The Floating Bank of the Amazon Posted by Rachel on Mar 17, 2010
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published a fascinating article about Bradesco Bank’s newest strategy for reaching Brazilians in rural areas of the Amazon: putting a bank on a riverboat. The article describes how the bank’s manager goes out every two weeks and searches for new customers along the banks of the Amazon. An excerpt: “Modest…
Reading Comprehension: On Tour Posted by Rachel on Mar 16, 2010
Today we’re going to do a reading comprehension exercise about an American band on tour in Brazil. Guns N’Roses deve se apresentar no Rio em abril Excerpt: “Cancelado no domingo por conta do temporal que caiu no Rio, o show do Guns N´Roses na Praça da Apoteose deverá ser remarcado para o início do mês…
Soccer Vocabulary in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Mar 15, 2010
With about 3 months (ahem, 87 days to be precise) till the 2010 World Cup games, and with soccer/football tournaments going on such as the Copa Libertadores, the UEFA Champions League, and the CAF Women’s Championship all taking place and all with Portuguese speaking teams, it wouldn’t hurt to learn some soccer vocabulary, would it?…
Abafar and Desabafar Posted by Rachel on Mar 12, 2010
Two very handy verbs to learn in Portuguese are abafar and desabafar. Not only do they sound satisfying when spoken, but they are also useful in several contexts. abafar = smother / repress, keep a secret / muffle / cover to retain heat Examples: A imprensa abafou o caso do politíco corrupto. The press stifled…
Brazilian Recipes – Baking Pão de Queijo Posted by polyana on Mar 11, 2010
Today we’re going to learn to make pão de queijo, probably one of the most famous snacks to come from Minas Gerais, in the Southeast of Brazil. In Minas Gerais and most other parts of the country, the crispy on the outside chewy on the inside “cheese bread,” is served fresh from the oven at…
Águas de Março Posted by Rachel on Mar 10, 2010
Happy March! The song “Waters of March,” originally written by Tom Jobim and performed here by Elis Regina, is a true classic. It also has an interesting backstory: in Rio de Janeiro, March is a very rainy month with lots of flooding, and Jobim was inspired by the Rio weather, and actually wrote the music…
Brazilian Novelas Posted by Rachel on Mar 9, 2010
Brazilian novelas, or soap operas, are famous the world over and are broadcast in countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Europe. Watching novelas is an excellent way to work on your listening comprehension skills, as well as to build your vocabulary. Luckily, many novelas are now available on YouTube, and you can watch entire episodes…