Saturday, August 13, 2011

The Movies

So here's the thing. In Ipatinga, we have a teeny tiny little theater...Like tiny. Like no tiered seating...the screen looks like its a big, white piece of fabric strung up. Except it's not big enough...the movies don't really fit. It's quite an experience. One we go to every once in a while...but I really hope with the new mall they are building, that it's going to have a new theater...that would be wonderful!

Anyway, what I really want to talk about is language. Language is going well. I understand about 97% of everything that is said now. It is wonderful. And I find that I also don't really need to pay direct attention. I can listen to things around me and just understand. That is really a relief. All the concentration made me so tired! Anyway, but speaking is still more difficult. This is due to a couple of things. The first is that, I don't have much time to study. The second is that I'm a bad student. The third is that...well it's really just those two.

What does this have to do with the movies?

Well it's really TV and movies. I don't understand what those people are saying! They seem to be speaking so fast! But I can understand here...maybe i just understand Mineiro and not other accents? But I kind of got the impression if I could learn Mineiro, I could understand almost anything! It could also be due to the fact that I haven't been watching TV here...at all. But...meh. So anyway we went and saw Harry Potter. And it was fine. I didn't understand what they were saying, but I knew what was going on. Which the case in most movies. I guess I'll understand one day.

The best part of going to the movie? Movie popcorn. Sidnei doesn't like it...so I have the bag to myself...and I can eat almost the entire bag....yummmm...I think I'll go pop some popcorn (totally not the same...)

This post is brought to you by nothing more than ramblings...no point, not much of a story, just wanted to talk...


10 comments:

Unknown said...

Are you saying that the movies are dubbed there?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

EW!

The only movies dubbed in Rio are cartoon movies, and even they aren't always dubbed.

This is really a travesty.

PS, I dont watch any Brazilian tv either. Partly due to not understanding, partly due to I dont like it.

Eve said...

I like the event of going to the movies more than the actual movie itself usually - and I didn't think the final Harry Potter was all that great, so as long as you already know the story line, you probably didn't miss out on much. ;)
I remember that during the time I spent in Austria, the point at which I started dreaming in German was a real turning point for me... even though I still couldn't speak it very well, I realized that I was actually understanding more than I thought.
You are probably going to be speaking like a native in no time! :D

Nina said...

alllllll movies are dubbed in Campinas, a major city. you understand mineiro? you understand mineiro? WOW. that's like the hardest accent, and well this is my opinion the must different from "standard" portuguese.

I can't understand mineiro AT ALL. But I can understand everything else, t.v. even people from the north or south.

Unknown said...

Yay for 97%!! I'm at about 3%, but getting better every week.

When I lived in Turkey, after about 3 months, I had a dream that I was with a group of old women. Everyone (including me) was speaking Turkish, but I couldn't understand anything, including what I was saying. But, the old women understood me. LOL!

Here's to hoping you get a new theatre. :-) If all I have to do is string up a too-small sheet, i might open the first and only ciname in Buritis. rsrsrsrs

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Nina,

"The Reader" has posted about movies in English in Campinas, she said you have to look in the newspaper for the times when the movies are shown in English w/ subtitles instead of dubbed.
I never watched a movie in the Cinemas in Brazil that was dubbed, unless it's a movie for children.
TV movies are all dubbed with the exception of the cable channels, then it's either English only or English w/ subtitles.

Ray

Nina said...

Ray I meant all movies that pass here get dubbed but yes, most movies have English too in campinas. It's Paulinia, here they don't have any English. I was just shocked about rio not dubbing. that's new to me.

Lin said...

Movie popcorn is the freakin best! I can't imagine anyone not liking it, haha.

Anonymous said...

When I lived in Mexico, the first thing I could understand on TV was the soap operas and then the movies and I have to admit I never did get the knack of the news. They just talk too darn fast!

Anonymous said...

Most movies are in the original language with subtitles and not dubbed at movie theaters in Brazil.

On unpaid TV channels movies are all dubbed (required by law )and on the cable channels most movies are in the original language.

Amelia said...

I think it's because you haven't been watching any TV that you aren't understanding it. I'm not at 97% yet - I'd say that I'm somewhere in the 70s or 80s, and I definitely still have to concentrate! But I've been watching TV and I can understand most of it now - way better than I can understand some people!