. And I don't understand why they want to listen to me about working.

What will help is tolerance. I will tolerate their desire stay poor and maybe they will tolerate my effort not to be eaten by rats.