SAO PAULO – Some foreigners in Brazil for the ongoing 2014 World Cup finals are facing two communication problems in the country.
Apart from being unable to communicate effectively with the Brazilians, foreigners are also facing another challenge in communicating with their home countries thorough cell phones.
The Brazilians are resolute in speaking only Portuguese, their official language.
“Even with many of them able to speak the English language, they will pretend they don’t understand nor speak any other languages,” a team official from Cote d’Ivoire, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN.
In most cases, some foreigners had to resort to sign language to communicate, while others had to write figures on papers when the issue had to do with numbers.
As a relief, foreigners with handsets that translate languages were, however, finding it quite easy to communicate with the Brazilians on their handsets.
NAN also reports that with several days into the mundial, most foreigners even after buying the Brazilian SIM cards, could not still communicate with their home countries.
This is because there are lots of conditions that foreigners had to pass through before getting an open line.
The conditions which include having a travelling passport, a hotel address, a business form and others, were so intricate that most foreigners had to eventually jettison the idea of having Brazilian SIM cards.
NAN also reports that many foreigners with their country’s roaming SIM cards, however, find it easy to communicate with their families and friends at home on the social media platforms.
Those who have been able to make calls on their national SIM cards said it was quite expensive.
Many foreigners, however, find relief using public pay phones which are present on every street.
Meanwhile, members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) on Friday embarked on a 18-hour journey by road to Cutiba City, the venue of Nigeria’s second Group F match on Saturday, June 21 against Serbia-Hezegovina.
Dr Rafiu Oladipo, the President-General of the club, who is leading the delegation, told NAN that the early journey was to enable members to be able to prepare themselves, ahead of the match. (NAN)
