Brazilian Profile: Rodrigo Santoro Posted by Rachel on Apr 15, 2009
Rodrigo was born on August 22, 1975 in Petrópolis, a mountain town north of Rio de Janeiro. The son of an engineer and an artist of Italian descent, he grew up in Rio and went to PUC-Rio to study journalism. After he graduated, he spent a year in Globo TV’s Actor’s Workshop, and began his…
World Economic Forum Kicks Off in Rio Posted by Rachel on Apr 14, 2009
Rio de Janeiro will host the World Economic Forum on Latin America from April 14 – 16, which will gather CEOs, executives, and businessmen to discuss integrating regional economies, addressing the economic crisis, economic policies, and environmental friendly business solutions. The co-chairs of the event include executives from KPMG International, Lloyd’s, and Banco Itaú Unibanco…
Brazilian Kayaker Sets World Record Posted by Rachel on Apr 13, 2009
On March 4th, Brazilian kayaker Pedro Oliva set a world’s record by kayaking over an 127 foot waterfall on the Rio Sacre in the state of Mato Grosso. The waterfall, called Salto Belo, is as tall as a twelve story building, but Pedro not only survived–he came out unscathed. Pedro actually spent more time underwater…
Video Learning Series: Ivete Sangalo Posted by Rachel on Apr 10, 2009
Today, to practice listening comprehension, we’re going to take a look at some interviews with Ivete Sangalo, one of Brazil’s biggest pop stars. Ivete sings axé music, a pop-like genre from Bahia. Ivete is from Salvador, and performs there during Carnival every year.
Favorite Words in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Apr 9, 2009
Today’s post is interactive: what’s your favorite word in Portuguese? For native English speakers, there are a number of words that are a delight to say, or sound funny or interesting to our Anglo ears. Some examples of my favorite Portuguese words, which all happen to start with “p”: paralelepípedo (cobblestone) [par-ah-lehl-eh-pee-peh-doh] pequenininho (very, very…
Working with irregular verbs Posted by Rachel on Apr 8, 2009
One of the frustrating things about learning a Romance language is conquering the irregular verbs, since they require memorization. Today we’re going to take a look at three irregular verbs in the present, past perfect, and past imperfect. 1. pôr [to put] Present: Eu ponho Ele/ela/você põe Nós pomos Eles/elas/vocês põem Past Perfect: Eu pus…
Brazilian Etiquette: Visiting Posted by Rachel on Apr 7, 2009
Today, we’re going to return to the Brazilian etiquette series to learn about manners in Brazil. We’re going to look at visiting, as well as socializing and exchanging gifts. Remember that it’s just as important to be aware of etiquette as it is to learn the language! When invited to a small gathering, arrive a…