Carnaval, or Carnival, officially starts on Saturday, February 6, and ends na quarta-feira de cinzas, on Ash Wednesday, February 10. That’s officially since some cities, like Salvador in Bahia, have ten-day celebrations. In many places, Carnaval started out as a … Continue reading
This summer, my family and I spent a few days traveling in southwestern Ireland, and while we (unsurprisingly) didn’t have any trouble communicating in English (Irish English and American English aren’t that different), we did have some trouble when asking for directions … Continue reading
An essential part of learning to communicate in a new language is learning about the culture of those that speak it. This is particularly true if you plan to do business in your new language. Chinese is no exception. On the … Continue reading
Thinking about visiting Thailand? Timing is key. There are three seasons —ฤดู (rue:´-duu)—in Thailand: “cold,” “hot,” and “rainy.” The “cold” season is no quite cold the way many of us think of it: take a look below at the seasons … Continue reading
English (and other languages) have borrowed a number of words of French origin through science, literature, or cultural influences. They are either adopted as is, or anglicized, but they always preserve a bit of their authentic French character. In conversation or text, they impart … Continue reading
La Fête des Rois is a family tradition in France around the Catholic holiday of Epiphany (January 6). The tradition dates back to Roman times and involves the sharing of the Galette des Rois, a puff-pastry tart that nowadays one can … Continue reading