Joaquim, Manuel and Maria versus Jane and Mary

Blonde jokes, an American influence on Brazilian society. The Internet strikes again. I don’t believe I heard any blonde jokes before the Web made its debut in Brazil. So another cultural icon is fighting to hold its place in Brazilian culture, the stupid Portuguese. We have hundreds of Portuguese jokes here the same way English [...]

A unique “Cachorro Louco” in Brazil

A cachorro louco, rabid dog, is a motoboy (mOHtoboy) in Brazil. The word motoboy comes from moto(mAWtoo), a colloquial word for motorcycle, and boy, from office boy. Motoboys are lightly or gravely injured or die every day in the city I live in, São Paulo. They die so often their deaths are not even newsworthy [...]

Breast and Butt War

Big breasts prick their way into the fabric of Brazilian culture I’ve been noticing something ever since the advent of the Internet. The fact I had never noticed that before the Web came into everybody’s lives speaks volumes for how much influence it can bring to bear on the global culture. The butt has always [...]

Too many bars spoiled the broth

Alcoholism is rampant in Brazil. No wonder, you can buy alcohol practically at any corner. Even in padarias, a liquor store-cum-bakery-cum-snack bar. If you don’t want your kids to drink, why do we have bars and padarias serving alcohol across from schools? And many of them don’t even care if they are serving a minor. [...]