Archive for February, 2008
Good News for Travelers Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 29, 2008
This week, ANAC, the Agencia Nacional de Aviação Civil (the National Agency for Civil Aviation in Brazil) announced that airfares are going to drop significantly starting in March. This means international flights originating in Brazil will have price decreases from 30 – 50%, and officials say that by June there will be discounts of up…
Brazilians Immigrants Adapt to Microscopic Apartments in Japan Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 28, 2008
This year marks 100 years of Japanese immigration in Brazil, and all over Brazil there are cultural events, news specials, and happenings celebrating this anniversary. The first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in June 1908, and brought with them cultural traditions that have become a part of Brazilian culture, most notably their cuisine. Globo has…
Mummies Found in Sao Paulo Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 27, 2008
Earlier this month, workers searching for termites found two mummified bodies in a convent in central Sao Paulo. Experts believe that the mummies are around 200 years old. The mummies, thought to be nuns, were found in Mosteiro da Luz (Monastery of Light), a monastery founded by Brazil’s first saint, Antonio Galvao, in 1774. An…
Miss Prisoner Pageant Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 26, 2008
You can’t make this stuff up. In the Federal District state of Brazil, where Brazil’s national capital is found, Federal Police have organized a beauty pageant for female prisoners called Miss Penitenciária, or Miss Inmate. One hundred and twenty prisoners entered the contest, and twelve were chosen as the winners. Volunteers helped the women with…
The Top Three Words You Need to be Negative in Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 25, 2008
Let’s be real: sometimes we need words to describe negative situations, especially in Brazil, where complaining is a form of conversation. Here are the top three words you need to know. 1. chato (SHAH-too)This has got to be one of the best words in Brazilian Portuguese because it can be used in many ways. It…
Beto Carrero World: Brazil’s Biggest Theme Park Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 24, 2008
If you ask any Brazilian child or teenager where he or she would most like to visit, the likely answer will be Disney World (affectionately known as “Disney,” pronounced “geez-nee”). In fact, many middle and upper class Brazilian teenage girls go to Disney World as a fifteenth birthday present from their parents. However, Brazil also…
Brazil’s Growing Economic Power Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 22, 2008
It’s not news that Brazil is a growing economic power, since it has the seventh-largest economy in the world and second largest in the Americas. Here’s the news, though. On Thursday, the Brazilian government announced that for the first time in history, Brazil has enough capital to pay off its entire dívida externa, or external…