'I swapped one-bed UK flat for a dairy farm in Brazil'
A woman who left the UK to become a farmer in Brazil has admitted that she "never expected a luxurious lifestyle", but it turned out to be "one of the biggest struggles" of her life. Angel Bulut, 25, relocated from Bracknell with her partner in October 2022 after growing "tired" of her job as a restaurant manager.
She swapped her £2,300 monthly salary for a full-time role as a milk farmer in Parana, earning just 6,500 Brazilian Real (BRL) before expenses - approximately £887 - per month alongside her partner. She revealed that "everything costs more" in Brazil, including phones and clothing, and she's still relying on her savings to make ends meet.
Just as she was preparing to return home after only six months, she started "falling in love with things after the anger left". Angel began to appreciate the space she had - a two-and-a-half-acre farm compared to a one-bedroom flat in the UK - and fell in love with the weather and the freedom of "not having a boss".
Angel, originally from Northwich, Cheshire, said: "My first year here was one of the biggest struggles of my life. I struggled with everything.
"I didn't speak any Portuguese. I was just this blonde UK city girl who came into the farm.
"It's not been an easy process. We're living a life, but without the pleasures of living in the UK.
"I'm accustomed to having less now. I'm falling in love with things after the anger left. We have so much space.
"I have the sun, I have my animals that have all the space they want and I don't have a boss. You suffer - you don't have the things you want and then just look around and see all the things you do have."
Angel relocated overseas after encountering her Brazilian partner at a hospitality gathering in Northwich. The pair subsequently moved to the two-and-a-half-acre farm in Parana, tending to 30 cattle and rearing pigs, fish and chickens for their own use.
"We're primarily a milk farm," she explained. "We wake up the milk cows, cook for them. The girls we bred are finally giving birth, so this is kind of the beginning of the story of, 'Is this going to work?'".
"People we knew from back home and locals said, 'she's not going to last a month' or 'she's not going to get her hands dirty'. I woke up at 5am to feed the cows. I was working harder than I every expected to."
Adapting to Brazilian life means Angel spends BRL 1,500 per month on food - approximately £200 - relying on savings to purchase luxuries.
"We don't pay for water as we have a waterfall on the farm. Electricity is up to BRL 600 per month in summer and up to BRL 300 in the winter.
"We have an outdoor kitchen that we use every day, and we power it with fire, which brings the bills down. In the UK I'd make £2,300 a month after tax and after costs I'd be left with £700.
"Here, considering what we earn on the farm, 50 per cent goes to the supplement of the cows. It can be up to BRL 10,000 per month and after costs we are left with up to BRL 4,000 per month across the year.
"And after that are the vet bills, too. My partner built the house before coming here, the price of building a house plus the price of the land where I live is around BRL 366,000, which is around £50,000.
"Another thing is how dangerous it is. How I loved to go on walks by myself as a woman at night in the UK.
"Here, I kid you not, I cannot leave the house alone without the protection of my dog. You can't be out at night time."
As someone who previously adored the gym, Angel has also struggled to cope with her nearest fitness centre being more than an hour's walk away and, without a vehicle, she finds it tough to reach.
"I never come across someone like myself; everyone is so indulged in the cowboy culture. Like literal cowboy boots, when you see a Western movie, it's like that.
"It's a huge clash of culture. Every state is different. It's either a cowgirl or literally a model. Brazilian women really look after themselves".
Though she's adapting to her fresh lifestyle, Angel is now picking up Portuguese and adores caring for the creatures on her farm.
"My health is good because I'm not cold, I'm getting my vitamin D. In my opinion, private healthcare is cheaper here.
"The people here are friendlier, compared to the Brazilian culture England is a very cold, cruel, culture. In terms of moving back to the UK, never say never, but I was unhappy in the UK, I never enjoyed it.
