Tag Archives: Brazil
Flooding in Rio Posted by Rachel on Jan 21, 2011
We’ve written about flooding in Brazil before, like the Santa Catarina floods in 2008 and the coastal flooding in Rio de Janeiro last year. There’s often seasonal flooding, particularly in the south, but this year has been exceptionally bad. Heavy rains [chuvas] and floods [enchentes] have affected Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Santa Catarina, but…
Sloth in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Nov 16, 2010
While you may remember that preguiça means laziness, it can also be used to describe a famous Brazilian animal: the bicho-preguiça, or the sloth. This animal, which in Portuguese is pronounced bee-shoo preh-gee-sah, not only lives in the Amazon, but also throughout Brazil, particularly in the Mata Atlântica. This sweet, slow-moving creature prefers to hang…
New Brazilian Soap Operas Posted by Rachel on Nov 5, 2010
There are two relatively new novelas out on Brazilian TV: Araguaia and Ti-ti-ti, both on the Globo network. Not only are Globo novelas among the most watched television programs in Brazil, but they are also a lucrative export: Globo soaps are translated and shown in countries around the world. So while these two shows are…
President Dilma Rousseff Posted by polyana on Nov 1, 2010
Last night Brazilians elected their first female president and outgoing president Lula’s hand picked successor, Dilma Rousseff. Although it’s a pretty epic event for the country, these elections have been fairly controversial. While Dilma had never held an elected office before, José Serra never stays for a full term in the positions he’s held. But…
Wine in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Oct 18, 2010
For some foreigners considering Brazilian agriculture, something like soybeans or coffee might come to mind, rather than wine. For those more familiar with Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul might be the only place you think of when you think of Brazilian viticulture. But it may come as a surprise to some that despite having several…
Reading Comprehension: Social Networking Posted by Rachel on Oct 8, 2010
Social networks are huge in Brazil, and the country has become one of the fastest growing markets for some of the world’s most popular social websites. Today we’re going to learn a bit more about trends in social networks in Brazil with two short pieces from the Brazilian news. Facebook cresce mais de 400% em…
Brazilian Chocolate Cake Recipe Posted by Rachel on Oct 6, 2010
Brazil produces world class chocolate, and as a result, there are tons of amazing dessert recipes with chocolate as the main ingredient. Today, we’re going to learn how to make a type of cake called babá de chocolate. Ingredients * 2 colheres (sopa) de chocolate em pó [chocolate powder] * 1 colher (sopa) de fermento…