Go to the pub

AT THE END OF 2005, MY wife and I moved to Great Britain. We left Porto Alegre to set up the London headquarters of my company, W3Haus – an interactive communication agency. My three partners (Alessandro Cauduro, Tiago Ritter and Chico Baldini) would continue running the business in Brazil. It was a bet. We bet we had the capacity and quality to compete with Europeans on their own turf. I had lived close to London when I was a child, while my parents were doing their PhDs. That’s why I knew a little about the culture and language. But London for grown-ups is a lot different to London for kids. Also, I had spent my entire career up to that point in Brazil. In our country, everything is done in a way that often can’t be translated to other cultures. As soon as we set up the company, we started prospecting clients and getting our fi rst jobs. From the outset, a lot of things took on a whole different complexion. Here, for example, the work cycles are very, very long. Want to schedule a company presentation? Sure – how about in four months time? A normal timeframe. A lot different from Brazil’s “How about tomorrow?”. Upon fi nally arriving at the meeting scheduled months in advance, the frankness and transparency are off-putting – people start talking numbers right off the bat. In Brazil, there is a certain ritual when it comes to talking money. It is even frowned upon to negotiate amounts immediately, but people don’t have time for beating around the bush here. But it’s not all work and no play; and London is a great place to live. You can walk through the streets calmly, including at night – something that I really missed being able to do in Brazil. Also, I don’t drive a car anymore, which has become unfeasible – I live close to the center of London, where the traffi c is chaotic and you have to pay toll fees. I use public transport, I walk and I ride my bike to meet personal and work commitments. There’s something inherently funny in seeing executives cycling to work wearing ties. Culturally, London is a very rich city. Even after years here, I am always discovering new and surprising things. And the stereotypes that we all learn about the English (polite, always on time, emotionally cold, etc) come under close scrutiny. By fully immersing yourself in a culture, black and white give way to the grey lines in between. Are they really cold? Some of them are, others aren’t. In general, people from North England are more openly warm. But everyone becomes warm in the pub. London bars are a social Mecca, where everyone is equal and people go to enjoy themselves and mingle. A visit to the pub with the English knocks these stereotypes into last week, and helps beginners practice the language. The pub is one of the pillars of London life, where deals are closed, couples meet and friendships are forged. I’ve been living here for four years – would I do it all over again? Yes. After some initial teething problems, I can say that Brazil is very similar and, at the same time, very different. The advice I would give to Brazilians planning to come to the UK is simple – make sure your visa is OK and try to blend in. Lots of people come to London to study English and spend all their time hanging out with Brazilian friends – you won’t learn English that way and you’ll miss out on a wealth of invaluable life experiences.