Archive by Author
Férias de Inverno Posted by polyana on Jul 11, 2011
July is a month where most schools are on break, making most of us whose families have children or college aged folk take some time off from work as well. It’s a winter break where here in the south east of Brazil we use to escape to the sunny north east or Brazilians in general…
Orgulho Gay em São Paulo Posted by polyana on Jun 27, 2011
Yesterday was the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade, Parada do Orgulho Gay, the biggest gay pride parade in the world! This past weekend’s event turned 15 (and had a valsa de 15 anos to boot), and hit records with an estimated 4 million in attendance. This year has been a big one for a more…
Brazilian Recipes – Bolo de Banana Posted by polyana on Jun 22, 2011
My mom, as well as many other Brazilian moms, have a mania (pronounced mah-knee-ah, NOT may-knee-ah), or habit, of seeing fruit that’s going bad and turning it into something it can become while going bad… So as not to waste it. I realized this past weekend that I’m starting to develop the saammee habit. Sunday…
Medicine in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Jun 15, 2011
It’s winter in Brazil! And by winter, I mean low-40s – mid-60s, dry weather, occasional cold rain… in São Paulo at least, and no, I don’t have heat in my home. Nor are there usually heated office buildings and restaurants and the like. And I still like to pretend I’m a tough American and can…
Os Mais Limpos do Mundo – Reading Comprehension Posted by polyana on Jun 6, 2011
A study conducted by the Global Hygiene Council has shown that Brazilians are the citizens who wash their hands the most in the world. If you’ve been to Brazil, and travelled enough to other countries, you have probably already encountered the cleanliness obsession us Brazilians have! Here’s a little more about the study, from O…
Brazilian Hip Hop – Emicida Posted by polyana on May 30, 2011
Yesterday I went to a huge hip hop festival here in São Paulo, with international names like John Legend, Ja Rule, & The Roots, but also some Brazilian independent artists like Copacabana Club (which isn’t a hip hop band, but they’re pretty good!) & then some big name Brazilian hip hop artists. I’m actually pretty…
Non-Verbal Communication, Part III Posted by polyana on May 23, 2011
One thing you don’t want to do when travelling, is to do or say something inappropriate or offensive in that country. In Brazil, people are usually accepting of these gafes, but it doesn’t hurt to learn a little bit of non-verbal communication no-no’s while travelling to Brazil on business or whatnot. So without further ado…