Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Wild Animal Trafficking in Minas Gerais Posted by Transparent Language 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…
Actually… Posted by Transparent Language 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…
The Festival of Saint Peter Posted by Transparent Language 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…
Poor Patagonian Penguins Posted by Transparent Language 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…
Green Colonialism? Posted by Transparent Language 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…
Corpus Christi Tradition: Street Carpets Posted by Transparent Language 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…
BBC Special: Amazon Day Posted by Transparent Language 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…