Tag Archives: lists

Literally—A Funny Spanish-Learning Game

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Have you ever stopped to think about strange some things in our language must sound to foreigners? Words are bad enough, but then you get to idioms and place names, and you think … “Gosh, we’re weird!” Don’t worry, though, it’s the same way in every language. The human race is just odd like that I guess!

Mario and I have a game we like to play on the metro. I’m giving it a name today: Literally. Literally is (literally) a very-overused word that drives me crazy when I hear people misusing it. The online webcomic, The Oatmeal, makes a good point:

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[Source]

But translating things literally is quite fun. Next time you’re on the metro and bored (always?), give it a shot. Some of my favorites (try to guess the metro stop!):

  • Sticks of the Frontier
  • Pink Rivers
  • Toll
  • Retreat
  • Saint Sunday
  • Footbath
  • Quiet
  • Pine Forest of Chamartín
  • Pine Forest of the King
  • Clever Girl
  • Crystal Sea
  • The Craving (The Whim)
  • The Latin Woman
  • Encampment
  • Connection
  • The Angel’s Door
  • The Muses
  • Park of the Avenues
  • Field of the Nations
  • Cross of the Lightning
  • Peacocks
  • Three Olive Trees
  • Court
  • Four Winds

Go ahead, guess. Which stops are they? Do you have any favorites?

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I Refuse to Say Trousers—Or Why American English Is the Best

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I sometimes feel like the creature in the old Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham. I will not say trousers, I will not say trainers. I will not say them in a house, I will not say them to a mouse. I will not say them here or there, I will not say them anywhere. I can be stubborn when I put my mind to it, which is basically all the time.

Green Eggs and Ham

Okay, this is not true. I do try to refer to both American English and British English for a few reasons (reasons I have deemed good ones, as I like to congratulate myself on my decisions):

American vs British

American English is in all the movies. There are British movies and television shows, don’t get me wrong. For example, the glorious show known as Downton Abbey. (Do not call it Downtown. It’s quite far from downtown, actually.) But the vast majority are produced by none other than Hollywood. Now, Spaniards don’t really see this as a problem in either way because almost all movies and television shows are dubbed, and people have told me on many an occasion that they don’t like “reading” while watching movies. I get it. But someday, perhaps you’ll like to watch television shows in English to improve your skills! We Americans have got ya covered. Come to the Dark Side!

American businesses are in Spain, and I do believe there are more of them than British ones. I realize that there’s the proximity issue for Spaniards. You are indeed much closer to them than to us. But there are a lot more of us, and we’re invading your schools, teaching English with our American accents, and the kids might just benefit from it. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

The Rubber Issue

The Rubber Issue. You might actually go to the US one day, and you don’t want to be caught asking for a rubber. It’s okay to learn the word rubber; I just think it’s better to realize that in the States, you’d be asking for a condom. Yeah, not exactly the word you want to bust out in the middle of maths math class.

There is no reason to think American English is less “pure” than British English. Okay, I hate this one. First of all, languages are in constant flux and no language or accent is better than any other. I admit to having my preferences (yes to British and Irish, no to deep-South accents), but still, it would be more than snooty to assume I speak a “purer” language than another person, based purely on snobbery. For example, Britons tend to hate the verb form “gotten,” considering it an Americanism. Oh, I beg to disagree, sir. According to multiple sources, the word is of British origin and its usage dates back to the fourth century. How’s that for ancient, British folk? Oh yeah, and it was used by none other than Mr. William Shakespeare himself, so shove it!

American English is closer to the phonetic spelling. We all know English is notoriously difficult due to its nonsensical spelling. (Thank goodness for the gloriousness of the phonetic Spanish language!) Well, the Americans at least realiZe that the word realize sounds like it has a z in it! Realise, pshhhh … no. Also, theater makes more sense than theatre. Come on. It just does.

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Americans love British accents. We aren’t snooty about our language, realizing that we got it from across the pond, and we love them for it! Thank you, Britain! We also wish to give our thanks for their seriously sexy accents, which—if we didn’t speak English with an American accent—we wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate! Swoon!

So, come on, tell me: should I start referring to flashlights as torches or what?

