I love Mondays. Só que não, sua linda!

Smile! Today is Monday!

 

I know, i know…it’s not easy. Buuuut, we are here today to prove that you can start your week LEARNING something new, even if it’s Monday 🙂

There’s this new brazilian slang being spread on the internet: “Só que não”. You use it to be ironic about something you just said. It’s like “or not” in English. If you didn’t understand yet, let me explain you better: the idea is to say something and then immediately denied it by using the expression “só que não”. Look:

Eg:

Eu amo Segundas-feiras! Só que não. (I love Mondays. – not)

Eg 2:

__Você é um nerd? (Are you a nerd?)

__Sim, só que não!

 

 

Every day it seems there is a new expression on the internet and it doesn’t take much time until it is being used for everybody in conversations between friends.  We don’t know exactly where they first came from, their origin varies greatly and can come from videos, social networks, TV programs and photos. The expression “sua linda”, that means something like “you pretty girl”/ “you cutie”, for example, came from a profile on Twitter called “Pedreiro Online“. It is a fictional and humorous profile, where the character is a mason who writes phrases for flirting with girls and usually ends with the famous phrase “sua linda!” and it’s greatly used among brazilians.

 

Good morning for you who is so beautiful that you waking up as if you were starring a L’OREAL Paris commercial. You cutie! (Photo printed from Twitter)

Check here some other brazilian expressions common specially on the internet:

• #chatiado: to show that you are bored or disappointed
• “ri litros”: laughed a lot. Eg: Eu ri litros vendo essa foto. (I laughed a lot looking at this picture)
• VDD: abreviation for “verdade”(true)
• “Sou desses”: I’m one of those. Eg: Digo “estou saindo” quando na verdade ainda nao estou nem arrumado. Sou desses! (I say “I’m leaving” when I’m actually not even dressed up. I’m one of those)
• “Ui!”: It’s the brazilian version for “We got a badass over here!”

🙂 Now that you’ve learned how to be ironic and more in our brazilian way:

 

 

 

Brazilian Expressions You Should Learn

When we are learning a new language is common to be interested in how natives really speak, their common expressions, slangs and to learn them is always cool because make us feel a little bit less “gringos” and it also make brazilian people loves you even more 🙂 because we love when foreigners try to speak Portuguese ( <3)

When I was learning spanish in Colombia the popular slangs and expressions used to be my favorite words and I was trying to use them all the time, sometimes at the same time…hahaha (oops! =P). The truth is that by learning them I could understand easily what were people saying and it also helped me to interact. So today I brought you this small list of some popular brazilian expressions you should try to learn. 🙂 I bet you will be a much more popular gringo after you start to use them! 😉

 “Legal”

It means “Cool.” But sometimes it can sounds like “ok”.

You’re gonna hear it a lot! It is one of the most useful slang words in the Portuguese language and  you can use legal to describe almost everything you like.

Eg 1:

__Eu comprei um carro novo! (I’ve bought a new car!)

__ Sério? Que legal! (Really? That’s cool!)

Eg 2:

__O que você achou do meu amigo? (What did you think about my friend?)

__Ah, ele parece ser legal (Uh, he seems ok/nice)

Another slang to say something is “Muito legal”(really cool) is “SHOW DE BOLA“.

Eg 1:

__Esse lugar é show de bola!! (This place is really cool)

Eg 2:

__ Ontem nós nos divertimos muito. Foi show de bola! (Yesterday we had a lot of fun. It was really cool!)

We love soccer, so there are many slangs which came from this sport. So here we go with one more useful expression in case you are at a stadium:

Ei juiz! Cadê o penalty?

“Hey, ref! Where’s the penalty?”

When it happens to our soccer team, I think the ref is always blind. Don’t you agree with me? hehehe.  Say it out loud(actually you should scream..hehe), to the TV, radio or when possible to the referee himself 🙂

É mesmo?? or “Sério?”

 They mean “Really?” and it’s used in the same way we use “really” :), when you want to react to something unexpected or new fact or even, to be ironic.

Eg 1:

__Você sabia que a Português é Massa oferece aulas de Português via Skype? (Did you know that Português é Massa offers Portuguese lessons via Skype?)

__ É mesmo? Vou mandar um email para saber mais informaçoes. (Really? I’m gonna send an email to get more informations.)

Eg 2:

__Deus do céu! Esse vestido da Lady Gada está deslumbrante! (OMG! This Lady Gaga’s dress is gorgeous!)

__ Sério?! Eu nao acho. (Really? I don’t think so.)

Pra caramba!

Here’s a great expression to emphasize how off-the-charts something is. “Pra caramba” is most often used  when you don’t want to simply say “muito” (very) and it usually comes in the end of the sencentes.

