What is a baile funk, you ask? Well, it is, in short, a party (in a club, on the street, on the beach, wherever you can congregate a large number of people) where funk music is played (and here the word "funk" should be pronounced "funky"). What is funk you ask? Well in Brazil it denotes a
The Favelas Of Rio de Janeiro
The favelas (or the PC terminology - comunidades) in Rio de Janeiro and around Brazil have gotten a bad rap over the years (for those of you who don't know, a favela refers to a slum community - in Rio, many of these are built into the hills surrounding the city). Sure, the drug dealers of Brazil
Drinking In Brazil: Cachaรงa
Until now I have been talking a lot about beer. I know a lot of you don't drink beer. I know a lot of you don't drink. I know a lot of you have other problems, but we can talk about that in private. More importantly, in Brazil there exists a drink, more accurately a type of liquor, known as
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro – The Biggest Party On Earth
If you do not know what Carnaval is (or maybe if you think you know what Carnaval is), you are missing out. In short, this event can be described as nothing short of the offspring of Oktoberfest, St. Patrick's Day, your 21st birthday (for Americans), and Halloween (indeed, it is quite the
Florianรณpolis Part III: Lagoinha do Leste
This is Part 3 or a three-part story of my trip to Florianรณpolis. To get yourself up to speed, start with Part 1. Brazil has some beautiful beaches; Brazil also has some beautiful people. Usually these two things can be found together, but sometimes you find yourself wanting only one of these
Florianรณpolis Part II: The Submarino Hostel
After deciding where to travel to, one must decide where to reside in their city/area/place of temporary residence. As we all should know by now (even those of you who aren't very "tech-savvy" (and if you still use this expression, then you can likely be described by it; although with each passing
Florianรณpolis Part I: Arrival In Brazil’s South
Sometimes when all you are trying to do is work as hard as you can in your classes, your university up and decides (without even asking for your input) that since you are giving such a fantastic effort, it would be best for everyone that you take a three-week break from learning the Porky Cheese to
A Visit To Niterรณi (and the MAC)
The alien spacecraft pictured above can be found in the city of Niterรณi, located just across the bay from Rio de Janeiro. When extraterrestrials first colonized Brazil they left this structure as aย testamentย to their power and their willingness to return to this place and enslave the human race