The new look of the Brazil Station website.

Brazil Station officially launched its upgraded web site this week at http://www.brazilstation.com. In progress for months, the web site reflects a structure and design that matches the excellence and effectiveness of our services. The new web site allows Brazil Station to clearly articulate and clarify three platforms: Services, Education and Community.

The most exciting feature is a "home page" where arriving visitors can easily and quickly locate all other information on the site. The home page shows all Services at a glance below the introductory message. Additional information can be viewed by clicking the Corporate Services and Classes & Lessons sections.

Education is emphasized in several ways. The home page features Testimonials from actual students and fun Language Tips, with both sections refreshed with new content on each page. A visitor can learn more about our qualifications and values by clicking on About Us and Our Teachers.

Interaction with the Brazilian Community gives depth to instruction, since all language thrives in a context. Links to Sites provides web sites covering current events in the Brazilian Community such as dining, sports, dance, and art. These activities present opportunities for a more dynamic learning experience.

We hope the new site effectively reflects our desire to provide quality and valuable services.

The dazzling view at Iguaçu Falls in Paraná, Brazil.

Starting this month, we will feature a different Brazilian destination in each newsletter. We decided to start with an amazing natural attraction, Iguaçu Falls, the "Great Water."

The Iguaçu Falls are located in Southern Brazil, in the state of Paraná. The Falls span 1.7 miles along the border between Argentina and Brazil and plummet 269 feet into the Iguaçu River below. Rocky and wooded islands along the Falls' horse-shoe shaped perimeter divide the Falls into over 275 individual waterfalls and cataracts, including Devil's Throat (Gargantua del Diablo), San Martin, Bessetti, and Bernabe Mendez.

For centuries, the roar of the water and the plumes of spray have left a big impression on visitors, who leave awe-struck at the power of nature. When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the Falls, she reportedly explained "Poor Niagara!" The name "Iguaçu" comes from the Guarani Indians, who called the space "Great Waters." In 1986, UNESCO declared Iguaçu Falls a Natural Heritage of Mankind site. To learn more about Iguaçu Falls, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls.

Portuguese-speakers chat at a past bate papo.

Welcome back from your summer adventures! Come share stories of trips to Brazil (or anywhere else!) and your plans for the fall at a bate-papo (relaxed conversation) over pão de queijo (cheese bread sold at the café) and Brazilian coffee.

We will meet at the Brazil Coffee House on Wednesday, September 12 at 7pm. This is an opportunity for people to practice Portuguese and also meet new friends in a laid-back environment.

Brazil Coffee House
161 Lexington Avenue
(Lexington & 30th Street)
New York, NY 100164
Get directions

l-r: Carioca and his ensemble play Joe's Pub; A scene from Fish Dreams, screening at the Latinbeat Festival.

Carioca at the Joe’s Pub – Thursday, September 6 at 9:30 pm

Ronaldo Freitas, known as Carioca to the music world, is recognized internationally for his work as a guitarist, vocalist, and composer. From its start in rock bands in his hometown of Rio de Janerio, Carioca’s career has explored Brazil’s many musical forms. Carioca uses this repertoire of traditional rhythms to create richly layered music with humor and soul. Carioca and his talented ensemble, featuring Luis Carlos Xavier Guello on percussion and Dimos Goudaroulis on cello, will play compositions from his newest CD Uirapuru at Joe’s Pub on Thursday, September 6 at 9:30pm. For more information, check http://web.joespub.com.

Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 967-7555
Get directions

Latinbeat Film Festival at Lincoln Center - September 7-18

The Latinbeat Film Festival at Lincoln Center begins its 10th season this September. The past decade has brought many changes to Latin American cinema, broadening the breadth and depth of the cinematic styles represented, while in no way diminishing the excitement and urgency that marked earlier works. This year marks a new milestone with the screening of the Festival's first Central American films. Latinbeat 2007 features 23 films from 12 Latin American countries, including the Brazilian movies Fish Dreams (Sonhos de Peixe), Mutum, and My Grandmother Has a Video Camera. For more information on the Festival and to see a complete listing of the films, visit the Latinbeat webpage.

Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th Street, between Broadway & Amsterdam
New York, NY 10023
(212) 875-5600
Get directions

Estômago de avestruz (Ostrich's stomach):
Someone who eats anything
.
Quebrar o galho (To break a branch):
To improvise
.
Bafo de onça (Leopard´s breath):
Bad mouth odor
.
Chorar de barriga cheia (To cry of full belly):
To complain without reason
.
Dar com a língua nos dentes (To put your tongue at your teeth):
To tell someone a secret
.
Lavar as mãos (To wash hands):
To express no opinion
.
Enfiar o pé na jaca (To put your foot inside the jaca, a Brazilian fruit):
To commit excesses
.
Trocar as bolas (To misplace balls):
To get confused
.
Amarrar a cara (To tie the face):
To frown