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April 2004 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 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

Ah, the mysteries of liking something in Spanish! One of the trickiest verbs in Spanish, gustar, is often translated as to like, but to understand how to use this verb, you most definitely need to think of it as to be pleasing to. Then you have to know the indirect object pronouns – me (to me), te (to you, familiar), le (to him, to her, to you, formal), nos (to us), les (to them, to you all). Now take something you would want to express such as “I like fruit.” Realize that you can’t express this idea directly with the same structure as in English. Go through the back door and say it more literally as “Fruit is pleasing to me.” Remember that fruit is the subject and to me is the object. Now remember that indirect object pronouns always come before the verb, so start your sentence in Spanish with Me. Your subject of fruit is a singular word – la fruta (you have to add the word for the because you’re speaking of it in a general way), so your verb should be the third person singular form of a regular AR verb – gusta. You should end up with Me gusta la fruta. Remember this word order and that the first word is not the subject, but the object. Now let’s move on to a plural subject and another indirect object pronoun. Paul likes enchiladas. In this one note that your object is third person singular, requiring the le. This can be a catch-all pronoun because it can mean several things. Because of this, it’s often clarified. And yes, it does sound like double-duty overkill, but that’s the way it’s done. In front of your le, put A Pablo (remembering that you’re stating to Paul). Now realize that your subject in this structure is a plural one – las enchiladas, so make your verb third person plural of a regular AR verb, or gustan. You should end up with A Pablo le gustan las enchiladas. On one of the tracks of the CD recommended in this issue is a song titled Me gustas tú. I like you, but then, your mind is thinking of it as you are pleasing to me.

There are other verbs which function in this same way, and the trick to them is the backdoor approach. Think of faltar, often translated as to miss or to need. If you think of it as to be lacking to, it will work just like gustar. Me faltan diez pesos. A Pablo le falta la inteligencia. Another useful one is encantar, often translated as to really like or to love something. Think of it as to be enchanting to. Me encantan las fiestas. Nos encanta el ambiente de México (atmosphere).

Cocina Cooking

By popular request, The Best Flan Recipe Ever (Thanks to Sue Frow of Albuquerque) – serves 8 to 10 people

6 large eggs, 3 C. half and half, pinch salt, ¾ C. sugar (to caramelize), ½ C. sugar for flan, 1/3 C. brandy (or can substitute coconut flavored rum or any liqueur), 2 tsp. vanilla

Choose a round pyrex dish, about 8” or 1 ½ qts. In a small heavy pan, caramelize the ¾ C. sugar. Place it in pan and stir occasionally until it begins to melt, then stir constantly, scraping unmelted bits back into pan. When it is all liquid and about the color of whiskey, remove from heat and immediately pour into glass bowl, tilting to cover bottom and sides. Prepare custard: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Scald the half and half (microwave is easiest). Beat eggs and sugar together well until sugar is dissolved. Add pinch of salt. Pour in the hot cream in a slow stream and blend well. Stir in the brandy and vanilla. Pour into the mold with the caramelized sugar coating. Surround this bowl in a larger pan with about 1” of hot water. Bake about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Cool on rack and refrigerate at least several hours, preferably overnight. To unmold set the mold in hot water for a minute or so and run a knife around the edge of the custard. On a serving dish (a rim helps) wet with a little cool water, flip the flan until it releases. Refrigerate until serving or serve immediately.

Culture Clips

Antigua, Guatemala (our program there is PLFM), is one of the most attractive colonial cities in Central America, but time comes to a standstill during Easter Week, or Semana Santa. This UNESCO World Heritage site is enveloped by a magical cloud at this time. It is visited by a huge turnout of travelers, both national and international, enjoying the beauty of its cobblestone streets and exquisite architecture. During Holy Week the scents and sights are expanded to include the scents of palm fronds, sawdust and incense, and the sights of the religious celebrations of Catholicism. Palm Sunday is the start of this week of visual magic. Holy Monday and Tuesday are relatively peaceful, and then the first parades or processions take place on Holy Wednesday, with the first one done by the children of the San Sebastián de la Merced Chapel. On the night of Holy Thursday the city undergoes its most radical transformation. All the streets are covered with veritable rugs made of colored sawdust, rose petals and colored pine needles. Many of these are done with immense stencils. Antiguans stay up all night creating these masterpieces, but their artistic life is quite brief. Very early at dawn the processions leave with the andas, very large and heavy floats. The prelude is the arrival of the Roman soldiers, announcing the death of Christ. The first anda with the Christ figure is carried by 80 men, and later comes La Virgen Dolorosa, carried by women. The processions, surrounded in incense, take almost all day to pass through all the streets of the city. As the participants slowly tread through the streets, the magnificent carpets underneath their feet are destroyed. The following day is rather quiet with two processions. The Sunday of Resurrection is a day full of celebration and joy. The entire week is a cultural experience unlike anything else, although its roots come directly from Spain, and specifically from Seville. Keep both Antigua and Seville in mind when scheduling your study next year. It will be unforgettable!

