Capoeira: Espetáculo da Cultura Brasileira

A capoeira pode ser considerada, em sua origem, uma luta marcial dos africanos. No tempo da escravidão, os negros capoeiristas, além de temidos, eram caçados. Hoje ela é admirada e, em Natal, tornou-se um espetáculo e um meio de vida que esbanja energia e mostra a beleza de nossa cultura.

Experimentei, com prazer, as sensações de um belíssimo show de capoeira na praia de Ponta Negra, em Natal. Além dos golpes e peripécias dos capoeiristas, chamou-me também atenção a mistura de línguas em volta da roda de capoeira. Eram turistas brasileiros, italianos, suíços, alemães, americanos que, encantados, admiravam o espetáculo. Podíamos ouvir o berimbau acompanhando os cantos que misturavam o português com línguas africanas e, ao mesmo tempo, escutar as palavras de admiração que os estrangeiros proferiam em suas línguas. Naquele momento, viajei no tempo e no espaço e cheguei à Torre de Babel.

Não existem mais fronteiras. O mundo contemporâneo tornou-se uma aldeia global onde as culturas se encontram e se misturam. Nunca foi tão urgente o reconhecimento do outro e o respeito ao seu estar no mundo. Suponho que os professores de línguas precisam investir tempo e esforço para inserir-se nessa nova realidade e aprender a lidar com as diferenças. Penso que esse é um novo caminho para o desenvolvimento do ensino e da aprendizagem.

Orlando José Ribeiro dos Santos

Visita à Coluna Capitolina Del Pretti - Natal/RN- Brasil

Quando visitei a cidade de Natal, capital do Rio Grande do Norte, em 2008, me surpreendi com uma coluna romana no largo do Instituto Histórico e geográfico. Fiquei muito curioso e quiz saber como aquela coluna chegou até ali.

Em 1931, o governo italiano presenteou o povo Potiguar com a coluna Capitolina como gratidão pela acolhida aos aviadores italianos Carlo Del Prete e Arturo Ferrarin. Em 5 de julho de 1928, esses destemidos pilotos atravessaram o Oceano Atlântico num vôo direto de Roma a Natal a bordo de um hidroavião.

De acordo com o relato de historiadores, a coluna foi retirada das ruínas do templo sagrado de Júpiter, no norte do Capitólio na antiga Roma, por determinação de Benito Mussolini. Também há notícias de que o monumento sofreu, durante muito tempo, severas críticas por parte dos comunistas em Natal e chegou a ser derrubado. Esteve sumido durante algum tempo, passou por diferentes lugares até ser colocado na praça Carlos Gomes. Atualmente a coluna Capitolina pode ser vista e visitada no largo do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico.

A coluna é impressionante. Trata-se de um elemento que testemunhou a ascensão e queda do império romano e tudo o que ele representa para o mundo ocidental. A origem da nossa Língua Portuguesa está profundamente ligada à civilização dos Césares. Portanto, não há como ficar indiferente a um monumento dessa natureza.

Visit Brazil and discover a new World.

Autor: Prof. Orlando Ribeiro

Professor David Crystal Explains Global English

Professor David Crystal is one of the most important linguists nowadays. In this video he explains in few words and clearly not only the origin of Global English, but also what it really is as well as why it is acquiring a so remarkable global position.

If you are an English language lerner and are interested in knowing more about the current hole of English around the World, you can't help to watch this video. Feel free to comment!

An Insane Playoff Stunt

Crazy! Wonderful! Unbelievable!

You could use one of this adjectives to label the acrobatic stunt of Bango, the funny Bucks' mascot, from a 16ft ladder to throw down at the Bucks home Playoff Game 4 at the Bradley Center.

Don't you believe it? So check the video and make your comment!

São Paulo's old times

Dear friends & students, I'd like to recomend you to watch this spectacular video about São Paulo. In addition to taking the opportunity to practice your English listening and understanding, you will also be able to keep contact with an old view about the "terra da garoa" that exists no more. It is really a document about São Paulo's history and culture. So enjoy it!

Do you have courage to bobsled?

Vancouver is giving the World the opportunity to experience marvelous moments with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. One of the sports that catchs my attention is bobsled. But, as on can ask me, what is bobsled? So I have only one tip to give you, my friend: remember that famous movie named "Cool Runnings"? Yes. That is bobsled!

Bobsled is a winter sport which is also known as bobsleigh, bobsleding or bobsledge was created in the 19th century by Americans and Englishmen who was on vacation in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

In its practice, teams composed by two or four people make timed runs down a narrow, twisting, banked, iced half-pipe track in a gravity-powered sled.

The first time Men's four-crew bobsled took part in Winter Olympic Games was in 1924, and men's two-crew bobsled was added in 1932. Women's bobsled started competing in the early 1990s, and women's two-crew bobsled appeare for the first time in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Furthermore, there are very important Bobsled competitions as American, European, and World Cup championships.

International bobsled competitions are ruled by the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT).


Please, click on the link to watch a wild ride on a bobsled on Youtube.

Source: Wikipedia

By Orlando Ribeiro
on Feb 20, 2010

Festival Brazil in London

From Jun 19 to Set 5, 2010 Festival Brazil is presenting in London not only what a "baiana" has, but also the Brazilian multifaceted cultural heritage which includes music, visual arts, dance, literature, debates and food.

Conceived to emphasize the importance of Brazil in the world scenario, Festival Brazil will show Brazilian stars like the singer Maria Bethânia, the song-writer Gilberto Gil, the legendary psychedelic rock band Os Mutantes and the tropicália star Tom Zé.

In addition, the Festival Brazil will still count on many other attractions including the fantastic performance of the world masters of capoeira; the Campana Brothers, Brazil's most famous designers; Socrates, the captain of the great Brazilian football team of the eighties; Arnaldo Antunes, a writer and performer who is beyond boundaries thanks to his poetry and music experiments in video and fine arts.

In truth, Brazil has much more than football, beautiful women and beaches to offer the World. Please access the Southbank Centre website to get detailed information about the event.


Fonte: Southbank Centre

Festival Brazil Video

Londres receberá festival de cultura brasileira (portuguese)

By Orlando Ribeiro
on 02/15/2010

Valentine's Day Tradition

Valentine's Day , traditionally known as Saint Valentine's Day, is an annual celebration that takes place on February 14. It celebrates love and affection not only between lovers, but also between companions.

The history of Valentine's Day is surrounded by various fanciful legends. According to the Infoplease Encyclopedia, It has his roots in a ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, which celebrated fertility every year on February 15. In the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day, establishing February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day.

According to tradition, Valentines's day is a special day on which lovers give expression to their love for each other by gifting flowers, offering candy and other sweets as well as sending greeting cards (aka "valentines").

Currently, Valentine's Day counts on particular symbols including the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the charming figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have been replaced to mass-produced greeting cards.

SOURCE: Wikipedia.org

Please, visit the following links for getting more information about the Valentine's Day:

Valentines's day (wikipedia.org)

Valentine's Day History (Text)

Valentine's Day History (Video)


By Orlando Ribeiro
02/10/2010