The Canaval of Barranquilla in Colombia is the second biggest after the Carnival in Rio. Pack your bags because its going to blow!

(18-22  February 2012)

This Carnival began over 100 years ago and it’s precedence is from Europe, more specifically Spain. It was the party where slaves, spaniards and portuguese came toghether, and with the years it shapped until what it’s today: the second biggest carnival in the world! The Carnival was honored by UNESCO as World Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It lasts four days but it takes a whole year to organize it. It’s all about dancing, drinking, partying, music, smiles, and RUMBA!

Marimondas

The carnival begins in the 18th of february with La batalla de las flores (Battle of the Flowers). That is a parade with live music, costumes, and beauty queens, all of which go around barranquilla. During the Carnival there are 3 main icons: El Rey Momo, The Queen of the Carnival, and Joselito Carnaval.

The Rey Momo: It’s the icon you can find in almost all the carnivals around South America. When he appears, the party begins. The elected king is given the “keys” of the city and he is usually a really big guy.

The Queen: She is the one in charge of encouraging the people from Barranquilla to follow the only rule of the carnival : “bailar y gozar hasta que el cuerpo aguante.” (Dance and enjoy until you drop)

Joselito Carnaval: He symbolizes the end of the carnival. Locals reinact the myth of a carriage driver who partied so much during the carnival that the last day he died.

When Joselito Carnaval is ''buried'', the Carnival of Barranquilla ends

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding conversational Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

With the Reelection of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, people from Argentina are ready to get into the Protesta Mood! The prices are going up, the government is not offering many solutions, and  inflation is growing by two digit numbers (Even though the ‘official stats’ were less than 10% in 2011). 

What is Argentina’s true inflation rate? The Washington Post

First of all we have to say Argentina is an amazing country with lots of potential, and that we enjoy living here. However, there are some things people should know, because history is repeating itself, yet again. One of the aspects of Argentina that you just have to get used to, is the frequent occurrence of manifestaciones (demonstrations), huelgas (strikes), and the like.  We’ve mentioned public transportation strikes before in our Medios del Transporte post, and we’ve talked about the pasión, but now we are going to combine it all into one post about all things passionately ‘anti’!

Mocking a SUBE Card (All the prices going up!!)

There is always some kind of controversy going on in this country, whether it is something that the government did to piss off the citizens (100% increase on the subway ticket in one year will do the job), the unionized workers (increase in salaries of about 25% due to a similar inflation rate), the farmers, etc…  Somebody is always unhappy about something.  And we appreciate the fact that they are willing to voice their opinions about anything and everything.  Still, it gets a little frustrating when it interferes with your everyday schedule (subtes (subways) are down, roads are blocked, certain foods aren’t available…)

Piquete

Now, the importance of this aspect of Argentina life is so major that we didn’t only want to inform you about it, but also we wanted to provide you with a list of necessary vocabulary that you will undoubtedly find the need to use at one point or another (‘sorry I was late, there was a protest that blocked the main avenue’).  Here it goes!

Manifestación = Demonstration

Huelga = Strike

Marcha = March

Bloqueo = Blocking (of a road, etc…)

Cacerolazo = Casserole-ing?  When they hit pots and pans together as a sign of protest/obnoxiousness

Piquetes = Picketing or Riot

Piquetero = Picketer or Rioter

Protesta = Protest

Carteles = Signs held at any sort of manifestación

Paro = A hold/stop (as in the stopping of the Subtes = un paro de los Subtes)

There you have it– all the necessary vocabulary to get by in the day-to-day manifestaciones of Argentina & South America!  Can you think of any other words or Spanish phrases that might be useful?  Add them in the comments section here or on our Facebook page – and check our more clips of our Spanish lessons on our Youtube Page. If you want to really learn Spanish, then head on over to our language learning software page get your hands on Bueno, entonces…- you’ll be speaking conversational Spanish in just five weeks!

There is one city in South America where the celebrities around the world migrate to warm up!

In the begining of every year, Punta del Este, Uruguay is the hot spot for celebrities! From Gerard Butler, Naomi Campbell and Eric Clapton to George Clooney and Bob Dylan, these starlets come to the sunny beaches of Uruguay, running from the cold but definetly not from the paparazzis.

Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in Maldonado, Uruguay. It is located about 140 kilometres east of Montevideo.  The real Population of Punta del Este is about 7,000 to 8,000 but with the summer tourist boom, it often boosts the population an extra 150,000 people!

The city has colonial architecture all around combined with boutique hotels and hostels, but its main attractions are its two main beaches, Brava and Mansa, that are packed with people during summer time. But there is one place where the locals go, and that is playa La Barra del Maldonado. A must see landmark is the Dedos (fingers) in the sand at Playa Brava. During the season, Punta comes alive with concerts, festivals, and parties. It also offers water sports, fishing, whale- or sea lion –watching, and horseback riding on the beach.

So if you guys want to travel to Punta del Este, make sure to do your bookings early on the year. Is an expensive city but it’s worth visiting if you have the time and money!

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Hola Oyentes! Ready to tune in to this music MONDAY?

Today we are listening to the Spanish Musician Miguel Bose, was born in Panama City in 1956. He is son of an actress and a Bullfighter, and you can definitely see that spicy mix in his music. He began as an actor, but decided to jump into the music scene in 1978 with his debut CD “Linda”. Since then he has been really big in Spain and Europe, but in the last 12 years he started touring in South America with great success, even becoming a Colombian citizen after falling in love with the country. His latest tour Papito, was a complete success around the world.

Here are the lyrics to MIGUEL BOSE ft JULIETA VENEGAS – MORENA MIA so you can sing along!

Morena mía
Voy a contarte hasta diez
uno es el sol que te alumbra
dos tus piernas que mandan
somos tres en tu cama, tres
Morena mía
el cuarto viene después
cinco tus continentes
seis las medias faenas
de mis medios calientes.
Sigo contando ahorita
Bien, bien, bien, bien, bien

Morena mía
siete son los pecados cometidos
suman ocho conmigo
nueve los que te cobro
más de diez he sentido…

Y por mi parte sobra el arte
lo que me das, dámelo, dámelo bien
un poco aquí y un poco ¿a quién?

CHORUS:
Cuando tu boca, me toca, me pone y me provoca
me muerde y me destroza
toda siempre es poca y muévete bién
que nadie como tú me sabe hacer café.

Morena agata, ay me mata, me mata y me remata
vamos pal infierno, aúnque no sea eterno
suave y bien, bien
[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/morena-mia-w-julieta-venegas-lyrics-miguel-bose.html ]
que nadie como tú me sabe hacer café

Pero cuando tu boca, me toca, me pone, me provoca
me muerde y me destroza
toda siempre es poca y muévete bien, bien, bien
que nadie como tú me sabe hacer….uff café.
Bien, bien, bien, bien, bien, bien…

Morena mía
si esto no es felicidad
que baje Dios y lo vea
y aunque no se lo crea
esto es gloria…
Y por mi parte pongo el arte, lo que me das,
dámelo y dalo bien
un poco así y un poco ¿a quién?

Pero cuando tu boca, me toca, me pone y me provoca,
me muerde y me destroza
toda siempre es poca y muévete bien
que nadie como tú me sabe hacer café.

Morena agata, ay me mata, me mata y me remata
vamos pal infierno, aúnque no sea eterno
Suave bien bien, que nadie como tú me sabe hacer café

Y es que cuando tu boca, me toca, me pone, me provoca
me muerde y me destroza
toda siempre es poca y muévete bien, bien, bien
que nadie como tú me sabe hacer..uff café.

Bien, bien, bien, bien, bien, bien…

Another good song from him is “Como un Lobo” which he sings with his sister Bimba Bosé.

How’d you do? It’s really important to practice your Spanish listening with how people really sound, accent and all! In fact, training your ear is one of the most important steps to learning a language, because once you can understand people, you will start getting new words, grammar, and sentence structure.

