Post: #176

Link

Post: #177

Hey guys, does BH have reliable high speed internet? Can you skype, watch videos, etc. without too many hiccups?

Post: #178

(07-02-2014 10:22 PM)Tbone Wrote:  Hey guys, does BH have reliable high speed internet? Can you skype, watch videos, etc. without too many hiccups?

Depends on your lodging accommodations...I stayed in a rental apt with a 3G Laptop Card instead of Wifi...= slower than balls. Perhaps a hotel might do you best!

Post: #179

Damn... I was gonna get an apartment.

Post: #180

(07-02-2014 11:41 PM)Tbone Wrote:  Damn... I was gonna get an apartment.

Just double check asking questions. Every apt I've stayed in through airbnb.com has offered wifi. The problem with my apt in BH while still solid was "wireless internet" was offered. Check and see if it's wifi or 3G. Be specific.

Post: #181

You'll have trouble finding places to use wifi in Belo Horizonte. It is a growing tech scene, so you will find good internet speeds if you look hard enough. 30mbps isn't uncommon.

Post: #182

So reliable high speed internet can be found in certain parts of the city Safado?

Post: #183

You can find an apartment that has fast wifi. You might find a public library that has fast wifi. You can rent an office that has fast wifi. You won't find a coffee shop with wifi at all.

Post: #184

The WiFi is stable and fast as long as its not on a wireless card. Was just there for the 3rd time a couple weeks ago and didn't have any problems in my apartment and haven't on any earlier trips either.

Post: #185

(07-07-2014 05:07 PM)Qwest Wrote:  The WiFi is stable and fast as long as its not on a wireless card. Was just there for the 3rd time a couple weeks ago and didn't have any problems in my apartment and haven't on any earlier trips either.

That's great to know man. You've been there 3 times huh. I guess you like it alot!

Post: #186

Can the city be navigated with public transport, heard it can be a problem in Brazil, apologies if this has been addressed already

Post: #187

(07-07-2014 06:03 PM)TheMusketeer Wrote:  Can the city be navigated with public transport, heard it can be a problem in Brazil, apologies if this has been addressed already

Can be a problem..but check out this map here:



The only time you will seriously need a bus is to get to Pampulha as your lodging needs to be in the Funcionarios/Savassi/Lourdes/St. Agostinho area. Everything is quite walkable.

Even the journey to Mangabeiras/Avenida Bandeirantes is extremely walkable with good views. I did that.

For Chalezinho/NaSala..take cab...it's a situation where all the clubs are in the car-centric suburbs south of the city I believe to cut out "low end" people and meandering bums. Not a bad strategy. You can also try walking out there, but it's long..though a very beautiful walk with great views.

For sightseeing in Pampulha, there's a bus I believe from Praça da Liberdade just north of Savassi/Lourdes that goes there. Impossible to walk to Pampulha...I tried but the walkable areas literally cut off into a freeway with no sidewalks slightly north of Centro.

From Airport, you can take a 19 Reais Bus to Centro. A cab from Centro then to your lodging in the areas I recommended will be 10-15 Reais.

Good luck and let us know if there are further questions.

Post: #188

Im heading to NaSala tonight. Looks like they are having a bubble tea party. PM me, anyone else who is interested. chalezinho tomorrow.

Post: #189

bs this ratio, it's amazing how people create wrong numbers for brazil, belo horizonte oficial ratio is 1,13, which mean 48,97% women and 51,13 men, also if you take up to 30s, ratio is exactly the same, even in brazil as country, there are more men until 30s, this outnumber of women is because of elderly women.

Post: #190

This forum is full of Brazil threads saying "the girls in X city are the hottest I've ever seen", and then posting pics of a bunch of 6's as proof. I've spent many years in LA and Miami clubs and a few months hitting the best venues in Rio and Sao Paulo. Let me tell you, they are not full of shit when they are talking about Belo Horizonte. I've never seen anything like this. I'll be hitting Vitoria and Porto Alegre to verify those claims as well, but BH is winning by a lot right now.

I was crushing in SP and Rio with the opener "Oi gente, eu sou de Los Angeles. Estou aprendendo Portugues." This opener SUCKS here. I can't believe the negative reactions to it, even after getting greenlighted. Can someone explain this to me? I'm doing somewhat better with "Oi, eu acabei de mudar aqui", but I feel there is a better approach I could be using. I can't make fun of them like I would in LA without a Brazilian wing to smooth it out when I wind up sounding like an asshole half the time. Any advice would be appreciated.

Post: #191

(03-09-2015 04:33 PM)thevirgin Wrote:  This forum is full of Brazil threads saying "the girls in X city are the hottest I've ever seen", and then posting pics of a bunch of 6's as proof.

That's a bit of an insult to the hard working contributions on RVF. Would be more tactful to write "not my cup of tea" next time.

(03-09-2015 04:33 PM)thevirgin Wrote:  I've spent many years in LA and Miami clubs and a few months hitting the best venues in Rio and Sao Paulo. Let me tell you, they are not full of shit when they are talking about Belo Horizonte. I've never seen anything like this. I'll be hitting Vitoria and Porto Alegre to verify those claims as well, but BH is winning by a lot right now.

