29.12.25 - Saco vazio não para em pé

Hallooooo,

Hope all well. Sending this slightly early because we're off to Ilhabela first thing tomorrow, away from the perils of modern technology. 

Christmas was a whirlwind of food and trees and people, followed by several days of intense heat where everyone forgot who they were and what day of the week it was. 

No playlist this time around, and my phrase of the week means "an empty bag doesn't stand up", and is used as an exhortation (by grannies and the like) to eat up and stay strong. 

And that's about it - will call you from the island, dahlings!

Fred Scare

23.12.25 - Então é Natal, e o que você fez?

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We are officially on holiday, with nothing between our ears but the wind. 

On Saturday we went to Aldeia da Serra to see Bruna's parents' Huge Christmas House and take some baby announcement photos, then on Sunday we met up with Taynah and family to look at the big Coca Cola Christmas tree in Parque Villa-Lobos. And I made some passable homemade mince pies, which I'll be scaling up and rolling out over the Christmas period, so let's see what the reaction is...

In other news I've made another compilation, once again split between late-year dregs and weird Christmas songs, and I've released my much-awaited Best Of 2025 playlist too. My phrase of the day is from the Brazilian version of John Lennon's "Merry Xmas (War is Over)", by Simone. 

And that's about it. Have yourselves a very merry Christmas, and speak to you soon!

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fred

16.12.25 - Nem a pau

Hallooo,

Hope all well. I had a long weekend doing not a lot, although I did manage to make some respectable homemade mincemeat from scratch, and we had our Sherlock end-of-year party on Friday. Now it's a few more days of work, and I'll be home free until the New Year!

In other news, I've made a vaguely Christmassy compilation, and a ROCK mix on YouTube for the boys - check it out here. My phrase of the day means "not even by stick" - i.e. not even if you beat me with a stick, or "absolutely no way". 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Mount Fredverest

09.12.25 - Manda chuva

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We had possibly the last kickabout of the year on Wednesday (plus a pitchside barbeque), tinkered with the flat, and then went to Indaiatuba at the weekend to see the ever-expanding array of Christmas lights and have a pizza. On the way back we stopped off at a kid's birthday party (Corinthians-themed, naturally), before heading back home, social battery depleted. 

No compilation this week as we enter the end-of-year fallow period, and my phrase of the day is "manda-chuva", or "rainmaker", i.e.e someone who calls the shots in a given situation. And that's about it, speak soon!

Wild Frod

02.12.25 - Não venha de garfo e faca, que a janta é sopa

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We've had a relatively slow week as the nation winds down for the Christmas break (starts in late November and picks up again in March, post-Carnaval). On Friday we went to Zila's for lunch and to see Bill off to his new job one state over, then spent most of the weekend sorting out bits and pieces with the flat.

Elsewhere I made a new playlist, set up a new Substack account aimed at Brazil-curious gringos, and my phrase of the day means "don't turn up with a knife and fork, 'cos it's soup for dinner". A fun twist on the usual "don't bring a knife to a gun fight", I guess. And reminds me of Noel Gallagher famously describing Liam as "a man with a fork in a world of soup".

And that's it for this week - speak soon!

Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Freddo?

25.11.25 - Em tempo de guerra, urubu é frango

Halloooo,

Hope all well. We've had a busy week, including going out for a nice meal for Gabi's birthday on Wednesday, hanging out with Fernanda and her kids on Thursday, meeting up with friends for an all-you-can eat buffet and to tell them The Good News on Saturday, and taking in back-to-back concerts over the weekend. 

The first was Chitãozinho & Xororó, sertanejo legends and apparently close friends with Ridaut, who blagged us some free tickets. Then on Sunday we headed down south to Morumbi stadium, for the final date of Oasis' 2025 world tour, which was absolutely excellent and has left me absolutely knackered going into the working week. 

I've also made another compilation, and my phrase of the day ("em tempo de guerra, urubu é frango") translates as "in times of war, a vulture is a chicken" - in other words, when the chips are down, you make do with what you have. 

