The Caves The DR has fabulous caves and cenotes to explore, especially in Cotubanamá National Park. The first, Cueva de Chicho, is a short one kilometer walk in from the parking lot through a picturesque forest. Bring your snorkel gear, or if you dive, hire someone to take you down. I've been slowly getting into … Continue reading Random Thoughts from the Dominican Republic
Tag: Spanish
Taking a Break From…?
Okay, okay - I realize I live a great life. But it's exhausting having this much fun all the time! Uncomfortable Travel One wonderful thing that came out of COVID was really cheap airline tickets before the world really started opening back up. I had so many points saved from not going anywhere, and then … Continue reading Taking a Break From…?
No, Seriously. ¿Cómo Se Dice…?
I knew Argentinian Spanish was going to be different and when my driver picked me up at the airport and one of the first things I heard him say was "ay-zhair" instead of "a-yer" for "yesterday", I knew it had begun. Since then, sometimes "a-yer" is ay-shair. The "Y" changes, the "LL" changes, and the … Continue reading No, Seriously. ¿Cómo Se Dice…?
¿Cómo Se Dice…?
In Mrs. Perriera 's 7th grade Spanish class, we learned that the translation for "cool" was "chévere". In all the time I've spent in Spanish-speaking countries (Spain, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Cuba), I've never heard anyone use that word. Until now! People of all ages use it in Ecuador and they use it … Continue reading ¿Cómo Se Dice…?
Say What? Edition 7: More Than Words
No, this post is not an ode to that old Extreme song, although it's still a great one! The post is a little bit about "code switching," I started hearing about everywhere a few years ago. Code switching refers to the verbal portion of the many personas we all have. The words we choose, the way … Continue reading Say What? Edition 7: More Than Words
Return to Spain
Against my own personal rules for how best to take advantage of a life that is far too short to absorb everything the world has to offer, I have traveled to an international destination twice. Two weeks ago, I went to Spain. Fourteen years ago I lived there, working in a summer camp in Andalusia … Continue reading Return to Spain
Say What? Edition 4: Thoughts From Italy
A collection of random linguistically-related thoughts that popped into my head while in Italy four weeks ago. ******************** Language can provide anonymity in a crowd. One of my biggest linguistic pleasures when in Europe is hearing half a dozen languages spoken around me at any one time. I enjoy it partly because you feel a … Continue reading Say What? Edition 4: Thoughts From Italy
Say What? Edition 3: Thoughts From Switzerland
A collection of random, linguistically-related thoughts that popped into my head while in Switzerland five weeks ago. ******************** Going abroad makes you realize that your language skills aren't nearly as good as they should be. How did I used to be fluent in German but a few weeks ago I couldn't even understand what the Swiss … Continue reading Say What? Edition 3: Thoughts From Switzerland
Say What? Edition 2: The Foreign Language Edition
I used to speak four foreign languages at a high intermediate level. Now I can still hold my own in Spanish, but that’s about it. I went to a French conversation group a few weeks ago to attempt speaking French for the first time in about three years and was mortified that I could barely … Continue reading Say What? Edition 2: The Foreign Language Edition
Jennifer A Swallow 