ok so to begin with i guess i should clarify i mean the letter g (all of them!) not the abreviation for gangster!
my spanish is coming along quite well, if i may say so myself given that i have now had 7 weeks of classes. i can talk about myself, my family, countr(ies) what i like and don't like, compare things etc, all in present and simple past.
however i just can't get the 'g's.....they always change, and seemlingly without rhyme or reason!!! i can pronounce the different versions, varying from a 'real' g sound (as in the standard english g) to a flemmy h... but no luck in which g to use at which times!
so i guess the next few months will be dedicated to the 'g', once i get of my (strong) dislike for the things.
i also have a friend in class, an aussie girl called sarah with a caleño boyfriend whom she met while living in china. so now i have someone to discuss mutual whinges with (insert happy face).
That is the end of my 'g' rant, will wow you with my spanish and in particular the use of my spanish 'g' when i get home,
chao for now xxx
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Score 1, to Colombia
as you may have heard in the news, last week 'el mono jojoy' was shot by the colombian army. it was last thursday infact and many caleños (people from cali) were extremely happy, you could feel it in the air.
el mono was a prominient figure in the guerilla forces in colombia and was well known for many assasinations, both of promenient figures in government, politics and buisness as well as many innocent. he was also known to use sadistic methods of killing and torturing. car bombings, one major event in bogotá feb 2003 which killed 36 and injured another 100 civilians, hostage situations, and forcible ecruiting of children into FARC have also been attributed to him.
many people have been personally afected or know someone who has been by el mono's actions, so the news that he is now dead brings some relief to a lot o people. and ofcourse it is a victory for the army in the war against the guerilla forces who have generally given up thier robin hood ideal and instead moved to drug trafficing and the pursuit of money and power.
but ofcourse there is still along way to go....
el mono was a prominient figure in the guerilla forces in colombia and was well known for many assasinations, both of promenient figures in government, politics and buisness as well as many innocent. he was also known to use sadistic methods of killing and torturing. car bombings, one major event in bogotá feb 2003 which killed 36 and injured another 100 civilians, hostage situations, and forcible ecruiting of children into FARC have also been attributed to him.
many people have been personally afected or know someone who has been by el mono's actions, so the news that he is now dead brings some relief to a lot o people. and ofcourse it is a victory for the army in the war against the guerilla forces who have generally given up thier robin hood ideal and instead moved to drug trafficing and the pursuit of money and power.
but ofcourse there is still along way to go....
Saturday, September 18, 2010
waylaid..
Ok,
so i realise i have been rather slack, in part due to the internet access. it is not bad, but we do not have internet at the house and invariably when we go to an internet cafe we are on our way somewhere else, and you know, i just can't write when pressed for time!
as this is my first post since arriving in colombia, which was almost two months ago now, i guess i should give a brief description of where i am staying etc.
we are staying with gus's father (people here generally live with there parents until they get married or move to a different city/country) in cali which is located in the valle de cauca, colombia. the place is more or less on the outskirts of the city, but there is a pretty decent government run bus operation and we have a car, so no major dramas thus far, and while the city is quite big it is not as spread out as auckland.
the property is quite large, there is a paintball set up at the back of the property, and the remainder consists of a very nice pool a couple of unfinished buildings and then the building that we live in.
there are two dogs, no idea what they are and they don't seem to have names, but i quite like them, and as the doors don't lock, they offer a measure of safety when i am home alone! there are also two cats, and as of 6 weeks ago, 4 kittens, we have named the kittens tiger, mouse, peq (short for pequeña, which is spanish for small) and the fourth is still unnamed....
there is also a parrot who hangs around, and loads of the biggests ants i've ever seen, there are the leaf cutting variety and you can find lines of them marching along with big green leaf sails, at least 3 times the size of the ants, (which may i remind you are HUGE).
i spent the first two weeks getting molested by mosquitos and sporting very large and very itchy bites which lasted for weeks, i now however take pills which apparently make you 'smell not quite so tasty' and using spray and a deterent in my bedroom, still get the occasional bite or two but nothing like in the beginning.
there is a girl/lady called norita, who works in the house, cleaning, washing, cooking etc during the day and there are also 2 men who look after the grounds and help with the cocks (fighting cocks) and they live in one of the partly finished buildings.
it's taking quite a bit getting used to having 'other people' on the property all the time.
i am studying spanish at one of the universites here (USC, for any Caleños) and have classes 3 afternoons a week for two hours and an additional conversation class friday afternoons. So far so good, i find the writing relatively easy, it is the confidence in speaking which i mfind the most difficult.
driving here is interesting, but no worse than anything in asia, other than people possible drive faster here (there are few enforced speed limits it seems!) and ofcourse the whol otherside of the road/car buisness, but i have now mastered the fine art of walking to the right side of the car when requiring the passanger seat!! that was almost harder than spanish!
well i will leave it there for the moment, and will return shortly (honestly) with more news and weather. (actually completely forgot to mention the weather- nice and warm during the day- 30s- and cooler during the evening-20s, have definately aclimatised as most days i wear jeans, and i still get cold in the eveing....)
over and out
xx
so i realise i have been rather slack, in part due to the internet access. it is not bad, but we do not have internet at the house and invariably when we go to an internet cafe we are on our way somewhere else, and you know, i just can't write when pressed for time!
as this is my first post since arriving in colombia, which was almost two months ago now, i guess i should give a brief description of where i am staying etc.
