This is our second behind-the-scenes video of one of our pop-up recording sessions. This clip was also made while we were recording the comments section of the Gossip 1 lesson. First off, you’ll see that we catch Orlando singing. (He seems to do that quite a bit, he’s just a happy guy.) The recording sessions are always filled with tons of chit-chat, observations about what to say in the recordings, and language analysis to help decide what focus to take for the pop-up. Truth told, grammar...

Here we are, revealing all of our behind-the-scenes secrets about Conversa Brasileira. In this clip you’ll see the recording session we made while creating the pop-up comments that accompany, Gossip 1: Ói, que safado! Whenever we get together to discuss the various lessons, in the end we have our own little chit chat about what to say, what to comment on, and how to say it. The team is comprised of Denise and Valentino from the Brazilian side and Orlando and Daniel from the American side. So,...

Aê, galera! That was André’s reaction to the group’s rendition of Pisa na fulô. It’s like saying, “way to go guys!” Of course, one of the big decisions is to decide if everyone is singing in the right key. You’ve got to make it low enough for André and high enough for Antônio. After that, the group’s got to decide on how to transition from one song to the next. It’s a lot of details to work out, but by the sound of things, not only are they making awesome music, they are also coming out with...

So do you want to hear a little more xote or a little baião? Antônio, André, Daniel, and Tommy are having a little jam session. In fact, it’s the first time they have ever played together. They’ve got a great sound, especially when you mix the rhythm from André’s zabumba with Antonio’s improvisation. And if you think the music is good, wait until you hear their conversa brasileira.  

Don’t we all just love the satisfaction of winning a close, hard fought game! Looks like Guilherme and Lucas’ team is now 5-0, even if the other team did complain that the ref should have called Lucas offsides when he scored the winning goal. Too bad, so sad. Let the other team go home to cry, Lucas, and friends are heading over to Guilherme’s house where their gaúcho friend is going to break out the churrasco, which obviously will lead to more sports talk and even better conversa brasileira.  

We hate to lose, especially when we’re ahead for a while and then lose it in the end, just hate that! And it doesn’t help when the referee totally ignores the obvious fouls. And the next thing you know people are blaming each other too. It just goes from bad to worse. And that gremista guy was totally grabbing on to people’s shirts and pulling them down. If any of this sounds familiar, welcome to the world of competitive sports. We can all relate. But, just like Heloísa, Alexandre, and Lucas,...

How tough is it to all of a sudden have an outsider brought in take over operations? Alexandre and Heloísa are not impressed with the new guy at all. Even worse, the rumor is that the new guy is way too young and they say he doesn’t even have a valid diploma from the university. No wonder the gossip is flying around the office at light speed everywhere! Of course we are not condoning the gossip, but we have to confess that we love what it shows us about a great conversa brasileira!  

Ah, there’s nothing like good old juicy office gossip, and Simone and Cristina are sharing tons of it. Turns out that Carlos is arriving late at work again, meaning that he’s probably drinking again. Even worse, if he’s running around with other women, you aren’t going to get any sympathy from the women in this office. No wonder they call him ‘safado’, a real dirt bag, derogatory for sure, but it also makes for a great conversa brasileira!  

Poor Simone, in 40 minutes she has an interview, but the traffic in Belo Horizonte has got her stuck going nowhere. In all of the complaining, it is kind of late for, “I told you we should have taken Getulio Vargas Avenue!” To make matters worst, some obnoxious guy behind them keeps honking his horn. We certainly feel sorry for Simon, but Thiago is doing his best to help her calm down. In the meantime, we get to hear a great exchange of their intense Conversa Brasileira.  

OK, so we all know how frustrating traffic can be. Alexandre and Denise were doing a good job of hanging in there, but then Alexandre made the mistake of saying that part of the problem was because Denise wasn’t getting up early enough to get the kids ready, and to get herself ready too. Oh Alexandre, why did you have to say that it only takes five minutes for you to get dressed and get out the door? Oh well, we all say things that we regret when we’re frustrated with traffic. In this case we...

In real life Simone and Thiago are married, so when we recorded this lesson we had a good time teasing Thiago about his willingness to offer to show Simone how to get to the library. “It’s not exactly on my way, but from there I can show you and then I’ll go to the Chemistry Department,” he said. Thiago’s a smart Guy. What better way is there to get to know the cute new arrival than to offer to accompany her to find the library! Not only that, the exchange shows us how Brazilians help others...

We’ve all been in the same situation as Alexandre, ‘Acabei de chegar. Tô perdido.’ (I just arrived. I am lost). Fortunately for Alexandre, Lucas is not only willing to help him out, Lucas will even take him to the place he needs to go. And whay not? We all sympathize with others because we know what if feels like to be in a new place and to be a bit disoriented too. No doubt Alexandre made it to his orientation meeting, and along the way he had a great Conversa Brasileira.  

