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.

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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!

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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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