Spanish – Fake Flamenco

bilingual, food, history, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, Spanish, Spanish Culture and Language

Nahuatl: You Know More than You Realize

The language of the indigenous people that Spaniards met for the first time in the grand city of Tenotichlan may seem very remote from your experience. I think you’ll be surprised how many words, especially food vocabulary you already know. Many of the world’s favorite foods come from Mixteca (Aztec) culture, see the chart below. […]

bilingual, En español, Gardening, Humor, Nature, Spanish, writing

December Poetry Challenge 2022

I believe it was yesterday we wrote our November poems. This month we’ll try a Japanese poetry form; dodoitsu. It is non-rhyming, with a humorous twist. (información en español abajo) Dodoitsu has four lines: 7 syllables, 7 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. Please write about harvest or nature. You have until December 11 noon CST to place […]

bilingual, En español, history, Mexico, Spanish, Spanish Culture and Language

5 Mayo: Celebrate the Victory!

Many North Americans believe the rumor May 5th is Mexican Independence Day. However, Mexican Día de independencia is September 16th (1810). What then is the origin of today’s US holiday? (En español más adelante) In the 1862 Battle of Puebla, the Mexican Army triumphed over the invading French Empire; it was a lot like David […]

Architecture, bilingual, En español, food, Humor, photography, Spanish

Redecorating your Parlour with Willy Wonka?

Spring is hot and cold, snowy and gusty and rainy in Wisconsin. Our walking group perambulates indoors some weekends rather than to be flown like a kite by the wind… The neighborhood Intergalactic software developer keeps us fit and entertained. They allow weekend tourists. Last visit we strolled through the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate […]

food, Humor, photography, Spanish

Oddly Hazardous

Saw this spot-on safety cone at Lakewinds Food Co-op in Minneapolis last weekend. I wonder if people take a silly sign more seriously? The first banana cone was for small hazards, the larger cone is for wintery slush disaster zones. Thanks to slapstick humor, nothing gives us a cautious pause like a banana peel! This […]

Humor, Spanish

A Spanish Woman Owns the Sun

Spaniard María Ángeles Durán discovered a loophole in the 1967 UN treaty about celestial bodies. The treaty states no country can own the moon or sun, but does not prevent an individual from taking possession, according to her. Durán is an attorney, psychologist and writer. Her ownership document declares she’s possessed the sun since 2010. Once […]