"In terms of leaving Brazil and living in Brazil, I hated it for so many reasons, but now I love it. If I can find a way to have the quality of life I'm looking for, I'd stay."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Celebrity and former Michelin-star chef set to close central London ‘top 100 UK' restaurant in just DAYS after 3 years
A new Portuguese restaurant is taking over the site FINAL MOUTHFUL Celebrity and former Michelin-star chef set to close central London 'top 100 UK' restaurant in just DAYS after 3 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOP chef Nuno Mendes is stepping away from his beloved Portuguese restaurant Lisboeta - which closes its doors this weekend. The Michelin-star chef is moving on to focus on his Portuguese ventures and a new London project. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Nuno Mendes is closing his 'love letter to Lisbon' restaurant to start a new chapter Credit: Instagram Opened in 2022, Lisboeta was Mendes' 'love letter to Lisbon' and quickly earned a place in the UK's Top 100 Restaurants. Its final service will be held on Saturday, August 23. The restauranteur is handing over the reins to the Fitzrovia-based eatery to Portuguese chef and friend Leandro Carreira. Nuno wrote on social media: 'Dear Friends, after an incredible journey of almost four years, Lisboeta as we know it will be coming to an end this Fall. 'We've had an amazing ride and it's fantastic to see the love and support of our patrons from the day we opened our doors. 'I feel proud of the fact that we've helped to cement Portuguese food culture here in London and beyond. 'Our incredible teams, past and present, through their passion, dedication and hard work have made this possible. Our successes couldn't have been achieved without you. "Thank you to you all. Lisboeta is a deeply personal passion project to me and a brand that I would like to continue to grow and develop internationally. 'It's first steps will be into Lisbon but then we will go to other territories further away. 'I will continue to focus on my projects in Portugal, Cozinha das Flores and The Largo in Porto as well as Santa Joana in Lisbon. 'Both are going from strength to strength and we still have many goals to achieve." He continued: 'The site of Lisboeta will stay and my dear friend and colleague, Leandro Carreira will be launching an exciting new project with the team from MJMK. "It's called LUSO and I'm sure it will be a great addition to the London food scene. I'm excited to try it! 'LUSO will offer something new, rooted in our shared culture but seen through Leo's contemporary lens. I have no doubt it will be extraordinary. 'Last but not least, thank you to Marco, Jake and the whole team at MJMK for believing in Portuguese food and for coming along on this journey. I wish you lots of success in this and all of your ventures. 'Thank you friends and I hope to see you either in Portugal or in London someday soon.' Restaurant group MJMK, which owns the site, will transform the space into Luso, reopening in September after a refurbishment. MJMK co-founder Marco Mendes and Jake Kasumov said the decision was mutual and made 'on a high note' after more than four years working with the chef. 'We've been working with Nuno for well over four years and remain big fans. But in that time he's taken on other projects, so after three years of Lisboeta we all sat down and made a plan. "We thought it would be best to end on a high. He'll focus on his restaurants in Portugal, and we're relaunching with a new love letter to Portugal in Luso.' They added that the new restaurant will be more casual in tone and said: 'We've been working with Leandro to develop a straightforward, traditional Portuguese restaurant — one not so much about the chef, but the country. 'We're not trying to be cheffy. We want to focus on simple, slightly elevated Portuguese dishes made with simple ingredients. Pricing will be similar, maybe a little lower. "We want to be busy all the time, especially at lunch when people can come in for a beer and a sandwich.' 3 The high-profile eatery will be turned into a 'traditional' Portuguese restaurant Credit: Instagram
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Club World Cup star becomes first player to benefit from Lassana Diarra ruling and rips his contract up
Major transfer sagas could soon become a thing of the past Game changer Club World Cup star becomes first player to benefit from Lassana Diarra ruling and rips his contract up Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRAZILIAN Club World Cup star Lucas Ribeiro Costa is looking to become the first player from the Lassana Diarra ruling. Ribeiro starred for South African side Mamelodi Sundowns at the Club World Cup this summer and won the goal of the tournament award for his goal against Borussia Dortmund in the group stage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Club World Cup star Lucas Ribeiro Costa has terminated his contract at Mamelodi Sundowns Credit: Getty 3 He is looking to become the first player to benefit from the Lassana Diarra ruling last October Credit: Getty But the 26-year-old has now terminated his contract with the club and is looking to be the first player to benefit from Diarra's legal victory against Fifa. In a long-running landmark case concluding last October, Diarra, 40, won a case in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling that some of Fifa's transfer rules broke European Union laws. The former France midfielder had challenged the governing