11 Little Things that Make Me Smile, Madrid Edition

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It’s the little things, isn’t it? The big things are great, wonderful—but they’re often few and far between. Of course, the fact that they are indeed scarce makes them all the easier to appreciate.

Puerta de Alcalá (HDR)

Photo by Emilio García

But the small things? They’re the type of occurrences that could and do happen every day. We just have to learn to notice them.

  1. All the crosswalks are green when you get to them, even those pesky ones with two distinct lights, meaning you usually have to stop in the middle of the street to wait for the second.
  2. Arriving at the metro station and hop right on the train, both at the first station and your transfer station. Bliss.
  3. There are available seats on the metro. In fact, there are more than enough so you don’t have to squeeze in like a sausage!
  4. Remembering an errand you forgot to do, only to walk right by the store you need, whether it be the supermarket, the hardware store, or the bank.
  5. When there’s no line at the bank.
  6. When the cashiers at the supermarket smile and treat you kindly.
  7. When there’s a long line at the supermarket and they actually open a new line—and you get to go first.
  8. When your Spanish comes out perfectly the first time.
  9. Seeing the weather forecast app predicts sun, sun, sun for the foreseeable future. Not only during the weekend, but the weekend too!
  10. The tapas bar is full, but not too full. If you get what I’m sayin’.
  11. The wine you order is a) delicious and b) costs less than €2 per copa.

What little things make you smile in your city?

Muletillas—Filler Words in Spanish

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Sometimes we just don’t know what to say. You know? Right? You see what I mean? Okay, I’ll stop. But really, I mean, you understand, yeah? Okay?

Spanish has its share of muletillas, and if you’re going to speak Spanish, it’s essential to learn (and use!) at least a few. Here are some of my favorites.

BadHabits_FillerWords

  • Vale. Seriously, you must know vale. You simply cannot live in Spain without using it several times a day. (If you talk on the phone, multiply by three.) Vale comes from the verb valer, meaning “to cost, to be worth,” but has come to mean something like “fine” or “right” or—mainly—“okay.” So anytime you feel like saying “Okay,” don’t go with “Está bien,” but “Vale.”
  • Venga. Another term used a lot in telephone conversations, venga reminds me of when I’m trying to end a conversation without explicitly telling the other person I’d like to end it. “Welppppp,” I’d say sometimes when trying to get off the phone as non-confrontationally as possible. “I’d better let you go.” It’s kind like of that. Of course, it has other uses. It can be used to try to get someone to hurry up: “Venga, que llegamos tarde” (“Come one, we’re going to be late”) or to express incredulity: “¡Venga ya! No me lo creo” (Yeah, right! I don’t believe it”).
  • Bueno, pues. These two words can be used together or separately. Bueno usually means good, but in this context it’s more like “well,” as in, “Well, we better get going” and not as in “I’m doing well.” Pues is an especially versatile word. See the WordReference entry, which lists the following possibilities (among many):
    • Pues eso—Right
    • Así pues—So then
    • Pues entonces—In that case
    • Bueno pues—Okay then
    • Vaya pues—All right already
  • O sea. This is better pronounced as one word, osea. It’s kind of like “or rather,” but it has a life all its own. It is equivalent to “digo” and “quiero decir” in many cases. If you understand Spanish, please refer to this entry by a one Mr. Alberto Bustos.
  • A ver. I love this phrase! I first heard it when studying abroad. It means something like “let’s see” or “let me see,” and you can use it alone or with other words. For instance, if you want to meet up with someone, you might say, “A ver si quedamos un día” (“Let’s see if we can meet up one day”). If you’re trying on a new dress, you could say, “A ver cómo me queda” (“Let’s see how it looks on me”). It’s quite the versatile phrase.

What are you favorite (or least favorite) filler words in Spanish?

