Take in the views of Belo Horizonte with a discounted flight from American Airlines.

Belo Horizonte ("Beautiful Horizon") is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. Belo Horizonte is also known as "Belô" or "Beagá," from the sound of its initials "BH" in Portuguese.

BH is a planned city, designed to be the State's capital. Its layout features square sections drawn out by broad avenues, intersected diagonally by smaller streets. The city lies in the middle of the Minas Gerais state, completely surrounded by mountains. This central location is intended to bring together the many parts of this very diverse state.

One of the nicest things about visiting Belo Horizonte is that, unlike the majority of popular Brazilian cities, its economy is not based primarily on tourism. It offers interesting leisure areas, a theater scene with intense artistic-cultural productions, and exquisite handcrafts available in the markets and specialized stores. Above all, it maintains an essential traditional characteristic: the mineira ("from Minas Gerais") hospitality.

The state of Minas Gerais is also known nationally for its cuisine, based around local vegetables and meats from the region's small farms. Traditional cooking is done using coal- or wood-fired ovens and cast iron pans, making for a particularly tasty flavor. Some restaurant chains have adopted these techniques and made this type of food popular in other parts of the country.

The state cuisine is showcased in various festivals year round and in many locations throughout the state, but the biggest festival is the month-long Comida di Buteco in Belo Horizonte. In 2009 this event included 41 bars (or butecos), which were selected to create a dish using ingredients traditional to local cuisine. People from all over the country and abroad rate the food, the temperature of the beer, the ambiance, and service. The winner in 2009 was the bar Café Palhares.

The people of BH are well-qualified to judge bars: The city is widely known (but without official confirmation) to have the most bars per capita in the world!

To learn more about Belo Horizonte, visit http://www.belohorizonte.info/.

American Airlines now has new routes to Brazil including Belo Horizonte, Recife, and Salvador, in addition to traditional flights to São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. They are offering 10% discount for trips purchased by November 7, 2009.

To get your discount, write to Events@BrazilStation.com with the title "Promotion Code." For more information regarding flights to Brazil or any other country, visit www.aa.com.

See "O Outro Lado Da Rua," and practice Portuguese at a bate-papo or over caipirinhas.

Bate Papo - Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 7-9pm
You are invited for a bate-papo (relaxed conversation) in Portuguese at Guy & Gallard. The event is free (you pay what you consume) and is an opportunity to practice Portuguese and meet new people. All levels of Portuguese speakers are welcome, from beginners to native speakers.

Contact us at Events@BrazilStation.com to RSVP.

Guy & Gallard
459 Park Ave South at 31st St.
New York, NY 10016
212-683-3044

Brazilian Movie Night - Monday, Nov. 16 and 23 at 6:15-8:15pm
Brazilian Movie Night is an opportunity to practice Portuguese while watching great Brazilian movies at Brazil Station. After the movie we will have a group discussion. We hope you can make it!

For this coming event we will show the drama O Outro Lado da Rua (The Other side of the Street), directed by Marcos Bernstein.

Regina (Fernanda Montenegro) is a retired 65-year-old who lives alone. She works part-time as a police informant using the invisibility that comes with her age in a host of potentially dangerous situations. When not supplying tips to the police, she sits at her window peering out at the neighboring apartment complex. But when she witnesses a murder across the way, she becomes obsessed with the investigation, and ends up getting involved with the suspect in a potentially dangerous chain of events that will force her to take stock of her life. Think Rear Window with a Brazilian twist.

On Monday, November 16 we will show the movie in Portuguese with English subtitles.

On Monday, November 23 we will show the movie in Portuguese with no subtitles.

Tickets are $7 per person and are available to the first 10 registrants. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact us at Events@BrazilStation.com or call 646-287-6645.

Brazil Station
304 Park Ave South, 11th floor (at 23rd St.)
New York, NY 10010
646-287-6645

Caipirinha night - Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 7-9pm
Let's get together for some caipirinhas at Diablo Latin Lounge. The event is free (you pay what you consume) and is an opportunity to practice Portuguese and meet new people.

There will be a drink special with $5 caipirinhas in guava, mango, passion fruit, and lime flavors. After the first caipirinha your Portuguese will be much better!

Contact us at Events@BrazilStation.com to RSVP.

Diablo Latin Lounge
125 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A in the East Village
New York, NY 10036

***

Hear Ohtake speak, learn about the life of Lispector, and see Costa and Lubambo perform.

***

A Tribute to Heitor Vila Lobos - Now until Nov. 6
An Explosion of Brazilian Art will be an exhibition to honor the internationally-acclaimed Brazilian classical composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. He has been described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th century Brazilian art music."

Villa-Lobos serves as the inspiration behind this exciting exhibit of paintings, bronze sculpture, functional wood sculpture, and works on fabric and paper. It depicts the diversity and complexity of an extremely rich visual culture. These contemporary works reveal a global posture of a modern universal vision, a fitting tribute to Villa-Lobos' international influence.

To attend this event, RSVP to alcindaS@aol.com.

