Monalisa, 29
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Came to Australia in July 2019
How did we meet?
Monalisa was introduced to me by Mikako, my UNSW Language Exchange program partner.
And yes, that's her real name.
What is your occupation?
I am a cleaner, this is my casual work. My profession is actually a food scientist but I need to learn more English first before applying for positions in Australia.
To achieve this, I am currently studying English at Torrens University.
I am also here to do my Masters of Public Health & MBA, which starts in September.
Why did you come to Australia?
It was mostly about learning English. When I first came here, I couldn’t understand anything. Now I’m happy that I can at least communicate.
My husband also was living on the Gold Coast in 2013, also for learning English. We met when he went back to Brazil but we committed to moving to Australia permanently after that.
He would always reminisce about the good weather, lifestyle, environment and how multicultural it is.
What do you like about Sydney?
It’s difficult to narrow it down. There are so many things I love about this city.
The beaches are absolutely amazing. I live in Maroubra so I can literally walk to the beach within 10 minutes.
There are more opportunities to work here than in other states like Queensland, which is the financial capital of Australia.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
I don’t like the traffic. Take Anzac Parade, for example. It gets absolutely ridiculous at times during peak hours. I take buses everywhere so this at times really impacts my punctuality, especially since I have to wait for the buses to come.
At the moment, I’m saving for a car and I can hopefully buy one next year.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
You are so lucky to call this city home. Living here is the best opportunity I’ve ever gotten in my life so far!
What languages do you speak?
English, Portuguese (native), Spanish
I can speak Spanish at an intermediate level since I’ve studied it before in Brazil.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
Bom dia- this is our greeting for “Good morning.”
Oi- this is “Hello.” You can say Olá as well but Brazilians use Oi more, which is a bit more casual than Olá.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
Brazillian people are extremely friendly, we are extremely warm and love giving kisses to each other.
We have beautiful beaches like Copacabana and Fernando de Noronha, the latter is probably one of the most expensive places to travel to in all of Brazil.
Unfortunately, Brazillian politics is terrible and full of corruption, Operation Car Wash is a great example of this.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
Neymar.
He’s one of the best football players in the world.
Everyone know everything about the football players, everyone watches the matches. It’s definitely a religion over there.
A lot of parents actually hope their sons can become football players one day.
What is the best dish in your native country?
Feijoada, I miss this dish so much.
It’s a stew of beans with beef and minced pork.
I also love cheese bread, which is known as pão de queijo in Brazil. People normally eat cheese bread with their coffee and milk.
Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.
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