Caipirinha, Caipifruta, Caipiroska, Caipisake… which would you like? “Caipirinha” is the national Brazilian cocktail. The first caipirinha I ever tried in Brazil rocked my world! It is perfect for a hot day on the beach; the traditional version uses the acidity of lime and sweetness of sugar to balance out the burn of the cachaça […]
Partying off the tourist trail: Asian Clubbing in Sao Paulo (Balada Japa!!)
Yes, you read right, this post is about Asian nightclubs in São Paulo, Brazil. When I lived in New York, I spent many nights, some memorable and some memory-less, at a certain Asian nightlife establishment. It was such a regular part of my social life that when I relocated to São Paulo for work for half […]
How to get around Florianopolis
Despite being the island of magic, Florianópolis is infamously difficult to get around. I’m going to say this straight out: the best way to get around Floripa is with a motorcycle. The reason is that the major problems in Floripa transportation are terrible beach traffic, few roads, and infrequent/indirect buses; with a motorcycle you get […]
I found Bubble Tea in São Paulo, Brazil: Tea Station
A friend once said to me that when you move to a new country, first you change the way you speak, then you adjust the way you dress, and finally you lose your original taste buds. Having grown up in Taiwan but educated as an “American”, I’d say that the way I speak and the way […]
How to find an apartment in Florianopolis
So, you want to move to Florianopolis either just for a couple months or permanently. There are two ways to do this – the old school way – walking on the streets, or the way that we are used to – using the internet. I will talk about both and discuss the neighborhood options in […]
Funk do Brasil – Electronic music native of Brazil!
Brazil is a land of many many musical styles – The most internationally known ones being Samba and Bossa Nova, and the more nationally popular styles being Sertanejo and Forró, among many more. In the past few years, one style in particular has risen up from the favelas (ghettos) of Rio de Janeiro and become […]
Some inspiration in Portuguese
My favorite restaurant in Florianopolis is an American-run cafe/restaurant in Lagoa de Conceição, called Café Cultura. It’s a cute cafe with great coffee, desserts, meals, and free wifi (password california). Besides the very friendly waiters, my favorite thing about the cafe is all the inspirational quotes they print on their placemats.