United Nations (at the Secretariat Lobby)
46th Street and 1st Ave
New York, NY

***

Biography of Clarice Lispector - Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2:30pm
The author Benjamin Moser will discuss Why This World, his complex and intriguing biography of Clarice Lispector, a Jewish writer whose family escaped the pogroms in Ukraine to settle in Brazil in 1921. The book, which examines the reclusive author's traumatic family history and astonishing work, will help Lispector gain her rightful place in the 20th century literary canon.

For more information, visit www.mjhnyc.org.

Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Place
New York, NY

***

Gal Costa & Romero Lubambo Duo - Nov. 9, 11, & 12 at 8 & 10:30pm
Brazilian megastar vocalist Gal Costa returns to the Blue Note with guitarist Romero Lubambo for a set of duo concerts. Costa's key musical role in Brazil's politically charged Tropicália movement made her an international superstar. Today, she continues to push the envelope with new recordings and projects.

Lubambo, also from Brazil, is known all over the world for his work as a member of Trio Da Paz, as a soloist, and with countless musicians from a variety of genres.

Together, Costa and Lubambo explore the musical worlds of Jobim, Chico Buarque, and others whose compositions Gal has popularized with her original and signature sound.

For more information, please call 212-475-8592 or online at http://www.bluenotejazz.com, http://www.galcosta.com.br, or http://www.romerolubambo.com.

Blue Note
131 West 3rd Street
New York, NY

Milton Nascimento - Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 8pm
Milton Nacimento is one of Brazil's greatest musicians, recognized for his distinctive falsetto, tonal range, and intimate singing style. Nascimento has won international acclaim not only for his works in world music, but also in pop and jazz genres through collaborations with artists ranging from Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny to James Taylor and Sting. The Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning musician has been called one of Brazil's greatest singer/songwriters, with a career spanning 40 years and over 35 albums. In 2008, Nascimento released Novas Bossas, a record honoring the 80th anniversary of bossa nova music.

Raised by foster parents in the Três Pontas countryside of Minas Gerais in Brazil, Nascimento showed an early interest in music. After shorts stints studying piano and accordion, he taught himself to play guitar by learning portions of songs that he heard on the radio and singing along with the notes.

Nascimento soon began performing with the bossa nova groups and eventually became a pivotal figure in the development of "Clube da Esquina," a mixture of bossa nova, jazz, progressive rock, and Brazilian country music, that achieved international attention in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

For more information, visit http://www.carnegiehall.org.

Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium)
881 Seventh Avenue between 56 and 57 St.
New York, NY 10019

***

Bebel Gilberto - Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7pm
Bebel Gilberto is known for her adventurous blends of Brazilian, European, and electronic pop styles and ability to connect modern sounds with the heart and soul of Brazilian music. She has also established a reputation as an exciting, energetic concert performer. The New York-born, Brazil-raised Gilberto is celebrating the release of her newest album, All In One.

The daughter of bossa nova legend João Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto's first recording was released in 1986 at age 20. But it wasn't until she moved to London in the early `90s, where she became interested in pop and urban music, that Gilberto began to develop her trademark sound. Her international debut Tanto Tempo (2000) helped spark a resurgence in American interest in Brazilian music and sold millions worldwide. Gilberto met with critical acclaim, enjoying global success with the hits "Batucada" and "Technova."

Her music reached listeners across genres, from world music and jazz to electronic and indie. Over the years Gilberto has collaborated with artists including David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Amon Tobin, Thievery Corporated, and Nina Miranda.

For ticket information, visit http://www.ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Visit Bebel's website at http://www.bebelgilberto.com.

Hiro Ballroom
363 West 16th Street
New York, NY

Create a custom learning plan at Brazil Station.

We will have several new Group classes starting in the coming weeks. Other groups may also be formed based on demand.

1. N1B - Beginner Level 1 group class will start on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:15pm. It is for people with little or no knowledge of Portuguese.

2. N1BS - Beginner Level 1 group class for Spanish Speakers will start on Thursday, November 12 at 8pm. It is for people fluent in Spanish and/or Italian with little or no knowledge of Portuguese.

3. Travel Class - Friday, November 20 at 6:30pm
Brazil is an amazing country and we know you will enjoy your time there. To maximize your time in Brazil, Brazil Station has created a Travel Class. This two-hour group class will make Brazil more accessible and help you understand what to expect. The class will be limited to 10 students to ensure plenty of interaction and individual attention.

You will learn the essentials about the culture and language including:

• What to expect when you arrive in Brazil
• How to travel inside Brazil
• Where to shop and find good entertainment
• When, where and how much to tip
• How to say important words and phrases

If you want to register or have questions about this course, or any of our other Portuguese, Brazilian business or culture classes, please contact us at Info@BrazilStation.com or by calling 646-287-6645. We'll assess your current language level and discuss your goals for learning

We offer Private and Semi-private classes from Monday to Saturday. You can start taking classes with us at any day, any time. In addition to our traditional Portuguese classes, Brazil Stationalso offers Portuguese for Spanish and Italian Speakers, Business Portuguese, and Travel Classes. We teach off-site classes and Corporate Language Education as well.

Brazil Station
304 Park Ave South, 11th floor (at 23rd St.)
New York, NY 10010
646-287-6645