body when he was blocked from pursuing a transfer to Belgian side Charleroi in 2015 after he had terminated his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014. Fifa had refused to provide him with an international transfer certificate (ITC) for the proposed move, which Diarra challenged and won with the courts stating the rules "impede the free movement of professional footballers wishing to develop their activity by going to work for a new club". READ MORE IN FOOTBALL BISCH-OFF Bayern Munich star Tom Bischof forced to undergo emergency surgery He has since restarted legal proceedings over a £56million compensation package, while Fifa have amended its transfer regulations. Ribeiro is now looking to be the first player to use this ruling to his advantage after Qatari outfit Qatar SC made an offer to sign him "well above the player's valuation". He has referred his case to world football's governing body after accusing his club of acting in an "unreasonable manner". The midfielder is being represented by Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont, who won the 1995 case involving Jean-Marc Bosman - the Bosman ruling - and is representing Diarra. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Mamelodi Sundowns have been accused of attempting to "drive up the price" of the player again and again, "without any regard for the player's personal interests, which made the deal impossible". The legal documents outline that Ribeiro terminated his contract on August 1. Transfer fees could be SCRAPPED forever after Lassana Diarra wins landmark court case against Fifa His deal was due to expire in 2028, but with the deal being blocked by the club, Ribeiro said he has "no other choice" than to defend his interests at a Fifa tribunal. The former Charleroi and Beveren star is willing to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or a state court after being made aware of interest from some European clubs. Ribeiro said: "Following the Diarra ruling by the CJEU, there is no doubt that the dispute between me and my former club will not prevent me from continuing my career with peace of mind." "Indeed, following its own regulations (as amended in light of the Diarra judgement), Fifa will see to it that the international transfer certificate be immediately delivered upon request by my future employer. "I will now consider what is best for the future of my career in order to make the right choice. "As a reminder, following the Diarra ruling, my next employer will not be involved in the dispute between me and Mamelodi Sundowns, neither from a disciplinary perspective nor financially." The case could be the first domino to fall in what could be the biggest change in football for 30 years. Earlier this summer, SunSport looked at how players could soon be able to buy out their contracts and make mega transfer fees and sagas - like seen with Alexander Isak - a thing of the past. Major agents claimed the October ruling was the first step towards a US-style 'free agency' for players, with stars only liable to pay the balance of their contracts when they switch clubs. Top clubs and Fifa have battled to resist such a move, but in June FifPro told stars and their lawyers to be ready to test Fifa's failure to react and use European law to push for freedom of movement. 3 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Press and Journal
4 hours ago
- Press and Journal
'Characterful' Aberdeenshire home with its own gym and cinema hits the market
A characterful home in the Aberdeenshire countryside with its own gym and cinema room has been put up for sale. The Gables is situated in Torphins, north of Banchory, and is listed with ASPC for £590,000. It marries character features with modern touches and open plan living to make for an impressive package. Off the entrance hall is a guest toilet, and good-sized bedroom, which could also double as an office. A key feature of the property is its impressive dark wood beams, which can be spotted in many of the rooms. To the left of the hall is the drawing room, which has a massive brick recessed fireplace that takes up most of one side of the room. It has a wood-burning stove inside, and is framed by those wood beams. The heart of the home is the open plan kitchen, sitting and dining room. This versatile space creates a free-flowing area, ideal for family gatherings. The modern and sleek kitchen features gloss white cabinets and a large central island, which is intersected by one of the substantial wood beams. Across from the kitchen, is an informal sitting area centred around a wood-burning fireplace. The dining area has space for a large table with double doors leading out to the patio area. Through a set of roller wooden doors, is a handy utility room with access out to the garden. Downstairs in the basement, the current owners have divided the rooms into a well-equipped gym area with a wall of mirrors. Off the gym is the cinema room, with space for seating and a large movie screen. On the upper floor, there is the master bedroom, which has its own dressing area and an impressive tiled en suite. There are three additional bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. The Gables is accessed via a paved driveway with space for parking. The garden grounds have been landscaped and feature decorative borders and a large paved patio that provides an ideal outdoor seating area. A highlight of the grounds is the garden room, a superb space for socialising with a Portuguese cast stone BBQ grill/fire. There is also a summerhouse.
