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Friday 30 November 2012

SAYING IT HOW IT IS

That's what I love about Spanish, it sounds exactly as it is written.
There are no complicated blends, or 'magic letters' that change the rule, there aren't two sounds for one letter and there is even a mark over the sylable to show where to put the emphasis on the word.  On the surface it looks like a no brainer
However, on the other hand, this kind of acccuracy is rather unforgiving.  Change one misely letter, misplace the accent or mix the pronunciation of the r's and d's can mean that everything is lost in translation:
your father turns into a potato, (papa y papa)
yes becomes if, (si y si)
The verb for 'loading a programe' can be easily confused for  'unloading your bowels'
At a school barbeque I asked someone what was happening in the classroom next door and they passed me the salt...!?!
There are dozens of words that link very closely to English and even French that often help me out, wacking an o or an on the end of a word can mulitply you Spanish vocabulary in an instant. For example fantasic becomes fantástico, music beomes música, but then ...careful just when you think you  are getting the hang of it can back fire, for example estoy embarazada does not mean you are embarrassed, it means you are pregnant ' and then you really are embarrased after that mistake!!

Until I have learned to properly curl my tongue around r's and d's there are certain words I should avoid, The word for but (pero)- easily confused for 'flatchlence' (pedo) which is English lends itself to a joke that would be completely lost on the Spanish speakers.
So yes as far as writing goes, you simply say it how it is, but how is that again!!



Monday 19 November 2012

EL TIEMPO VUELA!

Blimey its November already!! 
I'm sure I'm not the first to say that this month,  with the fourth term already underway back home and students preparing for their end of year exams, we are all in the same boat.
I think there is something about living in a desert that allows time to run away on you and then sneak back up.
There haven't been the usual signs of changes in season that help to mark time,  the desert hills have remained a constant blend of 'creams and cafe' colours; no autumn leaves, no bare winter trees, no periods of storm or rainfall, no cherry blossoms or daffodils either.  I only came across the word for umbrella (paragua) for the first time the other day - in a book!  Admittedly the winter did see colder temperatures which required socks and sweaters.  So there was some change.  Now, the wind that whips in of the coast is a welcome relief as it tames the intensifying sun that signals that summer is well on her way.
This means that I have nearly done full cycle here in Arica and am in the tail end of my time here ' que el tiempo vuela!! I'm starting to take stock of just what has happened over there, and I feel like a disappeared into a period of integration in the past few months and there are many tales to tell, will have to update you on this blog again soon.