Archive for January, 2011
Months in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Jan 31, 2011
Can you believe tomorrow is February already? Thinking about how fast time flies, I realized we haven’t written about the months and in Portuguese here yet. The months in Portuguese are actually quite similar to English, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to memorize them! One thing to note, however, is that when you’re…
Summer Vacation in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Jan 31, 2011
One of the most important things to know when traveling, studying, or working in Brazil or with Brazilian companies or government is to remember the sanctity of the summer vacation, or férias de verão. For students, the break can last from mid- or even early December to February, and adults typically take a holiday during…
What Went Wrong? Posted by Rachel on Jan 27, 2011
You’ll find plenty of funny viral videos from Brazil on the Web, and they’re great learning opportunities if you’re learning Portuguese. Let’s take a look at a couple. Game Show Can you correctly answer the question? Here are the clues: 1. É um pais da Europa; 2. No passado invadiu o Brasil; 3. Terra das…
Watch Carnival Online Posted by Rachel on Jan 26, 2011
Exciting news! This year, you’ll be able to watch Carnival live on YouTube for free, directly from Salvador, Bahia. The channel is already available here. Here are two of the videos they have up as a little preview for the festivities: From Jornal do Brasil: “Levar a cultura brasileira para diversos países em tempo real…
Brazilian Recipe: Vatapá Posted by Rachel on Jan 25, 2011
Vatapá is a traditional dish from Brazil’s Northeast region, particularly Bahia and Pará. It’s a delicious fish stew made with shrimp, coconut milk, and palm oil, and comes from Brazil’s African cooking traditions. Today we’re going to learn how to make this prato brasileiro! Vatapá Recipe Ingredients -2 cups torn pieces of white bread –…
The Countryside Posted by polyana on Jan 24, 2011
I just spent this past weekend in the countryside (interior) on a sítio, right outside São Paulo with some friends. Or was is a chacara? Or fazenda? The definitions of these different types of properties in the country are difficult to define, but after some research, I have come to the following conclusions on the…
Flooding in Rio Posted by Rachel on Jan 21, 2011
We’ve written about flooding in Brazil before, like the Santa Catarina floods in 2008 and the coastal flooding in Rio de Janeiro last year. There’s often seasonal flooding, particularly in the south, but this year has been exceptionally bad. Heavy rains [chuvas] and floods [enchentes] have affected Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Santa Catarina, but…