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!:http://www.generallinguistics.com

It’s January! There’s no better way to start the year than with the trendiest cities for 2012!

Santiago de Chile

In the top 10 cities for 2012, according to Lonely Planet, we found that two of them are Spanish speaking cities! Cadiz and Santiago! How good is that? It’s another reason to get your tongue twisting in Spanish.

So, what can we say about these cities? Well, Santiago is one of the most promising spots in South America business-wise and in tourism. It’s really well organized (buses actually leave on time!) and the peeps are super really nice. But the best bit is the food – it’s amazing (Chilean Sea bass anyone?)

Cadiz, on the other hand, is located in the old continent, aka Spain. They say it’s always sunny in Cadiz, it has lots of beaches, it’s calm and quiet but lots of fun. Plus, there is a wicked variety of sea food (more fish!) and a raging carnival in February. So, it’s a perfect goodbye to the cold winter up north.

Cádiz

So I will leave you with the article from Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 cities for 2012:

After globe-trotting research and fierce debate, Lonely Planet has come to a decision on its favourite cities for 2012. As always, our shortlist has some known gems and a few to raise a quizzical eyebrow, but each one is poised for greatness in 2012. While sporting events are bringing new adrenaline to a couple of classic destinations, other cities in our list have bounced back from difficult times with a renewed lease of life. The coming year will put all of these cities in a fresh light, whether they’re showing new flair with music and art festivals or dusting off preconceptions by showing their wilder streak. Without further ado, here’s our top 10 cities for 2012.

1. London

London is going for the knock-out blow in 2012. The Olympics are riding into town and a whole swath of the capital is being transformed in the process. London’s east will be thrust into the spotlight but the rest of the capital will be rolling out the red carpet too. Seeing Tower Bridge lift its bascules to let a tall ship pass beneath is all stately grace, as opposed to your first rush-hour trip on the tube, getting up close and personal with strangers of every colour, creed and nationality. Mind the gap! Whoever you cheer for, you won’t be alone in this most international of cities.

2. Muscat

Oman is firing on all fronts to attract international visitors, expanding everything from its museums to its resorts. Muscat is the focus for the revamp, with cultural events, luxury accommodation and aquatic activities taking centre stage. This year it’s all about Qurum’s trendy designer outlets, Old Town souks and wacky water sports enlivening its coastline alongside traditional dhows. Muscatis are still genuinely interested to see visitors, so much so that first-timers might have the odd feeling of returning to the house of an old friend. ‘Tomorrow will be a new dawn on Muscat,’ the Sultan pledged upon attaining power in 1970. Today in Muscat, the sun has well and truly risen.

3. Bengaluru (Bangalore)

The undisputed Elvis of South Asian megacities, Bengaluru is in a class of its own when it comes to redefining flamboyance. Perpetually drunk on the good life, this South Indian metropolis packs in the best brews, the scrummiest cuisines, and the liveliest arts and music scene, not to mention the hippest population you could hang out with. This year, evenings in the ‘capital of cool’ are poised to get even more intoxicating. And if the maddening traffic has always been your concern, take heart: Bengaluru’s new high-speed Metro network now ensures that your favourite watering hole is easier to reach than ever. There’s only one thing you could say to that: ‘Chillmaadi!’

4. Cádiz

It might normally look like a peaceful pocket of old-world Spain, complete with old men in flat caps shuffling about in cafe-lined squares. But once a year, sleepy Cádiz undergoes a Superman-like transformation and hosts Spain’s most raucous carnival – a 10-day bender of drinking, singing and dancing. The locals are famed throughout Spain for their wit, and this is put to the test during February’s carnival where groups wearing lipstick and neon wigs perform satirical skits. Cádiz has found itself named Ibero-American Capital of Culture for 2012 – the first time a European city has held the honour. It may not pull the same crowds as Seville or Córdoba, but few places embody the spirit of gutsy Andalucían living like Cádiz.

5. Stockholm

The film release of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo might have prompted a new wave of Stieg Larsson fans to look for the grimy side of Stockholm. Unfortunately they’ll have to look quite hard, because Stockholm looks as perfect as it’s ever been. This is as seductive a capital city as can be imagined – cosy yet cosmopolitan, wilfully alternative and effortlessly picturesque. With its trendy design shops and bohemian bars, the island of Södermalm is one of the coolest kids on the block, while the stately parks of Djurgården make it the best island for an evening stroll. Admittedly Stockholm has never been a cheap date. But even if Stockholm leaves you with a lighter wallet, you’ll inevitably still leave it with a heavy heart.

6. Guimarães

This northern Portugal city is breathtakingly beautiful, as recognised by its place on the Unesco World Heritage List, yet mysteriously it doesn’t figure on the radars of many foreign visitors. The old city is a beguiling tangle of medieval, red-roofed, colonnaded buildings, punctuated by awe-inspiring mansions and palaces, and centred on a spikily crenellated castle. Now is the moment to visit, as the city has been anointed the European Capital of Culture in 2012. Building on an already impressive cultural scene and fired up by its significantly youthful population, the city will be a hot spot of artistic endeavour throughout the year, with creative artists gathering from across Portugal and Europe to showcase their work.

7. Santiago

Calamity came calling to Chile, first through an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and later when 33 miners were trapped in the country’s north. With the world watching, Chile displayed its defiant optimism, and these experiences have seemed to ignite a seismic shift in the capital. Culture and sports have come to the fore and new museums have opened to acclaim. Dining is now top-notch, nightlife exhilarating and this year also marks the inauguration of the tallest building on the continent, the 70-storey Torre Gran Costanera. Day trippers can scale an Andean peak in summer, ski its powder-clad slopes in July, or cycle through the idyllic vineyards of the Casablanca, Maipo and Colchagua valleys. Visit Santiago and you’ll feel the buzz.

8. Hong Kong

The mood in China’s most liberated city is edgier and more vocal than ever. This will be a particularly exciting year for Hong Kong, as it continues its march towards full democracy. Rallies are infused with theatrics and eruptions of song, dance and poetry, reflecting the city’s vibrant indie music and literary scenes. Enjoy views of skyscrapers marching up hills from the Star Ferry, before challenging your senses at a wet market or divining your future at a temple. Go shopping, gallery hopping and check out the bars of Soho. Explore walled villages or go hiking on Asia’s most breathtaking trails. Whatever you do, sprinkle your day generously and boldly with some of the city’s 11,000 restaurants.

9. Orlando

This should be a great year for Orlando as it’s hosting the 61st NBA All-Star Weekend  (25 and 26 February). The hippest sporting event in the USA , it brings much of the basketball and music worlds together for slam-dunk contests, after-hours parties and concerts, as well as the all-star game itself. Most visitors will head for the theme parks but it’s worth poking around the city, too. Keep an eye on the boho ‘Milk District’, a neighbourhood on the rise with its motley crew of eateries, bars serving microbrews, bookshops and tattoo parlours, just a short drive east of downtown. Orlando, hip? Who knew?

10. Darwin

It was once easy to dismiss Darwin as a frontier town full of brawling fishermen, dreamy hippies and redneck truckers. But with a pumping nocturnal scene, magical markets and restaurants, and world-class wilderness areas just down the road, today Darwin is the triumph of Australia’s Top End. Beat the crowds to the redeveloping Waterfront Precinct with its wave pool, bars and wharf eateries; or score some brilliant Indigenous art before East Coast galleries snap it up and charge double. Nose your way through the food stalls at Mindil Beach Sunset Market, then watch the sun melt into the Timor Sea. When southern Australia is chilling through winter, here it’s blue skies, party nights and sleeping late.

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

If you are a child in a Spanish-speaking country, today is pretty freaking awesome. You receive presents, have an excuse to throw grass in your shoes and you get to eat bread with figurines hidden inside!

