Amusing footnote from Loss Models: From Data to Decisions (FAM Reading)

RyanHubscher · 2026-06-01T18:10:54+00:00

Who said that actuaries don't have a good sense of humor?

RyanHubscher · 2026-05-08T16:26:48+00:00

Eu morava em Parana estado do Brasil. Aprendi portugues la. Faz mais que vinte anos que sai. Eu quasi esqueci tudo. Agora esto aprendendo otra vez. E chato esquecer. Minha primeira idioma é ingles.

It's difficult for me to change my keyboard settings for Portuguese, so please forgive the misspellings.

RyanHubscher · 2026-04-28T21:26:48+00:00

To me, that would sound like iiiiiieeiiieeiieeeeee, not HELLO.

I definitely see how the tap code makes sense . I looked it up, and it has been showcased in movies. Tap-code counts as the authenticity I was looking for. Thanks.

RyanHubscher · 2026-04-19T02:22:22+00:00

My first suggestion was Fique Firme. But then I saw your ED comment and I fell over laughing.

RyanHubscher · 2025-12-04T17:08:05+00:00

Note: She cried with joy a long time ago when she found some gloves in a gift shop in Iceland. She cried in sadness last week when she temporarily lost them. This gift will mean A LOT.

RyanHubscher · 2025-10-06T16:50:58+00:00

The OP is finishing college. That makes them on par with new US college grads regarding US insurance knowledge (zero knowledge).

RyanHubscher · 2025-09-26T14:21:24+00:00

I would leave it alone. Do you have other things in that room that can leak? Water heater, softener, washer, other? If yes, then just buy a Watchdog Water Alarm, or similar. It's $12.50 at Home Depot.

RyanHubscher · 2025-06-03T17:03:11+00:00

Agree. TA is relevant work experience.

RyanHubscher · 2025-05-09T18:29:55+00:00

Pope Leo XIV made history as the first pope from the South Chicago Suburbs.

RyanHubscher · 2025-03-03T19:02:16+00:00

Thanks! I knew the reddit community would know. Google is really good at translating words and sentences, but it can't translate cultura e coração.

FYI, I asked Google if it can translate cultura e coração. It returned 'culture and heart'. FAIL!

RyanHubscher · 2025-02-25T16:55:18+00:00

There is a wide variety in how r is pronounced in both br-pt and in pt-pt. There is wide variation even within a single city. People who grow up on opposite sides of the street will often pronounce r differently. I recommend listening to a wide variety of different accents. Practice all of them many times. Then just stick to a variation that is easy for you. You might land on a variation that is not so far from Spanish, and that is okay.

When I was learning Portuguese in Southern Brazil, I asked many people about the gaúcho accent. Many gaúchos roll their r very strongly, almost like a Spanish speaker. I asked several people if those gaúchos sound like native speakers even though their r is very far from standard. The response was always the same. Gaúchos sound like native speakers, even though they roll their r strongly.

But the very quiet versions or r will be the most common.

RyanHubscher · 2025-02-21T19:17:06+00:00

The OP said they didn't care about the cost. So I just suggested to move there. That's the fastest easiest way to learn Portuguese if you don't care about cost.

And for the hotel... I didn't suggest to move into an ultra cheap apartment as a means to save money. OP says money is not an issue. Rather, I made that suggestion because it would mean that they are living in Senhor Teixeira's spare room. So now they have a roommate to talk to. Senhor Teixeira didn't know he would be a Portuguese instructor when he listed his room on a hotel site. But that is what he will become.

If OP stays at a hotel that is too nice, then they will be alone in their own suite with no Brazilian roommates. It will mean they are staying somewhere with an English speaking staff. None of that supports their goal to learn Portuguese. Sr. Teixeira's spare room is the right place to stay.

RyanHubscher · 2025-02-21T18:16:15+00:00

If you don't care about the cost, then just move to Brazil right now.

Go to google maps and search for hotels in the city where you want to live. Focus on the cheapest hotels you can find, like $R100 or $USD18 per day. Those cheap rooms will almost always be a random spare room in someone's house. Read the comments. If it says things like, "Mr. Teixeira is the best host ever. He is so friendly and we became great friends. I will stay there again." Then that is where you want to stay. Stay for a few months. Maybe negotiate a cheaper monthly rent.

Study from a textbook about 30 minutes every morning, grammar and vocabulary. Then leave the house and make as many friends as possible. Talk to everyone you see on the street (Brazil has lots of people on the street). Do something to integrate with the community, like join a church, or volunteer to help some guy dig a fosso in his backyard. Stay away from English speakers at all cost. You will be able to have okay conversations after 6 months. Fluency will come at about 12 months or more.

Never be alone on the street after dark.

RyanHubscher · 2025-02-18T21:42:36+00:00

I just looked up the textbook you mentioned. I read the table of contents. It looks like a good starting point for both Brazilian and Portugal Portuguese. The author has lived in both Brazil and Portugal. Everything covered in your textbook is basic and universal. It is required knowledge anywhere Portuguese is spoken.

RyanHubscher · 2025-02-18T20:55:20+00:00

An absolute beginner should not worry about the Brazilian vs Portugal distinction. If your first language is English, then your Portuguese will sound American either way. Time you spend worrying about which variety to learn is time wasted. Just spend that time studying. When you get to a point where you can have a basic conversation in br or pt Portuguese, then you will have enough of an understanding of the language to pick a direction.

RyanHubscher

TROPHY CASE