El Día de los Muertos , El Día de los Difuntos, Day of the Dead is 

NOT HALLOWEEN.

El Dia de los Muertos is a day or days in which people in many cultures, especially in México and other places in Latin America, welcome the spirits of their loved ones back into their homes for a joyful visit.  It is traditionally not a scary time -- after all, would you be afraid of seeing your departed spouse, parent or grandparent again? (Well, maybe in some cases...)

Common activities occur in the home.  Families create small altars in which they place photos of their loved ones, their special items, favorite meals or beverages.  It is a time for telling stories about their absent family members and remembering them with love.

In México, the flowers called cempasuchil are abundant in the markets because they are used to mark pathways to lead the spirits home again and to adorn the altars.

The burial places are cleaned and refreshed with flowers.  Often entire families will meet in the cemetaries with the beloved´s favorite food and drink and celebrate their lives with picnics, song, dance, storytelling and generally good times.

Children, and others, often enjoy giving each other candies and small trinkets decorated with skeletons and the friend´s name. 

You have probably seen drawings, sculptures, and other representations of people as skeletons.  One of the most famous of these is called La Catrina (see above).  The Mexican artist Jose Luís Posada,1852 – 1913, created this and many others to poke fun at the aristocracy and politicians.  

You might enjoy reading more about Posada and Día de los Muertos on these sites, among many others. You may also enjoy the Disney Pixar film, Coco.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Guadalupe_Posada   

https://www.openculture.com/2023/10/meet-the-man-who-created-the-iconic-emblem-of-the-day-of-the-dead-jose-guadalupe-posada.html

Día de la Independencia de México, el 16 de septiembre

 Mexican Independence day is the 16th of September, not the 5th of May as some think.  It marks the beginning of a long, often chaotic armed struggle for Mexico's independence from Spain.  It lasted from 16 September 1810--27 September 1821.  The 16th is marked by the "Grito de Dolores", named for the rallying cry by the priest Miguel Hidalgo in the city of Dolores in the state of Guanajuato on that day in 1810. The city, now called Dolores Hidalgo, is known at the Cuna de la Independencia, the Birthplace of Independence. Father Hidalgo was executed the following year.

Nowadays there is a huge celebration at midnight on the eve of  the 16th in the main square of Mexico City, el "Zócalo," when the president of Mexico comes out on the balcony and cries, "Viva México" three times, echoed by the multitudes every time.  Then fireworks and other festivities continue for hours.  You can find videos on YouTube.  Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of the situation both in Spain and Mexico leading up to Independence.  Many other Spanish possessions of the time also gained their independence in 1821-22.  

¿Por qué se celebra el Cinco de Mayo? ¿Sabes tú?  NO es la independencia de México y no es un día de fiesta importante allá.   Busca la razón y luego puedes celebrar.

OLLI Spring class is underway.  So far we've enjoyed Sabor a Mí and Nada fue un error.

To see class notes, go to the tab that says OLLI Classes 2018-2025.  To find links to the songs, lyrics in Spanish and some translations in English, check out the Canciones, Songs, Música tab.

 Spanish via Songs, OLLI Spring term, 2025

Esta clase empieza el 10 de abril, en OLLI Campbell Center, Room A, 9:00 - 10:30 am. 

If you're taking this class to get ready for a trip to Spain, you might visit the Feria de Abril o Feria de Sevilla.  Usually it takes place in April, but since Easter is so late, it's going into May.  For details, visit https://www.andalucia.com/festival/seville-feria.htm.

Or, if you love horses, try the Feria del Caballo in Jerez de la Frontera, also in Andalucia.  Take a look, plan your trip to Spain!

https://www.spain.info/en/calendar/horse-fair/

Or, just stay in Ashland and see some great theater and brush up on your Spanish for your next trip.

Spanish via Songs, OLLI, Fall 2024

 Buenos dias, estudiantes,

La clase empieza el jueves, 17 octubre, 2024, a las 9 de la mañana en Campbell Center, SOU, Room D.

Espero verlos a todos allí.  Para más información, busquen el tab OLLI CLASSES 2018-2024.

Para celebrar "Indigenous People's Day", recuerden:

"En 1492 los nativos americanos descubrieron a Cristófol Colón perdido en el mar."

 Time for a new Spanish class! Learning Spanish with Songs.

At OLLI this spring, 2024, we'll be enjoying a variety of songs while learning new vocabulary, figuring out grammatical structures, and singing along (as much as we can.)

