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The History of Havaianas Posted by on Jul 10, 2008

Havaianas, the Brazilian flip flop brand popular worldwide, has an interesting history, so let’s take a look. In 1962, the São Paulo Alpargatas company began to produce a sandal based on the design of the Japanese flip flop, called the zori. However, instead of using straw to make them, they used rubber, which made a…

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Wild Animal Trafficking in Minas Gerais Posted by on Jul 9, 2008

In the land of the Amazon, the Pantanal, the Mata Atlântica and other vast areas of wildlife, animal trafficking is a serious problem. Minas Gerais, in the south central region of Brazil, is a state with a particularly number of wild animals forced into capitivity. This year alone, seven thousand wild animals in captivity have been recovered…

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Less Inequality in Brazil, Experts Say Posted by on Jul 8, 2008

For the past few decades, Brazil has been one of the most unequal countries in the hemisphere and the world, due to the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few. But experts say this trend is changing. According to IPEA, o Instituto de Pesquica Econômica Aplicada (the Institute of Applied Economic Research), Brazil’s…

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Actually… Posted by on Jul 7, 2008

Actually is a false cognate that is often confused by both Portuguese speakers when using English and by English speakers when using Portuguese. So, actually, the word “actually” in Portuguese would be em realidade or na verdade. For example:   Vamos ao cinema. Você quer ver esse filme de ação, né? Na verdade, quero ver…

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The Ethanol Question Posted by on Jul 3, 2008

Happy Fourth of July! On the holiday, I’ll leave you with some reading ideas for the weekend, about the hot topic of ethanol. One of the things to keep in mind is the wealth of misinformation out there about the energy source, which in Brazil is produced using sugarcane, not corn. Sugarcane requires less input…

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Brazilian City Spotlight: Campos do Jordão Posted by on Jul 2, 2008

Much like Aspen, Campos de Jordão is the winter vacation spot of the elite, though unlike Colorado, there’s no snow in Campos. It’s located 167 from the city of São Paulo, located in the state of the same name. The city was founded in 1874 in the Serra da Mantiqueira, one of the tallest mountain…

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The Little Things that Count Posted by on Jul 1, 2008

Today we’re going to look at some short, simple phrases used in everyday Portuguese that help you sound more like a native speaker. 1. Olha só [ohl-yah soh]This expression literally means “just look,” but is used when trying to make a point in conversation. It’s how we would use the expression “look” in English. Look…

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