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Spanish posts
Video of the day: a goaty guide to pronouncing foreign cheeses
Nov 12th, 2011 at 4:00PM: The holidays are Cheese Season. At no other time of the year are cheese and specialty food shops as thronged by dairy-seeking customers. They're hungry for a fix or searching for a gift, recipe ingredient, or the makings of a cheese plate. Cheese is love, and one of the easiest, most elegant ways to kick off a cocktail party or conclude (or make) a memorable meal.
With that in mind, the folks ...
Photo of the Day - Barcelona jamon
Oct 27th, 2011 at 6:00PM:
The humble ham and cheese sandwich is a basic staple of the travel diet. In nearly every country I've traveled to, I can count on finding a cheap and tasty toasted ham and cheese at a snack bar or cafe while exploring a new city. With a nice glass of local wine or a cold beer, this simple sandwich can be sublime. The Spanish, however, have made ham an art form, noted by this display in Barcelona ...My Spanish self: How learning a new language has expanded more than my vocabulary
May 31st, 2011 at 9:00AM: In high school, I hated my Spanish class and resisted learning the language every step of the way.
"Why should I?" I wondered. After all, the guy at my favorite taco stand already spoke English. So instead of listening, I passed notes, stared out the window, and generally didn't participate unless called on. Señor Steel tried his best to pry my attention with references to The Grateful ...Useful foreign phrases, Part 2: how to say, "Can you write this down for me?" in 10 languages
May 5th, 2011 at 1:00PM: A post written by Chris on Tuesday reminded me of this little language series I started in March. In "Ten things Ugly Americans need to know before visiting a foreign land," Chris recommended brushing up on the local language. He joked about dashing around Venice clutching his concierge's handwritten note, "Do you have 220/110 plug converters for this stupid American who left his at home?"
...Useful foreign phrases, Part 1: how to say, "I'm just looking" in 10 languages
Mar 24th, 2011 at 12:00PM: I've frequently pimped Lonely Planet's Phrasebooks on this site, but I swear I don't get kickbacks from the company. It's just that I'm a big believer in not being a). A Tourist (although, let's face it, if I'm not at home, I am indeed A Tourist) and b). helpless.
Even if you're the biggest xenophobe on earth--which would make foreign travel a really weird and pointless pastime you might want ...It's still Christmas in Spain!
Jan 6th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Well, Epiphany actually, but in Spain this is when we give presents. Christmas in Spain is a time for big meals and family fun, as well as church services for those who are so inclined. Santa passes Spain by to deal with the Anglo and Germanic countries, and Japan from what I hear. Spanish children wait for Los Reyes, the Three Kings, who come on their camels bearing gifts for good little boys and ...The food and wine of Extremadura, Spain
Jan 4th, 2011 at 12:30PM: One of the best things about traveling around Spain is trying out the various regional cuisines. Here in Extremadura, in the southwestern part of the country, the people are known for the quality of their cuisine.
First off, there are these shapely pig legs pictured on the right. Cured and ready to be cut into thin slices, this is called jamón, and is a personal favorite of mine. In a ...Five reasons Americans should choose Panama over the Caribbean, with day trips to boot
Nov 19th, 2010 at 4:35PM:
Panama. It's a small nation of about 3.3 million inhabitants, with a land size roughly equal to South Carolina. It's the southernmost country in Central America, and if not for its mind-bogglingly thick Darien National Park, the so-called Panamerican Highway could run from Alaska to the bottom of South America. But you knew all of that, didn't you? What you may not be aware of, however, is just ...Hotel owner makes Latino employees change their names
Oct 27th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Taos, New Mexico, is home to a large Spanish-speaking population. There are a lot of Latino people living and working in the town. So it follows that many people there have traditionally Latino names. You would think a guy from Texas (another state close to Mexico and home to many Hispanic people) would understand that. But not Larry Whitten.