Night game is rough in Belo Horizonte. It's more about making friends and approaching mixed groups even in places like Chalezinho & Nasala. Guys are typically pretty cool in BH and POA as they will introduce you to the gals in their group. Clever pickup lines are kinda ineffective there.

For daygame, it's best to ask for directions or something objective. You honestly need intermediate Portuguese opposed to Pimsleur one liners in 2nd tier Brazilian cities as English levels remain lower.

(03-09-2015 04:33 PM)thevirgin Wrote:  I was crushing in SP and Rio with the opener "Oi gente, eu sou de Los Angeles. Estou aprendendo Portugues." This opener SUCKS here. I can't believe the negative reactions to it, even after getting greenlighted. Can someone explain this to me? I'm doing somewhat better with "Oi, eu acabei de mudar aqui", but I feel there is a better approach I could be using. I can't make fun of them like I would in LA without a Brazilian wing to smooth it out when I wind up sounding like an asshole half the time. Any advice would be appreciated.

There was one time when I shy opened a gal...no reception...then she saw me talking to a group of people..and came up, apologized, and we started conversing.

I think São Paulo is more cosmopolitan so people living there kind of pedestalize certain big cities in the US. Exception in 2nd tier Brazil would be Miami because that is the cheapest US city to fly into for buying electronics, certain name branded clothing, etc.

Gotta realize Brazil is a big country of 200 million people with their own culture, social media, pop culture icons, big shots, etc. Besides certain movies, music, or icons from North America/UK, there isn't much reason for the majority of the country to be enamored with the first impression of gringo status...exception would be if they really dig you physically or are in a desperate financial situation from Northeast Brazil anxious to get the fuck out.

I think social circle would be the biggest key in 2nd tier Brazil. The other solution would maybe be getting a student visa so you can study Portuguese at a Brazilian university. Exchange rates are quite favorable now!

Post: #192

Let me clarify what I need help with. I'm a 6ft white guy (not blond though). It appears to be extremely obvious that I'm gringo, even though most people look very American to me here, because I was just walking down the street, and some chick on a skateboard said "what's up dude". I am getting really obvious indicators that they want me to approach. Girls are making eye contact, coming over and standing near me or right next to me, batting their hair at me, etc. They don't want me to go find some dude to introduce us, they want me to talk to them, it's just that what I am saying is not appropriate and starting me out in a hole that I have to dig my way out of by plowing. I want some tips about types of openers to use so I don't have to approach tons of sets to find out. This was really annoying in the rest of Latin America when I had to use every opener several times in order to figure out which ones did not translate well to Spanish.

I thought a bit more about what the Brazilian guys were doing and I think they might be using indirect, over-the-shoulder type openers here. I've seen mixed groups of Brazilians open other groups by commenting on some situation that is happening.

Other things I might try:
Going direct
Changing the opener to "eu sou de Miami"
Opening with anything, and then when I get a bad reaction saying "você age como se uma Paulista", "ela esta sempre assim?" etc.
In Spanish countries I do really well with the opener "buena, buena, mala" while pointing at each of the 3 girls identifying which is the bad one. I feel like saying "boa, boa, mal" doesn't sound right in Portuguese though.
Pointing at a text from a girl in my phone and asking what it means
High five "bate!" opener
Voces parecem professoras/enfermeras etc
Going sexual

Any comments that will save me time experimenting would be great. I am certainly willing to put in the time to figure it out though, because the girls are way hotter in BH.

Post: #193

(03-10-2015 10:40 AM)thevirgin Wrote:  Let me clarify what I need help with. I'm a 6ft white guy (not blond though). It appears to be extremely obvious that I'm gringo, even though most people look very American to me here, because I was just walking down the street, and some chick on a skateboard said "what's up dude". I am getting really obvious indicators that they want me to approach. Girls are making eye contact, coming over and standing near me or right next to me, batting their hair at me, etc. They don't want me to go find some dude to introduce us, they want me to talk to them, it's just that what I am saying is not appropriate and starting me out in a hole that I have to dig my way out of by plowing. I want some tips about types of openers to use so I don't have to approach tons of sets to find out. This was really annoying in the rest of Latin America when I had to use every opener several times in order to figure out which ones did not translate well to Spanish.

I thought a bit more about what the Brazilian guys were doing and I think they might be using indirect, over-the-shoulder type openers here. I've seen mixed groups of Brazilians open other groups by commenting on some situation that is happening.

Other things I might try:
Going direct
Changing the opener to "eu sou de Miami"
Opening with anything, and then when I get a bad reaction saying "você age como se uma Paulista", "ela esta sempre assim?" etc.
In Spanish countries I do really well with the opener "buena, buena, mala" while pointing at each of the 3 girls identifying which is the bad one. I feel like saying "boa, boa, mal" doesn't sound right in Portuguese though.
Pointing at a text from a girl in my phone and asking what it means
High five "bate!" opener
Voces parecem professoras/enfermeras etc
Going sexual

Any comments that will save me time experimenting would be great. I am certainly willing to put in the time to figure it out though, because the girls are way hotter in BH.

