Another note on language usage:
I haven’t been making too many comments on the language anymore I guess I just pick up on things discretely without even noticing it, which I imagine happens to most people.
But não is used very interestingly. Sometimes people put não at the end of things like “Quero não, quero não” instead of “não quero” so it would be like “I don’t want it” and “I want it not”. Although it’s not as awkward in Portuguese. It adds more emphasis to the não. Or people use it twice like “you know we take the classiest pictures, não brinque com isso, não” like “there’s no joking about that” [literally: don’t play with that, no].
Another:
"mais um" is much more common than "um mais" or "dois mais" for 1 more, or 2 more. you reverse it, which is something else I had caught onto but didn't even notice it until later. It just seems natural to say it like that.
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Language, viu?
So remembering back to my first days with my house family, my mae would always say "viu" after almost everything she said, and I just understood that, as it literally means "you see?"
it's kind of like "understand?" or "okay?"
so you can use it like this, viu:
We have food in the fridge and you're welcome to it whenever, viu?
You can ask me for anything you need, you're going to be staying with us for 3 months so you better let us know how it's going, viu?
along with "entendeu" which literally means "did you understand"
and that's used pretty much like interchangeably but "entendeu" can be used in more cases I think. Like when my friend's host mom talks about her past or some form of gossip it's like "entendeu"
So I was waiting in line all day, entendeu?
or some other kind of empathetic inquiry.
I have to work all day, entendeu?
And they weren't just saying this because we were foreigners and they were asking if we literally understood what they said. They said it amongst native speakers the same, entendeu?
it's kind of like "understand?" or "okay?"
so you can use it like this, viu:
We have food in the fridge and you're welcome to it whenever, viu?
You can ask me for anything you need, you're going to be staying with us for 3 months so you better let us know how it's going, viu?
along with "entendeu" which literally means "did you understand"
and that's used pretty much like interchangeably but "entendeu" can be used in more cases I think. Like when my friend's host mom talks about her past or some form of gossip it's like "entendeu"
So I was waiting in line all day, entendeu?
or some other kind of empathetic inquiry.
I have to work all day, entendeu?
And they weren't just saying this because we were foreigners and they were asking if we literally understood what they said. They said it amongst native speakers the same, entendeu?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pastel
11 Nov. 2009
I've mentioned this previously in the Spanish-Portuguese entry but pastel is not cake!
It's this:
these are pictures taken by my friend Katherine at a fair in Goiana, Brazil, in the super interior pretty much smack in the middle of the country. Most of the time they are fried like this on the street. It's like an empanada. Kind of like a thin bread outside and fillings like this:
but my Fernanda* made them like this at our house: she baked them and they had like marinated chicken filling. sooooo good! I ate like 7 of them that day! mmmm....
I've mentioned this previously in the Spanish-Portuguese entry but pastel is not cake!
It's this:
these are pictures taken by my friend Katherine at a fair in Goiana, Brazil, in the super interior pretty much smack in the middle of the country. Most of the time they are fried like this on the street. It's like an empanada. Kind of like a thin bread outside and fillings like this:
but my Fernanda* made them like this at our house: she baked them and they had like marinated chicken filling. sooooo good! I ate like 7 of them that day! mmmm....
Sunday, April 18, 2010
drinks with Arivaldo
11 Nov. 2009
They were closing up the Botanical Garden and apparently Arivaldo, Debbie, and Arivaldo's partner were going to a concert back at Campo Grande, so Arivaldo offered me a ride and I'm like thanks! But we were going to pick up his partner still. So we went over to her apartment and there was like a little, casual bar thing (they're all over the place by the way) outside of her apartment so Arivaldo Debbie and I just chilled there waiting.
[Like this, but I took this photo in Arembepe]But it was chill, we just sat there talking about stuff.
Arivaldo is one of the favorite people that I have met here. He's really relaxed and easy to talk with. He also has so much interesting knowledge. And I love plants, as fellow inhabitants of this earth. So I love talking to people who know a lot about them.
