This is probably the hardest part about moving to Brazil. The language (Portuguese) is hard, and I have seen that a good activity for retired people is to learn a new language. I’ve been trying for almost 9 months now. I know some words and some basics, but I really can’t communicate.
This limits what I can do on my own, at least for getting a cab or an Uber, and I have to rely on family. I can do ok out in the neighborhood if I want to eat, pick up medications, or get a haircut, but actual conversations are a struggle.
I have worked with multiple apps, note-taking and translation apps, but it hasn’t been going well. It has taught me two lessons, and a good lesson is for Americans in the US because I thought like this, and I am now seeing that it was an incorrect point of view. We always say in the US that if you come here, learn the language. That is probably ok for most part for younger people, but the older folks may never learn that, and it might be a good idea to understand this and lighten up a bit. Languages are hard in so many ways, too numerous to mention, and you may not have an aptitude for them. I probably do not. I will keep trying, but I have to live with the fact that I will not be fluent, and happy Brazilians have not been hard on me because of that.
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