And that's about it for now - speak sooooon!

It's overflowing gently, but it's all elementary my Fred

18.11.25 - Pagar a língua

Hallooooo,

Hope all well. We had a fairly typical week back at work after our northeastern adventures, heading out on Saturday so Gabi could record a psychology podcast, followed by pizza at Zila's. 

I've made another mixtape, and my phrase of the day - "pagar a língua", or "to pay for one's tongue" - means to have your own words come back to haunt you, in some form or other. 

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Seasonal A-Fred-ctive Disorder

11.11.25 - Quem quer rir tem que fazer rir

Halloooo,

This weekend my years of influencer schtick finally paid off, with an all-expenses-paid junket to the Beach Park resort in sunny Fortaleza, which was just what the doctor ordered. 

We spent most of our time there eating (the food was great, and mostly on an all-you-can-eat basis) but also checked out the nearby pools, water park, beach and quaint little village. We were also whisked off to a new nature park down the road, which was notable for having lots of parrots. 

Very fun and relaxing all round, and all I had to do was record some videos, which I was going to do anyway. Accordingly, my phrase of the week means "he who wants to laugh, must make laugh" - "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours", essentially. No compilation this time, I'd just listen to the new Rosalia album instead!

Speak soooon,

Minor Fred

04.11.25 - É só levantar do caixão que o velorio acaba

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

We were all set to go to Rio on Thursday, when all sorts of horrible stuff went down there. Between that and the rubbish weather forecast, we decided to postpone our trip until early next year, and instead had a relatively quiet weekend in, give or take a trip to the cinema, and to the Oktoberfest street party down the road.

I'm on holiday for the week, and will hopefully be off oop north on Thursday unless the whole thing is a cruel prank or hoax. In the meantime I've been pottering about town checking out places I wanted to visit but couldn't because of work, tinkering with my media empire and sorting out flat stuff so we can move as soon as possible. 

I've also made another compilation, and this week's phrase is a particular favourite of mine, which translates as "if you get up out of the coffin, the wake is over" and is all about shaking off inertia to overcome difficult situations. 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Beating a Fred Horse

28.10.25 - Restaurante que serve farofa não tem ventilador

Halloooo,

Hope all well. On Sunday we hosted our first BBQ at the new building, to celebrate Zila's birthday and surprise the extended family with the good news. It went very well and we now have a fridge full of leftovers to eat before we head off to Rio on Thursday.

In other news, I've made a new compilation, and my phrase of the day translates as "a restaurant that serves farofa [a sand-like side dish which we made way too much of at the weekend] doesn't have ceiling fans". As far as I can tell it's a "you can't have your cake and eat it too" situation, but don't quote me on that.

And that's about it - speak soon!

EraserFred

21.10.25 - Pra quem está se afogando, jacaré é tronco

Halloooo,

Hope all well. It's still unnaturally cold here as we move into November (!), so we've been hunkered down at home, heading out only for Taynah's daughter's birthday party on Saturday. Even football on Wednesday was cut short by a twisted ankle, although it's all better now!

In other news, I've made another mixtape, and my phrase of the day is "for he who is drowning, an alligator is a tree trunk" - presumably a spin on "desperate times call for desperate measures"...

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Fred the Needle

15.10.25 - Comer capim pela raíz

Halloooo! Slightly later than usual!

Hope all well. We were in Indaiatuba over the weekend, following on from a fancy birthday party for Bruna's grandmother, how as turning 90 - featuring two live bands, pyramids of trifle and all the flowers you could eat. 

Elsewhere, work continues on the flat, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day means "to eat grass by the root" - or, um, to die and be buried. And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Frod x

07.10.25 - Fredagsmys

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

Gabi was flown out to give a lecture in Londrina at the weekend, so I flopped around the house for most of the weekend, and eventually headed to Ibirapuera Park to check out the Bienal exhibition (pretty cool!), a nearby Portuguese Fair (distinct lack of food!) and an Indian restaurant I'd been meaning to check out (filling!). 