Eg 1: Essa cerveja é boa pra caramba! (This beer is great/amazing)

Cerveja gelada PRA CARAMBA!!

Eg 2: Eu gosto dela pra caramba! (I like her very much)

Fala sério!

It means “You’re kidding!” or “No way! Brazilians also say “Não acredito!”(I can’t believe it!) or “Mentiiiiiiiiira!” (It’s a lie – btw, I love this one!) to express the same feeling.

Eg 1:

__Eu acho que o Justin Bieber é o novo Michael Jackson. (I think Justin Bieber is the new Michael Jackson.)

__O quê??? Fala sério!! (What??? No way!/You’re kidding!)

Eg 2:

__Eu vou pedir demissao amanha e depois vou viajar pelo mundo. (I’m gonna quit my job tomorrow and after that, I’m gonna travel the world.)

__Mentiiiiiira!!! =O

Imagina!

You probably have already heard that brazilians are very hospitable.  So when someone says “Obrigado” (you say it if you’re a man)  or  “Obrigada” (if you’re a woman), brazilians usually reply it saying “De nada” or “Imagina!”. It literally means “imagine!” but what we really want to say is “It’s no trouble at all!”, “It’s a pleasure for us to help you”.

Eg:

__Obrigada por nos ajudar. (Thank you for help us)

__Imagina! Foi um prazer. (It’s not trouble at all. It was a pleasure)

Com certeza!

This expression means “Definitly!” or more “Of course”. You cal also say it to agree with someone’s opinion.

Eg 1:

__Você vai pra festa mais tarde? (Are you going to the party, later?)

__Com certeza! (Definitly!)

Eg 2:

__Eu acho que as passagens de aviao deveriam ser mais baratas no Brasil (I think the flight tickets should be cheaper in Brasil.)

__Com certeza. Eles sao muito caros. (Definitly! They’re very expensive.)

Did you like it?? Sim or com certeza?? 🙂 🙂 So give us a “LIKE”,  spread the good news, leave us your comments! Your opinion is very important to help us make this space better and better for you!

Beijos e até a próxima!

Love is in the air in Brazil – Dia dos Namorados <3

In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. “Lovers’ Day”, or “Boyfriends’/Girlfriends’ Day”) is celebrated on June 12, probably because it is the day before Saint Anthony’s day, known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend.

Even Frebruary, 14th being the most recognized date in the world to celebrate the day of love, there are several countries that celebrate the love of couples at different times. In most of Latin America the Día del amor y la amistad and the Amigo secreto (“Secret friend”) are quite popular and are usually celebrated together on the 14th of February (one exception is Colombia, where it is celebrated on the third Saturday in September). The latter consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift (similar to theChristmas tradition of Secret Santa).  After all, as other stories, this did not become widespread in all cultures. In Brazil, for example, until 1949 there was no date on the calendar to celebrate the romance between lovers, suitors and lovers.

According to an article published in the website Terra, the psychologist Thiago Almeida said that the fact that Valentine’s Day is in June is related to the trade issue – until then, this was a month of market little heated, considered the weakest for trade. “To improve sales, a publicist named João Doria, connected to the Advertising Standard Agency, launched at the request of the former shop Clipper, a campaign to improve sales in June. The campaign, with the support of the Confederation of Commerce in São Paulo consisted in changing the Valentine’s Day to June 12 with the slogan: ‘is not only kisses living love,’ “says the researcher.

It seems to have worked. Nowadays the date is expected not only by trade, but for couples who enjoy the day by swapping demonstrations of affection, either with gifts or with small gestures. Check here for some TIPS FOR CREATIVES VALENTINE’S GIFTS.

But if you are single, don’t worry, there are ALWAYS great parties for singles on June, 12th 🙂 Maybe you can find your “gatinho” (handsome guy) or “gatinha” (pretty girl) there! 😛

Now that you already know the story we have prepared something to help you to express your feelings on this day, IN PORTUGUESE! 😀 Please let me know if your life completely change thereafter…hehehe 😛

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foncLC1n9TA

FELIZ DIA DOS NAMORADOS PRA VOCÊS!!

(Text adapeted and translated from from Terra.)

Soy loco por ti, COXINHA! – Brazilian snacks!

