October 2003 Online Newsletter...sent every other month
Tips and information about learning Spanish and the people who speak it.  Personal attention is what has made Language Link grow, and we value your contributions.  Please send an email to the address above to remove if you do not want to receive our news.  If you or a friend would like to be added to our online or mail list, email us at info@langlink.com.
What's in this edition
Online Lesson, Cocina Cooking, Culture Clips, Language Link's Latest, OJO (special deals), Rhythm & Book Blurbs, Been There, Loved That (reports from participants), Likeable Links
Online Lesson
It's said that a language is known through its idioms, and it really makes your Spanish shine to incorporate these in your everyday language.  Many are easy to learn when using vocabulary you already know as a springboard.  Everyone learns colors as one of their first Spanish words, so try these out.
Verde:  Ser un viejo verde - to be a dirty old man, ¡Que viejo verde eres!  Chistes verdes - dirty jokes, A Pablo le encantan (loves) los chistes verdes.  Ponerle verde a alguien - to talk badly of someone, Ella le puso verde a su ex-esposo.
Blanco:  Pasar la noche en blanco - to not sleep, Estoy muy cansado porque pasé toda la noche en blanco.  Quedarse en blanco - to go blank, El me hizo una pregunta, y me quedé completamente en blanco.  Notice this is used reflexively.
Negro:  Ponerse negro (a) - to get very angry, Al leer la carta, Alejandro se puso negro.
Rojo:  Ver las cosas de color de rosa - to be optimistic, Tita siempre veía las cosas de color de rosa.  Ponerse colorado (a) - to get embarrassed, MariCarmen se puso muy colorada.
Azul:  Príncipe azul - Prince Charming, Espero que un día llegue mi príncipe azul.
And then there are parts of the body...
Nariz (nose):  Estar hasta las narices de - to be fed up with, Estoy hasta las narices de los precios altos.  Notice this is used plurally (nostrils) and is followed with a "de", not a "con".
Dedos (fingers):  No tener dos dedos de frente (forehead) - to not be intelligent, as in measuring the forehead's capacity, El tonto no tenía dos dedos de frente y siempre decía las cosas incorrectas.
Espalda (back):  darle a alguien la espalda - to turn your back on someone, ignore them, Perdóname que te dé la espalda (sometimes said as a courtesy frase when you are seated with your back to someone).
Cara (face):  decirle las cosas a la cara - to speak openly and honestly, José no tiene valor para decirme las cosas a la cara.
Oreja (ear):  tener la mosca detrás de la oreja - to suspect, have an idea in mind, Carlos tenía la mosca detrás de su oreja en el asunto (matter) de su novia.
Cocina Cooking
The first nip of cold air means a spicy soup is welcome - Easy Black Bean Soup with Jalapeño Corn Muffins, serves 4
1 T olive oil, 1 1/2 C chopped red onion, one 4 oz can diced green chilies, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 T chopped jalapeño chili, 1 T ground cumin, two 15 oz cans undrained black beans, 2 C canned chicken broth, 8 T chopped fresh cilantro.  Sour cream and tortilla chips for garnish. Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onion, green chilies, garlic, jalapeño and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add beans and broth.  Bring soup to boil, then reduce to medium low.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Puree 3 cups soup in blender.  Return puree to same pot.  Mix in 6 T cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with dollop of sour cream, tortilla chips and remaining 2 T cilantro.
Serve with these zingy muffins.  Makes 12.  Butter for pans, 1 C flour, 1 C yellow cornmeal, 1/4 C or less sugar, 1 T baking power, 1 tsp. salt, 4 large eggs, 3/4 C whole milk, 1/4 C corn oil, 2 T minced and seeded jalapeño chilies, 2 C thawed frozen corn kernels.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter 12 cup muffin pans.  Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl.  In another bowl mix eggs, milk, corn oil and jalapeños.  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring until moist without overmixing.  Fold in corn kernels.  Divide in 12 muffin cups.  Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
Culture Clips
    It's definitely a goosebump moment to first see one of the Mayan temples of Tikal rising above the deep rainforest of Guatemala, and shivers of excitement can enrich your imagination when you climb the secret staircase to see a jaguar image at Chichén Itzá, part of Mexico now called the Mundo Maya.  The Maya have taken their place in universal history, and their influence was widespread into what are called the countries of the quetzal bird, the jaguar, and the deer.  It has only been in recent years that the writing used by the Maya has been decoded, and now archaeologists can exactly pinpoint dates, deeds and characters.  Spanning many years, the Late Classic Period began in 600 A.D., and building continued until the early 16th century.  Their sacred book in the Quiché language,  the Popul Vuh, tells creation stories in which men were created from corn, and these myths created a close connection between gods and men. It is a complex world of many deities, from the wind, to corn, to warriors, and even business men.  Rulers were believed to be descendants of the gods and their blood was the ideal sacrifice, sometimes through personal bloodletting (ow!...using maguey cactus points). The Maya vision of the universe is divided into multiple levels, above and below earth. After death, the soul was believed to go to the underworld, Xibalba, a place where sinister gods tested and tricked their unfortunate visitors.  Also a part of their cosmological outlook was a near obsession with time.  Calendar cycles and numbers were of utmost importance. A fairly well known fact is that the Maya were the first to use the concept of zero.  The long count is the initial starting date of Maya history, 3114 B.C.