How to Annoy and Be Annoyed on the Madrid Metro

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By Benedicto16 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

  1. Check to make sure there’s a strike. Strikes cheer everyone up and accomplish so much!
  2. Bundle up. The metro is always freezing! Even if it is hot, there’s nothing wrong sweating like you just ran on public transportation.
  3. Arrive just as the train leaves. This is hard to do, but the best of us manage this at least 50% of the time.
  4. Do not sit down to wait. Those benches are for weenies and idiots. Stand. Stand as close as you can to the tracks so as to be NUMBER ONE on the metro, baby.
  5. Do not let the departing passengers off. Shove on in; you are número uno.
  6. Lean against the middle railing. But if you can get a seat, sit with legs sprawled wide. Alternately, find any way possible to take up tons of space.
  7. Ask for money.
    1. Sing and dance, then ask for money.
    2. In general, annoy your fellow passengers.
  8. Talk about the people standing by you. In Spanish, as if they can’t understand you. This isn’t Spain, is it?
  9. Smell bad. If at all possible. If you can’t smell bad, do try to reek of cologne/perfume/sun-ripened raspberry body spray and/or its ilk.
  10. Get up two stops before yours. There’s just no time to get up otherwise. Tell the people in front of you who are also getting off that you are getting off. They should let you up front! Don’t they know who you are?
  11. Do not check the signs to see which exit would be best.
    1. Stop in the middle of a large group of people.
    2. Turn around; you were going the wrong way.
    3. Do not apologize if you swipe someone’s shoulder so that they stagger backwards. After all, don’t hate the player, hate the game.
  12. Stand on the left side of the escalator so no one get by. Optional: stand on the center-left side so as to appear as though you’re considerate but do not actually be considerate. No, no, tsk, tsk.
  13. Rinse, repeat

Madrid Metro, Concha Espina station.

Thank goodness I don’t have to ride the metro on a daily basis! I find myself liking buses more and more!

Spain Blogger Confessions

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You all already know I’m not the starry-eyed Spain enthusiast that some bloggers are. I do like Spain, of course—I just take it in moderation. Some days enough gets to be enough. So I thought I’d confess a few things that you might not have surmised from my posts. It’s okay to be honest—really, we’re better off for it!

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Okay, Kaley, less “Blah, blah, blah” and more fun!

  • I don’t try everything. I don’t care how good you insist it is, I don’t want to try morro (snout) or criadilla (bull testicle) or oreja (ear). I’ve tried orejas already and never again!). If this makes me unadventurous, sue me.
  • I hate dubbing. I refuse to watch TV shows dubbed. In any language. Please, try to tell me that The Big Bang Theory is just as funny in Spanish. No. Just no. So yeah, this means I watch a lot of TV in English, which is bad for my Spanish learning. But I really don’t like Spanish TV or movies. Neither does Mario. 
  • I’m still patriotic. No, I’m not blindly patriotic. I understand the US has its flaws and is not God’s chosen country, but I still love my country and miss so many things about it—barbecues, the openness, the informality, the ease with which I navigated any and all social situations … en fin, so much!
  • I don’t idealize the Spanish lifestyle. Sure, Spain is known for relaxation, sun, and siestas. But the truth is, many Spaniards work endless days and get little to no rest. Nowadays the unemployment rate is sky high. I think that Spaniards definitely get it right with regards to enjoying food/drink, eating healthily, and walking, but they’re not perfect. They’re not inherently less lazy than Americans. They’re human—just like us.

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Spain + America = Success

  • I have a love/hate relationship with blogging. Sometimes (most of the time), I love blogging. I love the relationships it has created, the opportunities it has given me, the wonderful feedback I get from it. At others, I feel intimidated by other bloggers, worried that no one likes me, afraid that what I say will cause someone somewhere to become angry with me. I’m often envious of other bloggers’ success because I wish that I could achieve that same level of success without compromising any of my principles.

So, what about you—anything to confess? C’mon, spill it.

Currently

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I’m a sucker for Currently posts. You know, where the writer lists what he/she is doing currently. I’m also pretty nosy. Are those two related? Couldn’t be.

Here’s what I’ve been up to … currently, I’m:

  • Watching: Homeland and Dexter. If you’re not watching these shows, you’re either busy, ignorant, or just plain weird. My favorite of the two is Homeland, which captivated me from the very first episode, but this season of Dexter is helping to wash away the bad memories from seasons five and six, which I found to be subpar (for Dexter, anyway). These two shows are both from Showtime, and I would like to offer them my sincere gratitude, in the form of wine, cheese, or both (my favorite things, you know). Dear Showtime, you make my lazy Friday/Saturday nights on the couch with my husband so much more fun.

