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!!

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.

YO ELIJE PODER

Gymnasio Survival Vocabulary
I CHOOSE POWER - This is the clever motivational phrase that is plastered on the gym mirror. But to be honest, sometimes I feel like this poster is mocking me, I don't really feel that powerful!
Exercising in public is never really that pleasant. I prefer to have some anonymity while putting my body through its paces; tripping over my two left feet, dripping pools of sweat and gasping for air, its generally not a pretty sight. But anonymity is not really on the cards, my mere appearance screams "gringa" (which in Chile is not a word with derogative connotations like in other South American countries). Even without opening my mouth or falling over the step, I stick out for being particularly rubio, fair, and while many Chilean are also rubio nobody else in the class seems to turn that same shade of deep red/purple that I do! How I envy that moreno look with gorgeous olive, tanned skin!
And, I have the distinct disadvantage of not actually understanding the instructions. In my defence. this is not just a simple vocabulary problem, the blaring music and the sound of my heart pounding in my ears doesn't exactly help my comprehension. Frequently, my language learning skills revert to 'monkey see, monkey do'.
But I am persisting, determined to bust through those layers of pain and confusion and I am finally beginning to decipher some sense from amongst the chaos. Seriously, I have come to the conclusion that sometimes the instructor doesn't mean what he says. There is a definitely a difference between literal translation and contextual translation. I have collected here some key vocabulary and phrases that had I known earlier might have avoided some embarrassment and frustration.

uno, dos tres, cuatro cinco... ocho -one, two three four, five...eight- yep pretty straight forward - however a gym instructors idea of ocho is a little like the Chilean version of 'on time', ie. an extra 20!
Arriba, abajo, atras, adalente, = up, down, front, back - yea but try doing that quickly and repeatedly while standing on one foot, with a change in sequence and direction with seemingly no warning!
Tres y uno = don't be fooled! While this sound identical to desayuno, (breakfast) it is referring to three stomach crunches up and one down.
Ay, ay = ouch ouch - (very handy and self explanatory)
Nada mas = nothing more (one might think this would be music to my ears but no, it also means repeat only this exercise until further notice!)
Vamos = let's go (yes Im thinking lets go... but in this context it means, come on, move it!)
Otra vez = again (seriously?)
Ultima vez = last time (what ever that's what he said last time!)
Doble = can mean twice as fast or twice as many, something more specific might help the gringa girl to keep in sync!
Concentrarte = Concentrate yourself ( this is a favorite for the Spinning instructor, given that pedalling a stationary bike is not that complicated, I assume she means concentrate on not throwing up, since that what I usually feel like doing in her classes!)
Apliquete = Apply yourself (now that's a goodie that can be applied in all areas of life!)
Hombres, Mujeres Men, Women two simple words which had they been written on the newly renovated bathrooms would have avoided devastating embarrassment. Needless to say I won't be showering at the gym again, the water is cold anyway!

Now I just need to find thee Spanish equivalent for Drama Queen and I think I could describe myself quite accurately!!

MUMMIE!!
No, I'm not homesick - but perhaps I could be considered sick of some sorts, since I am fascinated by the mummification of dead bodies?!

A visit to the Chinchorro museum this weekend has been a educational experience to say the least!  The museum exhibits the mummies found in Atacama desert and the coast line not far from here.  They are the oldest mummies in the world, predating the Egyptian mummies by 2000 years, making them about 5000 years old!
Unlike the Egyptians who mummified only their elite, the Chinchorro people mummified all their dead, including fetuses!  They varied their techniques over time but generally process involved disassembling the body, treating the internal organs with salt and then reassembling it, skin and all, wrapping it in mud and bandages made of vegetable fibre.  This is a lot of attention to a dead body that seems very alien to they way that we do things now, and is surely linked to beliefs about assisting the soul in the afterlife.
I remember a couple of empathetic students who had researched a little about attractions around Arica, teasing me about the possibilities of mummies laying dormant under my house.  At the time, I laughed and dismissed their teasing, but as it turns out there may have been some truth in what they said as it is not uncommon for mummies to be unearthed when foundations are being laid for new constructions!
To be honest I wasn't in a hurry to visit this unique and world class museum, it has taken me four months 'to get around to it'. It seemed kind of morbid to go and check out dead bodies, but now that I have - I think that when one considers the time and attention with which these people treated their dearly departed, I can't help but respect the expertise of their practice.
No one really knows the final fate of the Chinchorro people, its seems that they disappeared in the course of time.   Their mummies are their legacy. 
 For those of you who might be further fascinated by this practice - check out the details of there techniques here.

Feliz Cumpleanos Arica,

On the 7th of June Arica celebrated her Chilean birthday - and for a 132 year old she can still party!!
In honor of the occasion, El Morro - the point of victory in the 1880 battle in which Chile finally claimed the port city from Peruvian control, donned her best party dress - the largest flag in all of chile.
During the week long celebrations young and old flocked to the downtown that was bursting at the seems with markets and fairground, musicans and comedian buskers, concerts of tradtional music and dancing,  Creating a jovial and festive atmosphere which reflected traditional and diversity all the same time!  At the stroke of midnight on the 7th of June the celebrations came to a climax as hundreds of locals gathered in the town square at the foot of El Morro to watch the elaborate fireworks display.
The victory at El Morro was a significant moment in the history of Chile as it consequently secured the entire northern regions of Tarapaca and Arica from Peruavian rule. The city still pays tribute to Fransico Bolengesi, the valiant Peruvian Commander who died in the final battle, by naming her prettiest cobble stone pedestrian street after her.
The enthusiastic and communal celebration of "Arica's birthday" demonstrates a strength of cultural and national identity and is an active expression of solidaridad - solidarity which is a value and characteristic that the Chileans are duly proud of.
Viva Arica!!  Viva Chile!!

