Fita do Bomfim Posted by Rachel on May 17, 2012
If you’ve ever been to Brazil, it’s likely you’ve seen or bought a fita do Bomfim, or a Bomfim ribbon. They’re also sometimes called fitinhas do Bomfim (little Bomfim ribbons). But do you really know where they come from? The fita do Bomfim comes from the Senhor do Bomfim Church in Salvador, Bahia. These…
Housekeepers in Brazil Posted by Rachel on May 15, 2012
In Brazil, it’s very common for middle and upper-class families to have an emprega doméstica (housekeeper, or maid) working at their homes. Those who can afford it hire a woman to clean and cook; wealthier families have live-in maids. As this Folha article explains, having an empregada is a sign of status. It also says…
The Ugly Duckling in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on May 11, 2012
A great way to practice your Portuguese is to watch videos based on stories or plots you already know so it is easier to follow the dialogue. Today we’re going to practice with a popular children’s story, The Ugly Duckling, or in Portuguese, O Patinho Feio. There’s a video to watch, a story to read…
How to pronounce the “r” in Portuguese Posted by Adir on May 10, 2012
Olá, tudo bem com você? The letter R is pronounced in several ways in Portuguese. So let’s cut to the chase and see how it is done. 1. If it comes at the beginning of a word it sounds like an aspired “h” sound. The same sound happens in words starting with “enr”: rato (mouse)…
Brazil’s Real-Time Facebook Likes Posted by Rachel on May 7, 2012
C&A, a large retailer in Brazil, decided to try an experiment that combines social media and fashion in a mall in São Paulo. From Vila Mulher: Estamos sempre sendo bombardeadas com novidades fashion que acabam hipnotizando a gente para ficar sempre de olho no que há de melhor nas fast fashions. A C&A inventou mais…
Brazilian idiom: O escambáu! Posted by Adir on May 4, 2012
E aí, tudo beleza com você? I was at a party last weekend and I heard three people, at different times, say the expression “O escambáu!” and I went to look how to say that in English. It turns out that O escambáu can be translated as My foot! Yes, it is a neutral informal…
Dengue Fever in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Apr 30, 2012
While there are parts of Brazil where it’s recommended to get certain immunizations or take malaria pills, but there’s a health risk in many of Brazil’s warm coastal areas that has no preventable vaccine or drug. That’s dengue fever, called dengue (dehng-ee), which comes from mosquitoes. Though the most common type causes flu-like symptoms, there…