Over at Vimeo, there’s a nicely shot short on Samparkour (parkour in São Paulo city). It’s best viewed in HD. As far as the backdrops, the filmmakers did a great job but the parkour part is a little weak. There are videos on the net of people with far superior parkour skills. What’s odd about it, is that the SP government sponsered it and most likely provided to funds to make it. Strange…for a sport that isn’t considered mainstream.
Props for the cool portmanteau.
Here’s two interesting phrases in Brazilian Portuguese. One is to ‘flake’ on someone (which means to say you will show up for an event, then not show up), and that is ‘dar bolo para em alguém’ (to give cake to on someone). The other phrase is to be the ‘third wheel’ (which means to go out with two other people who are on a date), and that is ‘segurar a vela’ (to hold the candle).
I was contacted about a new site called In Between Home offering “an exhibition of the daily beauty of Brasil” via photography. It’s done by Zane, an expat living outside of Rio who is doing his part to showcase the beautiful country that is Brazil. Here’s the description…
“This blog is simply a daily log of things I see and do here in Brazil. Some photos may be artistic, some may not. Some may be beautiful scenery, some may just be a snapshot on my way home. Think of the blog as one of those quarter toy machines outside of your favorite grocery store you used when you were a kid…you never know what you might get!”
Back when I was living in Brazil, I heard two phrases all the time, several times a day, it seemed. At first, I had to catch on to what the phrases were and then I tried to understand the situations in which they were used. Not too long after that, I got sick of hearing them. Fast forward a good amount of time, and now I use them! lol.
So what are they?
“Faz o seguinte…” (Do the following…)
and
“O que acontece, é…” (What happens is…)
then there’s the double whammy, “o que acontece é o seguinte…” (What happens is the following…)
One may wonder why I would get sick of these phrases so allow me to explain. Americans are a pretty ‘do-it-yourself’ kind of people, very individualistic, independent, etc…so when I found myself in tough situations and even average everyday situations, I wanted to deal with them myself. Everytime I tried to insert my American ways into the situation, I would get blindsided by everyone around trying to help me out of a jam, and like clockwork, they would spout out these phrases while doing so. Once I understood the cultural context of these phrases, that’s when I stopped getting annoyed.
If there’s one lesson I can instill in anyone traveling to Brazil (or any other country), it’s ‘don’t get mad when things don’t go your way, it doesn’t mean things are worse off than they are in your own country, it just means it’s different.’
That being said, it’s time I create an ‘Oberservations’ category for cultural observations.
“Here’s how to say ‘cool’ in Brazilian Portuguese. There’s ‘Legal’, ‘Bacana’, ‘Massa’, ‘Show (de bola)’, ‘Manero’, ‘Irado’, ‘Sinistro’ and for Portugal…’Fixe’.”
Let me know if ‘massa’ is only used in SP and the Northeast. Also, I believe ‘bacana’ is used primarily in SP, although understood in most places. Manero can also be spelled ‘Maneiro’ and technically, if you wanted to say ‘a cool way’, you could say ‘uma maneira maneira’ (maneira means ‘way’) although I’m sure that’s avoided for consfusion’s sake.
I forgot ‘animal’ (ah-ni-mawl) which is used in SP for something really good.
For those wanting to be officially certified in Brazilian Portuguese by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, you’ll need a CELPE-Bras certificate. Never heard of it? No worries, it’s not something everyone is aware of, neither abroad or within Brazil (from what I hear).
I’ve done some research on the matter and added the necessary links so I’ll post it all below.
It is the only official certificate that is recognized by the MEC (Brazilian Ministery of Education). The good news is it is offered not only in Brazil, but in many other countries. Here’s the list in PDF format. The bad news is, it’s pretty hard to reach the fourth and highest level, “superior” (only 9 Brazilians out of hundreds succeeded in the October test of 2008 PDF).
“The test can be taken in October or April, with registration available online in the two months prior to the test months (ie, Febuary or March & August or September).
As far as the test in general, well, the exam is in two parts on two days. The first day there is a 2.5 hour written exam, which may include video tape sequences or tape sequences.
The following day there is a 20 min. oral exam in front of two people.
There are four different levels of proficiency and most people fall into the first level initially, while only a select few make it to the highest level on their first try. It’s not uncommon to find other test-takers there who have already taken the test a few times in order to achieve higher levels.
If you are looking to get hired in Brazil, there are some companies that say they require it but most (including the companies that ‘require’ it) will see how good your Portuguese is upon interview.
There are some professions, like doctors, nurses and engineers, who need to be recognized by the local professional associations like CONSELHO REGIONAL DE MEDICINA, ENFERMARGEN or CREA.
Be prepared to write a redação (essay), interpret a given text, be prepared to listen to a tape in Portugese from Portugal or even in African-Portuguese slang. Or to watch a video tape and then have to answer questions in multiple choice or with your own words.
For the oral exam, it’s important to maintain a fluent conversation. In the beginning they’ll probably ask you some questions about yourself and what brought you to Brazil. Then the official part starts, you’ll get a photo or maybe a newspaper article to read and the you have to tell them something about the image or the article you read.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just avoid repeating the same mistake several times, especially if they’ve corrected you the first time and the other important thing is to keep the conversation fluent. It’s not an interview where you answer questions, YOU have to talk for the most part and keep it going.” – Gringoes
Over at Nossa! Brazilian Music & Culture, I saw a video on reality, media and the future which I think would be interesting to post here too.
I did a little digging and found out it comes from CasaLeggio in Italy, which reports on the state of digital economy while developing strategies for businesses wishing to use the digital media to their advantage.
