I’ve had a few lists of cultural phrases in my head for many many months and the day came when I decided to do something with them. The result? Eyes On Brazil t-shirts are now available for purchase!
You might be thinking these are going to be t-shirts with just the name of my site but they aren’t. In general, they combine cultural phrases with designs and give you a way to say “I’m in the know” when it comes to all things Brazilian.
As a side note, any and all phrases you see are also available to be placed on any product Printfection offers. Colors can also be altered, just let me know. Currently, there are 10 shirts (for Brazil in general) to choose from although there are more shirts in the other two sub-stores. Stay tuned because more are on their way!
Hi folks, I received a message from Street Smart Brazil (which I wrote about last year, and which receives some of the most click-throughs from my site) with the news that they’ve totally redone their Portuguese learning site and that it’s better than ever! Here’s the message below!
I am so excited to share the news with you: Street Smart Brazil’s new website is up! We are fully 2.0. The new features include:
A totally new look – o site está lindo!
A “Meet the Team” page where you can meet our expert instructors
Information on our Skype lessons and how Street Smart Brazil makes distant learning personal
An integrated blog with video lessons and tips on the Portuguese language and the Brazilian culture
An updated store with books, movies, music, and Street Smart Brazil merchandise
It really comes down to personal preference when trying to decide which is the best beach in Rio, although I usually keep hearing the same answer to that question. Many have told me time and time again that Prainha is ‘where its at’.
Prainha is said to be one of the prettiest beaches of the Rio that most people pass up. The majority of those who frequent this beach are surfers as the best waves in Rio are found there. As the name says, Prainha is small and squeezed in between the sea and the mountains (which the picture above doesn´t fully show). The website RioOn has a wider variety of shots.
To arrive at Prainha, one must pass through Barra, Recreio and Praia da Macumba yet it is not as far as what is considered Rio´s last beach, Grumari. If you are looking for peace and quiet, try making your trip out there on any given weekday.
The clip below deals with the image of the Brazilian woman and in this case, the carioca and how that image is presented in a sexual manner to foreigners. It reached the point where postcards and other images which were of a sexual nature were prohibited from being sold in Rio. I remember being in Rio and watching a debate on the matter on a news show and while I’m supportive of the right to express yourself how you want, there are limits, of course. To promote the women in Rio as sex fiends or anything of the sort is not right. I personally know many Brazilian women and none of them are hypersexual in the way they are portrayed to the rest of the world.
As for the tourist book they refer to in the news piece, I’ve seen it and took a look through it. There were corrections I would have made to the content and I do remember taking note of the page on Brazilian women. Secondly, I wouldn’t write a short colorful book explaining Brazilian culture to a foreigner as it is a complex subject to being with. When writing about where to go or what to do, that’s fine…as long as you aren’t saying “the women in this club are easier” (well, I suppose if you are talking about Help Discoteca, then it would be factual).
To sum it up, I think if you fall for some surface article or book that says certain women are easier than others, you are probably lacking more than a few brain cells. And if you are going to say “but look at what they wear (on the beach, on the street, etc)”, I will tell you that Brazil is a hot and humid country and if you lived in Alaska, I’m sure you’d do the opposite and wear sweaters and jackets.
That being said, I absolutely love the Brazilian woman, only my love is a reflection of the culture they grow up within, and not some false notion that I pulled out of thin air.
I love the Boteco Belmonte and apparently, so does everyone else I talk to. It’s a real bar’s bar, from its wooden decor and good lighting to its young and happy clientele, it’s full of charm and chopp (draught beer). Back when I was living in Rio, I believe there was only one and that was at the end of Oswaldo Cruz on the border between Botafogo and Flamengo (Praia do Flamengo, 300). These days, it’s a chain with 7 or 8 locations and it can be found in the following locales:
Lapa (Rua do Lavradio, 116)
Ipanema (Rua Teixeira de Melo, 53B)
Jardim Botânico (Rua Jardim Botânico, 617)
Copacabana (Rua Bolivar, 28)
Urca (Avenida Portugal, 986)*
Leblon (Rua Dias Ferreira, 521)
Barra (Rua Armando Lombardi, 800)
* – Can anyone confirm the Urca location?
