The Final Post

Note: The blog stopped but the Learn Portuguese ebooks (sidebar) are still available, and will continue to be.

I started learning about Brazil when I was 22 and started this blog when I was 27. Now I’m 32 and also no longer going back and forth to Brazil like I did between ages 24 and 31. My interest in the country and culture remains but I’m looking to keep the written expression of that interest to current and future work. Plus, since I left Brazil almost 9 months ago, readership has fallen by over 50% (note: this happened due to the Google Panda update that re-indexed all sites), going from 20K views per month to under 10K. Regardless, there’s a plethora of sources for Brazil news out there today which didn’t exist when I started. Large, US and multinational news companies (not to mention many other blogs) are covering even the smallest of occurences and cultural aspects.

After sharing 5.5 years, or 65 months, of posts, this will be my last here.

Thank you for reading!

103 Tricky Verbs in Brazilian Portuguese ebook

 

US$4.99 ______

With Eyes On Brazil turning 5 years old, I’m really excited to introduce my first ebook (PDF), 103 Tricky Verbs in Brazilian Portuguese for sale, priced at US$4.99. It is based on content I created for this blog several years back, though I’ve reworked and improved it, in addition to having it edited by native Brazilian Portuguese speakers. As a PDF, it can be viewed (via Apple’s iBooks app) on iOS devices as well as on Amazon’s Kindle devices. The ebook is aimed to make Brazilian Portuguese easier for those of you who are finding yourselves unsure of when to use one verb over another. As the title states, there are 103 Tricky Verbs, spread out over 47 Verb Sets (groupings of verbs that have similar meanings) which include example sentences and, in many cases, additional information on the verb(s). The actual Verb Sets you’ll learn about in my e-book: After countless attempts, using various formats, to prep the ebook for the Amazon marketplace, I’ve decided instead to sell it using PayPal’s Online Invoicing, which allows you to pay with a credit or debit card on PayPal’s site (even without the need for a PayPal account). Click on the button below and, once you’ve paid, PayPal will tell me so and then I’ll send you the ebook!

 

 

Don’t forget to check out 150 Tricky Words in Brazilian Portuguese!

And then came Recife

With the full realization that I’ve previously introduced you to Eyes On Belém, Eyes On Rio, Eyes On Salvador, Eyes On Colombia, Eyes On Portugal, Eyes On Portuguese and surely a few others (Eyes On Acre, anyone?), here’s a project I’m currently working on in an effort to teach myself about a place I’ve never been, Recife….here’s Eyes On Recife.

Eyes On Brazil thanks you!

It seems I’ve just hit the 4-year mark (I started on March 27th, 2008) which is nothing I ever planned or imagined. When I started, I just wanted to have a place to jot down things I was learning about my studies and, yes, share it all with others.

After 550,000 views, 1,200 posts and 3,700 of your comments, I’m still here, chugging along. In the last two years, many other sites and blogs on Brazil have appeared on the scene, to the point where I didn’t just want to be another in the crowd, thus the change in format early last year.

Thank you for your interest. Always glad I can be a part of your learning experience!

Site News – The Pivot

Hello Readers,

Eyes On Brazil will be doing a bit of a pivot as the time has come to focus more on work (both on maintaining what I already do and obtaining more work). What will most likely follow this post, from time to time, are my own articles…the type I write for Street Smart Brazil (SSB). Any non-SSB articles will be posted as I write them. Additionally, every time 2 months pass on my newest article at SSB (as per my contract),  I will post those here in full.

Cheers!

PS – And thank you for subscribing and/or always coming back!
PPS – The same goes for Eyes On Colombia and Eyes On Portugal.

Three Announcements (on X-mas, Films & Tech)

Most know by now that I am the owner of other virtual properties (sounds fancy, doesn’t it?) on the web and that, from time to time, I write on other websites. Here are a few instances…

– Sounds and Colours, the South American music and culture magazine, asked me to write a lil’ article on the top 5 Brazilian films of 2010. One I wish I added to the list was Olhos Azuis, which I just saw last night. A polemic film that raises many questions on immigration and stereotypes.

– Street Smart Brazil just published my 8th article, this one on Christmas in Brazil.

– BrazTech, a new project by…me, is underway as well. The aim is to provide English-language summaries of news items on how technology is being used in Brazil. I’m looking to make it a stand-alone website next month and to enhance the look and feel.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday break! Don’t eat too much Panetone, eh!

Article 5 – Festa da Uva

Article #5 is up at Street Smart. I chose Caxias do Sul’s Festa da Uva as the topic and wrote about it’s history. Enjoy!

The Great Grape Festival of Caxias do Sul

Film List Update

Just a FYI, I made an update to the Brazilian Films List which is categorization. See screenshot below…

Street Smart Brazil – Article 02 Is Up

As I mentioned last week, I’m the new columnist at Street Smart Brazil. Here’s my second article! The topic is telenovelas during the military dictatorship.

Thank you for reading!

PS – Comments are very welcome there, though I think you need to be logged in.

Fazendo Uma Geral – Site News Update

Just an update from my Sept. 10th post titled ‘Fazendo Uma Geral’.

– Yesterday, I brought the vanity URLs over so both http://www.eyesonbrazil.com and eyesonbrazil.com direct here to WordPress.

– The Brazilian Films List (to your left, which took over from the ‘Every Brazilian Film I’ve Ever Seen & Recommend’ post) gained a few additional details such as the year each film was made and the director who made it, along with the previous IMDB links. I’m happy to say it has also become a popular post according to my blog statistics. Current film count: 130.

– On top of being contracted by Street Smart Brazil for a weekly column, I’m also the translator now for Estilo Bay, the new Bay Area magazine on Brazilian culture I mentioned in a recent post. From time to time, I’ll also be a columnist there, too. The November issue will be out shortly so I’ll post about that when the time comes. Aside from being published a few times in Brazzil magazine several years back, which you can find on the right side column at the bottom under ‘My Non-Fiction’, I’m awaiting one of my articles to be published in the December issue of a Colombian magazine.

– Last but not least, I’m looking into new ways to bring you my content. A few of the ideas I’ve considered are audio, video and magazine format(s). What I’m after is an easily sharable way to post or perhaps a compliment to the posts themselves.