Dia-de-Amigos… já cheira a Carnaval!

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Maria

Carnaval - Maria Oliveira Language CenterNos Açores a folia do Carnaval, ou Entrudo, começa já hoje com a celebração do Dia de Amigos, prolongando-se por um mês, com o festejar do Dia de Amigos, Amigas, Compadres e Comadres, a cada quinta-feira das quatro semanas que antecedem o Carnaval, terminando na ‘Terça-feira Gorda’ ou ‘de Carnaval’.

Estas ‘quintas-feiras’ estão mais que enraizadas na cultura açoriana atual, sendo esperadas com grande ansiedade pelos açorianos. As origens desta celebração remetem-nos ao século XIX e à sociedade rural de então, quando, nas diversas freguesias, as pessoas se reuniam para escolher o trigo e outros cereais que seriam utilizados nas comemorações do Espírito Santo. Estas reuniões aconteciam normalmente aos serões de quinta-feira, nos quais se declamavam poesias e cantigas que louvavam a amizade.

Com o passar dos anos, as celebrações deste dia foram-se transformando em almoços de amigos e colegas de trabalho. Mas hoje, já não há quem não dê um abraço de ‘Feliz Dia-de-Amigos’ aos amigos, colegas e vizinhos, sendo o dia marcado por convívios, almoços e jantaradas que se prolongam pela noite dentro, pautados por muito divertimento e alegria, celebrando a amizade. A tradição destes almoços e jantares é tal, que originam uma oportunidade comercial para restaurantes e bares, pois estes enchem com grupos prontos para a folia, havendo mesmo ementas especiais e outras atrações.

Ditam as ‘regras’ destes dias que em Dia-de-Amigos saem apenas os homens, nos seus grupos de amigos, enquanto na próxima quinta-feira saem apenas ‘as amigas’ – mas neste último, há sempre quem fuja à ‘regra’… Nas quintas-feiras sCarnaval - Maria Oliveira Language Center, Richmond, CAeguintes saem os Compadres, e na última quinta-feira já véspera de Carnaval, as Comadres. Estas últimas acabam por se tornar já em verdadeiras celebrações de Carnaval, saindo compadres, comadres, mas também todos os que queiram festejar, havendo normalmente bailes e festas nestas noites.

Deixamo-los assim, com uma tradição genuinamente açoriana, uma das mais vivas e alegres, e com razão para tal, pois parar para celebrar a amizade é celebrar a humanidade, os valores e, no fundo, a vida!

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Five Tips for Beginning Language Study

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Maria

language study

In today’s global market, being bilingual can put you ahead of the competition. The ability to express yourself in another language means you can communicate with a far wider network of contacts, customers, and clients. It’s easy to see how your second language skills can provide your employer with an increase in revenue and a savings in resources. But it’s more personal than that; being bilingual increases your value to the company, offers exciting new opportunities both at home and abroad, and has the potential to influence salary in a positive way. It might be overwhelming to start a language study program, but if you keep your goals in mind, this is an achievable project. Here are five tips to get you started.

1. When choosing a language to study, consider the news of the day. Look for growing foreign markets, political developments, and even conflicts in, or with, other parts of the world. The ability to speak the language in any of these arenas is where the demand lies.

2. Look for a traditional face-to-face class in your chosen language. This is the most reliable method of study, but using CDs and other materials will also develop your vocabulary and provide good practice in pronunciation.

3. Don’t take shortcuts. Rote memorization has its place in all study programs, but it is most important to build a strong foundation in the structure of the language. This means you must learn the rules of grammar, punctuation, and correct word choice.

4. Be persistent. Language learning does not happen over night. That’s why acquainting yourself with fellow language learners provide a great support system for you. If you get discouraged, it is easier to remember your goals and to restore your enthusiasm if you are part of a group of similar-minded people. Having a good mentor is another way to get that encouragement. A good teacher can fill that role and provide you with ways to circumvent any setbacks. And don’t forget to stay informed through language learning blogs, articles, and other internet resources; these can provide support as well through success stories, study tips, and a sense of community.

5. Study abroad. Whether you have only just begun to study or if you have advanced significantly in your new language, nothing beats language immersion for true language acquisition. Going on a study abroad program puts you face to face with native speakers, acquaints you with the culture in which your second language predominates, and helps you to learn moment to moment as you engage others in your new language. You’ll be testing your skills, and you will be rewarded well for your efforts.

As with all new undertakings, the best way to begin is to take that first step. That step could be to determine your goals, or to pick your language, or to sign up for a class. You’ll find that each successful step leads you to further success; before you know it you will be well on your way to becoming bilingual. Don’t let monolingualism be a set back in your life. Let us know if we can be of assistance to you. We offer a variety of language learning programs and live classes at reasonable prices. Begin learning your second language today at Maria Oliveira Language Learning Center!

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Fajã de Santo Cristo

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Maria

Fajã de Santo Cristo on São Jorge IslandOne of many memorable days on our recent language immersion tour of the Azores Islands took place while visiting Fajã de Santo Cristo on São Jorge island. A fajã is a flat, often sloping piece of land found along the coast and is formed by the lava flows from volcanos and debris from crumbling cliffs. São Jorge has 46 fajãs, more than any of the other eight islands.

The Fajã de Santo Cristo may be the most beautiful fajã in São Jorge, but it is certainly notFajã de Santo Cristo on São Jorge Island the easiest one to visit. After parking the car at fajã dos Cubres, there is a 9 kilometer walk, more than 5 miles, to the Fajã de Santo Cristo itself. For this reason this is an optional trip on our tours. But on this fine day everyone agreed to take the trip, and it was well worth the effort. Along the way we enjoyed fantastic views of the islands of Pico and Faial. The weather was perfect, and we hardly noticed how long a hike it was.

On arrival we were so struck with the beauty of the place that we sat for a while just taking it in. This fajã encompasses a lagoon before it curves away into the sea. Across the lagoon are a few houses belonging to local residents, a church and a small restaurant. We admired the reflections of the mountains in the lagoon, and then we decided to explore.

As we hiked around the fajã we watched the shifting views of the land and ocean, peered into an almost hidden underground cave, and decided that yes, Fajã de Santo Cristo is probably the most beautiful fajã of all. But the best was yet to come.

Fajã de Santo Cristo on São Jorge IslandBecause the tide was out we were able to see vast clumps of lapas along the shoreline. Lapas are limpets, a mollusk with a dome-like shell that clings to rocks to keep from being washed out to sea. And they are very tasty! Using a small knife we pried them off the rocks and ate them without any preparation at all! They are safe to eat raw as we can certainly attest to, and they are delicious that way, but many people grill them or make a stew of them with rice. Eating them as we did we were reminded of oysters, clams, and other shellfish that can be eaten fresh from the waters. When we had our fill of lapas we walked back to the lagoon and spent some time digging clams, which we also ate on the spot!

We eventually wandered over to the buildings we had seen and there found a pleasant restaurant to enjoy coffee and rest from the exertion of feeding ourselves. It was time to leave when we saw the clouds starting to change. Sure enough, on our hike back to the car it sprinkled on us, and somehow this was as much fun as anything else we had done that day. Wet and happily tired we climbed into the car and headed back to the main road.

Fajã de Santo Cristo on São Jorge IslandAlong the way a local rancher was guiding his herd of cows to a new pasture and he clearly didn’t care if we were in his path. Suddenly we were surrounded by cows on all sides. Surrounded first by the glorious ocean and now surrounded by a sea of cows, we laughed and decided it was the perfect end to a perfect day!

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