Hello____Dexter_Morgan____by_haydxn

  • Reading: I just finished reading Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. If you haven’t heard about it—well, where have you been? I had heard a lot of hype—that I’d read it in two days, that I’d love it, that it was “amazing” … So of course I was prepared not to like it, as is my wont when someone promises that I will. The premise is this: it’s Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary; she disappears. It looks bad for Nick. But there’s something else behind all the seemingly obvious signs of a struggle. I won’t spoil it for you. Read it, but I won’t lie: it wasn’t my favorite. I’m a fan of relatable protagonists, and neither main character was anywhere near likable. (Come on, I relate to Dexter! I’m not that hard of a sell.) By the end of the book, I just wanted both of them, Amy and Nick, to go away and be miserable together.
  • Thinking about: A trip to Munich in December. Mario once lived in Munich (if only for a year!), and Germany has been somewhere I’ve seen in pictures but never visited. I would love to visit a traditional German Christmas market, even if it means bundling up in six or seven layers to withstand the cold.

munich

  • Loving: Our apartment! Mario picked it out while I was back in the States this August, and he did an amazing job. We’re not centrally located, but we’re still within the M-30, and we live right next to two great places for running: a park and Madrid Río. It’s very cozy, has lots of light, and we just got a new rug from IKEA, which, for some odd reason, just makes the room.
  • Listening to: Joshua Radin’s Vegetable Car (and all the rest of his album Simple Times), Mumford & Sons’ The Cave, and This Side by Nickel Creek, just to name a few.
  • Making me happy: Seeing all the Halloween decorations in the stores! I know it’s an Americanization and all, but I love Halloween. I love fall and crisp weather and autumn leaves and pumpkins and the smell of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice and everything to do with the month of October.

What have you been up to currently?

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

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I have blogged about my love of Pinterest before. I know my blog is supposed to be about Spain and stuff, but forgive me just this once? I love reading others’ blog entries about what they’re loving lately. Thus, my favorite pins from my favorite boards.

Yum. I love cooking. (Mario knows this well.) Asi que, I love sites like Tastespotting or Foodgawker. Pinterest is a good source of cooking inspiration, too. Here are some of my favorites lately:

  1. Crockpot Chile Lime Black Bean Soup. This sounds so good and so easy!
  2. Homemade Goldfish Crackers. I absolutely love the idea of the little fish cookie cutter.
  3. DIY Coffee Syrups. Who doesn’t love a good pumpkin spiced latte? (Don’t answer that.) I don’t love pumpkin as much as other flavors, but these recipes give you so many options.
  4. Strawberry Torte. This is a Martha Stewart recipe, so you know it’s fancy.
  5. Chile Lime Grilled Corn. It’s called elote in Mexico (according to the blog author) and is a Mexican street food. Street food is usually authentic and good, so I’m pretty sure I’d love this.
  6. Double Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting. I think we could safely call these indulgences, don’t you agree?

DIY. I learned to knit and sew this summer. Crafty much? I don’t want to turn into a stereotype, but creating something is very satisfying. I knitted a scarf for Mario and while he hasn’t had a chance to use it yet, he does like it. Score one for me! Here are some more things I totally wish I could do.

  1. Grocery Bag Holder. I’m a sucker for tutorials. I made some pillowcases this summer based on a really awesome tutorial and they look great. This would be a fun thing to have, especially after having lived in Spain, where no one throws away their old grocery bags; they save them.
  2. Homemade Playdough. I’m pretty sure my elementary school teachers knew how to do this; however, I didn’t. One day, I’ll do this. Maybe I’ll even do it for any future children.
  3. Deep Purple Yarn Wreath with Lace and Felt Flowers. This is from an Etsy shop, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take inspiration from it, right?
  4. Basic Crochet Tutorial. I just bought some crochet hooks, so I probably better learn how to crochet.
  5. Herringbone Stitch. I wish I could knit this, but I have a feeling it won’t happen for a long (long) time.
  6. Old-Fashioned Soap. You make this in a crockpot. Soap in a crockpot? I admit, it does sound odd, but I’m okay with it.
Gifts. I love giving gifts. Now if I only had an infinite amount of money in order to buy all the fun stuff I see in Oprah’s favorite thing section of O magazine. Here are some things I wish I could buy others (or, cough cough, me).