Each Spanish-speaking country celebrates the day in a different way, but the story of the Three Kings is pretty consistent among the countries. The holiday–called ‘Epiphany Day’–tells the story of the three Kings (Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar) who arrived on horse after following a star in the heavens to bring baby Jesus gifts. Melchior represented Europe, rode in on a horse, and brought gold; Gaspar represented Arabia, rode a camel, and brought frankincense; Balthazar represented Africa, rode an elephant, and brought myrrh to baby Jesus. (Some say that all rode camels, but who really knows?)

Alright, that may have been a bit too Sunday school for your taste, but it’s important to know the background to understand some of the common practices. If you are traveling to Spain, for example, you may see children (and some adults) polish their shoes and leave them to receive the King’s gifts before they go to bed on January 6th (or sometimes on the eve of January 5th). Just like children leave cookies and milk for Santa Clause, children in Spain leave sweet wine, fruit, milk, and munchies for the Kings and their animals. In some parts of Mexico, children leave their shoes and a list of toy requests near their beds or a family nativity scene. In Northern Mexico, it is common to leave hay in the shoes (for the camels, obviously) and leave the shoes under the Christmas tree. Children in Puerto Rico do the same, and leave the hay or grass-filled shoes under their beds. Christmas trees are also taken down on this day; luckily, as children as distracted by their gifts and candies, it’s no biggie.

In the afternoon, the Rosca de Reyes(sometimes called Roscí³n de Reyes in Spain) is brought out and shared with family and friends. This bread is sort of like a round, bread-ier version of fruitcake and baked inside is a small doll representing Jesus. If you are in Mexico or Guatemala and find the doll, you have to throw a party on February 2^nd, “Candelaria Day,” and offer atole and tamales to the guests. If you celebrate El dí­a de los Reyes in Spain and find the doll, you are crowned king of the day. In Spain they also hide a bean in the Roscí³n, and if you find the bean, you pay for the bread. Nice.

Some say that because of globalization, Christmas Day has now become more popular than Dí­a de los Reyes, but again, that’s personal opinion. Learning traditions (whether they are still practiced or not) is an integral part of learning Spanish–knowing either one is fine, but know both and you are GOLDEN! In the Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish Levels I & II, you can rest assured that you are getting the full package: grammar + colloquial Spanish + local culture. Try and look for another program that teaches you real, useful Spanish for under $150. Go ahead, we dare you.

Shopping in Spanish? This is what you need!

Plaza Serrano - Buenos Aires

Most of us like going shopping, or just buying little souvenirs to reminds us of our travels. But most of the time in South America you’ll get the Gringo price, it even happens to us in Bueno, Entonces… when we are trying to get projects done.

We can’t teach you directly how to know if you are getting a gringo price or the real price … that involves common sense and intuition. Most of the street stores/ people are willing to negotiate the price, and sometimes offering cash (efectivo) in stores may get you a discount.

(Note: When trying to buy things on the street from artisans or people that do their own crafts, don’t negotiate with them! Pay them what they ask for, because for most of them it’s their only income.)

So here in Bueno, entonces… we found a list of words that you should know while you go shopping!  We hope its useful for your travelling!

Want to know more Spanish vocabulary? Start your Bueno, entonces.. Spanish classes! You can get the first 40 minute class for free and see what you think.

Grab it here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

It’s that time of year again. Christmas is over but we still have New Years eve coming and The post Christmas SALES!

Oh, you know you love it. Being stuck in traffic for hours? Waiting in line for ages at the airport? Nothing says happy holidays like a delayed flight, we all have a Grinch face when it comes to this situations.

We thought we”d take this opportunity to help you brush up on your transportation vocab—we know you”ll need it! While the post is a vintage one and is a bit focused on Buenos Aires transportation in particular, the vocab can be used anywhere you go. We know that an insultos post would also be appropriate at this time, but you”ll have to wait for that:

Driving in Buenos Aires is a total and complete nightmare.  It’s as if lanes don’t exist, and there is no right-of-way for anyone– it’s all fair game.  Heck, crossing streets as a pedestrian feels like you’re putting your life at risk.  But that’s besides the point, the point being that public transportation is very, very important here.

However, Buenos Aires residents are all-too-familiar with having to find alternative transportation on a regular basis.  Why is that?  Because public transportation workers have a tendency to strike.  A lot.  If it’s not the trains, it’s the buses, if it’s not the buses, it’s the subway… In fact, these past few weeks the subways have been shut down on random days due to huelgas (strikes), because they are fighting for a raise on their salaries. Which leads us to our next item of business: transportation vocabulary!

So, like we mentioned, there are various ways to get around in the city.  First, there are coches (cars–can also be called carros or autos), which can come in the form of personal coches, taxis (same in English), and remises (private cars for hire).  Next, you have the colectivos (buses).  A slang term for buses in Argentina is bondi, but you might hear someone refer to a bus as a micro, too.  A bondi and colectivo are for short-distance buses (inner-city) and micro is for long-distance buses (between cities).

Next up, we have the trenes (trains).  First, there is the actual tren, which can also be referred to as the ferrocarril (but this is an old-fashion term– you will see it written, but not often spoken, like railway).  Then, there is the underground train, better knows as the subte (subway).  Subte is short for subterráneo (underground).

To buy boletos (tickets) on the colectivo or bondi, you need monedas (coins) or a Sube Card wich you can add credit on the subte stations or in kiosocos (Stores),  but on the other modes of transportation, you can use billetes (bills).  On the subte or the tren, you wait in an estación (station), but on a bondi or colectivo, you wait at a parada (stop).

The vocabulary regarding transportation varies from country to country, but for the most part, auto, taxi, colectivo, tren, and subte will be understood everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.  Lastly, if you are trying to find your way around in Buenos Aires, treat yourself to a five-peso Guí­a-T– this is the public transportation Bible.  Every zona (zone), every bondi, everything you need to know to get around the city.

Want to improve your Spanish even more?  Visit the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish website, where you can find over 18 hours of fun, interesting Spanish classes on DVD or as downloads for your computer, ipod, or iphone.

Other vocab not mentioned in the post include: el avión (the airplane), el vuelo (the flight), and el barco (the boat, ship).

Suerte y felices fiestas!

December the 28th, what’s up with this date?

Well in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines, it’s the date of the Holy Innocents. It’s a day for the Christians because it was the date when all the newborns in Belen where sent to killed by King Herodes el Grande, because Jesus de Nazareth was born.

Well, to commemorate, Spain and Latin America celebrate el ‘Día de los Santos Inocentes’ and during this day all they do is pranks, the equivalent to April Fool’s Day in many countries.  On ‘innocent day’ they say you shouldn’t trust anybody or lend money, but the traditions vary depending on the country. For example in Mexico they call it ‘inocente palomita’! (remember this Simpsons episode? See how it was translated to spanish)

It is very big, specially in the Media. Newspapers make special editions mocking politicians, famous people, the News on TV shows all the bloopers of the year, and it’s a good way to disconnect a bit from all the stress of the year before the new year begins.

Nowdays with twitter and Facebook, pranks became better including pregnancy tests, airline tickets around the world, quitting jobs, firing employees etc, Scaring the shit out of friends and family!  So keep and eye on what you read Oyentes from Bueno, entonces….

_______________________________

Bueno, entonces… is the most effective, entertaining Spanish learning software on the market–and our user community is growing rapidly because of it. Join us on our Learn Spanish Facebook Page!

Want to watch the first Bueno, entonces… class for Free? Check us out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Click here to order the 6-DVD set or Instant Download and learn Spanish today!

We will be very honest with you! It’s a pain in the arse! And we understand if you guys are upset! Our programmers are working 24/7 to fix our App and make it fully functional and user friendly as possible ASAP.

