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Info: Evellyn do Prado Pereira (born July 2, 1986) is a Brazilian economist. She lives in Toronto, Canada since 2013 with her husband, a Spanish-Canadian engineer.
Evellyn was born in Americana, São Paulo, the daughter of Abner Pereira (famous for his hot-dog cart located in the city of Mairinque) and Fatima Pereira (housewife). She attended the University of Sorocaba, where she took her degree in economics with honours.
What are your two greatest concerns about living abroad?
The language can be a tough barrier, even for those who speak English very well, being able to express myself well even in the most vulnerable situations has been one of the biggest challenges of my life, but not as hard as leaving behind my loved ones. I think I speak for most of the immigrants when I say that leaving our family and friends is the most painful thing to do. Even if you speak with them daily, you are always wondering how they are, if they are happy, what they are doing, when they are coming to visit you, or, if they will ever come to visit you one day. It's definitely the saddest thing of living abroad.
Me: What are the different things of England?
Karol: There are a lot of different things in England, for an example the weather. it's crazy to compare Brazil with England, but since I moved here I could count in one hand how many days were clear and blue sky. I'm so used to the beautiful and blue sky of São Roque that when I see a blue sky here I get all happy and excited. It's always cloudy and at the moment really, really cold. People here are different too, but not in a bad way. I thought they would be really different from us Brazilians but it turns out to be a little bit similar, they're very polite and receptive, I really liked it. Of course there are people who can be a bit mean, but I haven't seen any yet.
u would imagine to get even a nomination. Going into stuff like that, you’re basically waiting for finger pointing and ridicule. So that was a very special and shocking moment to even have been nominated.
You mean taking risks with characters opens you up to ridicule?
I know sometimes (with roles) people will watch it and say, “That’s just madness, he’s just playing some weirdo or he’s painted his face again.” But these are the characters that I see, it’s how I see them. And if you feel it’s the right thing to do for the character and you stick to your guns, no matter what, at least you tried something. Even if it’s an absolute failure. So I feel really good about my characters in the sense that I at least tried something. If it works, great. If it doesn’t work, I tried.
to do. Even if you speak with them daily, you are always wondering how they are, if they are happy, what they are doing, when they are coming to visit you, or, if they will ever come to visit you one day. It's definitely the saddest thing of living abroad.
What were the main reasons to leave Brazil?
I never really meant to leave Brazil. I was seeking another job opportunity and after several interviews, I realized that it was time for me to improve my English. For many times I was very close to get the job I wanted, but my English wasn't good enough. So I quit my job, packed my stuff and I travelled to Canada to learn English. I had planned to stay in Toronto for six months only, but during this time, I met a guy who later would become my husband. We have decided to stay in Canada and to build our lives here. Toronto is a fantastic city, full of opportunities and we have embraced it as our new home.
INTERVIEW: eVELLYN
by JOÃO PAULO SOUZA
Why Canada? - Evellyn Pereira talks about her decison of
living in Canada.
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