What’s all this?

An intercambio is about meeting someone of a different nationality or mother toungue and having a chat – a great way to improve how well you speak another language. In this case we are talking about Spanish and English.

We’ve realised that the Notes from Spain forums are a great place for people to get together on-line, so come in, meet people, and decide how you want to chat… on-line with skype, right there in the forums, via private messages, you decide! (You will have to register to post messages or reply to others, but that’s just to keep the spammers away.)

Enter the Notes from Spain Intercambio Forum here!

And by the way, children are welcome too!

Amor, love, has been voted the most beautiful word in Spain by over 3,000 voters, a clear winner in the Escuela de Escritores competition to find the most beautiful word in Spanish. Second place went to libertad (freedom), followed by paz (peace), vida (life), azahar (orange blossom), esperanza (hope), madre (mother), mamá (mum), amistad (friendship) and libélula (dragonfly).

The top 26 are listed on the Escuela website, but why not join us in the forums, where we’re putting together a list of our own.

What is the most beautiful word in the Spanish language? That is the question being asked by the Escuela de Escritores (Writer’s School) this month, and so far they’ve got some pretty top level answers. Jose Bono, the Minister of Defense, chose ‘madre’ (a very Spanish response), and President ZP went for ‘generosidad’, because ‘generosity is the word that makes us most human. Being human means giving in order to receive.’

You too can participate, but make sure you head over to the forum afterwards and tell us which words you plumped for.

Dos peces en el mar.
Un pez dice al otro – ‘¿Que hace tu padre?’
El otro contesta – ‘Nada’

Technorati Tags: spanish, humour

LA FRASE CORRECTA

Luis se despierta en casa con un tremendo dolor de cabeza. Se esfuerza en abrir los ojos, y lo primero que ve es un par de aspirinas y un vaso de agua en la mesita de noche. Se sienta y ve su ropa toda bien limpia y planchada frente a él. Luis mira alrededor de la habitación y ve que todo esta en perfecto orden y limpio. El resto de la casa esta igual. Coge las aspirinas y ve una nota sobre la mesa: “Cariño, el desayuno esta en la cocina, salí­ temprano para hacer unas compras. Te quiero.”

Así­ que va a la cocina, y como no, ahí­ estaba el desayuno y el periódico del dí­a esperándole. Su hijo también esta en la mesa, desayunando. Luis le pregunta:

- “Hijo, que pasó ayer por la noche?”

Su hijo le contesta:

- “Bien, pues volviste después de las 3 de la madrugada, borracho, meado y con delirios. Rompiste algunos muebles, vomitaste en el pasillo y te pusiste un ojo morado cuando te diste contra la puerta.”

Confundido, Luis pregunta:

-”Y como es que todo esta tan limpio y ordenado, y el desayuno esperándome en la mesa?”

Su hijo contesta:

- “Ahhh, eso..!! Mamá te arrastró hacia el dormitorio y cuando intentó sacarte los pantalones, tu gritaste: ¡¡¡Quieta perra, estoy casado!!!”

Conclusiones:

Una resaca autoinducida – 100 EUR

Mobiliario roto – 2000 EUR

Desayuno – 20 EUR

Decir la frase adecuada….. NO TIENE PRECIO!!!

Technorati Tags: spanish, humour

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After extreme weather driving to Oviedo, we begin in a restaurant in the centre of Oviedo, eating Fabada, a lettuce, onion and tomato salad, and ‘patatas a la importancia’ - important potatoes! I tell the story of a widow who is forced to live above her husband’s killer in the Basque country – see this Guardian article for the full story.

Next morning we visit the cathedral, where we hear a beautiful misa cantada – sung mass (the clip I play is a catholic version of what I know as the Lord’s Prayer…), and continue up into the hills outside Oviedo to see the churches of Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo.

The reconquest of Spain began in Asturias, at Covadonga, and the Asturians put up fierce resistance to Franco in the Civil War.

Also: we mention one of the finest mounain walks in Spain, the Ruta del Cares, the Cares Gorge. And if you are interested in teching English in Spain, check out my blog post here.

Photos: click to enlarge.

Fabada

Plaza Alfonso II

Oviedo Cathedral

Cathedral Porch

Technorati Tags: spain, podcast, Oviedo, Asturias

I was interviewed about the podcasts today on La Ventana, for Spain’s Cadena Ser radio station. Click here to listen.

It is slightly nerve-wracking being telephone-interviewed on the Radio in another Language, especially when your wife has spent all week telling you it’s the biggest afternoon show in the country! ¡Madre mia!

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By popular demand… Marina and Ben bring you a Notes from Spain podcast in Spanish. For all you non-Spanish speakers out there, don’t worry, we’ll be back in English again next time (in about ten days, when we’re back from our holidays…)

Show notes:

• Live from a bar terrace in the Sierra de Madrid
• Learning Spanish… and techniques for really learning Spanish…
• English and Spanish speakers as language learners
• Those early family lunches
• ¿Os ha gustado en español?