Sao Paulo Reports

[QUOTE=RahulMangla2009;3015231]I will try my best to pick some basic Brazilian Portuguese. I have working knowledge of Spanish, but realize that won't be useful in Brazil.[/QUOTE]Actually, having Spanish is quite useful. There are enough similarities that if you speak it well enough and slowly enough many Brazilians will get what you are saying. But, you won't understand them! But trust me. English plus Spanish plus a good translator app will take you a long way. I'm already a Spanish speaker and have been studying Brazilian Portuguese for a few months now, and I have good conversational Portuguese already. My command of Spanish has made the learning easy. By the time I return I'm going to be golden!

[QUOTE=RahulMangla2009;3015230]But around 3/4 am I realize that I should see someone else as well[/QUOTE]For various reasons, one can leave empty handed. But in your case, if budget is not a problem, then you should not unless it is a bad night. That may happen but rarely.

I suggest you to go to Casarao after midnight if you don't find anyone. The reason being that the same or the same type of girl that charges 1000 in Scandallo which may be considered overpriced would charge 500 at Casarao which could be considered a steal. I would only go to Casarao to find something cheaper, not something better, relatively speaking.

I suspect that you may not like Casarao. I spent a many nights there because I stayed near by and I don't like it. I am a slow guy, and Casarao is fast-paced

[QUOTE=TheCane;3015311]By the time I return I'm going to be golden![/QUOTE]What took you so long to start?

[QUOTE=Nounce;3015331]What took you so long to start?[/QUOTE]My career. I just never had the time! But now I can say I speak three languages. English, Spanish, and Portuguese. But, I will still use a translator app for the Portuguese until I really have my confidence with it like I do with Spanish.

[QUOTE=TheCane;3015180]We were in Rio around the same time earlier this year. I think I was about halfway through my trip when you arrived, so we were seeing the same thing at Solarium. It wasn't the best talent I've ever seen there. But not nearly the worst either. When in Rio I always have to stop in on Solarium at least once to see what's cooking. But this is the Sao Paulo thread, so best to turn it back to that.[/QUOTE]It was only in my visit earlier this year that Solarium had the best talent. In my earliest trips to Rio decades ago Centaurus had the best talent for me. Second and third would be L'uomo then Monte Carlo. But in those days I mostly sessioned Help garotas. When Help closed I stopped going to Rio then shifted to Sao Paulo which had very hot girls but the service was not as good as Rio; no place in the world has girls who give as good service as cariocas.

[QUOTE=TheCane;3015311]Actually, having Spanish is quite useful. There are enough similarities that if you speak it well enough and slowly enough many Brazilians will get what you are saying. But, you won't understand them! But trust me. English plus Spanish plus a good translator app will take you a long way. I'm already a Spanish speaker and have been studying Brazilian Portuguese for a few months now, and I have good conversational Portuguese already. My command of Spanish has made the learning easy. By the time I return I'm going to be golden![/QUOTE]But be careful when speaking Spanish to a Brazilian. Make sure they know you understand Portuguese is their language but maybe they can understand your Spanish.

[QUOTE=CatBert55;3015360]But be careful when speaking Spanish to a Brazilian. Make sure they know you understand Portuguese is their language but maybe they can understand your Spanish.[/QUOTE]You shouldn't just go blabbering away in Spanish like assuming a Brazilian understands. Very rude. What I do is ask if they understand some Spanish first. But even if they say no, I have found that if you speak slowly many actually will understand you. But less of an issue for me now. Because I speak basic, conversational Portuguese thanks to my recent studies!

Even lusitanian Portuguese poses some difficulty for Brazilians to understand if they don't hail from the more educated classes. Expecting Spanish to be very helpful is naive, though it is useful as a background from which to learn Portuguese.

[QUOTE=XXL;3015462]Even lusitanian Portuguese poses some difficulty for Brazilians to understand if they don't hail from the more educated classes. Expecting Spanish to be very helpful is naive, though it is useful as a background from which to learn Portuguese.[/QUOTE]There's nothing naive about it at all. I've been going to Brazil for a couple of decades with just English and Spanish and a little bit Portuguese, and having a blast! Then when smartphones and translator apps came along that took it to a whole new level. I'm a seasoned Brazil traveler who knows what I'm talking about. [B]Simple[/B] Spanish used in the right way can be helpful when trying to communicate in Brazil. Even with uneducated prostitutes and doormen! I know because I have successfully used it over the years and won't let anyone deny me of my own lived experience. But for me it's all irrelevant now. I speak conversational Portuguese (and could always read simple Portuguese due to my Spanish). And I'm getting better every day!