If you are hungry right now and because of that you’ve chosen the tag “brazilian food” or if you just love or are curious about the flavours of Brazil, so this post is FOR YOU! 🙂

I’d like to introduce you one of the most famous brazilian snacks: COXINHA! 🙂 It’s part of a big list of “salgadinhos”(one more exemplo of diminutivos!). Roughly translated, “tasty little salty things” (tasty was my addition, because they’re really delicious), salgadinhos are indispensable at any children’s birthday bash, wedding or post-party munch fest and “coxinha” is so far the most famous But you also can find them anywhere: bus terminal, restaurants, bakaries, snackbars…If there is food being sold, so probably there is “coxinha” :P.

The name coxinha derives from the snack’s peculiar drop shape, mocking a chicken drumstick (which, in Portuguese, is curiously called “coxa” [= thigh] only when referring to chickens; the chicken thigh is called sobrecoxa…). The golden, crispy exterior of this salgadinho surrounds a layer of soft dough filled with lightly seasoned, moist shredded chicken (last month I’ve tried a variation of coxinha filled with salmon – O -M-G! – I totally recomend it, too!). Some people love to eat them dotting each bite with some good hot red pepper sauce.

We LOVE so much coxinhas that there is even a blog just about it: Soy Loco Por ti Coxinha (I’m crazy for you, coxinha!) It is in Spanish rather in Portuguese in homage to Caetano Veloso’s famous song “Soy Loco Por Ti, América!” The blog is the work of a group of coxinha enthusiasts and biologists fromUnifesp, the Federal University of São Paulo. It’s filled with coxinha lore and legend, and perhaps most interestingly, a complex and detailed evaluation of the coxinhas from a number of Brazilian bars and restaurants – all done with the goal of finding Brazil’s best coxinha.

So choose your and find you tasty wonderful COXINHA! 😉

Do you want to try to make it yourself?? So of course we’re gonna share the recipe 😉 Wash your hands and go for it!

Ingredients (Makes about 20 coxinhas)

Filling

• Chicken breast, boneless, skinless — 1 pound
• Water — 3 cups
• Salt — to season
• Oil — 2 tablespoons
• Onion, finely chopped — 1
• Tomato, seeded and chopped — 1 cup
• Cream cheese — 1/2 cup

Dough

• Flour — 2 cups
• Oil — 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper — to season

Crispy Coating

• Eggs, beaten — 2
• Fine breadcrumbs – 1 1/2 cups

• Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Heat the chicken breasts, water and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high flame. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken and reserve the poaching liquid. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers.
3. Clean out the saucepan, and then add the oil and heat over medium-high flame. Saute the onion in the oil until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the tomato and cook down for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the chicken, salt and pepper and continue to simmer until most of the liquid is cooked away. Remove from heat, stir in the cream cheese and adjust seasoning to taste.
4. In another saucepan, mix 2 cups of the reserved broth with the flour, oil, salt and pepper and stir together until smooth. Then set the saucepan over medium flame and cook, stirring constantly, until the batter forms a smooth mass and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Chill the dough and chicken for at least an hour.
5. Flatten a golf ball-sized piece of dough into a round. Place a tablespoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the round and bring the sides of the dough up to encase the filling. Shape the dough into a little drumstick. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Take a coxinha and dip it in the beaten egg and let the excess drip off. Then roll it in the breadcrumbs and set it on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining coxinhas.
7. Deep fry the coxinhas in batches at 365°F until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Coxinhas Variations

• The type of cheese used for coxinhas in Brazil is called Catupiry and is similar to American cream cheese. Definitely use it if you can find it.
• Eliminate the tomatoes from the filling if you like.
• Add a squeeze of lime to the filling for extra flavor

Feijoada Brasileira – Brazilian Food

It’s Sunday! Most of brazilian families enjoy this day-off  together, going to the beach(if there’s beach in the city, of course), visit some friends, preparing a tasty churrasco (barbecue) or the famous FEIJOADA! 🙂

The word FEIJOADA (pronounced fay-ZWAH-da) comes from “feijao”,  Portuguese for “beans”.  In northwest Portugal it is usually made with white beans; in the northeast (Trás-os-Montes), it is generally prepared with kidney beans, and includes other vegetables such as tomatoes,carrots, and cabbage. The stew is best prepared over low heat in a thick clay pot. However, it gained its own version in Brazil and became a very popular dish among brazilians and also foreigners.

Brazilian feijoada is prepared with black beans, a variety of salted pork or beef products, such as pork trimmings (ears, tail, feet),bacon, smoked pork ribs, and at least two types of smoked sausage and jerked beef (loin and tongue). “Feijoada Completa”  is served with rice, farofa, steamed kale and vinaigrette sauce.

The taste is strong, moderately salty but not spicy, dominated by the flavors of black bean and meat stew.

IMPORTANT TIPS ABOUT FEIJOADA

1. It’s better eat it at lunchtime, because it’s a heavy dish.
2. Caipirinha can be served as an aperetif. Beer, soft drinks or juices for drinks.
3. Sliced oranges can be served along feijoada to help your digestion 🙂

I’ve found a lot of recipes in English teaching how to make feijoadas, but the most complete one I found on a very interesting blog about brazilian cuisine, called FLAVORS OF BRAZIL. Maybe you won’t find all the ingredients, but feijoada is a flexible dish 🙂 you can easily replace some ingredients. Check it out:

RECIPE – Feijoada (Classic, Traditional Recipe)
Serves 6

1/2 lb. (250 gr.) pork ribs, salted
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) pig’s tail, salted
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) pig’s foot, salted
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) pig’s ear, salted
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) pork loin, salted
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) carne-do-sol (click here for instructions on how to make your own carne-do-sol)
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) beef brisket
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) Linguiça sausage, or other smoked sausage
1/2 lb. (250 gr.)  Linguiça sausage, spiced, or pepperoni
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) Kielbasa sausage, or other garlic sausage
1 1/2 cups dried black beans
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
5 bay leaves
1/2 cup cachaça
1 unpeeled orange, scrubbed and quartered
1 lb. (400 gr.) pork lard
1/2 lb. (250 gr.) thick sliced smoked bacon, cubed
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
———————————————————————–
The day before cooking the feijoada, place all the salted,meats in a large pan, and cover with cold water. Refrigerate. Change the water every three hours, for minimum 24 hours. Drain thoroughly.

In a very large kettle or bean pot, place the beans, the meats and sausages, the cilantro and green onions tied together, the bay leaves, the cachaça, and the orange. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook over low heat. As each meat in turn becomes fully cooked and tender (test with a fork) remove from the kettle, let cool, cut into bit-size pieces, and reserve.

When the black beans are fully cooked and soft (about 1.5 – 2 hrs.), remove 1 cup of beans and cooking liquid, and blend until smooth in a blender. Return 1/2 cup of this mixture to the beans in the kettle to thicken the cooking liquid.

In a large frying pan heat the lard, and cook the bacon in it until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon cubes, and in the same lard, fry the garlic and onion until soft and transparent, but not browned. Remove from heat, then stir in the reserved 1/2 cup of the blended beans. Stir entire contents of frying pan plus the reserved meats and bacon, into the beans in the kettle. Let cook over low heat for 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serve accompanied by Mineiro-style kale, thick slices of peeled oranges, white rice, farofa (recipe to follow), and caipirinhas to drink.

 

Spending Easter in Brazil

During this week christians from everywhere are celebrating the long Easter, or as we say in Portuguese, Páscoa or “Semana Santa”. In Brazil in addition to religious celebration and traditions it’s also means free time for vacations or non-religious festivities. The oficial holiday is the Good Friday( Sexta-feira Santa), however is common that companies and schools give days off on Thursday and also on Monday, so events throughout cities start on Thursday and will last on the weekend.

During these days people usually travel to enjoy this short vacation or go for some cultural events spread around their cities.  The meals become different, replacing meat for fishes, a christian tradition during this time, but even non-religious people follow this old Easter tradition. Besides, it is the sweetest time to visit Brazil =P If you are addicted to chocolate, “Semana Santa”  will be your paradise.  Chocolate Easter eggs filled with more chocolate are easily found in the ceiling of supermarkets and specialized stores.  It’s like Santa Clauss bringing you gifts in the end of the year, but instead of Santa a Rabbit brings you chocolates.

Easter Rabbit(Coelhinho da Páscoa) and its chocolate eggs

 

Chocolates Eggs(Ovos da Páscoa) displayed in a supermarket

This year an example of non-holiday event happening  during the Easter weekend is the music festival sensation Lollapalooza in São Paulo. The three-day festival at the SP Jockey Club will feature some of the biggest names in music, including headliners like Pearl Jam, The Killers, and Deadmau5, as well as Brazilian favorites like Criolo and Graforréia Xilarmônica.

However, if you are more traditional person is pretty easy to find Easter celebrations at the churchs, most of them have a full schedule from Thursday to Sunday which include spiritual retreats, Via Crucis, confessions and masses. Furthermore, you can watch beautiful plays about the Passion of Christ(Paixao de Cristo),  they are usually cheap if it’s at the theater or for free on the streets. The most famous takes place in Brejo da Madre de Deus city, Pernambuco.

The mos famous play (Paixao de Cristo) performed in Pernambuco.

 

Passion of Christ performed in a famous avenue in Fortaleza, Ceará. Street teather for all.

Do you have any brazilian friend? So wish them “FELIZ PÁSCOA” (Happy Easter)!