Anyway, I then I asked him if he had a lot of plants in his house and he's like: "not one" and I thought it was pretty funny and this is when he introduced me to the common saying:
"casa de ferreiro, espeto de pau",
He is pretty knowledgeable in Spanish and Mexican customs too. Apparently he has some Mexican colleagues and friends. He was saying some of the words that his Mexican friends have trouble with like "Bairro" and "Feira"; they tend to forget and say "Barrio" and "Feria" which is more Spanish. So that's a good pattern to take note of: most words that end with "-rio/a" or "rria/o", are likely to be -eira. or -airo, -airro. And a few others words that are the most commonly mispronounced by Spanish-speakers.
But Arivaldo and Tania both knew about a lot of the animals and life in Mexico. For example how we love to eat cactus and we never mix oranges or pineapples with milk in Mexico like they do here in Brasil (It's associated with stomach aches like not mixing lime and milk either because it curdles! --and it's just weird to many Mexicans, anyone hear any other reason why we don't do that?).
Oranges and Milk:
[photo by: JohnAugustinestate's]It's so taboo to me I guess.
It's like in the U.S. you don't mix fish and milk very much, or put "American" cheese in smoothies... Okay I'm having trouble finding a U.S. equivalent, but Japanese people, would it not be absurd to mix green tea and milk? That's what I hear anyway--from being scolded for doing it myself, jaja.
But I tried it! (the orange juice and milk). I did it because I feel like the milk they have here is not the same as the milk I have had in the U.S. or Mexico. In Mexico it's often more fresh and less processed; in the states it's a little more processed--but in both cases I know they have a lot of lactose. Meanwhile
the cow milk they have here is bought in little cartons that can be outside the fridge for months...
Avocados! or Abacate [Port.], Aguacate [Span.]:
There is also this difference that here in Brasil, Avocados are conceptualized as being in a sweet/dessert family. Arivaldo was also aware that it is not the case for a lot of places. In Mexico and in most parts of the States it's associated with more savory foods; it's in guacamole. Lime and salt come to mind to me for avocados.
Like you don't add guacamole to your cake. (Or do you?) But here my mãe likes to put some sugar on it and eat it in spoonfuls. Which I am not against either, I tried that too. And I got my sisters to try the lime with salt version and we both liked the new versions.
It is very common in Brasil to make avocado milkshakes (again with the milk jaja) with sugar and lime--woah! watch out Mexicans, triple taboo. Jk. But those are also good, I recommend you try an avocado milkshake.
Then we were talking about Bahian slang and we found out where "Ó Paí, Ó" comes from. Yes it's the title of a pretty popular movie (which I recommend because it's a really good Brazilian film), but it also is a kind of stereotypical Bahian expression that is also used all over Brasil, although not as frequently. We decided that it most likely comes from "Olha para isso, olha" It's common to repeat either the verb or "não" for emphasis. Like: "não brinque com isso, não" emphatic "don't NOT joke about that".
And "Ó" is commonly used to substitute for "olha" which means "look" either figuratively or literally. To call your attention to something usually. and para isso, means "look at that", or "watch out/it". Actually someone said that to me one day that I was in a little local store and I backed up and accidently bumped into a lady behind me, and she said that to me "Ó Paí, Ó"
Arivaldo is really awesome. He's also been a single daddy for a while; I'm not sure why, I didn't want to pry, but he has a little 2 year old baby. I sat next to his car-seat. Arivaldo had some pretty funny stories to tell about him. And explained why the car-seat was all torn up...apparently he likes to bite things.
The reason I tagged this blog with so many different things--well besides feeling like they're relevant and appropriate--I thought it is important to tag it under "gender relations" and "men" because I don't want negative things to be the only things to show up for them-- that wouldn't be representative.
I feel like Arivaldo was completely respectful and casual-professional the whole time, and I am very aware/sensitive about this kind of stuff and sexual harassment etc., and I at no time felt like he was crossing any line.
