Caldo Verde Recipe Posted by Rachel on Jun 7, 2010
It’s June, which means that it is winter in Brazil, and that it’s time for festas juninas! A popular dish at these celebrations is caldo verde, or green soup, which originally comes from Portugal. Don’t let the name turn you off – this soup is perfect for chillier weather and is absolutely delicious. Caldo Verde…
Listening Comprehension: Fortune Telling Posted by Rachel on Jun 3, 2010
Today we’re going to do a little listening comprehension exercise using a short report from BBC Brasil (which by the way, is a fantastic resource for Portuguese students). Questions 1. Where is the healer from? 2. What does the healer foresee about the World Cup, and how did he find out? 3. How many people…
Using Precisar Posted by Rachel on Jun 2, 2010
Precisar is a key verb to learn in Portuguese, especially since it is used in two different contexts with two different grammatical formats. The key grammatical difference is the use of the preposition de, which can sometimes be a little confusing. Precisar = to need When used as the verb to need, precisar is followed…
Figurinhas de Futebol Posted by Rachel on Jun 1, 2010
An interesting element of Brazilian soccer culture that not many gringos know about is figurinha collecting. Akin to American baseball cards, figurinhas, or stickers, feature soccer players, and are wildly popular during the World Cup. The stickers resemble cards and feature soccer players from Brazil and around the world, and stickers are issued for both…
All Tied Up? – Brazilian Elections 2010 Posted by polyana on May 31, 2010
This will be my first time voting in a presidential election in Brazil, and I must say, I’m not as excited as I wish I’d be. Personally, I’m not crazy about any of the likely candidates… But political opinion aside, it’s still pretty fun to keep track of and read up on what candidates have…
Circuito Inffinito Posted by Rachel on May 28, 2010
Great news, Brazilian Portuguese fans! The Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival may be coming to your city this summer. The festival will be in New York from June 5 – 12, in Vancouver from July 15 – 18, in Miami from August 13 – 21, and in London from September 1 – 5. This is not…
Side by Side Lyrics Translation: Jorge Ben Jor Posted by Rachel on May 26, 2010
One of my favorite songs about Brazil is Jorge Ben Jor’s “País Tropical,” an ode to Brazil and in particular, to Rio de Janeiro. The lyrics are very simple and quite easy to understand, so it’s a good song for beginners. Just a note: he refers to two very specific things: Flamengo, a popular Rio…