Portuguese Language Blog
Menu
Search

Archive for 'Uncategorized'

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…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

The Festival of Saint Peter Posted by on Jun 29, 2008

In Brazil, the Festival of Saint Peter, known as o Dia de São Pedro in Portuguese, is celebrated each year in late June. Saint Peter is the saint of fishermen, who have boat processions on the sea to honor the saint and to ask for protection and better catches.  In Salvador, Bahia, the celebration begins…

Continue Reading

Poor Patagonian Penguins Posted by on Jun 22, 2008

During the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere, the penguins of Patagonia migrate north, and some unlucky ones wind up on the beaches of Brazil. Just last week, seventeen pingüins (penguins) were found on the beaches of Santa Catarina, and are being cared for by Brazilian biologists. Each year, more than a million penguins swim…

Continue Reading

Green Colonialism? Posted by on Jun 3, 2008

One of the hot topics in Brazil this week is the case of Swedish millionaire Johan Eliasch. In 2007, he purchased 1,600 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest from an American logging company in order to create a protected area. His NGO, Cool Earth, “sells” half acres to those concerned with the environment, promising to…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

BBC Special: Amazon Day Posted by on May 15, 2008

The BBC did a special today on the Amazon. Here are some of the highlights: An excellent graphics page, showing rates of deforestation A comprehensive “Amazon by Country” section A full-length feature article by Fergus Nicoll called “Seeking an Amazon Solution” A question and answer section about the current and future situation of the Amazon…

Continue Reading

Older posts
Newer posts