It was casual because we were joking and laughing and chilling, but he was not implying any inappropriateness, he was not dominating, he was like a good teacher friend who treated Debbie and me like colleagues who were deserving of respect. There was no focus on how we were women and he was a man or that he was older and we were younger; he still respected us and treated us like equals.
Finally his partner came and we were off back to our side of town. He was so kind in taking me literally to the gate of my apartment.
Obrigada Arivaldo!
I came back way later than expected and super hungry but I had a really great time.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Jardim Botânico
11 nov. 2009
The Jardim Botânico is the Botanical Garden. My friend Debbie did an internship there for the whole stay. It has a lot to do with what she studies I forgot if it was like environmental with bio or if it was botanical something. But anyway, she brought me here finally and I got to meet a whole bunch of her super cool colleagues, like Arivaldo in this picture:
They all taught me a little more about botany and plant names and history. These people were really really knowledgable. Oh by the way a culture note: when I got there and started talking to the researchers and botanists etc, and at seperate times like 4 people told me "você fala português bem melhor do que ela...ela fala bem puxado" and I thought it was really funny and unexpected that people would just straight up tell someone "you speak way better than her", right in front of the other person and talk about how she speaks with difficulty.
I guess that's not really rude, I mean I don't think I'd be very offended but I am just not used to it and I think it could be percieved as something rude to say in California by most people. But anyway we thought it was funny especially cause Debbie was like "Yeah it's cause she speaks Spanish too". Anyway....
We went through a section where they're growing little Pau Brasil I think it was
oh right so this garden although it has a part of of in-pot growing plants, there is also a huge section that is meant for no touching nothing by one of the botanist students there, I think he's going to be writing a dissertation on this project of trying to remake a section close to what the forest would have looked like before colonization.
Oh I was having a blast with all the trees and plants. I love all this biodiversity and learning about the origins. For example the picture below is a Jaca tree!
Otherwise known as Jack Fruit in English. The Portuguese brought it from Asia (Malaysia area). And Jack fruit is super popular in a lot of Asian food and drinks. It's really quite delicious.
Baby Jaca
They opened one up with the machete that Arivaldo was carrying around. This is a very unripe one but nonetheless id kind of looks like that except the pulp is more of a bright yellow. However, apparently my mãe likes it a little green. But the researchers like it nice and yellow and sticky.
Growth to me is an interesting phenomena, and concept.
Then we went into this area in which they are growing a lot of the most commonly used herbs and plants in candomble ceremonies. It is interesting to note that most of the plants used in candomble have healing properties.
I totally forgot what the uses were of each one particularly but I know I took a few leaves of the one for stomach ache. You make a tea out of the leaves. Then there are some for headaches and a lot of things, I'm so sad i didn't write this down.
This one however is poisonous if consumed. Its colloquial name is "nobody can with me"
The jesus christ crown
This bright flourescent, fuchsia tree is around Algebra's house too, and I love how it spreads a bright fuchsia blanket all over the lawn and anything under it. These pictures are anything but exaggerating the color, my camera couldn't really capture it well but it's super bright pink!
Then I was about to go home when there was a huge traffic jam, we never found out what happened possibly a crash but people just decided to get off the buses and walk to wherever they were going. So I decided to wait a little longer there. --I stayed till closing.
The image that this garden uses on their logo or whatever is this pendulum tree. It's really really cool it looks like a tropical Christmas tree really. These little spheres just hang off the branches.
they showed me around the various steps they work on to archive the plants they're working with. Those wooden rack things are used to dry out the plants.
Check out the Nescau! researchers gotta have their chocolate milk, you know.
What they are working on now is collecting various parts of a plant, like the seed, the flower, the other things that are indicative of their structure.
They also showed me around the record room. And I apparently thought archiving was bloody hilarious. But what they do is they have a large part of the plant with the roots preferably and in a bag in the corner they have to include the seed, and I never thought about it but the flower is super important too; without the flower the plant can be indistinguishable from another apparently. There is also a description there too. There were soooo many archives and the room was cold so we didn't stay very long.
