Archive for September, 2010
Don Quijote de la Mancha Posted by Magda on Sep 30, 2010
“Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing (…)” When I think about chivalry, the first image that comes…
Spanish Lesson Advanced 5 Expresiones latinas que se usan frecuentemente en español Posted by Laura & Adam on Sep 29, 2010
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal os va todo? En esta clase vamos a ver algunas expresiones latinas que usamos frecuentemente en español. Son expresiones que forman parte de nuestra lengua cotidiana. Vamos a ver lo que significan: Ipso facto: Inmediatamente, ya Tu jefe te dice: “quiero que termines este informe ipso facto” A grosso modo: a grandes…
Los alebrijes Posted by Adir on Sep 28, 2010
Los alebrijes are Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical animals invented by Pedro Linares López in 1936 in Mexico. They’re made of paper or wood and represent an imaginary animal, combining the form of two or more animals. Their structure is made of wood or carrizo and the outside part is wrapped in papier-maché and…
Los Vejigantes Posted by Adir on Sep 27, 2010
The vejigantes are clown-like characters that can be seen during Carnival time in Puerto Rico. During the festivities of St. James the Apostle (Patron Saint of the city of Loiza), the vejigantes go to the streets to scare people. They usually wear large bright-colored overalls with very large sleeves, which look like bat wings. They…
Sidra asturiana Posted by Magda on Sep 24, 2010
Llega el otoño, y con él se lleva a cabo en Asturias la elaboración de uno de sus productos más característicos: la sidra. Una vez recogidas las manzanas, y cuidado, porque no todas valen, se trasladan al lagar, o llagar, donde comenzará el proceso. Es en estos edificios donde se trituran las manzanas, ya que…
How to calm someone down, en español Posted by Adir on Sep 23, 2010
You know those times when you need to calm someone down when they’re very nervous or angry because something bad or unpleasant has happened? Well, let’s learn some really useful expressions to express this. ¡Anímate! – Cheer up! ¡Cálmate! – Calm down! ¡Que eso no te saque el sueño! – Don’t lose your sleep over…
Spanish Lesson Intermediate 5 Form and use of the Futuro Perfecto tense Posted by Laura & Adam on Sep 22, 2010
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Hoy vamos a ver el tiempo Futuro Perfecto. The equivalent tense in English is “I will have done, you will have done, etc…” Primero, vamos a ver la forma (how to construct the tense) y después veremos el uso (when to use it) FORMA: La forma tiene dos partes: Primera parte: verbo…