Our hats go off to Alexandre. It’s a brave man who walks into a jewelry store to buy something special for his wife for Valentine’s Day. You’ve got the choice of necklaces, earrings, or bracelets on one end and leather, silver, gold, or precious stones on the other end. Fortunately for Alexandre, and for all of the rest of us too, Ana knows what the ladies like. She’ll even wrap it up to make the gift box look nice. So with a simple, “Capricha lá” Alexandre and Ana finish up the jewelry...

Handmade handicrafts, fancy necklaces, pretty earrings, and the famous “capim dourado.” (What in the world is Golden Grass?). It looks like Cris’ expenses at Ana Brazil are proportional to how much she is enjoying the unique items that are for sale at the boutique. We can listen in to learn more about the latest fashion items and while we are at it, here’s a chance to study the details of two Paulistas having a Conversa Brasileira.  

Here in Austin, Texas, Ana’s boutique is so well known that everyone just calls her “Ana Brasil.” Imagine, she is so much a part of the community that even her name represents a whole country. Now we know that in this clip Denise is pretending to be in Brazil and she hopes to bring some creative items back for her friends. Ana Brasil has tons of cool items and there is no doubt that she’ll take some pretty unique pieces home. So, let’s see what Denise ends up buying as part of this Conversa...

Think of all of the American movies and TV shows that Brazilians might have seen about life in American high schools. How weird is it for them to imagine what it is really like to go to school in the United States? Sílvia and Antônio pick up on some of the big items: changing classrooms, metal detectors, individual lockers, and lunchrooms. You have got to admit, their observations make for an interesting Conversa Brasielira.  

Put yourself in the situation of a high school study abroad student. First of all, chances are that this is your first experience living abroad. And everything is new: teachers, homework, computers, lunchrooms, clothes, and schedules. Wow, what a transition! In this dialog Andréia is about to pick up her niece, Kauane, who is currently in the U.S., attending an American high school. Life has been different for her, and it makes for a cool Conversa Brasileira.  

Even when little kids don’t know each other well, they seem to do just fine playing at the playscape in the park. As Isabela observes, Estão se dando super bem “They are getting along really well.” Now it is true that sometimes they fall and need stitches and other times they catch colds from others around them, but today’s a nice day, the kids are having fun, and the beautiful weather gives the moms a perfect excuse to sit on the park bench and have a nice Conversa Brasileira.  

We’ve all seen this scene hundreds of times. Moms take their children to play in the park. While doing so, the moms sit and chat on the park bench. With one eye on the children and the other on their friends, moms swap stories, examples, and keep each other up on the latest of what’s going on. Today we find out that Gabriel wants to be Spider-Man and Dandara has been going to the corner store to buy chocolate on credit, a delightful Conversa Brasileira.  

Ruth’s recipe has to be in one of the cookbooks somewhere, right? Well, maybe so, but wouldn’t it just be easier to search for it online? At least that’s what Débora thinks. And, chances are that most any teenager will find things faster online than their grandma possibly could in the book anyway. Bingo, Débora found the recipe on line and grandma knows how to make it. A perfect combination, and not a bad Conversa Brasileira either.  

Some of our greatest childhood memories are often those of interactions with grandparents: playing cards, fishing, hanging out in the tool shed, hearing stories, etc. Talk about different worlds! This dialog compares grandpa’s games with tops, kites, and marbles to Alice’s Polly Pocket computer games. “You just google it, grandpa.” The games and topics may be different, but what stays the same is the great feeling that comes when grandparents chat away with grandchildren. In this case, Ivo...

So what’s more nerve-wracking than preparing for a wedding? How about preparing for a wedding between an American and a Brazilian! You never really realize how many things are traditional about weddings until you start planning for one that involves people from different cultures. From the gift registry to the ring bearers, Denise and Fernanda get to compare notes on how the preparation is going. Opps, Denise has forgotten all about the invitations, but until that point we were part of a very...

Sílvia calls the wedding that Andréia went to a “casamento de grã-fino”, which is a perfect way of saying that it was a big, fancy wedding. There’s no denying it, wedding traditions differ from one country to another. Just imagine what might happen when an American marries a Brazilian! So, bring Silvia and Andréia together and watch them talk about weddings. No doubt, we have the makings of a pretty amazing Conversa Brasileira.  

Well, it looks like Denise is getting a good start at her new workouts in the gym. Valentino and Silvia know what they are doing and they’ve been at it for a while by now. Start slow, work your way up, and alternate between upper body and lower body. She should make it, and it also makes for an interesting Conversa Brasileira.