Many Feared Dead in Mexican Landslide

Terrible news for the Spanish community.

A hillside collapsed onto a village in the southern Mexican
state of Oaxaca early Tuesday, burying houses in mud and
stones and trapping hundreds of people as they slept, state
authorities said.

As many as 300 houses in the village of Santa Maria
Tlahuitoltepec may have been buried in the landslide, said
the state governor, Ulises Ruiz.

Rescue workers trying to reach the village with earth-moving
equipment have been hampered by blocked roads in the remote
area, which has been pounded by incessant rains. "We hope to
reach in time to rescue those families who were buried by the
hill," Mr. Ruiz told Mexican television.

Not where you would want to practice your Spanish at the moment unfortunately 

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Spanish World Culture - the day of the dead

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is not the morbid Spanish event it may at first appear: to the contrary, it is an uplifting fiesta, celebrated mainly in Mexico, to remember and pay tribute to friends and relatives who have died. It is believed that the souls of the deceased are believed to return to earth on this day, which falls on 2nd November each year, in conjunction with the Catholic holy festival of All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos) on 1st November.

As with many Mexican rituals, the Day of the Dead has pre-Hispanic roots, dating back some 2,500-3,000 years to the Aztecs, Mayas, Olmecs and other indigenous civilisations. In Aztec times the festival was celebrated in August, the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, and for an entire month. In modern-day Mexico, celebrations take place in November, and the day before Día de los Muertos, 1st November, is dedicated to lost children and infants: this is known as Día de los Angelitos, or Day of the Little Angels, as children who die are believed to automatically become angels.

Glad to be learning more about Spanish culture whilst learning Spanish with Spanish flash cards - (tips how to use 

Spanish flash cards here)

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Hurricane Karl has passed through South East Mexico

Hurricane Karl has passed through South East Mexico

Officials estimate that some 500,000 people were affected by floods and overflowing rivers.

The rains have killed 12 people, plus eight others still missing.

The state of Veracruz is the one who reported more damage by the hurricane.Gov. Fidel Herrera ordered the complete evacuation of the affected areas.

Since August, Veracruz has been affected by five meteorological phenomena.The Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency to 65 municipalities in the state, where the shortage of food and drinking water led to the sacking of some businesses.

If you were thinking of heading down to Mexico to practive  your Spanish, it may be wise to wait until after the hurricane season.

How to Teach yourself Spanish

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Three words you must have for tomatoes

If you want to teach yourself spanish, the basic word for tomato is tomate. Jitomate is a word you'll hear in Mexico for tomato. This kind:-

Cherry Tomatoes are called tomatillos.

Green tomatoes are tomates.  Or a tomate verde.

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nope to the pope

Ciudad Perdida: The spectacular five-day trek to Colombia's Lost City

Ciudad Perdida: The spectacular five-day trek to Colombia's Lost City

Backpackers in Colombia are divided into two groups: those who have made the exhausting five-day trek to Ciudad Perdida, and those who haven't. 

Dating from the 800s, Ciudad Perdida (literally "Lost City") was once home to as many as four thousand Tayrona Indians, but its ruins were hidden by dense forest until grave robbers re-discovered the city in 1973 (and stole everything that wasn't nailed down). Located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range near Colombia's northern coast, Ciudad Perdida's ruins are as impressive as they are remote, containing about 170 stone terraces that were once the foundations for Tayrona houses, markets, and ritual sites.

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Exercise really does make you clever: Fit children have better memories

Exercise really does make you clever: Fit children have better memories say experts

By Claire Bates
Last updated at 5:28 PM on 16th September 2010

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Running around in the playground is not just good for a child's physical health - it also improves their memories, according to a study.

Researchers found children who were fitter tended to have a bigger hippocampus - the area deep in the brain associated with learning. 

The study, published in the journal Brain Research, found the more active youngsters also performed better on memory tests.

Physically fit children performed better in memory tests and had larger hippocampi, according to a new study (posed)

Study leader Professor Charles Hillman, of the University of Illinois, said: 'This is the first study I know of that has used MRI measures to look at differences in brain between kids who are fit and kids who aren't fit.

