The Most Important Word in Brazil

/9 Comments/in ,
The British (and English speakers in general) are not renowned for their knowledge of other languages. So many people in non-English speaking countries speak our language that our need just isn’t as pressing as that of, say, a Hungarian. So we’re lazy. 

I remember encountering a couple of 40 something English guys living in Medellin, Colombia. Although they had been living there for more than a year, their profound lack of Spanish was astounding. When they wanted to do their weekly shop at the local supermarket, they would hail a cab, get in and then hold up an empty supermarket carrier bag and point at the logo! Amazingly bad!

“Erm, you take-o me here-o?…”

Read more

Two’s plenty…

/2 Comments/in

When I arrived in Rio I had no idea I would end up living here – I thought I would stay for 3 or 4 weeks, one last hurrah at the end of nearly 12 months away from home. So I was in holiday mode – lots of sight seeing, trips to the beach, going out and drinking. And lots of drinking means plenty of trips to the banheiro (ban-YEAH-ro – toilet, bathroom, restroom, loo).

After a few days I noticed that many establishments seemed to be trying to tell me the same thing: “2 folhas para mãos suavemente secas”. And they would always provide this information in the same place – the paper towel dispenser:

Here you see a slight variation on the traditional wording of the message. The meaning is just the same.

 

Now you don’t have to be an expert in Portuguese to get the general idea here. It’s saying that you should just use two sheets to dry your hands. And that is a good message right? It’s saying economise, it’s saying save the trees, save the planet. And yet there is something about this message that seems to get people a little bit wound up for a variety of reasons…

Read more

Urinal Ice Sculptures

/4 Comments/in ,

If you are ever looking for a comfortable, dependable bar in Rio, you could do a lot worse than Belmonte (pronounced bel-MONCH). There are seven in total, located in convenient locations around Zona Sul. The food is very tasty, the staff are friendly and they do a mean caipirinha (made with Magnifica if you ask). 

The familiar pale green décor of Belmonte (this looks like the one in Flamengo I think).

 

One of the things that my female readers, even those who live in Rio, may not know about is that Belmonte provides a little treat just for the guys. When you visit the toilets you will find that each urinal contains several very large chunks of ice, providing an incredibly satisfying opportunity for some impromptu, do-it-yourself ice sculpture. 

Read more

Quiz – Brazilian Hand Gestures 2

/6 Comments/in

Everyone likes a quizinho on a Friday don’t they? Well today that’s what you’re getting – it’s the return of the Brazilian Hand Gesture videos! (The first one is here) 


I’m afraid that if you’re Brazilian, or you’ve lived here for a while, then this will be mamão com açucar for you. For the non-Brazilians, you may find it a little more challenging (and in case you’re wondering, that phrase I just used literally means ‘papaya with sugar’ and signifies that it will be very easy, like shooting fish in a barrel). 
So without any further ado, let’s get started with the first video:


Read more

jabuticaba

The Canonball Tree

/8 Comments/in

Often your expectations of another country aren’t quite matched by the reality when you finally arrive. It’s like that classic story you hear about the disappointed tourist asking the taxi driver in Sydney where all the kangaroos are hiding. Turns out most cities have the same ugly buildings around the airport, the same traffic jams and the same billboards advertising Coke and McDonald’s. Reality can be underwhelming can’t it? 

 
Well you needn’t worry about that on your drive into town from Rio’s airport. Sure there’s traffic and billboards, but there’s also a massive (and stinky) favela to see/smell – now you know you’re not in London/New York/Kansas anymore... 
 
But often I find it’s the less obvious differences that really pique my curiosity. Like what are those things on the side of bus and truck wheels for?

I was surprised how many people I asked didn’t know what purpose these cable things served. It turns out they are used to regulate pressure and alert the driver when a tyre deflates