I’m freaking out. I’m freaking out because there are freaking times when I can’t stop thinking about Minnesota. It can be provoqued by the pronunciation of a word, that makes my brain make a freaking connection with something that is freaking related with the things I used to see or to do or to smell or to say in Minnesota. Like the “freaking” word itself. Somebody told me last day this word and… Freak out! I thought about how many freaking times I used in the freaking cold Minnesota… Just… FREAK OUT!
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That’s why I sometimes miss Minnesota. I didn’t realize my eyes could see that far! Beautiful Minnesota
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Freaking out
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Holes… When you leave something a big hole starts growing in you. But it’s a hole you can look through and see what is left behind.
Hogback bridge holes in Madison county
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That’s kinda cool
— Kind of, pronounced “kinda” in the American way, it’s everywhere. You have to be careful cause it snaps into your sentences pretty easealy, even when it doesn’t make any sense. Because it doesn’t really make any sense. It doesn’t apport new information to the sentence. Saying it’s kind of cool means that it is pretty cool, which doesn’t make a huge difference. You may say: “Yes, it’s cool” just for agreeing and avoiding the other person who is asking your opinion about something. And it doesn’t make any difference if you add a “kinda”, because your aim is still avoiding that person. You don´t really care about it! Well, the think is that you have to be aware of the snapping power of the “kinda” or you will end up saying it in every sentence. It’s kind of sticky… -
When pronunciation tricks you
- Host father: Hey, Nina, I'm sorry but we're not going to be home tonight. We cannot eat the Spanish food you prepared for us.
- Nina: Yes, K. told me that you had something going on.
- H. F.: Yes, we have a "bank quit"
- Nina (without understanding what was going on): Ahhh... Well, it's fine.
- H.F. (to her daughters): Come on, girls, get ready!
- Nina: Mmmhh... Where have you said you are going to?
- H.F.: A "bank quit".
- Nina: A "bank quit"? What's a "bank quit"?
- H.F.: Well, there is food and stuff. You know, we are done with the diving season and we are having a gathering. It's a "bank quit".
- Nina (without getting the word, but thinking that there is food): Ok. So... (wondering if I had to cook my Crema Catalana another day or if I should start doing it straight away) Am I coming?
- H.F.: Yes.
- Daughters (they are 4 and almost 3 years old): You have to wear a dress.
- Nina (thinking "How weird, they go to the bank to eat and have a gathering and pay their bills and they wear dresses??): A dress?
- H.F.: Well, you'll be fine.
- I go and get changed, because I had flour stains on my T-shirt.
- Daughters: You are not wearing a dress?!
- Nina: No...
- Daughters: We are wearing a dress.
- Nina: I see... Do you want me to wear a dress?
- Daughters: Yes.
- Nina: Well, I guess I could get changed again... But I'm going to wear a dress with jeans.
- So that's what I did. And I got ready to go. Once in the car...
- Nina: So how do you call this thing?
- H.F.: A "bank quit"
- Nina (not getting it): How do you spell it?
- H.F.: B - A- N - Q - U - E - T
- Nina (not visualizing the word yet): B - A - N - K Q - U - I - T?
- H.F.: No, B - A - N - Q - U - E - T. It comes from the French, I think. It is something like "bankué".
- Nina (starting to see the light): Oh, "banquet"!!!! Now I understand it!! It's the same word in Catalan!! But you pronounce it so different! In French is pronounced "banké". Yes, now I know...
- Half an hour later I understood where were we going. At least, I understood it before arriving there! Slow but funny. Sounds can trick you!
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I’m just chilling out
— Very American expression when you don’t have anything else to do and you are just looking around, not thinking anything, usually in a relaxed posture (sitting, etc.). It’s a “cool” expression, perfect for Minnesota, where winters are pretty severe! :) -
The Gruffalo in Spanish Class!
Teaching Spanish in Elementary levels can be a hard job, specially when you have twenty groups and you see each group just half an hour. Most of the groups just have half an hour a week of Spanish and they aren’t exposed to the language in other occasions. Finding an activity that would allow them to have fun in Spanish and learn some of the basic vocabulary and structures can be challenging.
So I decided to start an exchange with the school in Spain where I was teaching training last year. This will give them a new perspective on Spanish, they will discover that it is useful outside of the classroom and that it is a REAL, LIFE language that is used on regular basis by people in other countries, and that they can use it for COMMUNICATING (which is why languages exist for!).
As we have been working with The Gruffalo story book and movie, we decided to act out some of the dialogs. The oldest kids (5th graders) have actually been writing their own scripts based on the story. Our movies will be sent to the Spanish kids. They are so engaged on the activity! They know somebody is going to watch their movies, that someone out there is waiting for them, and this makes them stay interested in the activity.
Besides, there are great ressources on The Gruffalo website (check it out: www.gruffalo.com) that I can use. You may also have fun looking it, even if you are not a kid!
Enjoy :)
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I feel like eating a burger…
Huge Monterey burger at Cheesecake Factory, Edina. Best burger ever! Honey mustard bun, arugula, onion, guacamole, tomato, burger and so many other things… I cannot remember, I just know that it tasted delicious. And that at the end I was full!! That’s American food, nothing to do with MacDonald’s!!!
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Northfield Gymnastics. They are so good! They almost won (just for a couple of points…!).
Totally American Sport Experience!