Delete, Reinstall and Restore= Solving the problem

Most people have been able to view their classes by deleting the app from the device and from iTunes. Then re-installing it from the app store. You will not lose any of the classes you purchased (go to settings -> restore purchased classes), but this allows you to re-download it cleanly, which fixes more than 90% of the problems. If that doesn’t work, let us know and we will try to replicate the problem on our end. Please email us at support@generallinguistics.com and we will respond within 24 hours.

YOU WON’T LOSE YOUR CLASSES OR YOUR MONEY

We are really sorry for the inconvenience, our programmers are currently working on fixing the problem to ensure this doesn’t happen again or inconvenience our oyentes! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.

If you have any problems don’t hesitate to write us at our support service, your opinion is very important to us!

support@generallinguistics

Here is some vocab in Spanish:

Fix: Arreglar

Sufriendo

Lose: Perderas

Restore: Restaurar

Allows: Permite

Replicate: Replicar

Inconvenience: Inconveniente

Comprehension: Comprensión

———————————–  WHAT THE USERS ARE SAYING ——————————-

Facebook Comments!

Itunes Comment! After Fixing it

So we have clips from Spanish classes below but theres wayyy more than that floating around on youtube and Vimeo.

If you haven’t already seen our youtube channel, you need to check that out for the full list of videoclips (from classes 1-15 plus more)

Here is a clip from Episode 5. David writes a pretty ridiculous poem for Jimena using Lunfardo. Lunfardo is the term for Argentine slang, which is commonly used in Tango. Its pretty funny, check it out.

And here is one from Spanish Class 6 which is one of the review classes. At the end of every week we have a review class (episodes 6, 12, 18, 24) in which Jimena calls David to review the concepts David (and you) learned that week. Here David reviews his numbers;

Really, the classes are so funny and entertaining. You don’t even realize how much you are learning because they are so fun to watch. Check out http://www.generallinguistics.com/ to see why everyone loves learning spanish with Bueno, entonces… so much!

Best part! Go there today and get the first full 40 minute class for free and see how much Spanish you can learn!

As always, trying to translate these yourself will help you learn Spanish much faster!

Here’s one from Fede

“They say that the companies are giving prizes to their users who are consuming less light.”
“And what is the prize?”
“A package of candles”

This one was taken from Arguelles

Manuel, now that science has evolved so much, I’m going to resort to surgery.
Are you going to correct your near-sightedness, Leonor?
No….breast implants!

And one more from Severi

You have your money and your documents, no?

Visit http://www.generallinguistics.com for more ways to have fun while learning!

Here’s a phrase that’ll help you make some new Argentine friends: Andate a la concha de tu madre.

Now, before you go and shout this into the streets, just know that 1) we were being sarcastic about using this phrase to make friends, and 2) this is actually a very, very crude thing to say, so be careful where you use it. However, you can never know too many insults, so here’s another to add to the book.

Literally, andate a la concha de tu madre means go to your mother’s vagina (or a variety of other crude terms that mean the same thing, but for sake of being remotely PC, we’ll stick to ‘vagina‘). Now, you can probably imagine a circumstance or two in which this would appropriate, but hopefully that circumstance comes only once in a blue moon. How about we break the phrase down a bit.

Andate comes from the verb andar, which means to walk- it’s not as commonly used as caminar, but you’ll definitely hear it every so often in conversation. The te at the end is referring to the person you are talking to (so when you say it, it is in the form of tú or vos). In this case, it is put into imperative form, which is the form used for commands, which is why it is andate instead of vos andás. Essentially, you are commanding or urging the person to go to their mom’s vagina.

Now, if you’re thinking -Wow, in Spanish they use the same word for vagina as they do for fields,’ you are just a little mistaken. COncha is the word for vagina, and cAncha is the word for field. One letter makes a very, very big difference, so be careful with this one. Although, when at the cancha (de fútbol), it is not unusual to hear people say (or yell) ‘concha’. In some other Spanish-speaking nations, concha isn’t even a bad word-in fact, in some places it is the word used for a shell (in English, it’s called a conch shell) and in Mexico it is a type of sweet bread. But we can pretty much guarantee if you say this phrase to anyone in the Spanish-speaking world, you’re not going to get a very friendly response.

David talks to a Concha

Check out Episode 26 for Jimena’s and David’s conversation about conchas! Don’t have Class 26? You can get it on iTunes for $2.99 here: http://bit.ly/iPhoneLearnSpanish

Photo taken from http://www.funny-potato.com/kid-halloween-costume.html

Hopefully you have already chosen the lucky disfraz for the night, whether it be un personaje famoso (famous person or celebrity), un animal (do we really need to translate this one?), or something totally random with no meaning at all.  If not, head on over to un negocio de disfraces (costume shop)– there are loads all around the city, and surely you can find something worthwhile.  If you are feeling really creative, just head on over to the local chino (grocery store– they referred to as chinos, because in Buenos Aires they are almost always owned by Chinese) and see what you can make out of the vast selection of household products. Someideas muy básicas are fantasmas (ghosts– the ultimate lazy man’s costume), zombies, and brujas (witches), but hopefully your creative juices will get you a slightly more interesting disfraz.

Here is some essential vocabulary to complete your Halloween experience:

Caramelos = Candies

Un Cráneo = a Skull

Una Telaraña = a Spiderweb

(La) Sangre = Blood

In Spanish, there isn’t exactly a word equivalent to scary, but rather a phrase that you can use to describe it.  The word miedo means fright, so to be scared, you use the appropriate form of tener miedo (tengo miedo, tenés miedo, etc…).  To be scary, however, you most often use the phrase dar miedo, as in él me da miedo (he scares me).  Literally, it translates to he gives me fright, but in the end it all means the same thing, right?

Alright, you are all set for the evening with your new Halloween vocab, now get to work on your disfraz and have a Feliz Halloween from everyone at Bueno, entonces… !

Here’s a Fibertel commercial to… well, not help you learn Spanish, but it’s still worth a watch.

All you really need to know is ‘Que bolu,’ which is what they sing over and over again in the song.  Bolu is short for boludo, which is Argentine slang for something like an idiot.  So the song is essentially saying ‘What an idiot, what an idiot,’ but with much more of a ring to it.

But don’t worry, if someone refers to you as a boludo, as in Che, boludo! don’t be offended.  Boludo can also mean ‘man,’ as in Hey, man!

And believe us when we say this song will be stuck in your head for the next few hours. Catchiest. Tune. Ever.

Want to get some real Spanish classes under your belt? Check out Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II today and you’ll get the first 40 minute class for free! See how here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

We at Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish have decided to give you a lesson in la vida nocturna (nightlife), ranging from tragos (drinks) to drogas (drugs) to música (music) to…well, anything else we can think of, really. So here it goes:

Let’s start with clubs. Clubs in Argentina are called boliches, but boliche is a word that is only used in Argentina and Uruguay. If you want a more neutral word that will be understood everywhere, just stick to discoteca. As far as bars and pubs go, Spanish keeps it simple by using the same words, but putting a Spanish accent on them. Conozco algunos bares… (I know some bars…) ¡Vamos a un pub! (Let’s go to a pub!) But watch out for la entrada or el cover (the cover charge), sometimes they are crazy expensive in the city, and even in places where you least expect it.

Now, it is important to know music when you go out at night, because you don’t want to get stuck in a bar, pub, or boliche listening to something resembling a dying cat all night, or something like Celine Dion, which is equally as bad. These are pretty easy to remember though, because the Spanish words are the same as the English words, only said with an accent. El rock, el pop, la electrónica, el jazz, el reggaetón, el reggae, la salsa, el merengue, la cumbia (okay, we might have stolen a few of those from Spanish originally), etc… The words are all pretty much the same, with the exception of the varying genders for each genre.  That part is a bit tricky, but you’ll learn with time.

