Thinking outside the box. (Marica, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)

Thinking "outside the box" ( Marica, Rio De Janeiro,renowned beaches, such as Copacobana, Ipanema,
Brazil) by: Tony Sarionlisted on directory by:Botafogo and Flamengo, in other minor cities and the
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX ... a colleague at worksuburbs, crime rates are minimal or almost
said that was what I was doing when I decided tonon-existent.
retire in Brazil. Since my early retirement in JanuaryOne such place is Maricá, 60 kilometers or 37 miles
2005 from working as a metallurgist in a Canadianeast of the famed carnival city of Rio de Janeiro.
uranium mine, and after having settled in my newTo me, the name Maricá is suggestive of an alluring
adopted country, I had more time to ponder thingstropical girl – demure at times yet surprisingly vibrant;
over and to realize he was right. By thinking out of theexotic though truly indigenous; attractive but can easily
box I gave myself new and remarkable possibilities Iblend and spice up a crowd. Maricá, a city of 80,000
never dreamed of in the past.people, possesses such qualities. Blessed with four
And the end result?connecting lakes that eventually discharge into the
Here I am in a tropical paradise populated by friendlyAtlantic Ocean, interesting mountain peaks, prolific rolling
beautiful people where magnificent mountain peaks,hills and miles and miles of white sand beaches,
rolling verdant hills, gorgeous lakes and endlessMaricá lives up to be that exotic, tranquil, attractive
stretches of white sand beaches dominate thepretty “maiden” in southeastern Brazil. Fittingly
surroundings – not to mention that the sun shinesenough, Maricá was named after a tree that bears
almost all year through.dainty and beautiful white flowers.
I consider life as a borrowed privilege. So at the age ofMonths before retirement, I decided to look for a
56 I opted to go on early retirement and make theretirement haven, both as a second home and one
most of what the rest of that privilege has to offer.that provides an investment opportunity such as a
Thirty years of working in the mining industry, startingrental property. My first choice was the Caribbean,
from the Philippines where I am originally from, followedbeing a popular winter destination for Canadians. I
by a 2-year stint in Zambia, another 2 years in Quebecfound out quickly that the high prices of properties
and finally in a uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan,there were beyond my means. At that time too,
Canada has paved the way for this exciting new life.hurricanes were doing damage in the area. I didn’t
Unlike my immigration to Canada which was awant to buy an expensive property one day then find
long-cherished dream before I even left the Philippines,it in shambles another day. So I decided to consider
my move to Brazil was almost a spur of the momentother locations.
decision. The idea and opportunity came to me almostWhat about South America? What about Brazil?
out of the blue and in a couple of months I was set onThanks to the Internet I stumbled unto Maricá quite
making the big Brazilian move.quickly. Among the Brazilian properties listed on the
Retiring offshore (or in another country other thanearly stage of my search, an immediate stand out
North America) is almost unheard of in Saskatchewan.was a brand new condominium complex called
I heard a lot about ‘snow birds’ migrating toResidencial Buganvile ( Further reading on the property,
Florida, Arizona, Colorado or some warm state duringMaricá and Brazil increased my interest even more,
the winter months, then coming back and staying ineventually leading to an email enquiry. After several
their nice and cozy cabins by the lake in theexchanges of messages, on the second week of
summertime. Seldom did I hear about moving to Belize,October 2004 I was on an Air Canada plane heading
St. Martin or Costa Rica. Or what about retiring into Brazil to check out the property.
Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Panama or the DominicanDuring my 8-day visit, I was taken around Maricá and
Republic?its scenic suburbs, as well as the major tourist spots in
The world is not lacking of wonderful places whereRio de Janeiro… the Statue of Christ in Corcovado,
one could spend his or her retirement in comfort -the Pao de Asucar or Sugar Loaf Mountain and
maybe even in luxury. There are many exotic localesCopacobana beach. I also had the chance to
particularly in Latin America and Asia where it isexperience a fiesta in Maricá commemorating the
possible to live like a king or queen because of lowpatron saint of one of the districts. In such a short time,
living expenses. One could be staying in an ocean-frontI had a glimpse of Brazilian culture and the people’s
villa complete with a caretaker and gardener whilelaidback lifestyle yet fun-loving disposition. To me that
paying a lot less on taxes and day-to-day necessities.was more than enough to make the decision and
Being creatures of habit, we tend to do things we arebeing a dancer myself, the people’s love for music
comfortable with, in places we are familiar with. Byand dance was a catalyst in wanting to live in the
doing so we limit and confine ourselves with what wecountry.
see and experience. Thinking out of the box removesMy initial intention was merely to check out the place.
those barriers and leads to greater possibilities. ThereHowever, it was almost love at first sight - feeling in
is a lot more to behold, to savor and to enjoy,love with the place, the property, the people. On the
especially in our retirement, which should be a time today of my 56th birthday, I signed the purchase
treat ourselves as we embrace our new state ofcontract. Sheer coincidence to say the least but I am
freedom.glad I gave myself a Brazilian townhouse for a birthday
I used to live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canadapresent.
