Posts from April 2009

Celebrity

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Apr 16 2009

When discussing celebrities, there are a few important words and phrases to keep in mind.

1. grande

i.e. ator / atriz / cantor / cantora / artista (actor, actress, male singer, female singer, artist)

Even though grande means big in some contexts, in this context it means great.

Kate Winslet é uma grande atriz, e já ganhou o Oscar. Kate Winslet is a great actress, and has won an Oscar.

2. trabalhar muito

This means that someone is really good at what he/she does, and is frequently used to describe actors.

Vi muitos filmes do Ralph Fiennes, e ele trabalha muito. I’ve seen a lot of Ralph Fiennes’ films, and he is really good.

3. celebridade

This is straight forward–celebrity.

Os vencedores do Big Brother Brasil são celebridades nacionais. The winners of Big Brother Brasil are national celebrities.

4. estrela de cinema

This means movie star.

Ela é estrela de cinema, mas é muito humilde. She’s a movie star, but she’s very down to earth.

5. astro

This means superstar.

Pelé conheceu outros astros de futebol na festa. Pelé met other football superstars at the party.

Brazilian Profile: Rodrigo Santoro

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Apr 15 2009

Rodrigo was born on August 22, 1975 in Petrópolis, a mountain town north of Rio de Janeiro. The son of an engineer and an artist of Italian descent, he grew up in Rio and went to PUC-Rio to study journalism. After he graduated, he spent a year in Globo TV’s Actor’s Workshop, and began his career in Brazilian soap operas.

He began his career in film in 2001, when he starred in “Bicho de Sete Cabeças,” a Brazilian movie about a young man sent to a psychiatric hospital after his parents discovered he smoked marijuana. He starred in “Abril Despedaçado” a year later, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film in the Golden Globes.

In 2003, Rodrigo also appeared in the award-winning film “Carandiru,” about a São Paulo prison. He moved on to Hollywood films by appearing in “Charlie’s Angels” and “Love Actually.” He later appeared on “Lost” and in the film “300.”

Most recently, he co-starred as Raul Castro in Steven Soderbergh’s two-part film about Che Guevara, David Mamet’s “Redbelt,” and the Brazilian film “Os Desafinados.”

Rodrigo’s upcoming movies include “I Love You Phillip Morris,” with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, and “The Post Grad Survival Guide” with Alexis Bledel and Carol Burnett.

Rodrigo still lives in Rio de Janeiro, where he enjoys spending time outside and playing sports.

World Economic Forum Kicks Off in Rio

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Apr 14 2009

Rio de Janeiro will host the World Economic Forum on Latin America from April 14 – 16, which will gather CEOs, executives, and businessmen to discuss integrating regional economies, addressing the economic crisis, economic policies, and environmental friendly business solutions.

The co-chairs of the event include executives from KPMG International, Lloyd’s, and Banco Itaú Unibanco, amongst others. The conference will include panels on technology, food security, climate policy, bioenergy, transportation, and foreign investment. President Lula will open the event with a speech addressing the economic crisis in Latin America.

The official site provides an interesting summary:

“High commodity prices, favourable financial conditions and the hard-won economic reforms of the 1990s boosted regional economic growth to an average of 5% in the past years, with low inflation and strong current account surpluses.

Besides dealing with the international financial turbulence and possible volatility in commodity prices, the greatest challenge for Latin America is still to harmonize economic expansion and social progress.

With the full support of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Forum’s key Strategic Partners, the World Economic Forum will reconvene 500 of the most prominent leaders from Latin America and other parts of the world from 14 to 16 April 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to build on the success of the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Cancún, Mexico, in 2008.”

Brazilian Kayaker Sets World Record

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Apr 13 2009

On March 4th, Brazilian kayaker Pedro Oliva set a world’s record by kayaking over an 127 foot waterfall on the Rio Sacre in the state of Mato Grosso. The waterfall, called Salto Belo, is as tall as a twelve story building, but Pedro not only survived–he came out unscathed. Pedro actually spent more time underwater than in the air: though the fall took three seconds, Pedro was under water for about twenty seconds before he surfaced. Pedro planned the drop with his partner Ben Stookesberry, after scouting the location and assessing the height and route of the jump.

After setting the record, Pedro and Ben appeared on the Today Show in New York. To watch the video from NBC, click here. Check out Pedro discussing the experience (in Portuguese) and the jump itself:

YouTube Preview Image

Video Learning Series: Ivete Sangalo

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Apr 10 2009

Today, to practice listening comprehension, we’re going to take a look at some interviews with Ivete Sangalo, one of Brazil’s biggest pop stars. Ivete sings axé music, a pop-like genre from Bahia. Ivete is from Salvador, and performs there during Carnival every year.

YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image
Back to the Top