digg_url = ...Gadling gear review: WorldNomads.com Spanish Language Guide Plus
Sep 25th, 2009 at 11:00AM: This very brief product review is going to show off a pretty neat iPhone application I recently took for a spin. The WorldNomads.com Spanish Language Guide Plus offers several handy features in one; a 10 minute introduction to the language, a 550 word spoken reference and several sections dedicated to phrases you may need when shopping, flirting at a bar or on a work vacation. The spoken ...Another Low-Cost Carrier Fails
Oct 18th, 2008 at 11:00AM: Low-cost-carrier LTE ceased to operate today because of its financial predicament. The Spanish carrier stopped booking flights on Thursday, but some would-be holidaymakers were left with luggage in hand, waiting to get from rainy England to the sunny Canaries. LTE specialized in such routes and worked closely with several English tour operators. LTE was not a newcomer to the LCC game. It has been ...A Few Tips for Speaking Spanish in Mexico
Jul 15th, 2008 at 10:00AM: "I'm done." I said in Spanish as I smiled and looked at our waitress, "Muchas gracias!", I continued, beaming at my Spanish prowess. She smiled back -- actually she looked like she was struggling to hold in laughter when I realized my error --- I had just told her I was done like DEAD. Ack! The embarrassment of the situation got me, I smiled sheepishly and dragged Tom to the exit to make a quick ...The many languages of Suriname
Mar 23rd, 2008 at 6:30PM: If you've been following any of the recent language controversy in Philadelphia, you begin to see that a country's language is a constantly evolving mix of the cultures, customs and the people who use it. Here at home, this interplay is at often work between our country's de facto official language, English, and an increasingly populous minority of Spanish-speaking immigrants. Now imagine this ...So that's why they hardly speak English in Spain!
Dec 9th, 2007 at 10:00AM: It has always shocked me how little English people speak in Spain. Travel to big cities and generally you can communicate with the locals in English, but in Madrid (for example) you will be lucky to encounter a Madrileño to speak to in English. It's embarrassing how here you can't even order a coffee in English at Starbucks! I think one of the main reasons for its lack of English-speaking ...Will Chinese really take over English and Spanish?
Oct 19th, 2007 at 3:48PM: When I left my high-flying public relations job to travel, learn Spanish and write, more than a few people said: "what are you learning Spanish for? Learn Mandarin, it's going to be the new most needed/wanted language, it will take you places!" This context is often debated and recently resurfaced in articles on Forbes, Freakonomics and World Hum. I still don't see the point. Mandarin may be ...Word for the Travel Wise (02/09/07)
Feb 9th, 2007 at 8:00PM: You'd think I'd never traveled to a Spanish speaking country in my life the way one of my close pal from Mexico and my strict Peruvian co-worker are cracking down on the Spanish language lessons. To help prep me for my upcoming trip to the Republica Dominicana (no longer the Dominican Republic) I have been hit with tons of new Spanish vocabulary and useful phrases. Since this is a two way street; ...Word for the Travel Wise (01/02/07)
Jan 2nd, 2007 at 8:00PM: If anyone created the same type of 2007 To-Do List as I did, I suspect there should be much travel planning to become more conversational in a lingo if not fluent. Most of my travels will be by audio books and live radio web stream, but for those who can make it out yonder to practice in full emersion I hope it pays off! And it should... Today's word is a Spanish word used in Mexico: viajar - ...Word for the Travel Wise (11/24/06)
Nov 24th, 2006 at 8:00PM: Whether you're in search of postage in Nicaragua to send a postcard back home or surfing the web for some new stamps to add to your collection here is a Spanish word that might make your hunting easier. That is if the person you're dealing with doesn't speak English or your native tongue. Today's word is a Spanish word used in Nicaragua: timbre - postage Amerispan, Cactus Language and IMAC are ...Word for the Travel Wise (10/14/06)
Oct 14th, 2006 at 8:00PM: Even though it was only this past February I spent three weeks in the Caribbean and a year since I was in Costa Rica, thoughts of traveling somewhere in Latin America or the Carib has been swimming heavily around in my head. The question now is where to go or travel to first? I have a few ideas, but I'm certainly open to others. For instance I know very little about Panama with the exception of ...Word for the Travel Wise (09/10/06)
Sep 10th, 2006 at 8:00PM: Okay, everyone - big sigh of relief this week. I'm departing from languages of the Silk Road to return to some you may actually try to learn further than my everyday Gadling feature. Today I point your attention to Uruguay's thermal waters as featured on the front page of their tourism site. Perfect place to head if you're planning an early escape from North American winters. Go check it out. ...