The boteco is included in Rio Botequim, a small-sized photo book of the top 50 bars in Rio, which I happily own (the book, not the bars, unfortunately). Gema Carioca wrote a positive post (in PT) on the chain with a picture of the Urca location. A strange fact, in the urinals in the Leblon branch, there are giant ice blocks. Unfortunately, if you are looking for images or videos on Belmonte to get a feel for what its like, you’ll come out empty handed (except for a few images here). My suggestion is to see the place yourself and have a great time!
Well, the people have poured in from all corners of the globe for an overwhelming response in support of consolidation…ok, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic but I did get some good input and on and off the record and will consolidate two of the previously mentioned sites into the main one.
Back in the day (ok, a year and a half ago), I had the original Eyes On Brazil (which I called Brasis) plus a Portuguese version, plus an Editorial version. After a month of trying it out, I decided against it and consolidated. It turned out to be a good choice, in my opinion. Plus, as a user, I would rather visit one site than visit multiple sites (but that’s me).
Now I have Eyes On Salvador, which I haven’t updated as much as I should and Eyes On Rio, which is new and without much footing yet. Consolidating the latter would mean adding two whole posts to Eyes On Brazil and consolidating the former would mean adding a good 15 posts here. Statistics-wise, this site gets way more hits than the others combined so this fact has me thinking as well.
As for Eyes On Belem, that’s my side project so it will stay alive and kicking regardless.
“A successful forró party in Laranjal, Minas Gerais, keeps bringing in clients aside from its strict rules. Among them, the organizers prohibit kissing on the mouth. Those who disrespect the rule are advised and if the “infraction” happens again, they can even be invited to leave.
- When the person gives the first kiss, we advise them. On the second kiss, we remind them they were already advised. On the third, we are obliged to kick them out – says the organizer of the forró party, Sebastião de Mello.
“It’s also prohibited here to dance while smoking or drinking.”
According to him, only kisses on the face are allowed.
The dance party even has more rules. For example, those under 25 can’t enter. Men can’t come in if they are dressed in a t-shirt, shorts or wearing a hat. For the women, it’s prohibited to wear a small blouse, a miniskirt or short shorts. Even with all these restrictions, the forró party is always crowded and has been that way going on 6 years.” – O Globo (translated by me)
There may be no kissing, but I bet dancing rala-coxa (with the woman’s thigh in between the man’s legs, and no room in between) isn’t prohibited…
I wanted to share a good find with my readers, it’s called 1808 and as the title says, it’s about “how a crazy queen, a fearful prince and a corrupt court deceived Napoleon and changed the history of Portugal and Brazil.” The 10 year study was done by Laurentino Gomes and at this point, I believe it’s only available in Portuguese.
I’m only 50 pages into it (out of 414 pages), but so far, it’s quite interesting and easy enough to understand. On Amazon at this moment, there are 3 copies available (although the price is a bit high). If you can get your hands on it, it gives an insightful set-up for those wishing to learn about how Brazil has changed (and even how it hasn’t).
So I’ve taken the plunge and moved to the Amazon region, more specifically to Belém do Pará. I’ve been here a week (thus the lack of posts here) so far and plan to stay indefinitely. Additionally, I am testing a new layout which brings the categories to the forefront to help readers, both new and old, to find what they are looking for. You can see it in action over at Eyes On Belém as the site’s homepage.
If you are interested in my first impressions of the North in general and Belém in particular, they can be found here.
I’m also going to start accepting advertising (on the side bar) for the site(s) as I believe enough people are accessing the Eyes On Brazil site these days to make it worthwhile. As for the other 4 sites, I will slowly but surely be placing a few adverts on each.
Other than that, I hope all is well and thank you again for having an interest in Brazil!