Arivaldo and his girlfriend were going to a concert near where I live so he offered to take me home but we had to pick up his girlfriend first...to be continued
The Jardim Botânico is the Botanical Garden. My friend Debbie did an internship there for the whole stay. It has a lot to do with what she studies I forgot if it was like environmental with bio or if it was botanical something. But anyway, she brought me here finally and I got to meet a whole bunch of her super cool colleagues, like Arivaldo in this picture:
They all taught me a little more about botany and plant names and history. These people were really really knowledgable. Oh by the way a culture note: when I got there and started talking to the researchers and botanists etc, and at seperate times like 4 people told me "você fala português bem melhor do que ela...ela fala bem puxado" and I thought it was really funny and unexpected that people would just straight up tell someone "you speak way better than her", right in front of the other person and talk about how she speaks with difficulty.I guess that's not really rude, I mean I don't think I'd be very offended but I am just not used to it and I think it could be percieved as something rude to say in California by most people. But anyway we thought it was funny especially cause Debbie was like "Yeah it's cause she speaks Spanish too". Anyway....
We went through a section where they're growing little Pau Brasil I think it was
oh right so this garden although it has a part of of in-pot growing plants, there is also a huge section that is meant for no touching nothing by one of the botanist students there, I think he's going to be writing a dissertation on this project of trying to remake a section close to what the forest would have looked like before colonization.
Oh I was having a blast with all the trees and plants. I love all this biodiversity and learning about the origins. For example the picture below is a Jaca tree!
Otherwise known as Jack Fruit in English. The Portuguese brought it from Asia (Malaysia area). And Jack fruit is super popular in a lot of Asian food and drinks. It's really quite delicious.
Baby Jaca
They opened one up with the machete that Arivaldo was carrying around. This is a very unripe one but nonetheless id kind of looks like that except the pulp is more of a bright yellow. However, apparently my mãe likes it a little green. But the researchers like it nice and yellow and sticky.
Growth to me is an interesting phenomena, and concept.
Then we went into this area in which they are growing a lot of the most commonly used herbs and plants in candomble ceremonies. It is interesting to note that most of the plants used in candomble have healing properties.
I totally forgot what the uses were of each one particularly but I know I took a few leaves of the one for stomach ache. You make a tea out of the leaves. Then there are some for headaches and a lot of things, I'm so sad i didn't write this down.
This one however is poisonous if consumed. Its colloquial name is "nobody can with me"
The jesus christ crown
This bright flourescent, fuchsia tree is around Algebra's house too, and I love how it spreads a bright fuchsia blanket all over the lawn and anything under it. These pictures are anything but exaggerating the color, my camera couldn't really capture it well but it's super bright pink!
Then I was about to go home when there was a huge traffic jam, we never found out what happened possibly a crash but people just decided to get off the buses and walk to wherever they were going. So I decided to wait a little longer there. --I stayed till closing.
The image that this garden uses on their logo or whatever is this pendulum tree. It's really really cool it looks like a tropical Christmas tree really. These little spheres just hang off the branches.
they showed me around the various steps they work on to archive the plants they're working with. Those wooden rack things are used to dry out the plants.
Check out the Nescau! researchers gotta have their chocolate milk, you know.
What they are working on now is collecting various parts of a plant, like the seed, the flower, the other things that are indicative of their structure.
They also showed me around the record room. And I apparently thought archiving was bloody hilarious. But what they do is they have a large part of the plant with the roots preferably and in a bag in the corner they have to include the seed, and I never thought about it but the flower is super important too; without the flower the plant can be indistinguishable from another apparently. There is also a description there too. There were soooo many archives and the room was cold so we didn't stay very long.
Arivaldo and his girlfriend were going to a concert near where I live so he offered to take me home but we had to pick up his girlfriend first...to be continued
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Parque Pituaçú
07 Nov. 2009
Today we set out for the Parque Metropolitano de Pituaçú!
Again we took a bus the big yellow the one that ends up going to Praia do Flamengo. It was about 1 hour and if i'm not mistaken is somewhere nearish Pituba (in Salvador, BA).