Now for the substances. Cigarrillos (cigarettes) are always popular both day and night in Argentina, but make sure you ask for a cenicero (ashtray) before you go and ash on someone. And tienes fuego? is the easiest way to ask for a light (literally, do you have fire?). The types of alcohol are pretty much the same as they are in English, as well, with a few exceptions. Vodka, Ron (Rum), Ginebra (Gin), and, of course, cerveza (beer) and vino (wine).  In Argentina, however, fernet is a staple to any good night.

Drogas are a little trickier. There’s marihuana (which, like in English, as a bazillion different names, and every country’s is unique- here, you can call a joint either a porro or faso, among many other things). Pastillas (pills) of all sorts as well as the rest of the harder drugs have varying names from place to place, but again, use the name in English and they will often understand.

There you have it- all the nightlife knowledge you could possibly need when going out in Argentina (or else where in Latin America). Oh, and remember, dancing here is not the same as in most English-speaking countries, so try to keep the grinding to a minimum as to not embarrass yourself and offend others.

Want to learn more Spanish? Head to our site to get the first 40 min Spanish class for free! Go here today: http://www.generallinguistics.com

You can also see funny Spanish classes on our Youtube Page.

Before any foreigner heads down to Argentina (as well as Uruguay and a few other spots in South America), there is one thing they must know about the culture: mate (pronounced mah-teh).

Now, what the hell is mate? Mate is a highly-caffeinated drink that is made up of natural yerba mate (the mate herb–pronounced shair-bah) mixed with hot water, and should always be drunk out of a mate gourd using a bombilla (special mate straw– pronounced bom-bee-shah). It is so much more than a drink, though. Here, mate is practically a way of life.

Mate originated out in the campo (country) and was used by gauchos (cowboys) to stay awake and maintain their energy for the day. At one point or another, it became widespread throughout the nation and now it is virtually used in every household. At first glance, it looks like it is either a) an outdated, traditional tea that only really old-fashioned Argentines would drink, or b) some sort of drug. In reality, it is neither, and we cannot stress enough how much of a major part of the culture here is based off of mate. In fact, even the production team here at Bueno, entonces… couldn’t survive without it.

Working hard on creating Bueno, entonces...

As mentioned before, mate is always drunk out of a special mate gourd and done so through a bombilla (as seen in the photo). The yerba (the actual herb of the plant- it looks a bit like marijuana) is put into the gourd, and then the gourd is filled with hot water to the very top. You then sip the mate through the bombilla, which has a special filter at the bottom to keep you from sucking in the yerba until the water is all gone, then you pass the gourd to be filled (with water–you keep the same yerba until it is completely drained of any caffeine or taste) by the next drinker. It is a communal thing, and, although people drink it by themselves, it is most often shared by a group in which everyone uses the same bombilla. Germs? What germs?

Seriously, take a walk around a park anywhere in Argentina and Uruguay and you are bound to find some mate drinkers. Or go to an office. Or even a taxi cab (how do you expect them to stay awake all day without a bit of mate?).

It. Is. Everywhere.

And one last thing– if you want to read a blog post about Episode 8 (the episode about mate) of Bueno, entonces… check out this blog of one of our users! http://juniperbsas.blogspot.com.

When learning a language, cognates become your best amigo. What are cognates? Cognates are words that have the same meaning, and look the same in two different languages. Examples: Alcohol = Alcohol, Falso = False, Ofender = Offend… you get the idea. Now, all is good and fun with these cognates until they become your amigo falso (false friend).

Embarrassed and embarazada

Amigos falsos, or what we like to call cog-nots, are words in Spanish that look like an English word, but actually mean something completely different. Example: Carpeta doesn’t mean carpet, it mean’s folder. They’re nasty little words that no one likes, but you’re just going to have to learn to deal with them. Here, we will give you fair warning of a few amigos falsos that you might come across in your Spanish studies.

First and foremost, one of the most common amigos falsos that is notorious for causing embarrassment is… well, embarazada. Estoy embarazada, more specifically. I am embarrassed? Nope. Embarazada actually means pregnant, so when you exclaim that you are so embarazada,’ for something you just did, you’re really just making things worse for yourself.

Secondly, estoy excitado/a does not mean that you are excited. Well, it somewhat does, but in Spanish, excitado/a is typically associated with sexual excitement rather than regular excitement. Instead, you might want to say estoy emocionado/a.

Here are a couple other amigos falsos to be aware of:

Sensible = Sensitive, sensible

Éxito = Success, exit

Actual = Current, actual

Assistir = To Attend, assist

Atender = To Serve/ To Take Care Of, attend

… And the list goes on…

There are loads of amigos falsos in Spanish, but you will learn them as you come across them in your studies. Don’t be too worried about them now, though. Just make sure you’re aware that cognates can also be cog-nots!

To check out David and Jimena’s conversation about amigos falsos, along with the rest of the program, visit the Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish website and become a fan on Facebook to learn useful Spanish phrases.

Want to see clips of our Spanish classes to see how they’re set up? Check out our Youtube page!

Prior to moving to Argentina, I spent several years working at an investment firm in Los Angeles. After the financial market collapse, I decided that it was time for me to try something different and accepted a consulting job in Buenos Aires. I set off for this new experience knowing only basic Spanish.

The first few weeks were very frustrating. This was the first time that I was living and working in a city where I did not speak the native language. I was not prepared for how difficult it was going to be to learn Spanish! My biggest hindrance in learning the language was finding the time. With a full work week and the time required to adjust to a new city, I just didn’t have the time to take classes.

I found out about “Bueno, entonces” through a friend who heard they were organizing a focus group to test the product. I joined so that I could try the program in exchange for writing a review.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how great the program was and how quickly my Spanish improved. While some of the beginning classes were below my skill level, I still found it helpful to have them reinforce basic grammar and conversational vocabulary. As the classes continued, I found myself getting pulled into the story line of David and his teacher Jimena, and also learning more and more Spanish.

For me, the best thing about the program was its portability. I was able to put all the episodes on my iPod and watch a different one each day on my commute to work. Because I could take it with me anywhere, it was easier for me to stay motivated and keep up with the program.

I’m already feeling more confident with my Spanish and am excited to keep improving my skills!

- Mary, Los Angeles, CA

Plenty of Tránsito, or Traffic, in Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires is a big city, and in big cities, people rely a lot on public transportation. Hey, it’s the only way to get around without costing a fortune. Besides, driving in Buenos Aires is a total and complete nightmare.  It’s as if lanes don’t exist, and there is no right-of-way for anyone– it’s all fair game. Heck, crossing streets as a pedestrian feels like you’re putting your life at risk.

But that’s besides the point, the point being that all methods of public transportation (and some key Spanish phrases) are very, very important here.

However, Buenos Aires residents are all-too-familiar with having to find alternative transportation on a regular basis. Why is that? Because public transportation workers have a tendency to strike. A lot. If it’s not the trains, it’s the buses, if it’s not the buses, it’s the subway… What are these common disturbances called? Huelgas (strikes). Which leads us to our next item of business: transportation vocabulary!

So, like we mentioned, there are various ways to get around in the city. First, there are coches (cars–can also be called carros or autos), which can come in the form of personal coches, taxis (same in English), and remises (private cars for hire).

Next, you have the colectivos (buses).  A slang term for buses in Argentina is bondi, but you might hear someone refer to a bus as a micro, too.  A bondi and colectivo are for short-distance buses (inner-city) and micro is for long-distance buses (between cities).

We also have the trenes (trains). First, there is the actual tren, which can also be referred to as the ferrocarril (but this is an old-fashion term– you will see it written, but not often spoken, like railway). Then, there is the underground train, better knows as the subte (subway). Subte is short for subterráneo (underground).