  1. Wood Weather Station Clock. Mario’s parents have a clock that tells you the weather, barometric pressure, wind speed, etc. I like it a lot, but this one is prettier.
  2. Bon Voyage Duffel. Lululemon is one of those places where you wish you could buy everything, but you end up leaving with nothing because a pair of shorts costs $50. This is a cute bag. Buy me it? It’s only $108.
  3. Le Creuset Tea Kettle. I date a boy who, oddly enough, loves tea. Any kind, basically. Someday I’ll buy him this. It’s pretty and since it’s Le Creuset, I’m going to guess it works pretty dang well.
  4. Lemon Salt Scrub. I love bath and beauty products, but I’m over Bath & Body Works. It feels like I’m still in high school when I put it on. This, however, feels very much today.
  5. DIY Romantic Star Projector. I would love this. How fun would it be to light this up on a Saturday night, open a bottle of wine, and just lay back and observe?
  6. Listography. I love lists. I would love to buy this book to make lots and lots of lists – about me, about my life, about my goals and interests.

  1. Vera Wang Jeweled Flats. If I had $295, I’d be all over these.
  2. Portrait Collar Dress. Unfortunately, this dress seems to be sold out.
  3. A nice little work outfit. Yes, please.
  4. Green Kitten Heels. I love green and these small little heels are perfect for me.
  5. One Shoulder Dress + Rosettes. I admit, I love dresses; I have a weak spot.
  6. Wedding Ballet Flats. I like them, even if I didn’t have any weddings to attend.
I hate to end this with a cliché question, but what are you loving lately? 

Why You Should Go

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There are a million reasons why you shouldn’t pack up your bags and jet off to another country for a year.

Eager and excited in 2008

But then again, there are many more reasons to just. do. it.

Let me think on that one for a sec. (P.S. Same jeans! Score 1 for Charlotte Russe!)

  • They have café con leche. And jamón ibérico. And vino tinto. Food. Yum. Me hungry. Me want eat. (Anybody else think of Rugrats when they hear that line? No one? Kay. Just checkin’.)

Accompanied by dark chocolate? I won’t say no.

Hola, profesor. ¿Cómo te va?

Love him. Full & happy.

  • You’ll probably regret it if you don’t. I mean, how often are you going to have the chance to live and work in Europe for only 4 days a week, 12 hours total? How often will you get paid just to speak English to someone for an hour? (Best, easiest job ever.) Go. Do it. Don’t look back.

CIMG0216

The Secret

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No, I’m not talking about the book. I’m talking about the secret to getting comments/views. If we’re honest with ourselves, we bloggers love comments. I know I do. I get a fair amount of views – nothing huge, mind you – but few comments. A lot of those are from my friends, blogging or otherwise. I think many read and do not comment. Some posts get more comments than others, though. Why is that? Well, in my blog’s case, there are a few things that generate more comments than others…

  1. Posting lists. People love lists. How to Dress Like a Spaniard, My Top 10 Myths About Spain, 15 Rules to Thrive in Spain – all have generated many comments and views.
  2. Photos. People prefer posts with photos. Ooooh, shiny!
  3. Siesta. On WordPress, you can see the search terms people use to find your blog and my top search term is consistently “siesta.” I guess people like napping, and I can’t say that I find that off-putting. Who doesn’t love a good siesta after a filling Spanish lunch with lots of delicious red wine? Not me, my friend, not me.
  4. Mario. I kinda hate to admit this, most of all in a public forum, but posting about my bilingual relationship gets way more comments/views than normal. What gives, people? Are you trying to hint at me that you like him more than me? Seriously? He says “Espain” and talks with an adorable accent, I get it. But I’m the protagonist of this blog…well, I thought I was anyway.
  5. Food. People like to eat. As for this one, I’m totally on board. Spanish food is awesome, and if you think it’s just like it is in the tapas bars, you’re wrong. My Spanish almost-mother-in-law is probably the best cook in all of Spain, and na na na boo boo, she cooks for me. For free. Pepita, if you could understand this, I’d tell you I miss your lentejas terribly. I would definitely hire you to cook for me if a) I could afford it, and b) you would actually move here, which you never would, since you’re pretty damn popular in good old Zamora.
Oh, and here’s a picture. Just to keep you entertained.
Wine tasting in Zamora with my dad (left), Mario’s dad, and me.