we are staying with gus's father (people here generally live with there parents until they get married or move to a different city/country) in cali which is located in the valle de cauca, colombia. the place is more or less on the outskirts of the city, but there is a pretty decent government run bus operation and we have a car, so no major dramas thus far, and while the city is quite big it is not as spread out as auckland.
the property is quite large, there is a paintball set up at the back of the property, and the remainder consists of a very nice pool a couple of unfinished buildings and then the building that we live in.
there are two dogs, no idea what they are and they don't seem to have names, but i quite like them, and as the doors don't lock, they offer a measure of safety when i am home alone! there are also two cats, and as of 6 weeks ago, 4 kittens, we have named the kittens tiger, mouse, peq (short for pequeña, which is spanish for small) and the fourth is still unnamed....
there is also a parrot who hangs around, and loads of the biggests ants i've ever seen, there are the leaf cutting variety and you can find lines of them marching along with big green leaf sails, at least 3 times the size of the ants, (which may i remind you are HUGE).
i spent the first two weeks getting molested by mosquitos and sporting very large and very itchy bites which lasted for weeks, i now however take pills which apparently make you 'smell not quite so tasty' and using spray and a deterent in my bedroom, still get the occasional bite or two but nothing like in the beginning.
there is a girl/lady called norita, who works in the house, cleaning, washing, cooking etc during the day and there are also 2 men who look after the grounds and help with the cocks (fighting cocks) and they live in one of the partly finished buildings.
it's taking quite a bit getting used to having 'other people' on the property all the time.
i am studying spanish at one of the universites here (USC, for any Caleños) and have classes 3 afternoons a week for two hours and an additional conversation class friday afternoons. So far so good, i find the writing relatively easy, it is the confidence in speaking which i mfind the most difficult.
driving here is interesting, but no worse than anything in asia, other than people possible drive faster here (there are few enforced speed limits it seems!) and ofcourse the whol otherside of the road/car buisness, but i have now mastered the fine art of walking to the right side of the car when requiring the passanger seat!! that was almost harder than spanish!
well i will leave it there for the moment, and will return shortly (honestly) with more news and weather. (actually completely forgot to mention the weather- nice and warm during the day- 30s- and cooler during the evening-20s, have definately aclimatised as most days i wear jeans, and i still get cold in the eveing....)
over and out
xx
Thursday, July 22, 2010
...'thunk'..
So after a long flight on Sunday, which incidently after already havin been cancelled on the Friday was then delayed by an hour and a half, behind a crying baby I arrived in Buenos Aires....to pouring rain!
¡Viva Argentina!
How ever while the next day was also wet all following days have been sunny and clear, although still below 10 degrees, and for those of you in Sydney who know i complain about 18 degrees.... I have since hardened up (well I dont deal with less than ten, but I think 18 would now be quite noice thank you).
I have spent most of my days wandering around the city taking in the sigths. Highlights include the cemetery in Ricoleta where Evita is buried, which contains streets of family crypts side by side in a city of death, many which have been visited at some point by grave robbers. An incredibly bizarre experience to walk amongst them as there is a mix of sombre respect for the dead, eeire calmness, possible disapproving stares from the heavens at taking pictures all juxtaposed by the '!my tomb/crypt/statue is bigger than yours¡'
On Wednesday I did my obligitory tour, but with a bit of a twist, a street art tour around Palermo and its surrounding suburbs. Facsinating from a cultural point of view as well as an art one, and ofcourse a bit of a passion of mine.
And ofcourse what I would have to say epitomises my ideal image of how I pictured Argentina before arriving was coming across a couple doing tango in a local square in San Telmo in the early afternoon with the public sitting around drink coffee or beer under a clear blue sky.
lots of love, Buenos Aires x
p.s. amazing meat!!!
p.p.s. I will post some photos shortly!
¡Viva Argentina!
How ever while the next day was also wet all following days have been sunny and clear, although still below 10 degrees, and for those of you in Sydney who know i complain about 18 degrees.... I have since hardened up (well I dont deal with less than ten, but I think 18 would now be quite noice thank you).
I have spent most of my days wandering around the city taking in the sigths. Highlights include the cemetery in Ricoleta where Evita is buried, which contains streets of family crypts side by side in a city of death, many which have been visited at some point by grave robbers. An incredibly bizarre experience to walk amongst them as there is a mix of sombre respect for the dead, eeire calmness, possible disapproving stares from the heavens at taking pictures all juxtaposed by the '!my tomb/crypt/statue is bigger than yours¡'
On Wednesday I did my obligitory tour, but with a bit of a twist, a street art tour around Palermo and its surrounding suburbs. Facsinating from a cultural point of view as well as an art one, and ofcourse a bit of a passion of mine.
And ofcourse what I would have to say epitomises my ideal image of how I pictured Argentina before arriving was coming across a couple doing tango in a local square in San Telmo in the early afternoon with the public sitting around drink coffee or beer under a clear blue sky.
lots of love, Buenos Aires x
p.s. amazing meat!!!
p.p.s. I will post some photos shortly!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
So here i am, looking down a rabbit hole.
And now i know exactly how Alice felt.
A bundle of excitement, nerves and recklessness,
as who knows, it might end up a bit of a mess.
Life is supposed to be an adventure after all!
So close your eyes, hold your breath and prepare to fall.
i am about to leave Auckland, after spending the last few days with Mom and Dad before flying on to Argentina, now realising that perhaps watching 'banged up abroad' was not the wisest thing to do before leaving Sydney! But such is life, next stop Buenos Aires....hasta luego x
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