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Circuito Inffinito Posted by Rachel on May 28, 2010
Great news, Brazilian Portuguese fans! The Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival may be coming to your city this summer. The festival will be in New York from June 5 – 12, in Vancouver from July 15 – 18, in Miami from August 13 – 21, and in London from September 1 – 5. This is not…
Side by Side Lyrics Translation: Jorge Ben Jor Posted by Rachel on May 26, 2010
One of my favorite songs about Brazil is Jorge Ben Jor’s “País Tropical,” an ode to Brazil and in particular, to Rio de Janeiro. The lyrics are very simple and quite easy to understand, so it’s a good song for beginners. Just a note: he refers to two very specific things: Flamengo, a popular Rio…
Tocar vs. Brincar vs. Jogar Posted by Rachel on May 25, 2010
Sometimes, there’s more than one word for a single word in English. The three words tocar, brincar, and jogar are a perfect example, since they all translate as “to play” in English. tocar = to play (instrument) or to ring brincar = to play (children) jogar = to play (game/sport) Let’s take a look at…
Samba da Vela Documentary Posted by Rachel on May 21, 2010
Though many foreigners assume Rio de Janeiro is where samba thrives, São Paulo is also a great place to hear one of Brazil’s most beloved musical forms. I found a neat little documentary about samba da vela, or candle samba, and the community that has grown around it in the Santo Amaro neighborhood of São…
Brazilian Recipe: Strawberry Bon Bons Posted by Rachel on May 19, 2010
Despite Europe’s reputation for the world’s best chocolate, Brazil has some amazing chocolate of its own. Today, we’re going to learn how to make strawberry and chocolate bon bons, which is actually a relatively simple recipe using condensed milk, powdered milk, milk chocolate, and strawberries. Que saboroso! Bom bom de morango – from M de…
Levar vs. Trazer Posted by Rachel on May 18, 2010
Like those learning the equivalent English verbs to take and to bring, the verbs levar and trazer can sometimes be a little confusing, especially since we can translate levar as both to take and to bring in English. Here are some examples that will help you remember how to distinguish the two. For the purposes…
Reading Comprehension: Lizards Posted by Rachel on May 14, 2010
Today we’re going to look at an article about lizards and global warming. Have a read and try to answer the questions. Aquecimento global já leva populações de lagartos à extinção, Estadão Excerpt: “O aquecimento global está inviabilizando a sobrevivência de várias populações de lagartos, reduzindo o tempo em que os animais se mantêm ativos…