To buy boletos (tickets) on the colectivo or bondi, you need monedas (coins), but on the other modes of transportation, you can use billetes (bills). On the subte or the tren, you wait in an estación (station), but on a bondi or colectivo, you wait at a parada (stop).

The vocabulary regarding transportation varies from country to country, but for the most part, auto, taxi, colectivo, tren, and subte will be understood everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.  Lastly, if you are trying to find your way around in Buenos Aires, treat yourself to a five-peso Guí­a-T– this is the public transportation Bible.  Every zona (zone), every bondi, everything you need to know to get around the city.

Want to improve your Spanish even more?  Visit the Bueno, entonces… learn Spanish website, where you can find over 18 hours of fun, interesting Spanish classes on DVD or as downloads for your computer, iPod, or iPhone, all for as little as $147!

If you’re a Facebook Fan, you get $50 off our Learn Spanish Levels I & II. Are you a Bueno, entonces… fan yet?

Plus, if you go there now, for a limited time, you can get the first 40 minute class for free without having to buy! Check it out: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Small talk.  It’s everywhere.  Whether you like it or not, it’s unavoidable.  So we thought it’d make sense to give you a few useful phrases in Spanish to use when exploring the art of making conversation out of nothing.  Here it goes:

¿De dónde eres/sos? = Where are you from?

¿En qué trabajas/trabajás? = What do you work in (what trade)?

¡Que calor/ frío que hací­a hoy! = It was so hot/cold today!

¿Te puedo comprar un trago? = Can I buy you a drink?

¿Vienes/Vené­s mucho por aquí­? = Do you come here often?

¿Tienes/Tenés planes este fin de semana? = Do you have plans for the weekend?

¿Cómo te fue el fin de semana? = How was your weekend?

Tengo ganas de ver la nueva pelí­cula de… = I would like to see __________’s new movie.

Okay, so there seems to be a fine line between small talk and sweet talk– but be careful, if you cross the line just a little bit, you might be seen as a chamuyero (bullshitter/sweet-talker).

Have any other Spanish phrases you’d like to submit to our small talk post?  Leave them in a comment or on our Facebook page!

If you want to learn to speak Spanish in a fun and entertaining way, check out Bueno, entonces…and learn conversational Spanish in five weeks! (Trust us, a Spanish dictionary will only get you so far).

Head here today and get the first 40 minute Spanish class completely free! http://www.generallinguistics.com

Just need to start your Bueno, entonces... classes first!

When traveling in Latin America, it is sometimes useful to know all the ways you might be addressed by a local.  I mean, you don’t want someone to refer to you as something and not know what it means, right?  Different countries have different names that they call foreigners, but there are a few ‘universal’ terms.  Here’s a quick lesson on all names gringo.

First and foremost, gringo is going to be the most popular name you come across.  Gringo originally comes from the days of the Mexican-American War.  The Americans wore green uniforms, and the Mexicans wanted them to get out of their territory, so they would shout ‘Green Go!’– and voilá!  Gringo!  Pretty neat, huh?  Since then, however, gringo has become a name that is used to refer to North American and European foreigners, despite the origin of the word.

Secondly, huero/a or guero/a is a popular name used to refer to white-skinned, blonde foreigners in Mexico.  However, their perception of what is blonde is a little different from that of what you might be used to.  Blonde means pretty much anything lighter than dark brown.  So if you have hair lighter than dark brown, you can expect to be called a huero/a or guero/a.

Next up, blanco/a.  This pretty much follows the same rules as huero/a and guero/a– refers to white people, but what you consider a white person might be a little different.  If you have even the slightest bit of a pale-ish complexion, you will probably be referred to as blanco/a.

Finally, yanqui.  This is a term used mainly for Americans in Argentina, but we’ve heard it’s used elsewhere, too.  It’s pronounced ‘shankee,’ but is their own version of our yankee.  Apparently all Americans are Yankees.  This term is only used in Argentina, though, but you can expect to be called this all the time.

Alright, so there are have it!  Don’t be offended if you are referred to by any of these names– for the most part, they aren’t derogatory, unless they are said in such a manner.

There is a Bueno, entonces… class that includes some information on gringo-terminology, too– see, we’ve covered all important topics!  To check out the program, take a look at the Bueno, entonces… learn Spanish Youtube page, where you can see clips of the Spanish classes.

Become a fan on Facebook to learn useful Spanish phrases, get cool info about what’s going on in the Spanish-speaking world, and save $50 off the program!

Head here to test the first free class and see for yourself: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Rejection.  It’s just a fact of life.  For some, it is more common than others, but at one point or another, everyone gets rejected.  That is why we have dedicated a clip of Bueno, entonces… to the art of Spanish rejection.

And, aside from David being all-too-familiar with rejections from Jimena, we brought in another pair of experts to help you out– Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World!

No Way!

Way!

You’ll laugh.  You’ll cry.  You’ll hurl.  Check it out!

Man, you gotta love them.  The colors and symbols used on the Pizarra Magica (Magic Whiteboard) are the key to our subliminal teaching method– your brain picks up on what these colors and symbols represent, and CHAN!  You’re learning without even knowing it!  However, to speed up that process a bit, go ahead and take a look at the Color & Symbol Key.

Take a look at a review of this class as well as the rest of the posts in the series by going to http://juniperenbsas.blogspot.com

If you like this way of learning and want to look at a few more demos, visit the Bueno, entonces… website http://www.generallinguistics.com– and watch the first class for absolutely nada. Now how convenient is that?

So by this point in time, David has definitely learned to put together sentences and actually SPEAK Spanish (and hopefully you have, too!)  Unfortunately, when speaking a new language, we all fall into the robot trap at one time or another.

What is the robot trap, you ask?  Watch and learn.  Well, no, don’t learn it– but be aware so you don’t fall into it, too!

See?  It’s tricky, when you get into the mindset of focusing so much on what you are saying and the conjugations, you sometimes forget that someone is listening to you.  Thus, you stop using intonation or any form of enthusiasm, so your listener loses interest within the first 30 seconds.  It’s bound to happen at one point or another, but we just want to warn you so you can be aware when it does!

If you think this way of learning on the Pizarra Mí¡gica is useful, check out our Color & Symbol Code to help you better understand exactly what is going on.  The Pizarra Magica is the base of the Bueno, entonces… program, and we feel that it combines several teaching concepts in such a way that your learning ability is maximized.  

AND we make sure that our classes stay fun, quirky, and at times a little risque, to that you, the student, will stay interested.  

Check it out: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Go today and you can watch the first class for nada!

It seems to be that everyone in the Western world has it in their head that Latin lovers are the sexiest, most romantic lovers on Earth. Hm.  Well, sexy I can agree with… romantic?  That depends on a lot of things.

Take it from a gringa who has been living abroad for over four years in various Latin countries: I have met my fair share of Latino men, and they aren’t always all that they’re cracked up to be.  But they aren’t all bad, either– Let me explain…

Okay, example:  This past weekend salí­ a un bar (I went out to a bar) with a friend.  We were there charlando (chatting), and a group of four or five Argentine guys came up to us and we started to talk.  They were all childhood friends from about two hours outside of the city (what is called the provincia), and were in town for the night to celebrate one of their cumpleaños (birthdays).  Earlier that night, I had come across a fair share of chamuyeros (bullshitter/sweet-talkers), so I was getting pretty frustrated with the situation.  Anyway, I started talking to this one guy who didn’t seem all bad, and he asked me what I thought of Argentinos (typical line…).  I told him the truth– that I thought that most Argentine men were chamuyeros and thought that all foreign girls were un besofacil (an easy kiss).  He was assuring me that I had it all wrong, and that I had only met the wrong Argentine guys.  He did his chamuyo thing…and somehow swayed me into thinking that maybe this guy wasn’t all that bad.  Then, just as I was almost convinced, he pulled the line ‘Bueno, siempre querí­a saber como es besar a una americana… ¿A vos no tenés ganas de probar el beso Argentino?‘ (Well, I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to kiss an American… Do you not want to try an Argentine kiss?)  ¡Por Dí­os! Typical, typical, typical.

