Hotel Portuguese Vocabulary: Booking Rooms, Asking for Amenities
Uma lembrança de Santo Domingo que desembarcou em Salvador I was halfway through my second espresso in a small pousada in Salvador when the memory of my first hotel check-in on the island of Hispaniola crashed back in. Ten years ago, freshly arrived in the Dominican Republic, I mangled every bit of Spanish I knew […]
Road Trip Portuguese: Gas Stations, Directions, and Car Rentals
Last April, after eight years of living in the Dominican Republic and two of calling Brazil my occasional runaway playground, I found myself sweating at a roadside gas station outside Belo Horizonte. I had misjudged the distance between towns, my rental’s tank was thirstier than I was for cafézinho, and my phone signal was pathetically […]
Airbnbs & Short-Term Stays: Talking to Hosts in Portuguese
Quando cheguei e a chave não girava Ten years in the Dominican Republic taught me the art of staying calm when a lock refuses to cooperate, yet my first weekend getaway in Salvador still managed to rattle me. I landed at sunset, the sky bruised purple over the Bay of All Saints, and my Airbnb […]
Restaurant Phrases: Ordering Feijoada, Moqueca, or Churrasco
James here—your friendly neighborhood expat who swapped Brooklyn winters for Caribbean heat a decade ago, only to discover that my heart beats to a Brazilian rhythm. I first landed in Rio on what was supposed to be a week-long visa run from the Dominican Republic. One Saturday, hungry after a beach football game, I stumbled […]
On the Beach in Brazil: Renting Chairs, Ordering Drinks, and More
Last November I landed in Fortaleza for what was supposed to be a quick surf-escape from my home base in the Dominican Republic. One hour after touching the sand I realized I had forgotten two things: sunscreen and the subtle art of bargaining with the barraqueiro, the beach-stall owner who controls the coveted plastic chairs. […]
Airport Survival Portuguese: Check-In, Security, Boarding
I still remember the first time I tried to check in at Guarulhos after a quick hop to Santiago. I proudly marched up to the counter, rehearsed my well-polished Spanish, and watched the agent’s eyebrows perform a confused samba. “Moço, pode falar em português?” she asked, kindly but firmly. Cue my embarrassed smile and an […]
“Onde Fica…?” – James’ Field Notes on Never Getting Lost in Brazil Again
My First Wrong Turn in São Paulo Back in 2014, a younger, wide-eyed version of me landed in Congonhas Airport with two things: a backpack that smelled like Caribbean salt and a notebook full of half-baked Spanish phrases I assumed would magically morph into Portuguese. One muggy afternoon I decided to track down a legendary […]
Navigating Brazilian Train & Metro Systems Without Feeling Like an Alien
My First Morning Jammed Between Straphangers I still remember my inaugural ride on São Paulo’s Metrô. I’d landed the night before, slightly cocky after a decade of Spanish immersion in the Dominican Republic, and assumed Portuguese would simply “come.” At 7 a.m. the next day I squeezed into the linha amarela clutching a paper map […]
Taking Domestic Flights in Brazil: Real-World Portuguese Insights From an Expat Window Seat
Landing on the Topic: A Personal Anecdote Last February I found myself at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, clutching a styrofoam cup of café pingado and trying to remember whether pegar or apanhar sounded more local for “catch” when talking about a flight. Ten years living between the beaches of Santo Domingo and the bustle […]
Common Travel Emergencies and How to Handle Them in Portuguese
Uma pequena história para começar It was a humid Thursday in Salvador when my friend Kyle realized his wallet was missing. We’d just finished a plate of acarajé, and he was patting every pocket with rising panic. I had seen this scene back in Santo Domingo countless times, yet the Brazilian twist was new even […]