Archive for 'Culture'
São Paulo Carnival 2012 Posted by Rachel on Feb 22, 2012
Carnival in Brazil officially kicked off last week, and was in full swing over the weekend. On Friday and Saturday, São Paulo held its annual Carnival parade at the city’s own Sambadrome. Fourteen samba schools squared off to compete for the title of the city’s best school. After an unusual outbreak of violence during the…
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?…
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…
Watch Carnaval in Salvador…. Live! Posted by polyana on Jan 24, 2012
For those who don’t know, one of the biggest Carnaval celebrations in the world is in Salvador, Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil. We posted last year about watching Carnaval Online, and I think it’s only fair we give you a heads up this year too! Plus, this year you have more than just YouTube…
Luiza in Canada Posted by Rachel on Jan 20, 2012
Brazilians are really big on memes, and one of the most popular ones going around recently is “Luiza está no Canadá.” It’s from a commercial for a luxury apartment building in Paraíba, where the man advertising the building used his family in the commercial, but makes a point of saying that everyone is there except…