This kind of stuff happens all the time here.  And not only here, but around Latin America as a whole.  With that said, decent Latino men are not impossible to find, and often the chamuyeros aren’t even all that bad– they are just raised in a culture where they are expected to act like that.

Another aspect of the Latino men to be careful about?  Cheating.  It’s a terrible thing to say, but these guys are a little notorious for it.  Meter los cuernos/cachos o ser infiel.  However you say it, cheating is cheating and in this culture is almost accepted, yet still very taboo.  But keep in mind that men are not the only ones cheating– women are just as guilty!

Alright, alright, with all that said, Latinos are not terrible by any means at all– the culture is just different from that of the United States, Canada, the UK, etc…, so I am giving this information solely for the purpose of a bit of a heads-up for those of you heading into Latino territory anytime soon.  Also, the majority of the men that I have met, I have done so in Buenos Aires, which means that most of them are city-dwellers rather than country boys.  And what does that mean?  Imagine only meeting men in New York City, and not being exposed to those of the rest of the country.  Big difference, right?  And that pretty much goes for any major city in the world.

And last but not least, I have met loads of positively lovely Latino men over the past few years, so this post is not so say that they aren’t out there, but you just might have to dig a little to find them…!  Let us know what your opinions and experiences are of Latino men– We’d love to hear what your point of view is!  And, please, feel free to disagree! –And stay tuned, we will have a ‘Latin Lovers’ post coming up in the next couple days about Las Latinas!

Feel like learning Spanish to take on all of the chamuyeros? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Ser and Estar.  It kills all of us non-native Spanish speakers– why would you have two words for ‘to be’?!  Frustrating, we know.

Well, to take away a little bit of that frustration, leave it to David to put a bit of humor into the whole situation– and incorporate a figure as random as Hamlet into the clip, too!  You gotta give him props for his effort…

By now you probably know what the Pizarra Mágica is.  If not, it’s our way of making Spanish learning a much easier, much simpler concept for you, the student.  We’ve color-coded all of the Spanish words that appear on the screen so that your brain learns to differentiate between the different parts of speech without you even noticing.  Then, after a few classes, you start to actually notice what is going on with the colors and symbols and BAM, Spanish learning becomes THAT much easier.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Check out the Color & Symbol Key to better help you understand!

Now, to help you out a little more with that ser/estar situation, here’s a basic breakdown:

Ser = To be (permanent) and Estar = To be (temporary).

Example 1:  Soy de Argentina (I am from Argentina).  You are from Argentina, and that’s never going to change.  Therefore, you use the ‘ser‘ form of to be.

Example 2: Estoy en Argentina (I am in Argentina).  You are in Argentina.  But you could be leaving tomorrow.  Or you might have just arrived from another country.  It is a temporary state, so you use the ‘estar‘ form of to be.

Ser is typically used when referring to professions, origins, and other more permanent characteristics.

Estar is typically used for feelings, whereabouts of a person or thing, and anything else that is or could be temporary.

See? It’s not that hard.  But like everything else in Spanish, there are always exceptions to the rules, and you will just learn them with time.  As long as you keep somewhat of a sense of humor, believe us, it will be infinitely less painful!

Want to learn more? Then buy whole Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish program! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our style.

Best part? Head here right now and you’ll get the first 40 min class for absolutely nada (nothing), so you got nothing to lose: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Today’s post is brought to you by one of our fabulous users, Jeff. Basically, here at Bueno, entonces… we had a program where we chose people in Buenos Aires to take all 30 Bueno, entonces… classes and blog about them. What they learned, what they liked, and what they didn’t like.

So, here it is! Learning Spanish Take 10, Class 17:

**************************************************************************************************************

It’s Gettin’ Hot in Here

What’s the most important rule of general conversation? When all else fails just talk about the weather. Given my lack of knowledge of conversational Spanish my conversations often have long periods of silence, however, before Class 17 I didn’t necessarily have the ability to invoke the time-honored conversational crutch – discussing the weather.

In Buenos Aires, people seem to be quite preoccupied by the weather. We’re always told to bundle our kids up more because it’s soooo cold, or “you won’t believe how hot and humid it gets in the summer.” They don’t understand that we came from Boston where you just assume that it will be cloudy, cold, and dreary everyday, and if it happens to be nice out, well, that’s a win for you.

In addition, when we arrived we were told there are two things we shouldn’t trust here: taxi drivers and weathermen. Judging from the beautiful day today when rain was forecast, that seems to be pretty much spot-on.

Taken in the Recoleta Cemetery

My biggest fear before coming here was finding myself at a dinner party having to make conversation. Learning weather vocabulary has helped put this at ease. Now I just need to know how to respond to the inevitable, “psst doc, could you take a look at this rash of mine?”

Much to my excitement, Class 17 also began to unravel the secrets of the elusive and mysterious subjunctive tense. I can’t figure out for the life of me how to use it. Bueno, entonces…used useful Spanish phrases such as “I hope it’s warm tomorrow” and “I hope it doesn’t rain” as a jumping off point for this discussion. The teaching point was to think of the subjunctive tense like you are giving orders to the weather (conjugated the same as the imperative tense) – quite helpful, and a tip I am not likely to forget.

I like the program’s ability to seamlessly transition into teaching new concepts without setting of sirens and flashing lights to say “hey, this is a new concept…pay attention!” Normal conversation is not compartmentalized into fifteen minutes of present tense followed my fifteen minutes of past tense, and so on. It is a mixture of all the tenses thrown together easily by native speakers, however, quite arduous for those new to the language. Therefore, a language learning software that mimics how verbs are used in normal conversation is worlds more useful. For instance, Rosetta Stone spends the whole first unit on the present tense, followed by past tense in unit two, and future tense in unit three. This may be a fine method for those who are going to complete the full course before ever using their Spanish, but the structure of Bueno, entonces…gives you the tools to have realistic conversations entirely in Spanish after having only watched a handful of classes.

There was also a part of the class that was near and dear to my heart. David had a lot of trouble pronouncing the word “veterinaria” (veterinarian) which I struggle with on a daily basis when telling people what I’m doing for work here in Buenos Aires (I currently am teaching private medical English classes to a veterinarian).

Other helpful things from this class were diphthongs (vowels written together and pronounced as a single syllable) which go against the general rule of all letters in Spanish being pronounced separately. We also learned about “dependent prepositions” – ones that are always paired with certain verbs, and are often times not direct translations from English (very difficult for the non-native speaker).

***************************************************************************************************************

If you want to read more about Jeff’s experience with the program, head on over to his blog, Learning Spanish Take 10.

Muchisimas gracias, Jeff—sos lo mejor!

Okay, we know the photo has nothing to do with learning Spanish, but come on. “Bilingual Curious”? What did you expect? Bi? Lingual? Curious? Dale.

Daniel Cubias, aka “The Hispanic Fanatic” , wrote in the Huffington Post, about how being bilingual is, well, necessary. And the title, “Bilingual Curious”? Oh Daniel, you’re like one of our own.

Here is a bit of the article, which highlights the reasons for learning Spanish. To us it’s kind of a no-brainer, but for you Gringos who are still on the fence about learning Spanish, it’s more proof that it’s time to dive in. No excuses.

Check out an excerpt from the article below:

So with English firmly ensconced, why should I, or anyone, bother to learn Spanish?

Well, first, there is the practical aspect. According to the U.S Census Bureau, above 12 percent of U.S. residents speak Spanish at home. They range from adults who don’t know any English to little kids who are perfectly bilingual. Within this range are millions of Americans who prefer to communicate in Spanish.