They certainly paint interesting portraits of the future in their videos but I definitely see many issues with their ultimate vision too. It seems they wish or at least predict that we’ll live in a world of one government where augmented reality rules. In one video, called ‘Gaia: the future of Politics’, they say the people hold the power to change the world while giving examples which ask for ‘more of the same’, leading to ideas that require one to stay within Plato’s Cave and the Hegelian dialectic. They fail to realize revolutions are carefully guided.
My 2 cents.
DJ Vivo comes through again with a great podcast full of Brazilian musical gems. This time, it’s on the subject of forró and capoeira, the former with perfect timing considering it’s São João month in Brazil.
Go check it out! If you like it, make a donation, if possible. Even $5! He does a quality service.
On a forum I visit which is frequented by many Brazilians, I started a conversation on the title of this post. While I believe the question to be quite ‘loaded’ and one that can lead to often impossible attempts at definitions relating to ‘cultural identity’, I do think there’s something to be learned from such a question without seeking to find a clear-cut answer. Here’s my side of the story below…
Over the years, I’ve had several experiences with Brazilians in the American workplace, generally when they were my boss or business partner. Based on those experiences, I can say that they weren’t positive and I don’t think I would do it again. Aside from my personal opinion, I’ve heard countless times from Brazilians themselves, that working with Brazilians isn’t something you should do.
Why is that? I’m curious…and what is your opinion?
(Side note: Of course, being friends with Brazilians is great and coincidentally, I would work with them if the opportunity arose.)
….
If you’d like to know the circumstances, with one boss, I was told I’d be given a certain amount of work per week and within a month, it was doubled…yet my pay didn’t change.
Another situation, my boss paid me the same amount per week every week when my job was based on being paid per task, meaning the pay should have increased when the work increased. Everyone else was getting at least $300 more per week than I was. When I finally quit, I actually stayed on for an extra month to train my replacement (which wasn’t my responsibility, but I ended up training 4 different people). Then to thank me, my boss said he would not give me my last few paychecks…I threatened to sue and was finally given my pay.
Another situation, I was taught how to do the job (which included breaking one small rule) and yet when I did it, my boss’s boss somehow found out and I was banned from working for the large corporation again.
In other situations, during partnerships, trying to make progress with the work is virtually impossible.
….
Well, I feel like my trust factor in working with Brazilians (in the US) has been used and abused. I would have to think long and hard if I were to do it again, and even so, my answer would probably be ‘no’.
If my situation were different, like they were all Brazilians of the same city, gender, age, etc etc…then I could make a more certain observation (not necessarily a judgment) but since they were all different from each other in these ways, the only thing I have to look at is they were from Brazil and not in the US for many years.
I also have nothing to compare it to because I haven’t worked with other nationalities, aside from Americans. For me to get a clearer view, it would be beneficial for me to try working with Brazilians in Brazil…as (one commenter) suggested.
Through my studies, I would say the perception of the law in Brazil by Brazilians is that it is bendable while in the US, it is perceived as the final word, rigid. The actual practice of the law can be different from the perception…but I’m just talking about perceptions (as the practice of US law is completely full of breakable laws, corruption, etc)
Now, ‘bendable’ can refer to ‘jeitinho‘ but I think the word has a bad reputation…or better yet, an extreme one. Like, “someone who uses jeitinho, must use it all the time”. I disagree with that, I think jeitinho can be used very little by someone and only sometimes, if they wish.
It’s not possible to make such a determination as “Brazilians use jeitinho” without grossly generalizing but there are such things as cultural trends and learned behavior, especially when politics are as transparent as they are in Brazil. Basically, I’m saying I believe media and politics in Brazil to be the culprits of such a trend/perception.
One commenter stated the following…
“I have heard about the “dog eat dog” thing in the Braza (Brazilian) community in North America, Mexico included.”
To which I responded…
“Yes, if I could take a stab at it, I’d say it was due to this ‘dog eat dog’ thing here.
As far as the business partnerships and trying to get something from idea to reality, I think that’s just people being people. Everyone talks the talk more than they walk the walk.”
Another statement I made…
“I can accept that, that I just worked with the wrong people…although perhaps Gerson’s Law (Lei de Gerson) has something to do with it, which basically says take full advantage of something/someone while you can.
Even so, this ‘law’ isn’t specific to one nationality.”
As for the Brazilian view of such a question, those that have answered thus far have only calmly stated the opinion…that people are people and one cannot expect to have this question answered in any kind of unbaised way.
(Source)
Rapadura is the Portuguese name for a form of sugarcane juice, used as a sweetener or as a candy, common in Brazil and more specifically, the Northeast. It is dried sugarcane juice, in the form of a brick, and is largely produced on site at sugarcane plantations in the very warm tropical regions. It was originally created as an easier way to transport sugar.
“Rapadura along with a traditional Indian medicine called Jaggery, are the only sweeteners made from sugar cane that are not refined. They are squeezed, dried, and ground, that’s it. The juice is not separated, dried and then reunited with its more nutritious counterpart (molasses) in artificial proportions as are raw, brown and black sugar, demerara and sucanat.” – Source
The making of rapadura is a bit of a process, as can be seen briefly in the short video below.
Controversy
Despite the fact that rapadura is a very old foodstuff, predating even the colonization of Brazil, a German company called Rapunzel has registered the name as a German trade mark, an event that has greatly angered Brazilians, as they see the name as a generic all-purpose word, like “lemonade” or “sandwich”.