The problem is that you're being too forward about the fact that you're a gringo. Brazilian girls in general are quite sensitive about the perception outside of their country that Brazilian women are all easy sex freaks. They also don't like the belief that Brazilian women will throw themselves at any gringo to get a ticket to the USA. So when you advertise the fact that you're a gringo right away, they're thinking "Oh so this guy thinks that just because he's a gringo I'm going to throw myself at him and want to fuck him? Well guess what...I'm gonna be a bitch to him instead! That'll show him."

The key is to not mention anything about being foreign. Because guess what? They're going to know that within a few seconds of you opening your mouth, so you don't have to tell them. Just be cool and approach them as you would a girl in a club back home (but in Portuguese, obviously). As you mentioned, situational openers are always a good way to go, keeping your tone positive and a smile on your face no matter how she reacts. Then she's probably going to ask where you're from - I just say "Estados Unidos." Then she'll probably ask where in the US, and you can elaborate further. Make her dig...it keeps her asking questions. It also helps give off the vibe that you realize the fact that you're foreign is no big deal. You don't care about getting any special treatment, you just want to have a good time.

Another approach I've had success with in Brazil is just straight up asking a girl to dance, but in a slightly cheeky way (with a big smile on your face, of course). If there are other people dancing, as there always are in Brazilian clubs, and if she's physically attracted to you, this will work. For example, you could say:

"Voce danca bem? Vamos ver..." (grab her hand and start dancing)

or

"Pode me ensinar a dancar?" (grab her hand and start dancing)

Then while you're dancing make some fumbled comment about how good of a dancer she is, and she'll probably laugh then ask where you're from. Boom - conversation started. Then of course it's Brazil so 5 minutes later you can make out with her if you want, but I always like to keep them waiting for that. But that's another topic entirely.

To sum up, avoid anything about being a gringo until she brings it up first. Then just smile and have fun and dance as you would back home. Keep it simple. Good luck.

Post: #194

^ Exactly what Lilseezie said...I just had issues verbalizing it.

Of course girls don't want a local guy to introduce YOU to them in "day game" settings. You can approach them without a local guy during the day, but it really depends on how conversational you are in Portuguese as well. Openers are going to be worthless unless you can really elaborate about yourself (they are curious trust me) using conversational immediate Portuguese in 2nd tier Brazilian cities.

What I meant with regards to introductions from local males would be in the "night game" settings. In other words, females in Belo Horizonte are much friendlier & approachable outside the club scene. Brazilian women are talkative overall & the people like to get into deep discussions because they're curious. Then again, there are no shortcuts outside of improving & studying Portuguese in a formal setting because one liners are worthless unless you can build on that in their native tongue.

Post: #195

Hey guys, thinking of coming to Belo Horizonte to study portugese at PUC, its gonna be my first time in Brazil.

Do you think Belo is good for that ?

Cheers

Post: #196

Cost of living should be significantly lower than other major cities (like SP, RJ).

There's a huge bar culture which is a plus if that's your thing.

There's less English to go around in the city but your value as a foreigner will be higher. Knowing some basic Portuguese at the least is ideal.

Post: #197

Thanks, how social are the people ?

I don't speak portuges but speak spanish. How perceptive the girls ?

I have heard they are quite traditional actually

Post: #198

I was there recently and found the people to be more friendly than in SP or RJ.

The trick is to get your Portuguese skills up as much as possible.

Post: #199

Anyone in BH? Send me a PM. I'll be around on and off for the next month or two.

Post: #200

(03-10-2015 10:17 PM)lilseezie Wrote:  The problem is that you're being too forward about the fact that you're a gringo. Brazilian girls in general are quite sensitive about the perception outside of their country that Brazilian women are all easy sex freaks. They also don't like the belief that Brazilian women will throw themselves at any gringo to get a ticket to the USA. So when you advertise the fact that you're a gringo right away, they're thinking "Oh so this guy thinks that just because he's a gringo I'm going to throw myself at him and want to fuck him? Well guess what...I'm gonna be a bitch to him instead! That'll show him."

My notch count would've been exponentially higher opposed if I said "from Asia" instead of US while living down there. It's for that reason exactly since many Brazilian gals south of Northeast do not want to come off as easy to males from "developed westernized" countries. I've even received indifferent reactions from fluent English speaking gals when interactions initially started out with IOI...(why didn't I carry that advice out to the fullest...)

Sorry to reiterate that again as it's been mentioned many times in other Brazil threads.

(03-10-2015 10:17 PM)lilseezie Wrote:  Make her dig...it keeps her asking questions. It also helps give off the vibe that you realize the fact that you're foreign is no big deal. You don't care about getting any special treatment, you just want to have a good time.

Yeah key is to delay self acknowledgement of being foreign until she asks. Be that guy who is chill, content, and looking to enjoy the moment for what it is.