And as we were walking a long the beach to cross the road, we ran into Lean's pai! Her host dad was out ...churrascando? making churrascos. Well, Brazilian barbecuing with his friends and family. He apparently does this almost every weekend.
The churrasco is the method of barbecue of putting the meat on a stick and then putting it in a fire oven.
Of course he offered some to us, so we snacked a bit. I must say this family had some of the best sausage ever! I've eaten a few times at Lean's house and I have to say I like their meat better. :)
So we stayed
The entrance of the park.
These people were feeding some fish that were in this pond and there was a lady selling little bags of food to give to the fish.
Oh yeah the reason we were there was that we had plans for some party like a late halloween party but it was cancelled and I'm like 'what should we do?' That's when I went over to Algebra's house and...I think i ate there again :) so sneaky. But we decided to go to a park, and there was one on the tourist map that Clara the coordinator gave us on the first day that had little bicycle figures on it so we decided, it was meant to be! And we got together with another friend of ours who was in town.
When we got to the park, we had gotten there too late to go to the park by then, so it was actually not meant to be. :(
But...
Then we saw there were swan boats! And my friend and I decided to go together. Just me and her in a swan boat, on a pond, surrounded by tropical forest, as the sun was setting.--it was ridiculously romantic. I mean once Algebra finally managed to get the boat out of dock hahaha. Oh I we teased her about that. She actually somehow turned the swan boat around as soon as we were given a push off and crashed into the dock, then we finally got into reverse a little and then we crashed into other swan boats--which were parked. It was great. I'm really glad I let her drive because she has a license.
This seems to be quite a popular park. There are so many children in certain areas. And here some more street food, popcorn is a super common street food around here. May be important for you to know it's called "pipoca"
horsey. I'm not sure why this horse was here, it was a lone, I mean this park is not a horse ranch, but here it is. WEll I'm not going to complain.
Today we set out for the Parque Metropolitano de Pituaçú!
Again we took a bus the big yellow the one that ends up going to Praia do Flamengo. It was about 1 hour and if i'm not mistaken is somewhere nearish Pituba (in Salvador, BA).
And as we were walking a long the beach to cross the road, we ran into Lean's pai! Her host dad was out ...churrascando? making churrascos. Well, Brazilian barbecuing with his friends and family. He apparently does this almost every weekend.
The churrasco is the method of barbecue of putting the meat on a stick and then putting it in a fire oven.
Of course he offered some to us, so we snacked a bit. I must say this family had some of the best sausage ever! I've eaten a few times at Lean's house and I have to say I like their meat better. :)
So we stayed
The entrance of the park.
These people were feeding some fish that were in this pond and there was a lady selling little bags of food to give to the fish.
Oh yeah the reason we were there was that we had plans for some party like a late halloween party but it was cancelled and I'm like 'what should we do?' That's when I went over to Algebra's house and...I think i ate there again :) so sneaky. But we decided to go to a park, and there was one on the tourist map that Clara the coordinator gave us on the first day that had little bicycle figures on it so we decided, it was meant to be! And we got together with another friend of ours who was in town.
When we got to the park, we had gotten there too late to go to the park by then, so it was actually not meant to be. :(
But...
Then we saw there were swan boats! And my friend and I decided to go together. Just me and her in a swan boat, on a pond, surrounded by tropical forest, as the sun was setting.--it was ridiculously romantic. I mean once Algebra finally managed to get the boat out of dock hahaha. Oh I we teased her about that. She actually somehow turned the swan boat around as soon as we were given a push off and crashed into the dock, then we finally got into reverse a little and then we crashed into other swan boats--which were parked. It was great. I'm really glad I let her drive because she has a license.
This seems to be quite a popular park. There are so many children in certain areas. And here some more street food, popcorn is a super common street food around here. May be important for you to know it's called "pipoca"
horsey. I'm not sure why this horse was here, it was a lone, I mean this park is not a horse ranch, but here it is. WEll I'm not going to complain.
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