where I spent 22 years while working in a uraniumResidencial Buganvile consists of 2 adjacent
mine in the northern part of the province. I enjoyedcompounds of 6 condo/townhouse units each. The
living in Saskatoon. It was a perfect size for me, bigunits in each compound are arranged in a U-shape
enough to have all the modern amenities one couldformation with a spacious courtyard seemingly like the
wish for yet small enough not to have the hasslesopen arms of a welcoming host. Only 10 minutes from
experienced in big cities . . . no heavy traffic, smog andthe beach, Residencial Buganvile boasts of a prime
pollution, high crime rates, over-population, etc. I evenlocation. Perched almost atop Rua do Céu or Road
got used to the harsh winter conditions offrom the Heavens, it is just a five to ten minute walk to
Saskatchewan. However it came to a point wherehospitals and medical clinics, supermarkets, the post
shoveling snow off my driveway became aoffice, churches, schools, department stores and the
back-breaking ordeal. In addition, if I stayed in Canadatown centre where people congregate and hold
my pension wouldn’t go very far. It was imperativecarnival parades, shows and concerts. Now that to me
I made some drastic change. The only way to do itis heavenly!
was to retire in a warm place with low cost of living.Having made the decision to leave Canada once and
Brazil is the retirement haven I chose. A lot of peoplefor all and head to Brazil, it was inevitable not to be
asked me, “Why Brazil?” The best answer Iconfronted with mixed emotions: from apprehension
could muster was, “Why not Brazil?for venturing into uncharted territory to a surge of
Undoubtedly, Brazil has everything – fantasticexcitement and a sense of adventure; from sadness
natural beauty scattered throughout the country,for parting with friends and colleagues to elation and
year-long sunshine, colorful culture, long easterneagerness for the chance to make new ones; from
coastline that is synonymous to awesome beaches,nostalgia for leaving a part of me behind to bright-eyed
continually improving economy, growing infrastructureenthusiasm for new challenges and bright future
and innovation and most importantly, vibrant, fun-loving,ahead. To one friend, my decision was a leap of faith,
extremely friendly people.to most people something out of the ordinary. To me it
The country is naturally blessed, with no risk ofwas simply a much-needed gift to myself.
hurricanes or tsunamis and with very little knownI was on tourist visa when I moved to Brazil in
earthquakes. The country has more than one-third ofSeptember 2005. With such visa I could stay in the
the world’s fresh water reserves from rivers, lakescountry for 3 months with a possible 3-month
and waterfalls. It boasts of the Amazons, theextension obtained from the Federal Police, the
world’s biggest rainforest and home of rare floragovernment agency that takes care of these matters.
and fauna.To avoid going through this hassle of leaving the
Brazil is a stable democracy. It is a peaceful nation withcountry every so often, I deemed it wise and practical
no enemies. In South America it is the onlyto apply for permanent residency status. Like any
Portuguese-speaking country but it gets along well withimmigration bureaucracy, the procedure took some
its Spanish-speaking neighbors. Internally, whiletime. In October 2006, I successfully become a
tremendous social inequalities exist with the huge gappermanent resident.
between the rich and the less fortunate, social violenceI find people of Maricá are unmindful of tourists and
does not.new faces. Foreigners are not subjected to hostile
Economically, the country has become part of astares or questioning glances. Like anywhere else, it is
recently coined acronym BRIC, which stands for Brazil,always good for strangers in any foreign land to blend
Russia, India and China, considered by economists asin with the locals. And even more important is to learn
the new economic powers of the future.the language or at least show some effort. Brazilians
Tourism is booming and recent reports show thatare generally quite forgiving if you don’t speak
more and more Europeans and North Americans arePortuguese. They don’t give up easily in their
heading to Brazil, not only as a holiday haven but as aattempt to communicate. And they do it patiently...
source of investment opportunities, especially in realusually with a smile or a chuckle.
estate. The government allows foreigners to purchaseI consider myself very lucky. With my Filipino features, I
and own real estate properties.easily pass as a Brasileiro. I fall somewhere in the
Taking all these into consideration, for me the icing onmiddle of the country’s wide ethnic spectrum,
the cake is the low cost of living. Residential tax iswhich ranges from very dark to very fair. I also picked
approximately $100 a year, 12 ounce (350 ml) beer in aup the language quickly because of past courses in
tin can is about 60 cents, a good meal ranges from $5Spanish, French and Italian. This came in handy
to $10, fresh fruits and veggies are 2 to 3 timesespecially in the first few weeks since very few
cheaper than in North America and Europe, and manyBrazilians speak English. I’ve always had the
more. As my contribution to save the planet, I have nopenchant for foreign languages so learning another
intention of buying a car. Cab and bus fares are veryone is an enjoyable and challenging treat.
affordable. For instance, the one-and-a-half hour busHaving settled and found easy acceptance and
ride to Rio costs only $3 dollars. No need for me tocomfort in Maricá, I am enjoying my retirement
wear fancy clothes. T-shirt, short pants, a baseball capimmensely. I feel as if I’m living like royalty - at
and flip-flops comprise my regular daily outfit.minimal expense to boot. At least, that is how it seems
Brazil is also known for its fabulous carnivals, gorgeousas I take it easy day by day in this tranquil coastal
women wearing minimal ‘dental flosses’ on thetown, where basking on the beach or laying on a
beach and its lilting music and dance calledhammock while reading a paperback or solving my
‘samba’, to name a few. On the downside isSudoku puzzles is part of the norm; where a diet of
the issue of security or lack of it especially in thefresh tropical fruits and vegetables is a regular fare;
favelas or slum areas. To generalize Brazil as awhere listening and dancing the hours away to
crime-ridden place is a big injustice to the country andirresistible samba rhythms are normal; where doing
the Brasileiros. While crime rates maybe high in bigwhat I want to do in this new unhurried pace fills up my
cities like São Paulo and in Rio de Janeiro’s worlddaily rout.