Is your surname a common one in your country?
“No it’s not, because my surname comes from Portugal and there aren’t many Portuguese people in Brazil because where I live it’s mostly Italians, Spanish and other nationalities here.”
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+Vocab: Even though we speak Portuguese, there aren’t many Portuguese people in the north.
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+Grammar: Passive Voice: My name was given to me by parents.
Do you like your name?
“Yes I do, even though when I was a child, I didn’t like it very much because no one knew how to spell or pronounce it because it’s German, but nowadays, I feel grateful to have this name and I like it very much.”
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+Grammar – I have come to love it. (my attitude changed)
Do people in Brazil ever change their names?
“To be honest, I don’t think so, because it’s quite difficult to change your name. You have to get a lawyer and go to a tribunal to change your name. [The State seems to believe that] it’s your identity, so you shouldn’t be able to change your name so easily. So because it’s so difficult, it’s not that common in Brazil.”
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+Vocab: [It’s a long-winded process] ← it takes a long time , it’s very complicated
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+Grammar: Passive Voice: Names can’t be changed in Brazil easily.
