Brasil: Behind Closed Doors with Sisi

hair and nails recommendation: language barrier? no problem!

finding your people in a new country is hard enough. finding someone who can do your hair AND your nails AND figure out what you mean even when you don't have the words? that's a whole thing. i've been going to the same salon in bahia, brazil for months. they do my hair, they do my nails, and not once have they made me feel like the language barrier was my problem to solve alone. three people, one phone translator, and i left with the best blow-dry i've had in over a year. if you're an american living abroad and you're still nervous about trusting someone with your hair --- this one's for you. follow them: https://www.instagram.com/cresposecachosoficial [https://www.instagram.com/cresposecachosoficial?igsh=MXF6aTljeXBmc3V3Mw==] IMPORTANT: if you go to get your nails done ask for Brenda. she is the only one that I can recommend. to learn more: faafo.app

quiet debts, revoked passports, and the lies in between

on may 8, 2026 the u.s. state department started revoking active passports from americans who owe back child support. they began with people owing $100,000 or more --- about 2,700 americans --- but the program is set to expand to anyone owing more than $2,500, the threshold from a 1996 law that has barely been enforced. no expansion date has been announced. in this episode, sisi breaks down what actually changed, what happens if you're abroad when your passport is revoked, what to do if you owe back support, and where you can still travel without a u.s. passport. she also names a pattern she has been watching in the relocation and wellness space: people who position themselves as guides while curating their stories, then rewrite the ending when they need community sympathy. straight talk, real resources, and the part nobody else is saying out loud. -- blog posts: https://foolaroundandfindout.com/quiet-debts-revoked-passports-and-the-lies-in-between/ [https://foolaroundandfindout.com/quiet-debts-revoked-passports-and-the-lies-in-between/] -- all podcasts: https://faafo.app/radio [https://faafo.app/radio]

transparency - get to know me

audio from a 2 hour youtube live i did on april 20, 2026. i woke up annoyed and didn't know why, shuffled some playing cards, pulled the one that said transparency, and went live. this is what came out. what i actually get into: * - the people i come from. my grandmother who kept a pistol and a vibrator in her nightstand and would throw a knife if you came at her sideways. my great-grandmother who was a businesswoman and a madame. why nobody who knows my lineage is surprised i moved to bahia alone with no support system * - the lie about how digital nomads actually make money. who has a side job they don't tell you about. who lives off social security, child support, a spouse, military benefits. who's trying to sell you a course on something they had handed to them. and who's actually doing the work * - retainers. why one-off contracts almost broke me. why retainers are the only model that ever gave me consistent income. why people stay scared of the word because they think only attorneys use them * - the real cost of being a true digital nomad. domain names, hosting, software subscriptions, the things that quietly add up to a car payment every month. why i didn't get a manicure for seven years. why i'm explaining all this instead of selling you a course * - the gap between how people fashion brazil online vs. how it actually is when you live here. the 2 hour bus commutes service workers do every day. catcalling in nyc vs. walking around safely here. dating as a gringa and the propane-tank-money game * - what master craftsmanship looks like in the interior of bahia. men who can mix gravel into a fence and climb a tree to bring you fruit. ingenuity that you can't fake. why these are my people and why my mom said "i always knew you'd find your tribe one day" * - visa types nobody explains properly. digital nomad vs. work vs. student vs. residency vs. citizenship. what it actually costs to do this without getting hustled * - aging at 52 as a black woman in tech. why i'm not 100% confident about my looks or my work and i still show up. why insurance vs. assurance is a real conversation. why i think people stay stuck in jobs that stress them out specifically because they can't imagine not having medical insurance a heads up: i forgot i was live for a minute and a few words slipped through. consider this a flag for sensitive ears or kids in the car. if anything in here lands visit faafo.app [http://faafo.app]. and if you want the rest of what i make: i host other podcasts on the faafo network --- you can find all of them on your favorite podcast app.

doing the dishes in brazil pick a card, knife or fork

doing the dishes in brazil ---there's no hot water at the sink. no garbage disposal. no dishwasher (unless you're wealthy or american). just one basin, cold water, and a squeegee you didn't know you needed. in [http://needed.in] this episode: why i boil water every morning and keep it in a thermos. why brazilians clean constantly (it's not what you think). why there are no screens on the windows. the dish-washing method i saw on a telenovela and then watched my brazilian 'friend' do in real life. and why you're never going to find the dishwashing liquid you're used to unless you know where to look. also: a fork, a spoon, and a knife walk into a pile. pick one. <<<--- but more on this later. kkkkk! welcome to brazil behind closed doors. this is the stuff no one talks about when they're posting beach photos and sunset MOVE TO BRAZIL PODCAST - https://rss.com/podcasts/move-to-brazil [https://rss.com/podcasts/move-to-brazil] 👇 RESOURCES FOR YOUR MOVE TO BRAZIL 👇 * The Mothership: https://faafo.app [https://faafo.app] * All blogs, guides, and resources: https://foolaroundandfindout.com [https://foolaroundandfindout.com] * Join the Community Hub: https://oibahia.faafo.app [https://oibahia.faafo.app]

brazil: how getting locked in a bathroom in bahia gave birth to oi bahia

this episode is part cautionary tale, part accidental comedy, part origin story. what started with me getting locked in a bathroom in salvador turned into something much bigger: the birth of oi bahia, a simple community hub built for people living in bahia, moving here, or trying to make sense of life here without needing ten apps, twenty whatsapp threads, and a small miracle. NOTE; if you want more content about Bahia specifically you can find that podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/move-to-brazil [https://rss.com/podcasts/move-to-brazil] if you already live here, you will understand this episode on a spiritual level. if you are thinking about moving to brazil, this is one of those stories that says more than a polished relocation guide ever could. and if you are one of my friends back in the u.s., yes, this is very on brand. for my tech people and creators, there is also a thread in here about how real solutions get born, and why i believe in documenting the story behind the story before somebody else tries to recycle the idea like they invented electricity. approximate chapter guide if you want to jump around: * 00:00 part one begins * 07:48 message to my friend * 11:15 introduction to “oi bahia” and how this turned into a real solution * 29:00 close times are approximate. oi bahia is not an app. there is nothing to download. it is a simple hub built to make life easier for people navigating bahia, especially solo folks, newcomers, and anyone who understands that sometimes what you need most is not more noise, just one place that makes sense. check out: oibahia.faafo.app [https://oibahia.faafo.app/] this is brasil: behind closed doors. the stories are real. the timing is questionable. the lessons are expensive. the humor is free. ~ sis (aka courtney)