The class is currently full, but there is a waitlist.  Check with the OLLI office at Southern Oregon University.  In the meantime, you can discover your own favorite songs on the internet.  It's easy to find the lyrics, too, in both Spanish and English.

If you're in the class, feel free to suggest songs that we can enjoy if there's time.

Canta y no llores!

¿Prefieres el invierno o el verano?

Durante el invierno hay mucha lluvia o nieve.  Las temperaturas son bajas, con mucho viento.  Los deportes del invierno incluyen el esquí, ir en trineo y patinar en el hielo.  

Aquí en Oregon, el invierno dura desde diciembre hasta marzo.

Pero si vives en el hemisferio sur, estos meses son el verano.  La gente visita la playa, les gusta nadar o jugar al béisbol.  No necesitan los abrigos grandes. Así que, si no te gusta el tiempo de ahora, puedes viajar a Sudamérica y tomar el sol.

Día de los Muertos is NOT Halloween

Here's the link for an interesting article from a school in Puebla, México.  It even has a glossary at the end if you need vocabulary help, and you can click on the arrow to listen as well.  Good information and great reading practice!  The subject is vast;  there is a lot of information out there. 

https://sipuebla.com/spanishreader/dia-de-muertos.html

And, if you like movies, try Coco, a Disney Pixar film that takes place at this time.  It's available on Netflix as DVD only.

And you can search this blog for an earlier post about Día de los Muertos.

 el 19 de octubre 2021

New class starting today!  For really truly absolutely beginners!  If you're already registered, great.  If not, the class is full but I'll be offering it again in the Winter Term.  Hope to see you then.

¡Bienvenidos, todos!

I'll post the notes from this class under the tab that says OLLI Classes 2018-21.

New OLLI class is starting on March 30, 2021.  We meet twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, 3:30-5, for four weeks, ending on April 22. OLLI is still offering classes via Zoom, and we are finding fun ways to make this work for learning languages.  This class is called More Spanish for Advancing Beginners.  It's intended for OLLI members who have a beginning level of proficiency and would like to advance a bit.  Hope you can join us!

        La Virgen de Guadalupe, patron saint of México 

                               and all the Americas

Her feast day is December 12 and is always a huge event.  This year, however, is different.  The Los Angeles Times notes that in Mexico City:

"For weeks, church and civic authorities have been urging people to stay away from the storied shrine — erected alongside the hillside where, according to Catholic teaching, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, appeared to a peasant, Juan Diego, in 1531, just a decade after the Spanish conquest. The apparition and the central artifact of veneration — an image of the Virgin that is said to have been imprinted on Juan Diego’s cloak, which is now preserved and on view at the shrine via a moveable walkway — helped solidify Catholicism among Mexico’s indigenous masses."

"Bowing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic and civic leaders canceled this year’s celebrations, which usually draw up to 10 million fervent disciples, including many who travel long distances to give thanks and seek the protection of the patron saint of Mexico. Saturday was the actual feast day, but visitors began arriving weeks before, many camping along the route.

The shrine, the most visited Roman Catholic site in the Americas — and second in the world only to the Vatican — was closed from Thursday through Sunday. A massive security deployment sealed off nearby streets. The basilica’s environs took on a ghost-town appearance except for the overwhelming police presence.

The shutdown came as Mexico is experiencing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases. Mexico City, home to almost 9 million people, is at the epicenter. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum warned Friday of a COVID-19 emergency and issued an urgent appeal for people to stay home."

New OLLI class Tuesday, Sept. 22

Bienvenidos a todos los estudiantes de Inching into Intermediate Spanish.

Busca la página OLLI CLASSES, 2018-2020.

Taco Chronicles - yummy series on Netflix

If you'd like to see how real tacos should be, take a look at the Taco Chronicles on Netflix.  Each one tells about a different type of taco and shows various examples in different places.  If you're not hungry now, you will be after watching this!

https://www.netflix.com/title/81040704

Medical terms to know

I'm posting a link to good, short article from Gritty Spanish about basic communication about medical problems.  Master these now for some future travels.  Incidentally, you might add Gritty Spanish to your language-learning resources.

https://www.grittyspanish.com/2019/12/01/spanish-medical-terms-evergreen/?tl_inbound=1&tl_target_all=1&tl_period_type=3&mc_cid=f70a560b26&mc_eid=61e46d9bfa

El Cinco de Mayo - ¿Qué es y por qué celebrar?

I first posted this several years ago, but it bears repeating (and a good workout for your Spanish language studies.)  I recommend having a Corona beer, even today, the 6th of May.

