Posts in March 2009

Amazon Turtle Rescue

Posted by Rachel
Mar
24
2009

A group of volunteers in a remote corner of the Amazon, on the Japurá River near the Colombian border, helped save nearly 8,000 endangered turtles.

Run by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, the project required volunteers to carefully watch and monitor nearly 300 turtle egg nests for six months. Later, the eggs were brought to a safe location to hatch, so they wouldn’t be eaten by animals or humans.

Three of the local turtle species, including the iaçá, tracajá and tartaruga, are endangered, especially because local inhabitants hunt and eat them.

To see photos of the project, click here.

 
Posted under Biology & Animals
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Airfare Deals to and around Brazil

Posted by Rachel
Mar
23
2009

Though the world economic crisis has wrecked havoc around the world, one of the positive effects has been the sharp decline in airfares to Brazil. In addition, Azul Airlines recently began operating in Brazil and now offers very competitive fares within the country. If you live in the US and want to travel to Brazil, now is the time to go! It’s also low season, so prices for accommodations are cheaper.

Here are some tips for finding the cheapest tickets to and around Brazil:

  • American Airlines is now offering US$299 tickets from the US to a number of Brazilian cities, including Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro (for a total of $600 round trip to each city).
  • BACC Travel, a New York-based Brazilian travel agency, always has great deals. Its current offers include US$569 roundtrip to Rio de Janeiro from New York, $515 roundtrip from Miami to Salvador, and $1049 rountrip from Los Angeles to Sao Paulo.
  • Azul Airlines has now begun operating out of Rio de Janeiro, with one way tickets from Rio to Campinas (R$39), Curitiba (R$149), Vitoria (R$119), Porto Alegre (R$179), Salvador (R$199), Recife (R$259), Fortaleza (R$299), and Manaus (R$369).
  • Gol, another Brazilian discount airline, has been struggling financially, but still has some good deals, like Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires round trip for R$460, and Curitiba to Brasilia one way for R$219.
 
Posted under Travel
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Brazilian Portuguese Slang: Good Times

Posted by Rachel
Mar
20
2009

Today we’re going to learn slang phrases to talk about having a good time.

1. bombar

This means something is successful, in the sense that it is fun or great.

A festa vai bombar! The party is going to be awesome!

O filme bombou no Brasil. The movie was a hit in Brazil.

2. show de bola

This means something that is very fun or enjoyable.

Nos vamos casar em Las Vegas. Nosso casamento vai ser show de bola! We’re getting married in Las Vegas. Our wedding is going to be a great time!

O show de Iron Maiden foi show de bola! The Iron Maiden show was so much fun!

3. ser show

This is similar to the previous expression, which also means, to be great, awesome, or fun.

Ele foi para a China e o Japão. Sua viagem foi show! He went to China and Japan. His trip was great!

Vai ter muita cerveja e música boa. A tua festa de aniversário vai ser show! There’s going to be a lot of beer and good music. Your birthday party is going to be awesome!

4. maneiro

This means cool or “sweet” in American slang.

Vamos sair na sexta-feira? Maneiro! We’re going out on Friday? Sweet!

O desfile foi maneiro, cara. The parade was so cool, dude.

5. sinistro

Although in other contexts this word means evil or creepy, it can also mean something very cool.

O Carnaval foi sinistro. Curti muito! Carnival was so cool! I had a really good time.

O jogo vai ser sinistro! Vamos ganhar. The game is going to be awesome! We’re going to win.

 
Posted under Learning, Slang
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The Amazon’s Bioluminescent Mushrooms

Posted by Rachel
Mar
19
2009

Brazilian biologist Ricardo Braga-Neto was driving on the highway from Manaus to Porto Velho when he noticed something glowing in the forest. When he stopped his car to inspect the source of the light, he discovered that it was a mushroom.

Although there are 64 known species of bioluminescent mushrooms in the world, and the species the biologist found was a discovered species, no one knew that this particular species was bioluminescent. By accident, Braga-Neto discovered the first bioluminescent mushroom in the Amazon.

The biologist believes there are similar species waiting to be discovered and hopes to get other scientists involved in the study of fungi, which are important for recycling nutrients on the Amazon floor. He noticed that the mushroom emits light even during the day, unlike some other bioluminescent species, but he’s not sure what purpose it serves. It could be to attract insects, or to ward off predators, or to attract the predators of animals that eat mushrooms.

For the full story in Portuguese, see here.

 
Posted under Biology & Animals, Brazilian News
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Brazilian Economic News

Posted by Rachel
Mar
18
2009

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Brazilian economy, one of the most resilient in the world against the global economic crisis.

The One Country that Might Avoid the Recession is…, Time

Petrobras talks oil, biodiesel with Sao Tome & Principe, Energy Current

Once solid, Brazil’s big food companies now wobbling, CNN Money

Lula says economy will still grow in 2009, Reuters

Brazilian bond yield falls as investors bet on more rate cuts, Bloomberg

Brazilian stocks decline, erasing earlier gains, Market watch

Brazil economists slash 2009 growth forecasts, Latin American Herald Tribune

Lula: Main G20 goal to restore credit, confidence, world trade, Easy Bourse

Brazil debt safe alternative to treasuries, Reuters

Brazil wants help lifting US ethanol tariffs, International Herald Tribune

OCI signs agreement with Brazilian agri-group, MSNBC

 
Posted under Brazilian News, Economy, Uncategorized
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