More about the Battle of Arica .

EXPERIENCIA CULTURAL NUMERO...?

TYPO:  Road Trip
PRESENTE:  Laura, Hulio, Pato, Andrea, y Yo.  


DESTINATION: At woozy heights with snow dusted volcanoes, remote hot springs and glimmering lakes, Parque Nacional Lauca, 160 kilometers north east of Arica is an absolute treasure. 

OBJECTIVO: To get out of town for the weekend and explore some more of this amazing region.  
To visit Lago Chungara, the highlest lake in the world, and Salir de Surir, a salt desert on the border of Bolivia.

It is not just the exaggerated altitude (between 3000m and 6300m above sea level) that leaves visitors to this national park breathless. Lauca is home to some breathtaking altiplano scenery, snow-sprinkled volcanoes, sparkling lakes and isolated hot springs. It's also shelters pretty highland villages and a huge variety of wildlife - not least the nimble-footed vicuña and the rabbit-like viscacha. Lonely Planet

LEYENDA DE AYMARA: The daughter of the local chief was once caught in an intimate embrace with  local lad.  The chief was enraged, and had them thrown into the lake.  They later emerged in the form of volcanos on the edge of the lake, know as the  "Payachatas".

IMPRESSIONS: It was well worth 2 days of driving, the diversity of scenery was incredible.  Leaving a little later than expected due to a city wide power cut, actually worked in our favour, we got to see the sunrise through valley of Utah and watched the colours change dramatically as we wound through the mountains.  As we began ascending through the mountains, we stopped at the small Aymaran Village of Zapahuira, for mate de coca, a medicinal cup of tea to fight off altitude sickness.  We also stocked up on a packet of dry coca leaves which magically relieved any headache and nausea caused by ascending 3500m over just 150 kilometers.   This high above see level, the clean air and crisp light accentuated the colors and contrasts.  After becoming accustomed to the scenery around Arica which is dominated by various shades of brown, the blues and greens of the Parque National de Lauca seemed to have a magical glow. 

CONFESSIONS OF A GRAMMAR GEEK

It has been a while since my last post; let's just put it down to technical difficulties.
But be assured that while time flies - it's certainly not passing me by. I have been busy with my three fold objectives of studying, the language, culture and pedagogy! I have just completed my in depth 3 monthly review for the LIA which has prompted some serious reflection of what and how I have been learning. Hence topic of this post.
While it would be nice if simply by immersion, I could learn completely by osmosis, unfortunately that's a myth! So I have set myself to studying!
I arrived in Chile with a string of vocabulary, a handful of set phrases and a very rusty understanding of present tense verb conjugation, some of them useful and correct- others, not so much! Every day - Monday through Friday, I go the Academia de Artes y Lenguas for a 2 hour lesson. This may sound like a lot but feels like a drop in the ocean when I consider the mass of language that I am still blissfully ignorant of! I have two teachers, apparently I am too exhausting for one to handle?!
Laura, from Switzerland, speaks an impeccable Spanish with an enviable accent. On the odd occasion when communication in Spanish fails us - we revert to French, her first language and my second. Learning a third language through a second language is a brilliant brain buster! My classes with Laura are fascinating not only because of the language but because of the content. We read and discus texts about the history of Chile, articles from current newspapers and magazines, and works by incredibly talented Chilean writers, like the poetry of Pablo Neruda and Nicolan Parra, and music by Violetta Parra and Inti Illimani which in particular, provide an excellent commentary on the times of the Pinochet regime (1973 - 1990).
So while Laura and I concentrate on content and comprehension, my other classes with Emily, concentrate on accuracy and articulation - more specifically grammar! Yes, I am becoming a grammar geek and I love it! From my very humble beginnings of a few verb conjugations in the present, I can now use; the present continuous, past continuous, past preterit, past perfect, plus perfect, impefect (which doesn't even exist in English!), future and conditional, phew!! Although I can use them, I confuse them frequently and would not claim to have mastered them yet! Often a sentence will take several minutes to construct (by which time the conversation has usually moved on!). It feels a little like trying to a length math equation. My comprehension is improving all the time but I still have moments where all the sounds seem to blend together into 'Charlie Brown speak', like "whaaa whaaa whaaa...."
While Spanish is a second language for both my teachers, I think it somehow works to my advantage. They have a perspective of the language that a native speaker doesn't necessarily have. They know how to chop it up into pieces and put it back together perfectly, and make comparisons and find similarities with the languages that I already know. The also both have a distinct understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the Chilean Spanish, which is apparently distinct from 'Spanish Spanish'. While it all sounds the same to me at this stage, one of the benefits of Chilean speakers is that they often chop of the ends of words, particularly the 's' sound. As a 'kiwi' speaker, this suits me just fine since we are not much better with our English, and as far as I'm concerned it excuses me for mumbling over a syllable or two!!
Simply attending classes is not enough - I have to consciously use the new language that I learn, otherwise the words just stay in the book and they are not much use to me there! So, I have post-its and vocab lists and grammar explanations tacked to my wall. The fruit bowl on the dining room table is full of cards with sentence starters and idioms to prompt conversation. I sit with a notebook and copy down new phrases from the movie subtitles. I write summaries of texts and memorize poetry for homework. I reward myself after class with coffee and cake in the cafe downtown, because it can't be work no play ;)
My Spanish has certainly come along way, pero me falta mucho todavia (I am still missing alot!) and I continue make frustrating and hilarious mistakes on a daily basis. However, I'm sure my geek like tendencies will eventually pay off. I'm banking on the theory that what goes in must come out.