Archive for the year 2011
Fernando De Noronha Posted by Rachel on Sep 11, 2011
Fernando de Noronha is a set of 21 volcanic islands off the coast of northern Brazil, and a tourist destination reachable by plane from Recife and Natal. It was first explored by the Portuguese in the early 1500s, and was subsequently invaded and ruled by the English, French, and Dutch until it was retaken by…
Brazilian Recipe: Pão De Mel Posted by Rachel on Sep 9, 2011
Pão de mel, or honey bread, is a delicious Brazilian pastry that is fairly easy to make and is great for eating as a dessert or with coffee. It’s an old recipe from Europe, and allegedly came about when bakers learned they could preserve cake longer if it was covered in melted chocolate. So let’s…
Eu Vou De Bike Posted by Rachel on Sep 7, 2011
Bicycle movements are popping up all over the world, and Brazil is no exception. In July, an organization called Libvee organized a 26 kilometer bike-a-thon with hundreds of bike riders in São Paulo. Check out the cool promo video for the event: Libvee is part of Eu Vou de Bike, an organization that promotes bike…
Idiom: dar com a língua nos dentes Posted by Adir on Sep 6, 2011
E aí? Tudo bem com você? Our post today brings a very cool Portuguese idiom: dar com a língua nos dentes. It basically means to spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, give the game away. Let’s check out some examples: Era para ser uma festa surpresa, mas ela deu com a…
Oscar Niemeyer & Building Brasília Posted by polyana on Sep 1, 2011
I went to Brasília this past weekend, for the first time, to visit a friend, and was blown away by the architecture and the overall city planning. My friend and her husband took us everywhere in Brasília and gave us a good background on how the city was built and what Niemeyer, the architect, was thinking…
Religion in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Aug 31, 2011
While Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world, there are many other religions represented amongst Brazil’s 190 million people. Catholics now represent about 68 percent of the population, and Evangelical Christians encompass around 20 percent. Evangelical sects are on the rise, including Pentacostalists, Neo-Pentacostalists, Mormons, and others. In fact, Mormonism is one of…
English-Portuguese Glossaries Posted by Rachel on Aug 29, 2011
Dictionaries can be helpful when you’re looking for a particular vocabulary word to translate, but another very helpful resource is a bilingual glossary. This means you can find simple translations as well as words unique to each language with a translation and explanation. For example, we don’t have a carteira do trabalho in the US…