Abençoado por Deus

The picture below was taken a couple of days ago by my friend in Rio de Janeiro, cidade maravilhosa, my previous and future home.

It's currently winter in Rio, 30 degrees with the sea breeze taking the edge off the heat. If you're reading this in England, in the so-called summer, looking out your window to see grey skies and rain, try not to be too depressed. Instead, do what I did, move to Rio. Now.

This is a simple picture, taking from the Leme end of Copacabana beach, showing a typically relaxed scene that could have been taking on any number of days throughout the year. But this picture alone shows a variety of reasons that make Rio, in my opinion, the best city in the world to live in.

As you can see from the high rise apartment blocks and hotels that line the promenade in front of the beach, Rio is an affluent city. The economy in Brazil is booming. Boosted by a growing middle class and strong domestic trade, it was one of the last countries to enter the recession and one of the first to escape it. Along with Russia, India and China it makes up one fourth of the BRIC union of countries which are expected to represent four of the five strongest economies in the world by 2050. There are plenty of jobs available and they welcome to foreign investment. For expats chasing paper, it is a long term plan that could really pay off.

For those after a quieter, more relaxed life, it's also far more accommodating than you'd expect from a city renowned for it's nightlife. You're never far from a beach, and even a notorious tourist spot like Copacabana is relatively chilled out during the week, as you can see above. The mountains that weave in and out of the city, and so magnificently outline this picture, give the city a beauty and charm that you'll struggle to find anywhere else in the world. 

The weather, buildings, sea and mountains are the things that stand out from this picture, but the smaller details you see are the most important reasons to become an expat: the people. Whether playing football on the beach, playing music in the street, or trying to steal your wallet, the cariocas are a friendly, vibrant and hospitable bunch that you can't fail to get along with. The character of the city comes from it's residents, and this is hard to show in a single photo, even one as good as this. So instead of wasting your money on a holiday elsewhere, come and visit me next year (I'm starting to sound like a Thomas Cook rep), when I return to cidade maravilhosa.

O povo brasileiro continua sorrindo, todos que não vive num país tropical está morando na rua da amargura. Eu vou voltar, ano que vem. Até mais, galera!