I also went to see Kendrick Lamar play the Allianz Parque midweek, having picked up a cheap second-hand ticket on a whim, which was pretty great. The support band was what I can only describe as a meme act from Argentina, and I've never felt so old as I did trying to decipher their hyper-ironic lyrics (with the help of subtitles on the big screens!), but I ended up enjoying their set too. 

In other news, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day comes from Sweden, and refers to the national tradition of spending Friday night in with friends and family, eating comfort food and watching TV. 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Fredagsmys

30.09.25 - Ficar com lombriga

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

Work on the flat has stalled a bit, so we have been making ourselves busy with football, proofreading, trips to the cinema and the like. Then on Sunday we were going to hit up the air show at the nearby Campo de Marte but everyone in São Paulo had the same idea, so we ended up bailing and going for lunch at Zila's instead. 

In other news, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day - "ficar com lombriga" - means "to have a tapeworm", or to have a craving for something in particular. And that's about it for now - speak soon!

World Wide Fred

23.09.25 - Galinha que anda com pato morre afogado

Halloooo,

Hope all well. Last week was pretty full-on, with a trip across town to an awards show at a fancy hotel with my Sherlock colleagues (the food was nice and the actual ceremony was, erm, efficient at least), then football, then a Sherlock band rehearsal on consecutive weeknights. On Saturday we had a kid's birthday party, which left Sunday to get our literal house in order, moving tiles around etc. 

In other news, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day translates as "the chicken who hangs out with ducks ends up drowning", which I guess contains a lesson about following your own path, if you're a chicken. 

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

It's been no Fred of roses, no pleasure cruise

16.09.25 - Ver o sol nascer quadrado

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

OVer here, we finally had a weekend without incident, meeting up with friends and going to get more jabs for Gaby's rabies (TBC). And this week I'm going to an awards ceremony with the Sherlock crew, plus we have a company band rehearsal on Thursday so it's all go. 

In other news, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day means "to see the sun rise square" - a euphemism for going to prison, just like our ex-President!

And that's about it for now - speak soon.

Fred Chem

09.09.25 - Falar como letra de médico

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

We managed to get our impounded car back from the authorities, and were all set to spend a quiet weekend in, but then Gabi set up a lunch on Saturday with some psychology chums who were in town for a conference, and on the way we saw a stray cat almost get run over on a main road, and swerved across four lanes into a mechanics to see if it was OK, but it was so shook up that it bit Gabi and ran away, and now she has to go on an intensive, high-risk course of anti-rabies drugs that apparently might make her heart explode, and we eventually made the lunch bookended by hospital trips, and then spent Sunday refusing to leave the house until the universe forgets about us for a bit.

We also wrapped up the main part of the work on the flat, and this week we have some guys in "revitalising the floors", whatever that means, plus we have to get Gabi's grandpa's table and wardrobe up there somehow, then comes the cupboards-and-countertops part of the operation. Never a dull moment!

In other news, I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day comes from a follower on Instagram: "falar como letra de médico", or "to speak like doctor's handwriting" (i.e. incomprehensibly). 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Man's Best Fred

02.09.25 - Dar o cano

Hallooooo,

How goes? We've had a relatively chilled out week work-wise, and even summoned the energy to go out on Saturday to the Festa da Achiropita (we even got backstage tour of the fogazza production line and jumped the queue courtesy of Gabi's volunteer friend), only to have our car impounded in a police "blitz" (spot-check) on the way back, because we'd forgotten to pay this year's road tax (and our online bank wouldn't let us pay it on the spot, for some reason). So now we have to go to a holding pen in the middle of nowhere to pick it up when/if they OK our paperwork, which is a bit annoying. 

We also had Gabi's parents round for a nice meal out to mark Adny's birthday, and stopped by Ridaut's dad's flat, which is in the process of being cleared out (I scored a cool 1950's briefcase and some nice Panama hats, plus a table and wardrobe for the new flat).

