Happy Halloween!

Hallowe’en is a popular festival in many countries all over the world, and every year it seems to get bigger. Now, in the northern hemisphere, it’s getting dark earlier and it’s starting to get cold. Christmas is still a long way away. They need something to cheer them up and take their minds off the fact that winter is nearly there!

“O Halloween, diferentemente do que muito se propaga, não é uma festa unicamente americana e pagã. É uma mistureba com elementos dos antigos celtas, de romanos, de irlandeses e ingleses da Idade Média e dos primeiros séculos de tradição cristã.

Se o Halloween é o resultado de 2 mil anos de adaptações e evoluções, está mais que na hora de o saci maluco invadir a festa do vampiro importado. O Halloween marcava a mudança de estações. E nisso um Halloween brasileiro levaria vantagem. Não é o inverno gélido e decrépito que bate à porta. É o verão.”

Halloween jogo-da-maca

Read the full article here.

Hurray! I’ve made it!

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“I made it” — You accomplished something. You would be telling someone about a specific time that you did something.

“I made it” is used with a reference to a specific time, often implicitly now or today, if you want to refer to something that happened in the past. For example, one would say “I made it” after climbing to the peak of a mountain, or when saying “I made it as a professional swimmer on 2 January 1982 when I won the gold metal.” Or still, “My father was a businessman. He made it big in business.”

“I have made it” is used without a specific reference to time. Thus, it means the event happened at some point in the past but the speaker isn’t being explicit about time.

“I’ve made it” — You did not accomplish something. You are telling someone that, in the grand scheme of your life, you have done something.

For example, “I have made it as a professional swimmer”, means the speaker succeeded in becoming a professional swimmer but isn’t being specific about the time that he succeeded.

It’s a very subtle difference. Here are some more examples:

Today I challenged myself to run a mile, and I made it.

I have always wanted to swim across the river, and I’ve made it!

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https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/48310/i-made-it-vs-ive-made-it

Oktoberfest Blumenau! A big event!

While you might not expect to find one of the world’s largest Oktoberfests in Brazil, the former German colony of Blumenau in the state of Santa Catarina rivals Munich as much for its authenticity as it does for the passion of its celebrations! Founded in 1984, the 18-day Blumenau Oktoberfest is a culturally rich blend of folklore and tradition, and gives locals and tourists alike the chance to fully immerse themselves in a wide range of carefully preserved German customs – including of course, bratwursts and beer!

Do know how to pronounce this word “event” the right way? Listen and repeat!

Oktoberfest 2017! 10 Reasons to celebrate it here!

OKTOBERFEST 2017

1. The second largest Oktoberfest outside Germany

Blumenau hosts the world’s second largest Oktoberfest outside Germany! The Brazilian city of Blumenau hosted over 500,000 visitors to Oktoberfest in these last few years (the city has a population of almost 350,000) for 18 days of beer guzzling, dancing, singing, parades, fun, oh and some German culture with that Brazilian flair! It is a party not to be missed.

2. Location

Blumenau and Pomerode are situated in the European Valley in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. This area was named such due to the beautiful rolling green hills and land that was settled by Europeans mainly from Germany and Italy. The views are amazing. Imagine rolling green hills with quaint little German style farms and homes, near streams and rivers, cows grazing freely. The countryside here is absolutely beautiful!

3.  The most German city in Brazil

A short drive from Blumenau lies the small city of Pomerode. Pomerode is called the most German city in Brazil.  Most of this city’s inhabitants are bilingual in German and Portuguese.

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4.  The costumes

Brazilians love to dress up in costume! You can purchase your own traditional German costume at many of the areas gift shops. People who wear costumes to Oktoberfest get in half priced! The amount of people dressed up in German clothing just brings extra excitement and fun to the festivities. It puts everyone in the mood to have a great time!

5.  People watching

Brazil is home to some of the most beautiful people in the world, in part due to having so much ethnic diversity.

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6. The food

With the large German immigrant community you are bound to have some quality German food. It is all available – schnitzel, sausages, spetztl, etc. The batata recheada – or stuffed potato – rules all at the Blumenau Oktoberfest.

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7.  The weather

The weather in Brazil in October is amazing. It is spring and it’s not too hot and not cold. The temperature runs between 69 and 85 degrees fahrenheit this time of year.

8.  The beaches

Blumenau is close proximity to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Where else can you party at one of the largest Oktoberfest’s in the world one day and lay out in your swimsuit at the beach the next?

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9.  The beer

You can enjoy Oktoberfest even if you are not a beer drinker. If you don’t like beer try some of the wines local to Brazil and the famous Brazilian cocktail the Caipirinha! For the non-drinkers out there, Brazil is known for having some of the best fresh juices in the world!

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10.  The parades

The Oktoberfest parade is full of beautiful dancing men and women, children, sleeping babies being pulled in wagons while parents enjoyed a few beers, bicycles, fun German themed floats, a giant pig float, marching bands, lively music pumped from speakers on the floats, folkloric groups, hunting and shooting clubs, Oktoberfest royalty, and the list goes on and on. Everyone goes to the parade, both young and old. The parade goers are also participants, singing and dancing along, cheering for the people in the procession. The parade occurs every Wednesday at 7:30p.m. and every Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in downtown Blumenau. Attending the parade is a must to get into the party mood!

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Based on http://elizabethanddaleabroad.com/2015/03/20/oktoberfest-brazilian-style/

See more at http://www.oktoberfestblumenau.com.br/en/