Here is an interview with an expat that is currently living in Ireland. She has a wonderful blog called Brazirish - A Brazilian Living in Ireland. It is always lots of fun to read, just like her interview here! So, if you enjoy what Monica has to say for some very practical advice about living in Ireland (or living in any foreign country) as an expat! And of course… you can check her out on her own blog t00:)

1. Where are you from originally, where are you now and what brought you there?

I’m from Sao Paulo City, Brazil and now I am living in Dublin, Ireland. I moved to Ireland because I fell for an Irishman.

2. What do you like/dislike about your new home?

I simply love Ireland, people are friendly and good humored, my only complain is about the lack of sun. Every time the winter begins and the days get shorter I feel a bit depressed but this feeling starts to fade away in January. I guess we can’t have everything all the time :)

Moving to Ireland and need a job? Check out these two websites: INIS and DETE

3. Do you have any advice for people who want to get a job or visa in a foreign country? What was your experience with getting a visa/job? Was it difficult?

I moved to Ireland in June/2005. In order to get a work permit (and visa) I started applying for jobs through the Internet since 2004 without success. I also applied for a post graduation course that allowed me a 1 year student visa. My experience with getting a job in Ireland is not good. I focused on my qualifications and I didn’t consider casual work, I recognize that this posture decreased my chances. I attended several interviews and even having a Chemical engineering degree, IT post degree and 15 years of working experience, as a Non-EEA national, I failed to gain employment. My advice is, before a Non-EEA national decides to move to Ireland he/she would better have a good look at these url’s: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000168 and http://www.entemp.ie/labour/workpermits.

4. What was the most challenging part of living in a foreign country whey you first started out as an expat? Do you have any advice for those facing similar challenges?

“…people are the same everywhere. Appearance, religion, habits and culture may differ but we all have the same expectations, fears and hopes. Borders don’t exist.”
~Monica

The most challenging part of living in a foreign country was bringing my 9 year old son. My son didn’t speak English at that time and I was not sure if he would adapt. Fortunately in 6 months he was speaking English, he made friends and now he doesn’t want to go back to Brazil. My advice is, if you face your challenge with truthful courage, your kid will do the same.

5. If you were to do it all again (moving to and living in another country), what would you do different?

If I did it again I wouldn’t apply for a post graduation course without being interviewed and without talking to the lecturers to know exactly what it was about. I was completely disappointed about the subjects and the timetable when it started. As a Non-EEA, I had to gather lots of documents and I had to pay a significant amount of money (EU citizens pay a fraction) to be accepted. After reading all the information about the course and without any objection made by the college about my professional background, I was led to believe that it had to do with my field of expertise, in the end, it was about a different thing, a disaster, a genuine “gotcha!”.

6. Do you want to move back to where you originally came from? If not, what is it about the expat life that makes it all worth it to you?

No I don’t want to move back. My Irish partner, my son and I are building a new life and it’s great.

7. What are some of the good, the bad, the ugly…and the funny things you have experienced living in a foreign country?

The good things are: the learning we have had lately and the new friends we made. Ain’t no bad and ugly things in my dictionary :) The funny things are the cultural differences, habits and so on…

8. Any practical tips for the new expats out there (like me)?

My advice to expats is: people are the same everywhere. Appearance, religion, habits and culture may differ but we all have the same expectations, fears and hopes. Borders don’t exist.

9. Where do you think you’ll go next?

When we retire, we plan to live in Portugal.

Thanks Monica for the wonderful information!