I also made a new compilation, and my phrase of the day - "dar um cano" or "to give a pipe" - means to stand someone up or stiff them on an earlier promise. Not to be confused with "dar um bolo" ("to give a cake") which means, er, the same thing. 

And that's about it - speak soon!

Kentucky Fred Chicken

26.08.25 - Levar ao pé da letra

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

It was actually hot over the weekend so we raced to the nearest outdoor bar for drinks and nibbles upon conclusion of the working week, followed by a weekend in Indaiatuba, eating lovely meals and playing football in the park, in the company of Luisa and Gabriel. 

In other news, by our reckoning we've got another week to go until Phase 1 of apartment renovations are complete; I've made another mixtape; and my phrase of the day means to take things literally, or (literally) "to take [them] to the foot of the letter". So there's that.

Speak soon,

Fred as a Bird

19.08.25 - A carne sempre cai no prato do vegano

Hallooo,

Hope all well. 

Work has been pretty hectic this week (so much for the mid-year recess!) and we've been fitting in life admin stuff around it as best we can. At the weekend we went to a jazz-and-wine do on a rooftop in the centre of town, before checking out a new pizzeria. Then on Sunday we all went to Zila's for 3 different kinds of feijoada, 2 puddings and multiple board games. Family fun for all!

Elsewhere I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day means "the meat always falls onto the vegan's plate", a rueful turn of phrase for whenever good fortune befalls someone who doesn't know what to do with it. 

And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Frod! Show Me Magic

12.08.25 - Pelo andar da carruagem

Hallooooo,

Hope all well. 

The end is in sight with Phase 1 of our flat revamp, and in the meantime Ridaut borrowed a pickup truck from work and we used it to do some heavy lifting, including a new and much more comfortable sofa, praise be. Then we went to Indaiatuba and on to Piracicaba to return it, before heading back for a slap-up stroganoff meal. 

I also returned to the football pitch on Wednesday for the first time in a few years, thanks to a tip-off from Gaucho, of Gaucho restaurant fame. It was pretty cool, despite a much larger pitch than the old location, and we even had an in-house BBQ at the end, which is always welcome. 

Elsewhere I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day - "pelo andar da carruagem", or "by the way the carriage is going" - is fairly self-explanatory.

And that's about it for now - hope you're having a lovely time across the sea, and speak soon!

Mississippi Frod-dam

05.08.25 - Quem não deve não teme

Hallooooo,

Hope all well. 

We've had an eventful weekend, enlisting the in-laws to help put up a shiplap feature wall from scratch over the weekend, in between wild dashes to hardware shops and MEAT and BEER at the nearby Gaucho's bar (where I got an invite to a new, ongoing 5-a-side footy racket, intriguingly). And have been flopping about ever since. 

In other news, I've made a new compilation, and my phrase of the day means "he who doesn't owe, doesn't fear", a.k.a. "if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear". On a completely unrelated note, I recommend this new documentary on Netflix about all the stuff that went down during the last Brazilian election, which is now coming to a head in the news.

And that's about it... speak sooooon!

In Frod's Country

29.07.25 - Comer gato por lebre

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

We've been toiling away as per, but managed to get out a bit at the weekend - to the baptism of one of Gaby's friends kids, and to her cousin's kids birthday party on Saturday, which involved a guy in full Iron Man costume running round a burger joint to the tune of "Back in Black" (the birthday party, not the baptism). Spiderman was there too.

We've also been dashing in and out of hardware stores to pick up the required material for the work at the flat, and Sherlock Comms had its annual "July party" with fancy dress and bingo on Thursday night, which was mildly amusing. 

In other news I've made a compilation, as is my wont, and my phrase of the day  - "comer gato por lebre", or "to eat cat for hare" - is to be ripped off by unscrupulous merchants, basically (like the medieval scoundrels of yore who would pass off cat meat for rabbit, I presume). 