    Limestone structures were the hallmark of ancient Maya architecture. They developed several unique building innovations, including the corbel arch which was a false arch achieved by stepping each successive block, from opposite sides, and capped at the peak. Tombs were often encased beneath Maya structures. Frequently new temples were built over existing structures. Roofcombs above many structures provided a base for painted plaster that was the Maya equivalent of the billboard.  Historically significant events, such as the capture of royal victims were recorded on stone stelae.  If ever one wanted to be a time traveler, it's while visiting one of these restored sites, as it is so easy to imagine their magnificence.
    If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the Maya have a whole lot of 'splainin' to do.  Beads were deliberately dangled between the eyes of infants in order to make them cross-eyed, a desirable trait among the Maya.  Also a flattened, elongated head was considered an element of beauty.  The Maya are still a vibrant culture, and it is remarkable to see facial features in an ancient wall carving or painting, and then immediately see the same features on a person you pass on the street.
There are tourists and there are travelers.  Tourists tour to see and learn about other cultures and enjoy what a particular place has to offer.  Travelers interact with that place.  I am a traveler.  I have hundreds of homes and thousands of people who have enriched my life both in a work environment and a personal one.  Once you become a traveler, you can never be a tourist.  - P. Acosta
Language Link's Latest
    IH Riviera Maya, located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, will be opening in January, 2004.  Playa del Carmen is a living vibrant part of the Maya World (Mundo Maya). Located on the beautiful Mexican Caribbean coast some 40 miles south of Cancún, it is the perfect base from which to explore the fascinating sites along the Cancún -Tulúm Corridor of the Mayan Riviera. Playa del Carmen is blessed with miles of unspoiled white sandy beaches and crystal-clear Caribbean waters. It's a place for those in search of the real Caribbean.  This is the most "in" beach location, and the school offers a great selection of lodging possibilities.  It will be a perfect place for a learning beach vacation.  It also gives you access to several Mayan sites, just in case your interest was piqued by our culture clip above.  See all details by clicking Mexico at www.langlink.com.
    Intercultura is now offering its beach campus with classes on any week of the month.  In the region of Guanacaste, Sámara Beach is a beautiful, uncommercialized stretch of white sand.
    In 2004 at our program in El Bosque del Caribe of Cancún, Mexico, you can study Spanish in an intensive program with homestay and also get a PADI certification in diving for $1,117 for 2 weeks.  Not a bad way to spend a winter getaway!  This school will also be offering flamenco dance classes.
    In Argentina you can add tango dance classes to any Spanish program for $45 additional per week, and classes are in a professional school. This school, ILEE, also is now offering very well priced and well located private apartments in the nicer areas of Buenos Aires.
   Announcing a new school in Santiago, Chile!  Woodward has our same philosophy of personal attention to each student and a serious approach toward learning at reasonable costs.  You can travel there in January and get summer weather!  It's that equator thing.
OJO (Special Deals)
    A really special deal! We now have an excellent, new online learning program. See Online Learning at the left of  www.langlink.com.  For Language Link friends only we have negotiated a tremendous deal which we can pass on to you.  You have unlimited access for a full year (and other family members can also use your access) to over 600 hours of material.  It will review what you may know, introduce you to new vocabulary and grammatical concepts, and enhance your comprehension and speaking.  It's entertaining and includes your active participation.  For access to Spanish I, Spanish II and Spanish Traveler, the published retail price is $600.  Contact us at info@langlink.com, tell us you're a newsletter reader, past or future student, and we can get you into action for $139.  This is over a 65% saving, and that should catch your "ojo"!
    Continuing our contest for a free study trip to Spain at the Academia Hispánica of Córdoba! We are extending the time period for our contest until the next newsletter.  If you entered the first Córdoba round, we will still keep your name in for the extended drawing.  If you passed it by the first time, do enter by hitting the Register Here for Free Trip box on the right side of our website,  www.langlink.com. All you are responsible for is your airfare to Spain, as two weeks of classes and homestay with meals are included in the free trip.
    Our Córdoba, Spain, program is offering a special reduction of 10% on tuition for study during the months of January through June of 2004.  This means that you could have two weeks of classes (4 per day) of intensive Spanish for only $263 tuition for two weeks, and homestay with 2 meals for two weeks is only $264.  A great price for study in Spain!
