Archive for the year 2008
Brazilian Profile: Oscar Niemeyer Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 28, 2008
Born Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho, this Brazilian is not only the most famous modern architect in his own country but is also famous world-wide. He was born to Jewish parents in 1907 in Rio de Janeiro’s middle class Laranjeiras neighborhood. He attended the School of Fine Arts before beginning his career in…
Naturalidades: Part III Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 27, 2008
To continue with our lesson on naturalidades, where a person is from in Brazil, let’s look at the Southern region. A person from the state of Paraná is called paranaense, and a person from the capital of Curitiba is called curitibano. A person from the state of Santa Catarina is called catarinense or barriga-verde…
Podcast: At the doctor’s office Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 24, 2008
Click to hear the Podcast! Today, we’re going to learn useful phrases for the doctor’s office. It’s best to be prepared, since not many Brazilian doctors speak fluent English. We use olá as a slightly more formal way of saying hello, as opposed to oi. Although the word for doctor is médico, we refer directly…
Brazilian Profile: Maya Gabeira Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 23, 2008
Maya Gabeira is only 21 years old, and she’s not a superstar just yet. But she’s well on her way. She’s already a two-time winner of Best Female Surfer in the world. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Maya currently lives in Hawaii but travels the world searching for the best waves and attending…
Daredevil Priest’s Balloon Flight Cut Short Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 23, 2008
This past Sunday, Brazilian priest Adelir de Carli set off on a mission to set a record for the most hours flown using just balloons in order to raise money for constructing a rest stop in his town of Paranagua, Santa Catarina. He strapped himself to 1,000 helium balloons, hoping to exceed the 19 hour…
Naturalidades: Part II Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 22, 2008
Today, we’ll take a look at round two of naturalidades, which describe exactly where a person is from in Brazil, based on the city or state. These are important to learn because although Brazilians are quite patriotic, they tend to identify most with the city they grew up in, and introduce themselves as Americans would…
April 21st: Dia de Tiradentes Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 21, 2008
Today is a national holiday in Brazil, called Dia de Tiradentes, or Tiradentes Day. This holiday honors a Brazilian martyr, whose real name was Joaquim José da Silva Xavier. He was born in Minas Gerais in 1746, the son of a Portuguese father and a Brazilian mother. He was orphaned at the age of 11…