My eyes had been popping out of my head all week. Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Dois Irmaos, Ipanema Beach - Rio de Janeiro had been throwing postcard vistas at me left, right and centre. But one night while walking on the decidedly less famous Boulevard Olimpico in the city’s freshly gentrified port district, formerly a decaying industrial bayside rustbucket prior to the games, I came face to face with a giant mural of a woman with long black hair blowing to her

​ After over a year and much blood, sweat and tears, or more realistically, sun, sand and samba, enough Brazilian Portuguese has seeped into my veins that I can actually help out newly arriving gringos with some words and phrases. Brazilian Portuguese is the same language as Portuguese and when written formally they are largely the same. But we use language first and foremost to talk, and Brazilians have their own words, phrases and slang unique to them, just like with Aust

If you’re thinking of coming on a holiday to Brazil and Rio it's a great life choice to make, believe me. There can be a lot to get your head around as a tourist though so here are some travel tips and advice for anyone that wants to jump on a plane for a Brazilian holiday. Follow these and you'll thank me later. 1. COME! Brazil’s reputation is bipolar, it’s either known for out-of-control gang violence and petty crime or for its crazy culture, beautiful nature and even mor

You lose part of yourself when you try talk in another language. That quick wit, an off the cuff observation, a complex thought, jokes, all suppressed as you try and think just how the hell to say them. It's been eye opening, stumbling my way through interactions and being on the outside of conversations. All of a sudden I'm the stupid one. But learning a foreign language overseas is definitely one of the best things anyone can do, especially English speakers. We live in co

Walking through a Rio de Janeiro favela I was told by my resident guide that the order from the most senior gangsters is to not lay a hand on visitors. She said I could navigate the Cantagalo favela’s steep maze of pathways, streets and stairs safely with a Brazilian or even alone, something more people are not afraid to do. Because of this Cariocas often say you’re safer from being robbed inside them than near the beaches. Bringing in money to an economy once off limits

You can practically feel the sun and samba beats bursting out of Brazilians mouths. Yet when the coolest and sexiest accents in the world are spoken about you hear of the Irish, French, Italians or us Aussies. Even one of the many Spanish-speaking countries will usually be tossed up. But Brazil, not so much. Let me tell you though it should be on those lists because it is without a doubt one of the best accents in the world. And it sounds nothing like Spanish. Brazil

The question wasn't why would I come to Rio it was why wouldn't I? Here I was, a stereotypical monolingual English-speaking dude. I had no understanding of the struggles and memory-searing moments which come from ditching the comforts of home to enter the unknown. So late last year I found myself with a huge desire to not only live overseas for the first time, but to learn a new language and culture. As 2015 wound down it became clear this trip wasn’t about sliding in so