Archive for June, 2008
Brazil in the Business News Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 30, 2008
Last week, Merrill Lynch and Cap Gemini released a list of the countries with the largest increase in the number of millionaires, and Brazil came in at number three, after China and India. This was due to the booming economy, which in the last year grew 5.4%, while Bovespa, the São Paulo stock market, grew…
The Festival of Saint Peter Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 29, 2008
In Brazil, the Festival of Saint Peter, known as o Dia de São Pedro in Portuguese, is celebrated each year in late June. Saint Peter is the saint of fishermen, who have boat processions on the sea to honor the saint and to ask for protection and better catches. In Salvador, Bahia, the celebration begins…
Podcast: Making an appointment Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 26, 2008
Click to hear the Podcast! Today, we’re going to learn how to make an appointment. The important thing to remember is that in Portuguese, we frequently use the verb form of “appointment” instead of the noun like we do in English. In Portuguese, this verb is marcar. We use this verb when making an…
Brazilian Profile: Clarisse Zeitel Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 25, 2008
Clarisse Zeitel is not a star, per se. She appears every week as a dancer on the popular weekend variety show “Caldeirão do Huck,” along with another dozen or so women. But recently, she became a local celebrity because of her brain and not because of her good looks. Clarisse is a law student…
The Latest Brazilian Plastic Surgery Trend Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 24, 2008
Brazil is known for being one of the world capitals of plastic surgery, and visitors from all over go to Brazil for the cosmetic procedures that cost less than in their home countries. Brazilians also frequently get plastic surgery, and can pay in installments for any procedure, like a face lift or liposuction. The latest…
Japanese Celebration at the Sambodrome Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 23, 2008
This past weekend, festivities began to celebrate the one hundred year anniversary of Japanese immigration in Brazil. The event kicked off with a huge celebration in São Paulo’s Sambodrome, where 25,000 people attended. The event included Japanese rhythmic dancing, drum groups, and traditional dances. Since the celebration honored the melding of two cultures, there were…
Poor Patagonian Penguins Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 22, 2008
During the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere, the penguins of Patagonia migrate north, and some unlucky ones wind up on the beaches of Brazil. Just last week, seventeen pingüins (penguins) were found on the beaches of Santa Catarina, and are being cared for by Brazilian biologists. Each year, more than a million penguins swim…