Portuguese is the main language heard in all of Brazil. This is because Portugal colonized Brazil starting in the year 1500. You also can hear Japanese in some part of São Paulo because it has the largest Japanese diaspora (people from a country who live outside that country) in the world!
In Brazil, we use the Brazilian Real. Right now, one dollar equals about four reais (pronounced hey-ays). This currency has actually only existed since 1994! It was created to help improve the economy in Brazil and replace an older version of currency.
In Brazil, it is best to drink bottled or filtered water. Because of this, you can find bottles of water sold almost anywhere for cheap. The price varies depending on the bottling company and the store, but it is generally less than two reais (which is just over $0.50 in dollars).
My favorite meal this week was Feijoada (pronounced: fay-jho-ah-dah). It is like a bean and pork stew that is served almost everywhere in São Paulo on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We made it for a friend's birthday party at our house.