Rhythm & Book Blurbs
        "Estoy Como Nunca" (I Feel Better Than Ever) is an album by one of the masters of Cuban music, Eliades Ochoa.  He is a master who keeps the flames of his best moments alive, and he performs both guarachas and el son, two well known types of Cuban music.
        A good way to read in Spanish is with parallel texts.  Some of the best fiction writers are featured in side by side translations in Short Stories in Spanish (New Penguin Parallel Texts).  Get exposed to Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende or Carlos Fuentes in the language in which they write and fully get the complete meaning.  Available in paperback.
Been There, Loved That
    Intercultura of Heredia, Costa Rica  “This was one of the best vacations my daughter and I have ever taken.  We were both placed with exceptional families who were loving, kind and made us a part of their lives.  I got the feel of what it would be like to live in the Costa Rican culture.  I am a teacher and I thought that the instruction was excellent.  I was one of four people in my class, all from different countries.  Instruction was not simply based on the grammar books, but also on discussions about current affairs, differences in countries and also learning about the culture of Costa Rica.  My daughter and I also participated in the optional dance classes.  We can now salsa, meringue and cumbia with the best of them!!!  It was great!  My mother’s entire family was warm, caring and loving.   I wish my family could be as giving!  I have made friends for life!  I was impressed at how thorough you were!  We were well prepared.” Joan Bailey, California, Teacher
    PLFM of Antigua, Guatemala “I recently returned from my two week trip to Antigua, Guatemala, and I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it!  This was my third ‘study vacation’ in a Latin American country.  Each time I stayed with a local family, but this experience far surpassed the others in terms of warmth and welcome of the home stay and the quality of the school.  The family wanted to share their culture, their beautiful city, their family, their language, and of course, their home, meals, and daily experiences.  The family gently guided my practice of Spanish during mealtimes making me feel supported, comfortable, and important. The school providing 7 hours of instruction a day is crucial to the language learning process.  My instructor was very knowledgeable, interesting, and fun, and added her own personality to my learning.  I enjoyed class time very much.  PLFM is a well-organized, quality school.” Amy Bice, Washington, Teacher
    CLIC of Seville, Spain “Overall I would rate my experience as Superior. The instructors were the nicest teachers I have ever had.  They were very caring and attentive to meet each of the student’s needs.  Along with a student-teacher relationship, I was able to think of my teachers as my friends.  I was very lucky to have such a caring host family and roommate.  My host mother made me feel like family.  She always made sure I was comfortable and looked out for me as my parents would.  I think Language Link was very helpful and provided me with all of the necessary information. My house was in a perfect location, the center of Seville.  Hopefully I will be able to return to Spain next summer.” Pilar Quigua, Massachusetts, HS Student in CLIC’s Teen Program
    SLI of Cuernavaca, Mexico “The atmosphere was very comfortable and conducive to learning.  Things were well organized and the added trips and classes provided fun and enrichment.  Marie was a great grammar instructor.  She was organized and able to find ways to help each individual learn.  She also made it fun!  My hosts were very kind and hospitable…not to mention very patient with my limited Spanish.  Esther cooked great meals and was very accommodating.  They are clearly very kind and good people.  The home was beautiful and very spacious.  I felt like I had my own space when needed but was at ease around the house.  The terrace made a great study spot too!” Lisa Koury, Pennsylvania, Social Worker
Likeable Links
Maya websites
From the Science Museum of Minnesota (a website for children) - http://www.smm.org/sln/ma/
The Maya astronomy page (maya geography, mathematical system, calendar [with a present-day converter], astronomy: http://www.michielb.nl/maya/astro.html
Maya civilization: past and present: http://www.jaguar-sun.com/maya.html
http://www.civilization.ca/civil/maya/mminteng.html    How to write your name in Mayan hieroglyphics and more (also elaborates on techniques Mayans used to make themselves more attractive, such as head elongation, eye rearrangement, tooth inlaying, piercings, headgear and clothing): http://www.halfmoon.org/
http://www.halfmoon.org/beauty.html  (for the beauty information)
Tour of Chichén Itzá: http://www.mysteriousplaces.com/mayan/TourEntrance.html
    We hope you enjoyed our news. Please visit us at  www.langlink.com. Or if you like a real voice, call us at 800.552.2051. We're on Central Time with office hours 9:00 to 5:00.
Kay G. Rafool, Exec. Director/Marcy Slane, Asst. Director, Language Link, P.O.B. 3006, Peoria, Illinois 61612 USA, Fax 309.692.2926 Worldwide 309.692.2961 Toll free 800.552.2051
info@langlink.com ¡Hasta luego!

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