El Cinco de Mayo

NO ES LA INDEPENDENCIA DE MÉXICO.  Eso se celebra el 16 de septiembre, cuando en 1810 el Padre Miguel Hidalgo del pueblo Dolores dio su "grito de independencia" de España.

 El cinco de mayo conmemora la Batalla de Puebla de 1862, en la cual los mexicanos ganaron una victoria sobre el ejército grande y poderosa de Francia.

El presidente Benito Juárez había pedido prestado mucho dinero de Inglaterra, España y Francia. Pero no pudo devolver el dinero.  Inglaterra y España negociaron con Juárez, pero Francia quería conquistar a México e invadió su territorio.

Durante esta guerra los franceses avanzaron desde Veracruz hacia la ciudad de México con mucha confianza y seis mil soldados.  Pero en la ciudad de Puebla, el 5 de mayo de 1862 después de una larga batalla, el pequeño ejército mexicano ganó y los franceses tuvieron que retirarse.  Los franceses perdieron más de 500 soldados mientras los mexicanos, bajo el general Zaragoza, un tejano, perdieron solo 100 hombres.

Aunque los franceses lograron conquistar a México y lo controlaron durante seis años hasta la ejecución del Emperador Maxmiliano y su esposa Carlota en 1867, se considera la Batalla de Puebla como una victoria simbólica contra el imperialismo europeo en las Américas.

En México se celebra muy poco el cinco de mayo, excepto en Puebla.  En los Estados Unidos ha llegado a ser una ocasión para celebrar la herencia y la cultura mexicana.

Para más información, recomiendo http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo.

Zooming in at OLLI

May 5, 2020 is the start date for my new OLLI class, Spanish for Advancing Beginners.  The class is currently full, and I have requests from several people already who would like to join if anyone drops.
Since it's my first time using Zoom for teaching a class, I am reluctant to invite more students to join us.
But I have high hopes after watching my TPRS guru, Blaine Ray, teaching online classes from complete beginners through amazingly advanced students. We'll be taking it slowly, remembering that each person learns at their own speed and readiness.  And, of course, we will have some fun!

¡Vamos al cine!

¡Vamos al cine! Let's go to the movies! ¡We're going to the movies!

En español, "the movies" in general is "el cine."
But "el cine" can also be the movie theater.  En Ashland hay dos cines, el Varsity y el Ashland Street Cinema.

¿Cuál es tu película favorita?
What's your favorite movie (or film)?
We used to use "película" in our cameras as well until digital photography took over.

Ahora podemos ver películas en la tele. 
Now we can see movies / films on TV.

"Dolor y Gloria" es un film por Pedro Almodóvar.
Here we're using the word film, possibly to indicate the high quality or artistic merit we expect, and are definitely given in "Pain and Glory."  This film is the very best Almodóvar has made, in my opinion.  I loved it.  Watch it!  Listen to the language.  Enjoy.

And if you enjoy streaming movies at home, read this from WordReference.com:

streaming n	(audio, video) (voz inglesa)	streaming nm
		ver por internet nm
	Streaming allows you to watch TV shows online without downloading them first.
	El streaming te permite ver los programas de la tele en línea sin tener que descargarlos antes.

Keep learning Spanish!  The online possibilities are endless.  Take advantage of them.

¡Lávate las manos!

Good advice in any language!

Go see the Prado at the Varsity Theater in Ashland ! ?

At 2:00 pm on Monday, Jan 27, and again at 4:00 pm, the Varsity is screening a documentary about the incredible Prado Museum in Madrid.  Go take a look!

"The first cinematic journey through the rooms, stories and emotions of one of the most visited museums in the world. Its wealth of over 8000 art treasures is a spell-binding experience drawing almost 3 million visitors to Madrid every year."

Initial release: June 3, 2019 (Czechia)

Director: Valeria Parisi

Film series: Great Art on Screen

Cast: Jeremy Irons

¿Te gusta el invierno?

Hoy está nevando en Ashland.  Me encanta ver la nieve y me gustaría esquiar.  Pero tengo que ir a clase en OLLI.  ¿Cómo voy a llegar allí?  Podría caminar con mis botas puestas.  Podría montar en bicicleta pero no sé si sería buena idea.  O bien, podría manejar el carro, pero tampoco me encanta la idea.  Sería un experimento con mi cuatro por cuatro.  Ah, ya sé.  Lo más probable es que voy en autobús.  Pasa muy cerca de mi casa y me lleva directamente al Campbell Center.
¿Qué haces tú cuando nieva?