My name is Joel, I'm originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
I am a former lawyer and now I am working as an independent translator in the legal area, providing services to law firms and companies. I also have a degree in Sociology (Brazilian Studies). I attended a a master's degree in Governance and Human Rights in Madrid, Spain.
I have also lived in Berlin and Paris.
I'm currently living between Porto, Portugal, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and I'm able to host sometimes in either city. Just ask me.
I love travelling, reading, cinema and Japanese culture.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Being on Couchsurfing can be a fantastic experience to meet new people from everywhere in the world and learn new things from them.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Beatles; Belle and Sebastian; Chet Baker; J.S. Bach; G. F. Handel; W. A. Mozart; Brazilian music; World music (specially Latin); George Harrison; Queen; Mika; Madeleine Peyroux

Movies: Almodóvar; Hitchcock; French cinema; indie cinema in general

Books: Ian McEwan; Michael Cunningham; George Orwell; F. Dostoievski; Junichiro Tanizaki; Javier Marías; Arturo Pérez-Reverte; Jorge Amado; Daniel Galera; Leïla Slimani

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1) Riding a buffalo in Marajó Island, in Northern Brazil (2013).

2) In 1993, I moved to Paris to pursue my studies in Law. It was the first time I was going to live alone, away from my parents. In the beginning, it was quite difficult, but eventually I enjoyed the experience and was very happy there. It was a great opportunity to learn new things and meet new people. I stayed there for 1,5 year.

3) Living for 7 months in the city of Maceió, Alagoas, in the Northeast of Brazil, enjoying a tropical paradise, wonderful food and companies (2010).

4) Living as a local during 10 days in Valparaíso, Chile, enjoying the city and its wonderful good vibes (2017)!

5) Moving to Europe in 2018! I lived 2 years in Madrid, 1 year in Berlin, 1 year in Paris and now I'm sharing my time between Porto, Portugal and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Teach, Learn, Share

I hope to be able to learn from other Couchsurfers' experience and to share my desire in being an excellent host and guest!

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain