Archive by Author
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…
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…
How to Order Coffee in Brazil Posted by polyana on Jan 17, 2011
Since it’s Monday morning, let’s talk coffee, shall we? For those of you who are big coffee drinkers, the best advice I can give you for when you get to Brazil and walk into a corner padaria is… take what you can get. Depending on where you are, there are very limited choices in what…
Na Praia! Posted by polyana on Jan 10, 2011
Many times when we think of Brazil, we think beaches! Granted, that’s not ALL there is to see in Brazil, but some of the prettiest beaches I have been to have been… in Brazil. So why not take advantage of the fact that it’s summer in Brazil to get ready for the beach soon, to…
Samba de Gafieira Posted by polyana on Jan 3, 2011
Ahhh Janeiro! Time for resolutions, losing weight, quitting smoking and eating well! Well, since I don’t smoke and I’m quite thin and tend to keep healthy, I like to give myself fun resolutions. This year, I want to learn to dance samba de gafieira, also called simply gafieira or gafiera. A lot of people, when they…
Brazilian Reveillon Traditions, Part II Posted by polyana on Dec 30, 2010
Yesterday I wrote a post on Brazilian traditions on what to wear for the New Year. I also mentioned how we have all sorts of superstitions and that I would share that with you all today! For many Brazilians, what you wear, eat, drink and do at midnight or around that time, determine how your…
Brazilian Reveillon Traditions, Part I Posted by polyana on Dec 29, 2010
Reveillon? Oi? Yup, reveillon, or “new year,” is right around the corner already!! And like with many other holidays, but especially for reveillon, Brazilians have all sorts of simpatias, or superstitions. Since there are so many, I’m going to make this a 2 part post!! First, we’re going to talk about colors and their meanings…