Saturday, March 18, 2006
Latest Developments!
Hi there!
It's been quite a while since my last post, so what I'm doing here is trying to catch you up with highlights of the past several months.
Up until about six months ago, things with Thieny, Israel and I were basically normal for life in Fortaleza.
Our existence is not exactly what most permanent residents experience because we still rent our condo, but we will rectify that in the future by purchasingour own place, probably another condo and probably also in Aldeota...maybe not quite as close to the beach as we are at the moment.
A couple of months ago, Thieny and I along with my good friend, John Mueller, who also blogs here, became partners in a small luncheonette (in portuguese "lanchanete") in an area of Aldeota far enough away from the beach that it doesn't get any of the tourist traffic.
I suppose you can look at this as "good news-bad news".
On the one hand, you don't have the European and North American tourists coming to our place, but on the other, we don't have a "season" either...just constant customers.
It was an existing business we purchased from Francisco, who had been the owner for eighteen years! He also has a barraca on the beach in Iguape and has always wanted to put his entire effort into that. Now he can.
The lanchanete had been closed for two months when we purchased it so its taken a while to build up the customer traffic again. Thieny has done a super job of organizing the place, buying supplies and hiring a garcon, or waiter. Thieny's older sister Guaraseanna, cooks for us because she has many years experience in the restaurant business and is an excellent cook.
It takes many hours a day for the business and the start-up has taken its toll on Thieny. She is exhausted! We need to take a long weekend...or more, soon!
I am still doing my audio work, commercials and marketing presentations, with my home studio for clients back in North America. I'm only doing English conversation with one student, Marcus, at the moment, but really enjoy our talks twice a week.
But I have an additional venture now as well, called Fortaleza Adventure!
When I first came to the city, I helped a number of others who also visited or moved here. I did it free of charge because I enjoyed helping them discover the city I love.
Then I decided that if I was committing all this time to the assistance I gave, why not charge a small fee and make it into a business.
I have had a number of clients, mainly from North America but from Australia and Europe as well, who have taken advantage of my assistance.
I cover everything from pickup at the airport to finding accomodation to organizing beachtours to shopping to pointing out where the nightlife can be found. If a longer stay is involved, I can assist with the CPF card, which is needed to buy any "big ticket" item, including cell phones, and arranging real estate agents and legal help if there is interest in buying property, condos or houses.
So life is a little different now.
Thieny is at the lanchanete from 8.30am until the early afternoon, then back around 5pm until closing...never really sure when that is...whenever the last customer leaves!
I'm usually stuck in front of the computer or doing something for one or another client...out to the airport for a change in ticketing, a tour of the big shopping center, Iguatemi, or just coffee at one of the favorite ex-pat gathering places in Meireles, Deli Italia, on Desembargador Moirera.
Israel is changing schools to one that happens to be right across the street from the lanchanete. Very convenient.
That's it for now, but if you're planning a visit to Brazil or Fortaleza, please visit the website or email, andy@andyneill.com, and maybe I can be of help.
Till next time.
It's been quite a while since my last post, so what I'm doing here is trying to catch you up with highlights of the past several months.
Up until about six months ago, things with Thieny, Israel and I were basically normal for life in Fortaleza.
Our existence is not exactly what most permanent residents experience because we still rent our condo, but we will rectify that in the future by purchasingour own place, probably another condo and probably also in Aldeota...maybe not quite as close to the beach as we are at the moment.
A couple of months ago, Thieny and I along with my good friend, John Mueller, who also blogs here, became partners in a small luncheonette (in portuguese "lanchanete") in an area of Aldeota far enough away from the beach that it doesn't get any of the tourist traffic.
I suppose you can look at this as "good news-bad news".
On the one hand, you don't have the European and North American tourists coming to our place, but on the other, we don't have a "season" either...just constant customers.
It was an existing business we purchased from Francisco, who had been the owner for eighteen years! He also has a barraca on the beach in Iguape and has always wanted to put his entire effort into that. Now he can.
The lanchanete had been closed for two months when we purchased it so its taken a while to build up the customer traffic again. Thieny has done a super job of organizing the place, buying supplies and hiring a garcon, or waiter. Thieny's older sister Guaraseanna, cooks for us because she has many years experience in the restaurant business and is an excellent cook.
It takes many hours a day for the business and the start-up has taken its toll on Thieny. She is exhausted! We need to take a long weekend...or more, soon!
I am still doing my audio work, commercials and marketing presentations, with my home studio for clients back in North America. I'm only doing English conversation with one student, Marcus, at the moment, but really enjoy our talks twice a week.
But I have an additional venture now as well, called Fortaleza Adventure!
When I first came to the city, I helped a number of others who also visited or moved here. I did it free of charge because I enjoyed helping them discover the city I love.
Then I decided that if I was committing all this time to the assistance I gave, why not charge a small fee and make it into a business.
I have had a number of clients, mainly from North America but from Australia and Europe as well, who have taken advantage of my assistance.
I cover everything from pickup at the airport to finding accomodation to organizing beachtours to shopping to pointing out where the nightlife can be found. If a longer stay is involved, I can assist with the CPF card, which is needed to buy any "big ticket" item, including cell phones, and arranging real estate agents and legal help if there is interest in buying property, condos or houses.
So life is a little different now.
Thieny is at the lanchanete from 8.30am until the early afternoon, then back around 5pm until closing...never really sure when that is...whenever the last customer leaves!
I'm usually stuck in front of the computer or doing something for one or another client...out to the airport for a change in ticketing, a tour of the big shopping center, Iguatemi, or just coffee at one of the favorite ex-pat gathering places in Meireles, Deli Italia, on Desembargador Moirera.
Israel is changing schools to one that happens to be right across the street from the lanchanete. Very convenient.
That's it for now, but if you're planning a visit to Brazil or Fortaleza, please visit the website or email, andy@andyneill.com, and maybe I can be of help.
Till next time.
