For Guilherme Parisi, a study abroad experience in Slovakia as a teenager sparked his interest in European living.
“When I was 16, I went to Slovakia for one year as an exchange student in high school. That was my first time abroad and maybe that’s what drove me to want to have that opportunity again to come to Europe for studying or work.”
The 29-year-old moved to Dublin from the Brazilian countryside in October 2024, after being offered a job in product safety and regulatory affairs at German multinational company Henkel, where he has worked for the Latin American team since 2019.
“I really wanted to come to Europe because from a regulatory perspective, Europe creates a lot of very important chemical safety regulations which drive innovation globally so it’s really important for my career.”
Words of encouragement from friends who had moved to Dublin and spoken of “how exciting it is” helped convince Parisi to take the leap, and he has no regrets.
“It’s really nice to live in Dublin because everything is close by. You have really exciting nightlife, loads of restaurants. If you want to go to a Brazilian restaurant or a Turkish restaurant, you can find anything. People are really excited and friendly all the time, so it’s really nice to go out.”
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Now living in “a really nice neighbourhood” in Dundrum, Parisi says he was surprised by Dublin’s vibrancy. “I didn’t expect to find a lot of vivid and exciting life in Dublin.”
“I come from a really small town in Brazil, in the countryside so I was used to more calm, countryside life. Very similar to Galway. I have been to Galway and I felt more what was like my life in Brazil.”
During a recent weekend trip to the west coast, Parisi enjoyed seeing “a different side to the Atlantic”. Investing in some new wardrobe staples was part of adjusting to the unpredictable Irish climate; “waterproof shoes and a nice raincoat” have been essential additions.
Having initially lived closer to his Tallaght-based office, Parisi became a frequent participant in Saturday morning park runs around the Dodder Valley Park.
“You can find a lot of parks here. We don’t have that in Brazil,” he says. “Although it’s a really large country, you cannot find this amount of green spaces where you can go and run or do some physical activity like playing tennis.”
While he moved with near fluency in English, the “variety of accents and vocabulary” caught Parisi off guard at first.
“I used to speak English more on a corporate level and formally but as I came here to live I found sometimes in the beginning it was hard because of the variety of accents. Even in a country as small as Ireland, you can find a variety of accents and vocabulary.”
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Reflecting on his experience living with a host family and attending school in Slovakia, Parisi feels grateful for the relatively smooth transition he has been afforded here.
“If I had moved to another country I think it would have been more difficult. I have the experience of living in Slovakia. I was maybe the only Brazilian in the city where I was, and it was really challenging because of the language.”
The presence of a large Brazilian community in Dublin has also made the city feel like home.
“Living here, I still feel like I am in Brazil because of the Brazilian community and the activities that we can find ... One thing that people miss the most is the food and the language and I can find that because I can get together with my Brazilian friends and we can cook, like typical rice and beans or feijoada [black bean stew] and brigadeiro [a traditional Brazilian dessert combining hot condensed milk, cocoa and butter].”
Parisi celebrated his birthday in January, an occasion he worried would be lonely, but “was much better than expected” thanks to friends and colleagues who surprised him with cake.
Although far from family and friends in Brazil, Parisi found ways to incorporate Brazilian customs into his day.
“As you finish singing happy birthday, like here you blow the candles and then make a wish. Then as you cut the cake in Brazil you have to cut bottom to top and make a second wish. With the first piece of cake, you have to give it to the most special person to you in the room.”
Anyone in the world could feel really comfortable here because people are friendly and really polite
Parisi recalls being “really surprised how Irish people are open for talking, for discussion”. “I didn’t expect people to be as open and talkative because we as Brazilians have the wrong idea that people in Europe are more closed.”
Another cultural similarity is the shared historic and economic importance of agriculture in both countries.
“Brazil has hundreds of years of agriculture and also Ireland so we both connect.”
“We in Brazil have received a lot of immigrants over the years and also Ireland,” says Parisi, who says the “diversity of people” has been another positive aspect of moving to Dublin.
“It’s nice to live here because of the diversity of people that we can find on the street. I can listen to Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or any other language as you walk through some areas in the city centre.
I think it’s very welcoming for newcomers. Anyone in the world could feel really comfortable here because people are friendly and really polite. The courtesy is really important, that’s something I appreciate.”
After an enjoyable first six months in Ireland, Parisi says he is content to settle in the south Dublin suburbs for the foreseeable future.
“I do see myself five years from now living in Dundrum because I really like the neighbourhood and being close to my friends. I like the environment here.”
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish
