Word for the Travel Wise (04/13/06)

Should you want to know the correct
way to eat while in Brazil you better check this Maria-Brazil site out. The author of the piece
describes what is usually eaten during breakfast, lunch and dinner and how most are served in Brazil. She also offers
the appropriate thing to do when stopping at a snack bar or juice bar in Rio, which is to stand around until you have
finished your food. Apparently it is NOT OKAY to eat food on the go. In Brazil it is considered rude to eat in places
that are not meant for eating. Hmm… Sure glad I stumbled upon this piece before going off to the country and gobbling
down the delicious fare while walking down the street. I’ve been known to do that in my own neighborhood.

Today’s word is a Portuguese word used in Brazil:

lanchonete
snack bar

Easy Portuguese online offers a small
dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips
including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language
and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. For Portuguese heard in Portugal you can download mp3
audio from BBC, which I’m sure there are several similarities between the two countries. Those interested in classroom
study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.

Past Portuguese words: xixi, bronzeador

Word for the Travel Wise (02/15/06)

With Brazil being a somewhat close neighbor to Trinidad and preparing for their big Carnaval celebrations as well I figured I’d revisit the country and their language for a short moment. Last time I pointed out a rather silly word which could be useful, but was suggested by one of the readers that adults not use the word. Today our lesson plan includes something you’ll all want to know and use during your stay on the warm sunny beaches in the South American country.

Today’s word is a Portuguese word used in Brazil:

bronzeador or protector solar – sunscreen

In your last minute shuffle to get everything into your beach bag for a quick sun-session with your best gal pals you mistakenly forgot the most important item on the hotel bed. The sunscreen. Forgetting the obvious has happened to us all at one point or another and instead of turning all the way around to fetch your ‘bronzeador’ or sunscreen you can easily replace the item at any beach side shop. The packaging shouldn’t be to hard to decipher, but if you’re looking for a way to strike up some convo with the hottie behind the register you could ask for the store location of the bottle. If you’re bold and brave you could even invite him along on his break to help get those hard to reach areas.

Easy Portuguese
online offers a small dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. Those interested in classroom study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.

Past Portuguese words: xixi

Word for the Travel Wise (01/07/06)

Since Kelly recently announced her first stop on her big trip coming up, I figured I dedicate the word of the day to her. Maybe not dedicate, but throw a suggestion out there. Perhaps you could even call it a Plan B type of word. For one I couldn’t imagine using it over some of the more appropriate ways to inquire about the location of the nearest restroom facility, but it could certainly come in handy if your mind suddenly goes numb while holding your bladder and thumbing through your Brazilian Portuguese phrasebook. Who knows?

Today’s word is a Portuguese word from Brazil:

xixi – pee (slang)

Okay, so maybe this word isn’t even recognizable in Portugal. Maybe it is a slang unique only to Brazil, used to describe which bodily function is to be performed behind closed doors. My reasons for picking the chosen word are many. For starters I wanted to toss this one out there to any speakers from either Portugal or Brazil to enlighten me if the word is used in both countries. Second, I find words that start with an ‘X’ interesting. There never seems to be enough of them. (Especially when playing a close game of Scrabble.) Lastly, it would be pretty cool to pool some words together that may be useful for Kelly and anyone on their future travels to either of the countries.

Easy Portuguese
online offers a small dictionary of useful words, useful phrases, and a couple of short lessons to get you started. Most have audio clips including our word for the day found here. Portuguese Language dot net has excellent historical info on the language and numerous tools to help you get motivated and be successful at learning the 6th most spoken language. Those interested in classroom study abroad can click here for more info at Franco Americano.