Travel is the heartbeat that precisely defines us all under the sun and moon as different, yet one and the same. – R. Keck

Language Link’s Latest

We always dislike having to post notices of filled weeks in our programs, but that’s the price of excellent and popular programs. PLFM of Antigua almost always becomes completely filled in the summer months and certain weeks start closing out. Often in June and July we can only accept registrations which do not include those weeks. Please do yourself the favor of registering early for all summer dates, as we hate to have you say no to you.

A LAST CHANCE FOR A FREE TRIP TO SPAIN! We are continuing our contest for a free trip (tuition and lodging for 2 weeks) to Córdoba, Spain and will announce a winner in our June newsletter. Keep entering through our contest box on our website!

Intercultura of Costa Rica now has their beach program available on all weeks of the year. You can study there for your entire study period or combine the program in Heredia with one beach week.

Eureka of Madrid has new apartments which are in the same building as the school itself. They are newly remodeled and even have access for internet connections with your own laptop.
OJO (Special Deals).
Now offering the Pimsleur Spanish CD’s or tapes! An absolute favorite of ours for Spanish materials is now available through a direct link on our website. Although the full programs are best (and Language Link students get a discount on those!) and are what we recommend, there is a “starter” set which you can purchase very inexpensively.

Also, we have a popular online course, The Rosetta Stone, and Language Link contacts can buy this through us at a significant discount.

Rhythm & Book Blurbs
Music – Manu Chao was born in Paris of Spanish parents, and his music is described as global alternative rock. The eclectic tracks include French and Portuguese, in addition to Spanish. Very Latin American in inspiration, it’s intriguing music which has been an immense hit in Europe. This musical globewalker’s best known albums are Clandestino and Próxima Estación: Esperanza.

Books – A novel of Antigua, My Life Before (1995) by Marcela Serrano, will engrave in you the image of this charming Guatemalan city of 33,000 inhabitants.

Been There, Loved That

Antigua, Guatemala – The table was always set beautifully, the food was always warm and on time, and Grace was a wonderful conversationalist. – Theresa Herfindahl, Homemaker, Washington

Antigua, Guatemala – I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, so much so that I did not want to leave. I not only was allowed to brush up on my Spanish speaking and writing, but I was allowed to engage in the culture of the diverse Guatemalan society. I would not trade this experience for any other. In fact, I wish that I could return for another dose of language and culture. – Sarah Stehlin, Student/Writer, Missouri

Playa del Carmen, Mexico – Small classes allowed lots of one-to-one time. Varied teaching methods kept us from zoning out. – Mary & Chris Kraft, Dairy farmers, Colorado

Oaxaca, Mexico – Becari was a wonderful school with fabulous and fun instructors who took a personal interest in their students’ learning and overall experience. - Lisa Hudson, Tourism, Australia

Barcelona, Spain – My host family was fabulous, the school was well run and organized, and I felt my Spanish improved a lot. – Meryl Davis, Student, Texas

Seville, Spain – The school was very professional, yet still warm and helpful. The activities they scheduled were excellent! – Aileen McCall, Marketing, California

Likeable Links

www.questconnect.org/guat_semana_santa.htm

All you ever wanted to know about Semana Santa in Antigua

www.alfatravelguide.com/english/00/read05.htm

Easter in Costa Rica and Antigua

www.dlynnwaldron.com/HolyWeekWeb2/

Pictures of Holy Week in Spain

www.cyberspain.com/life/ssanta.htm

Semana Santa throughout Spain

www.inside-mexico.com/featuresemana.htm

A good article on Semana Santa in Iztapalapa, Mexico

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/Christina Henderson, 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!