And that's all for now - speak soon!

New Freds From the Soul

22.07.25 - Pregar uma peça

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

It's been a busy week, with Gaby's grandpa passing away on Wednesday morning, and the wake and cremation stretching into the night - it was a lovely service at least! - and an Indaiatuba getaway at the weekend turning into a trip over the border to Minas for a slap-up meal, then hours of traffic on the way back home. 

All this, I might add, combined with impromptu dashes to hardware stores to scout bathroom tiles and keep the work at the flat ticking over. And without coffee!

I've made another compilation, and today's phrase is hot off the press as I learnt it this morning - "pregar uma peça", or "to play a prank on someone", but not in a malicious way...

And I think that's about it - speak soon!

Sigmund Fred

15.07.25 - Melhor ter ido ver o filme do Pelé

Halloooo,

Hope all well. It's still freakishly cold here, and work / flat renovations continue apace, but we've been unusually social over the weekend nevertheless. We went out on Friday to meet a fellow gringofluencer and record some silly videos, then on to Gibran & Gabriela's on Saturday to say hi to their baby Maya, and finally a slap-up meal in Mooca on Sunday.

Meanwhile, I've made a new compilation, and my phrase of the day - "We'd have been better off going to see Pelé's film" - requires a deep dive into Brazilian TV lore. In an episode of the beloved, very silly Mexican TV show "Chaves", the titular character goes to the cinema but keeps complaining he'd rather be watching "El Chanfle", which starred the same cast as "Chaves". 

For the Brazilian dub, references to the film (which wasn't released in Brazil) were swapped for "Pelé's film" because, as it turns out, Pelé starred in dozens of films including "Escape to Victory" with Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone. And nowadays it's used as a go-to reference for whenever you'd rather be doing something else. 

Hope that helps! No worries if not!

Fred & Breakfast

08.07.25 - Comer mosca

Hallooooo,

Hope all well, and good to talk at the weekend. 

Not much to report this week except for a nice trip to the Horto Florestal to get some sun, and a trip to the doctors where I received the devastating news that I have to cut back my 3L-of-caffeine daily habit (which so far has been... fine actually).

Elsewhere I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day - "comer mosca", or "to eat flies" - means to let an opportunity pass you by while you're distracted. 

And I believe that's about it for now - speak soon!

Don't Fred on Me

01.07.25 - Segurar vela

Halloooo,

Hope all well. 

We are both ill again, along with everyone else in the country apparently, and overrun with work, so we spent most of the weekend resting up, although we did go on a road trip to a remote homestead in Mogi das Cruzes on Saturday to pick up an antique cabinet for our bathroom, as you do.

I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the week translates as "to hold a candle", or to be a third wheel in an otherwise romantic situation (origin: unknown). And that's about it for now - speak soon!

Before the Devil Knows You're Fred

24.06.25 - Se fazer de pão para outra linguiça

Halloooooo,

Hope all well. Thursday was a public holiday - apparently the last one we get 'til Christmas - so we headed off to Indaiatuba, by way of Aldeia da Serra for vats of feijoada with Bruna's family. 

On Saturday night we went to a giant Festa Junina in far-flung Votorantim, where against all odds we talked our way into cut-price tickets for the main attraction, a rare non-Christmas appearance by Roberto Carlos. I don't think he's that well-known in Europe, and I'm still not sure whether I enjoy his music ironically or not. But to a certain subsection of Brazilians he's basically Elvis, Cliff Richard and Rod Stewart rolled into one, so this was a major coup. 

Anyway, it was a great show - he's still going strong aged 84, played for 2 hours and spent about 15 minutes at the end of the set handing out flowers to everyone in the front row. Then it was back to São Paulo to briefly check in with Andreia & Brunno's new baby (small, cries a lot) and prepare for the week ahead. 

I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day translates as "to make oneself bread for another sausage", or "to play dumb", basically. And that's about it for now - speak soon!

I'm A-Fred of Americans