Al
@abthree
American and Brazilian citizen
Forum posts
6484
Contacts
32
About me
American and Brazilian
Speaks English, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, some Spanish
Registration: 28 December 2017
About
As of December 2019, I am a dual citizen, USA and Brazil, living with my Brazilian husband in Manaus, Amazonas. I hold a BSFS in International Affairs and a MBA in International Management, and retired in 2017 from a career of corporate finance, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, and management consulting.
I have lived in North America, South America, and Europe and studied in Asia as well, but Brazil has been part of my life for over fifty years. I've lived here several times, this time for good. Most recently as a consultant I assisted US companies in establishing manufacturing operations in Brazil; now I try to advise prospective expats with similar information. At some point I may consider part time consulting or teaching, but for now I'm very busy being retired.
Occupation
I am Principal for Desson Associates
Education
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
Master of Business Administration (MBA), International Management
2003
GE Financial Mgt Program
Vocational Certificate, Financial Management
1979
Georgetown University
Bachelor of Science (BSc), International Affairs
1973
My expat journey
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Everything!
Nothing!
Oak Park, Illinois, USA
Supply Chain
Sourcing Director; Management Consultant
Lifestyle, City and Culture
Weather
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Finance and Purchasing
Supply Chain
City and Culture
Weather, Traffic
Clifton Park, New York, USA
Auditing
Auditor
Family and Friends
Weather
Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Finance
Financial Practices Specialist
City, culture and people
Weather
København, Capital Region, Denmark
Accounting
Financial Practices
Culture and people
Weather
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Financial Trainee
Finance
Nothing
Everything
Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil
Peace Corps
Peace Corps Volunteer, State Orphanage
City, culture and people
Nothing!
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Peace Corps training
Peace Corps
City, culture, and people
Nothing
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., USA
BSFS, Georgetown University
Student
Exciting location, stimulating intellectual atmosphere
Activity
Noisy Brazil? by alexanderstephenlange
The other day, speaking with a native, she said: Brasil é muito barulhento, né?! (She had lived in Germany for a long while... .)In my area, so far, it's really noisy only when something big is happening, like the Copa and other ...
07/15/26 @alexanderstephenlange. We live in the Centro Histórico of Manaus, and there is music in the air every evening and all weekend, all the time. I love it ... but we live on the 17th Floor -- 19 stories above the street ... Read More
Making the move by Boondog
I’m curious if any Americans live in or around Casimiro de Abreu, Brazil?
07/14/26 Do you have any experience with Starlink in rural areas?Thanks again for your input. Regards. Boondog - @BoondogHi, @Boondog. I do not, but I live in a major city. We have a few members in remote locations in the interior who may be ... Read More
Word(s) of the day by alexanderstephenlange
Queijo no queixo faz uma queixa!Please add to this thread, friends.
07/11/26 @alexanderstephenlange. I don't know how far it extends into the rest of the Northeast, but my favorite "falar sergipano" is "ximar", meaning "to be envious of someone else's food", especially being obvious enough to hopefully convince ... Read More
Making the move by Boondog
I’m curious if any Americans live in or around Casimiro de Abreu, Brazil?
07/13/26 I’m curious if any Americans live in or around Casimiro de Abreu, Brazil? - @Boondog Welcome! Are you talking about the municipality of Casimiro de Abreu in the interior of the State of Rio? When asking about Brazilian ... Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/09/26 Still, the language test intrigues me as I was once rated "native speaker" at the University of Wisconsin by a Brazilian professor who had just "invented" his test for rating students of Portuguese at the then-strong language ... Read More
Is it hard to become fluent in Brasilian Portuguese ? by hagece8690
FWIW I've passed the Celpe-Bras exam, and can watch videos, read, and communicate verbally with pretty much anyone here like a native, except people from Bahia KKKKKK, and when encountering regionalized slang. The reason I am asking this question, ...
9 July 2026 From a neuroscience standpoint, the brain of a polyglot is “wired” differently from that of a monolingual. Learning languages is always fun as you are constantly exposed to new experiences. - @Pablo888Interesting. does the ... Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/08/26 It's 15 years of residency actually. @hagece8690Correct. Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/08/26 Personally I believe you need to speak a level sufficient to adequately survive to get citizenship in any country. Brasil needs to get it's excrement assembled IMHO, and have two different requirements. One for people working in the civil ... Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/08/26 @hagece8690 Not sure if citizenship is an exact measure, my friend. I believe many here do not intend to get citizenshiip. I for one don't intend to get it. - @alexanderstephenlange And there's no pressing reason that you should. As ... Read More
Is it hard to become fluent in Brasilian Portuguese ? by hagece8690
FWIW I've passed the Celpe-Bras exam, and can watch videos, read, and communicate verbally with pretty much anyone here like a native, except people from Bahia KKKKKK, and when encountering regionalized slang. The reason I am asking this question, ...
07/08/26 That was my whole point. You cannot truly learn from a few hundred hours in a class. - @hagece8690True. But one of the biggest values of the class work -- if it's competent and high quality -- it that it can protect you from internalizing ... Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/07/26 I am super white and blonde, but why I am not mistaken for a gaucho, I'm not sure. You mention "my blue eyes ": Ditto! Cheers! - @alexanderstephenlangeOh, I'm sure that you are, and if you haven't heard it yet, you will. 😂 The ... Read More
Assimilation: when is enough enough? by alexanderstephenlange
TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome! How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't ...
07/06/26 @alexanderstephenlange. Good question, and great topic! For most foreigners, particularly in the Northeast where you live and the North where I live, I think that "assimilation" in the strictest sense of "eventually ... Read More
New members of the Brazil forum, introduce yourselves here - 2026 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Brazil forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
07/06/26 @alexanderstephenlange. Welcome, Alex! Read More
Bahia, Brazil by Bolandpe
I would like to connect with English speaking people in Bahia. I am considering wintering there.
06/13/26 Salvador is within bahai? - @Bolandpe Salvador is the capital of Bahia. Read More
My Debit card is stuck in Customs by NewBrazil
Has anyone experience with having a debit card or credit card replacement sent from the USA. Right now my replacement debit card they are saying. Your package has been delayed due to a Government Agency hold. It showed it passed thru the scan the ...
06/07/26 Not sure this helps at all, but I always have my new cards (both US and UK) sent to someone there, who will be visiting soon, and they bring them over... Never had a problem. - @Peter Itamaraca I effectively do the same. I use a mail ... Read More