[QUOTE=Turgid;3015336]It was only in my visit earlier this year that Solarium had the best talent. In my earliest trips to Rio decades ago Centaurus had the best talent for me. Second and third would be L'uomo then Monte Carlo. But in those days I mostly sessioned Help garotas. When Help closed I stopped going to Rio then shifted to Sao Paulo which had very hot girls but the service was not as good as Rio; no place in the world has girls who give as good service as cariocas.[/QUOTE]I thought I was one of the few who thought that Cariocas naturally provide a GFE service. It is almost like they put themselves in a movie while at it. I haven't come across this type of service elsewhere.

[QUOTE=XXL;3015462]Even lusitanian Portuguese poses some difficulty for Brazilians to understand if they don't hail from the more educated classes. Expecting Spanish to be very helpful is naive, though it is useful as a background from which to learn Portuguese.[/QUOTE]I find that my gringo Spanish is often times an impediment to my understanding Portuguese when spoken by ordinary Brazilians. The words on paper are similar, but the pronunciation gets me almost every time. KKK! I am still learning.

[QUOTE=TheCane;3015471]There's nothing naive about it at all. I've been going to Brazil for a couple of decades with just English and Spanish and a little bit Portuguese, and having a blast! Then when smartphones and translator apps came along that took it to a whole new level. I'm a seasoned Brazil traveler who knows what I'm talking about. [B]Simple[/B] Spanish used in the right way can be helpful when trying to communicate in Brazil. Even with uneducated prostitutes and doormen! I know because I have successfully used it over the years and won't let anyone deny me of my own lived experience. But for me it's all irrelevant now. I speak conversational Portuguese (and could always read simple Portuguese due to my Spanish). And I'm getting better every day![/QUOTE]Yeah kkk I get old women, elderly men, stupid kids mistaking me for the security guy, doorman, department store manager, all the fvcking time when they are looking for help in a department store or supermercado. It took a half a beat to understand why they are all calling "moco". My girl and I , we are busy buying men clothes in rachelo, 25 de marco, or the tailored shops in bras ,she wants me to dress "chave demais" because I have some " drip" about me. Fine. So we are in loja C & A , Rachelo ,half dozen random people coming up to me in conversations starting with "moco ajudar" or tio tio. Kkk. i like the translate app that can handle slang or local expressions . now no problem speaking porto.

Same thing in the clubs its just easier for conversations to flow. Plus a great spotify list of Ax,Baile Funk, Sertanej and urbano / trap music gets those garotos going and some porto.

[QUOTE=AxelHeyst;3015512]I find that my gringo Spanish is often times an impediment to my understanding Portuguese when spoken by ordinary Brazilians. The words on paper are similar, but the pronunciation gets me almost every time. KKK! I am still learning.[/QUOTE]Agreed, particularly in Rio with the heavy 'ggjjuuuhhh' sound. I'm not sure how to best write LOL. While basic Spanish is helpful, many words that you'd think are the same are completely different, for example gym (En) - gimnasio (Sp) - academnia (Po) or birthday (En) - cumpleanos (Sp) - anniversario (Po) or thank you (En) - gracias (Sp) - obrigado (Po). Also querer (I want) in Spanish, translates more so as I love in Portuguese. This is just a small number. I need to consciously switch my brain around a little. Porto is easier in some ways because verb conjugation of he / she / you (informal) is basically the same, however there are 12 different tenses.

[QUOTE=Chicago85;3015596]Agreed, particularly in Rio with the heavy 'ggjjuuuhhh' sound. I'm not sure how to best write LOL. While basic Spanish is helpful, many words that you'd think are the same are completely different, for example gym (En) - gimnasio (Sp) - academnia (Po) or birthday (En) - cumpleanos (Sp) - anniversario (Po) or thank you (En) - gracias (Sp) - obrigado (Po). Also querer (I want) in Spanish, translates more so as I love in Portuguese. This is just a small number. I need to consciously switch my brain around a little. Porto is easier in some ways because verb conjugation of he / she / you (informal) is basically the same, however there are 12 different tenses.[/QUOTE]The verb "querer" is used in the exact same way in Spanish. Yes, it means "to want". But, it's also very commonly used to express love and affection for another. Examples are "quiero mi mama" and "quiero mi esposa (wife)".

[QUOTE=TheCane;3015600]The verb "querer" is used in the exact same way in Spanish. Yes, it means "to want". But, it's also very commonly used to express love and affection for another. Examples are "quiero mi mama" and "quiero mi esposa (wife)".[/QUOTE]Ah-ah you fell into you own trap here. The correct form is "quiero a mi esposa" and "quiero a mi mama". Direct object with respect to a living being are preceded by preposition "a".

Portuguese is considered somewhat more difficult than Spanish, not only on account of its richer pronounciation. For example gender is less predictable in Portuguese, and does not always tally with the same words in Spanish (ex. El viage / a viagem; la samba / o samba etc.). Portuguese still has a future subjunctive tense which is obsolete in Spanish, as well as a "personal infinitive" tense which is quite an oddity since an infinitive is per definition a tenseless form. On the plus side, in Brazilian Portuguese you don't have to worry about the second person (Spanish: tu / vosotros).