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The New Petrobras CEO Posted by Rachel on Feb 14, 2012
One of Brazil’s largest companies, the oil conglomerate Petrobras, got a new CEO this week. Maria das Graças Foster will take the helm of one of the biggest companies in the world, the latest in a number of women taking positions of power in Brazil. She is the first ever female CEO at Petrobras. Foster…
Liberdade, São Paulo’s Japanese Neighborhood Posted by Rachel on Feb 12, 2012
I was lucky enough to spend last weekend in São Paulo, where I did some sightseeing with fellow Portuguese blogger Polyana. She took me to Liberdade, São Paulo’s Japanese neighborhood. Historically, the neighborhood was an area where slaves punished for crimes were hung, and the area received its name from the only path to “freedom”…
Brazilian Habits: Kisses Posted by Rachel on Feb 11, 2012
A habit that’s important to take note of in Brazil is how kisses are used as greetings. In some regions, it’s common to give one kiss, while in others, it’s common to give two. For example, in Rio de Janeiro it’s common to give two kisses, while in São Paulo, it’s more common to give…
Interviews from São Paulo Fashion Week Posted by Rachel on Jan 30, 2012
This month, São Paulo Fashion Week held its Winter 2012 edition, attracting celebrities and designers from Brazil and abroad. Today, we’re going to do a listening comprehension exercise listening to interviews from the event. Where are they holding Fernanda Motta’s fashion shoot? According to the editor, what did fashion week used to be like before?…
Brazilian Yelp Posted by Rachel on Jan 29, 2012
Ever wondered where to go to look for reviews of businesses in Brazil? There are a few places to look, but what’s sometimes called the “Brazilian Yelp” is a site called Kekanto, that has reviews of services and local business throughout the country. It’s also an app that can be used on mobile devices. Kekanto…
Learning Tip: Informality Posted by Rachel on Jan 26, 2012
Something that can be a bit confusing about spoken Portuguese is when to be informal, and when to be formal. In some ways, Portuguese is quite informal. Small talk is a very important part of communication, and expressions like tudo bom, tudo jóia, and tudo bem are commonplace in any conversation. So it can sometimes…
Cordel Literature Posted by Rachel on Jan 25, 2012
Cordels are an important Brazilian cultural form that come from the Northeast. A cordel is a string, and these poems, songs, or novels get their name from the way they are hung on a string at street fairs. They are typically printed in black and white with woodcut-style illustrations. While this folk literature comes from…