'Beyond that, it relates those measures of brain structure to cognition.'

The team tested the physical fitness of a group of 49 nine and 10 year olds by measuring their oxygen levels while running on a treadmill. They then took MRI scans of their brains.

The results revealed that the physically fit children had hippocampi that were 12 per cent larger relative to their brain size than their out-of-shape peers.

They also performed better on tests of relational memory - the ability to remember and integrate various types of information.

More...

• How diet and NOT exercise is the key to losing weight

Doctoral student Laura Chaddock said: 'Higher fit children had higher performance on the relational memory task, higher fit children had larger hippocampal volumes, and in general, children with larger hippocampal volumes had better relational memory.'

She added that previous studies supported their findings.

'In animal studies, exercise has been shown to specifically affect the hippocampus, significantly increasing the growth of new neurons and cell survival, enhancing memory and learning, and increasing molecules that are involved in the plasticity of the brain,' Miss Chaddock said.

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via dailymail.co.uk

Definitely worth knowing!

Lose Cellulite

Beber is the usual equivalent of the English verb "to drink"

Beber is the usual equivalent of the English verb "to drink" and is nearly always used to refer to the ingestion of a liquid. Like the English verb, beber in context can be used to refer specifically to the drinking of alcohol.

Here are some common phrases that use beber:

• beber a chorros — to drink heavily

• beber a morro — to drink straight from the bottle

• beber a sorbos, beber a sorbitos — to sip

• beber como una cuba, beber como una esponja, beber como un cosaco — to drink like a fish

• beber con exceso — to drink to excess

• beber con la lengua — to lap up

• beber de un trago — to drink in a gulp

• beber hasta la última gota — to drink to the last drop

• beber los vientos por — to have a strong desire for

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Spain has a rich cultural history

Spain has a rich cultural history. It seems there is a festival or celebration every week of the year.

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Spanish Recipe - Risotto Con Foie

Spanish Recipe - Risotto Con Foie

The Spanish Blog

Cool recipe Lear Spanish DVD

Sent with Reeder

lose weight help

Great ways to ramp up your vocabulary.

One of the oldest ways to learn vocabulary, Flash Cards still have their place. They have to be used correctly though and there are three ways of making them super effective.

Check out the post on Spanish Flashcards here

What a great place to go to practice Spanish.

What a great place to go to practice Spanish. The V Hotel is a fantastic jungle retreat near the fishing village of Yelapa in tropical Mexico. This modern hotel was designed by Heinz Legler and us a 5 acre area with infinity pool, spa, restaurant, yoga hut and 8 guest rooms. Book me in.

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Learning Spanish For Valencia

Next Spring I am off to Valencia, Spain. From the guidebooks I have learnt that Valencia has a mash-up of historic architecture from the Romans, through Moorish and Medieval. One of the most amazing buildings is the “City of the Sciences and Arts” which was built by Santiago Calatrava. One of the largest and oldest cathedrals in the world is also in Valencia. Amazing entrance.

By the time I get there I should have finished with my Learn Spanish DVD and be speaking to the locals about their architecture.

The Canary Islands are Spain's largest archipelago

The Canary Islands are Spain's largest archipelago and are located 100km off the northwest coast of Africa west of Morocco. The Canaries have great natural attractions, climate and beaches making the islands a major tourist destination, being visited each year by about 12 million people. Among the islands, Tenerife has the most number of tourists received annually, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Tenerife's main tourist attraction is the Teide National Park where the highest mountain in Spain and third largest volcano in the world (Mount Teide) is located.

Tenerife is a great place to practice Spanish, as the locals speak with a very clear pronunciation. Don't forget to take your learn Spanish DVD with you.

Is there an artificial language based on romance languages?

Is there an artificial language based on romance languages?

Yes, in fact there's more than one, but the main one is InterLingua. Although like Esperanto, it does have influences from Russian and German and in particular English, it is however much more largely based on the romance languages.

Millions understand Interlingua "at first sight"

Speakers of Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian especially understand Interlingua immediately and almost effortlessly.

Why do we need yet another language though? I am sticking to my learn Spanish DVD course.