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Man Makes Money Off of Pet Vulture Posted by on Jun 1, 2008

A man from a rural part of Minas Gerais is making lots of money off of his pet urubu (vulture), Loira. Loira, which means blonde girl in Portuguese, appears at special events for R$1,200 per appearance. Loira’s owner, Célio Luiz da Silva, participates in paragliding competitions, where Loira’s presence is frequently requested. She even helps…

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Podcast: Asking for and Giving Directions Posted by on May 29, 2008

Click to hear the Podcast! Today we’re going to learn how to ask for and how to give directions. Com licença, estou perdido. Estou procurando a Rua Vinícius de Moraes. Siga por esta rua aqui, direto. Vire à esquerda no próximo sinal. Depois, vire à direita. Irá ver o supermercado Sendas. Então vire à…

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Translating Idiomatic Expressions: Part I Posted by on May 28, 2008

Conquering idiomatic expressions is an important hurdle when learning a language. That’s because these expressions do not literally translate and you have to understand what they actually mean. There are dozens in Portuguese, and when translated directly to English they sound very silly, so let’s take a look at the real meanings. 1. Chá comigo…

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Jerusalem in Rio Posted by on May 27, 2008

This month, a new cultural center opened in Rio de Janeiro which features a 730 square-foot replica of Jerusalem from the era of the Second Temple. It is only the second of its kind, since the only other replica is housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem itself. The center is funded and run by…

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Brazilian City Spotlight: Manaus, Amazonas Posted by on May 26, 2008

Manaus is the capital city of Amazonas state and has a fascinating history. The city was settled in 1669, and was named Manaus in 1832, which means “mother of the gods” in the indigenous language of the Manaos tribe. It became a major urban center during the rubber boom in the 1900s. Today, it has…

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American Idol Comes to Brazil with Ídolos Posted by on May 25, 2008

Many American TV shows have been adopted for Brazilian television, and American Idol is one of them. Auditions are underway in four cities to search for the next Brazilian idol, on Ídolos. This past weekend, auditions were held in Rio de Janeiro at the famous Sambodrome, home of Rio’s Carnival. Over 8,000 people came to…

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Corpus Christi Tradition: Street Carpets Posted by on May 22, 2008

Today is Corpus Christi, a Catholic holiday that is also a national celebration in Brazil. It is a tradition to create tapetes (carpets) in the streets made of different organic materials like salt, flowers, and wood chips, usually with religious themes. They are often kilometers long, extremely intricate, and are along procession routes. The creations…

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