At some point, you will need to talk to someone who will throw a cascade of trilled R’s at you. It will happen. And when it does, gesturing randomly or yelling louder in English will not work.

A second reason for learning Spanish is pure economics. Among the few booming occupations are jobs where Spanish is considered a plus, if not an outright requirement. Both the blue-collar construction worker and the white-collar marketing manager are learning that it’s smart to know the difference between lo siento and claro que se. In these recessionary times, a little awareness of Spanish can be the difference between landing the gig or spending another day watching soaps.

In addition to these practical matters, there is the fact that we are a multicultural society. We have always been a multicultural society, in truth. It just is no longer possible to wall ourselves off and demand that everyone acquiesce to the majority’s needs. Showing respect for other cultures, and gaining a basic understanding and empathy of others, is becoming a necessary skill – not a luxury for do-gooders.

Finally, exercising your brain and learning something new will never hurt you. So don’t worry.

Party party with cheap hats

For those of you down in South America, this weekend is one of the last of summer and a four day weekend on top of that. So not surprisingly, everyone is getting their party-party on.

Those of you in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the first throws of Spring, and therefore should be party-partying as well.

Whatever the reason, here is some essential vocab to get you there.

Puede traerme…? = Can you bring me…?

Te puedo pedir…? = Can I order…?

Una cerveza = A beer

Un champí¡n = A champagne

Una copa de vino (tinto/blanco) = A glass of wine (red/white)

Un whiskey = A whiskey

Un vodka con jugo de naranja/Coca/Sprite/agua = A vodka with orange juice/Coke/Sprite/ water

With ice = Con hielo

Without ice = Sin hielo

paja, bí¡lago; pajilla, paja para beber, popote = Straw —> OJO! The word changes from country to country.

Watch as David learns how to order a cafí© con leche and a milanesa in Spanish:

There you have it. Now you can order your milanesa and eat it, too.

Enjoy your brindis (cheers) and have a safe and enjoyable party- party weekend.

WARNING: STEAMY VOCAB AHEAD. This may not be office appropriate.

We pride ourselves in providing the most useful Spanish phrases, so here is some important vocabulary that we hope you have a chance to utilize at some point (looks like David already has) :

Tenés/Tienes condones? Sí­, tengo condones/preservativos. Do you have condoms? Yeah, I have a condoms. 

Eso es una locura. This is crazy

Más fuerte Harder

Despacito / mí¡s lento. Slower

Despacito / suavecito. Softer

¿Estás acabando / terminando / llegando? Are you coming?

Estás tomando pastillas? Are you on the pill?

La pastilla del dí­a despúes / dí­a siguiente. Morning After Pill

Fue increí­ble. That was incredible

¿Dónde está mi ropa? Where are my clothes?

La pasó muy bien. I had a good time

Now that is the kind of learning Spanish program that we can really get behind. Just try that with Rosetta Stone…

Be safe. Be responsible. Be bilingual.

It just makes life so much easier.

(Check out more clips from our Spanish classes on our Youtube page!)

If you are a child in a Spanish-speaking country, today is pretty freaking awesome. You receive presents, have an excuse to throw grass in your shoes and you get to eat bread with figurines hidden inside!

Each Spanish-speaking country celebrates the day in a different way, but the story of the Three Kings is pretty consistent among the countries. The holiday–called ‘Epiphany Day’–tells the story of the three Kings (Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar) who arrived on horse after following a star in the heavens to bring baby Jesus gifts. Melchior represented Europe, rode in on a horse, and brought gold; Gaspar represented Arabia, rode a camel, and brought frankincense; Balthazar represented Africa, rode an elephant, and brought myrrh to baby Jesus. (Some say that all rode camels, but who really knows?)

Alright, that may have been a bit too Sunday school for your taste, but it’s important to know the background to understand some of the common practices. If you are traveling to Spain, for example, you may see children (and some adults) polish their shoes and leave them to receive the King’s gifts before they go to bed on January 6th (or sometimes on the eve of January 5th). Just like children leave cookies and milk for Santa Clause, children in Spain leave sweet wine, fruit, milk, and munchies for the Kings and their animals. In some parts of Mexico, children leave their shoes and a list of toy requests near their beds or a family nativity scene. In Northern Mexico, it is common to leave hay in the shoes (for the camels, obviously) and leave the shoes under the Christmas tree. Children in Puerto Rico do the same, and leave the hay or grass-filled shoes under their beds. Christmas trees are also taken down on this day; luckily, as children as distracted by their gifts and candies, it’s no biggie.

In the afternoon, the Rosca de Reyes(sometimes called Roscí³n de Reyes in Spain) is brought out and shared with family and friends. This bread is sort of like a round, bread-ier version of fruitcake and baked inside is a small doll representing Jesus. If you are in Mexico or Guatemala and find the doll, you have to throw a party on February 2^nd, “Candelaria Day,” and offer atole and tamales to the guests. If you celebrate El dí­a de los Reyes in Spain and find the doll, you are crowned king of the day. In Spain they also hide a bean in the Roscí³n, and if you find the bean, you pay for the bread. Nice.

Some say that because of globalization, Christmas Day has now become more popular than Dí­a de los Reyes, but again, that’s personal opinion. Learning traditions (whether they are still practiced or not) is an integral part of learning Spanish–knowing either one is fine, but know both and you are GOLDEN! In the Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish Levels I & II, you can rest assured that you are getting the full package: grammar + colloquial Spanish + local culture. Try and look for another program that teaches you real, useful Spanish for under $150. Go ahead, we dare you.

We love Julieta Venegas–she’s TRI-lingual, super hot, down to earth, and her music videos are the cutest damned things we’ve ever seen. We’ve taken her song “Me Voy” and Pizarra Magica‘d it up so that you can see and hear the words in Spanish and English simultaneously.

Porque no supiste entender a mi corazí³n
lo que habí­a en el porque no tuviste el valor de ver quien soy
porque no escuchas lo que esta tan cerca de ti
sí³lo el ruido de afuera y yo
que estoy a un lado desaparezco para ti

No voy a llorar y decir que no merezco esto
porque es probable que lo merezco pero no lo quiero
por eso me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios me despedio de ti

Porque se que me espera algo mejor
alguien que sepa darme amor
de ese que endulza la sal y hace que salga el sol
yo que pense nunca me irí­a de ti
que es amor del bueno de toda la vida
pero hoy entendí­ que no hay suficiente para los dos

No voy a llorar y decir que no merezco esto
porque es probable que lo merezco pero no lo quiero
por eso me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios me despedio de ti

Me voy que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti y me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti
me voy
que lastima pero adios
me despido de ti
me voy

Learning Spanish has been one of our main goals since walking the Camino de Santiago in 2008. When we decided to visit South America in 2010, we really wanted to get a move on. During 2009 Linda and I tried lots of ways to learn Spanish: Spanish tutors, Spanish classes, Spanish-speaking friends and dozens of sites for learning Spanish online.

Because I’m really an auditory learner, I started off listening to lots of podcasts from iTunes but I found it really difficult to find any that caught my attention. I’m so busy and learning Spanish is so tough for me, that I really need to be entertained or I pass it off and work on other, more enjoyable, projects. The same is true for many of the systems to help you learn Spanish online: I just struggled to find time for them because I didn’t enjoy them – and learning Spanish was something I did on my downtime.

Bueno, entonces…

OK, so … I was offered the chance to try a new language learning programme based in Buenos Aires. Because the course was developed in Latin America it more closely suited the type of Spanish I wanted to learn and since it was custom-built for iPods and media devices, I could do it while waiting for the bus or whenever I had some downtime while out and about.

The thirty lessons are video files, which you can download in five .zip files or have delivered on DVD. You can also buy some lessons individually from the iTunes app store. The easiest way is to get the video downloads in one shot for US$147 while the DVDs come in at $199.*** Each lesson is around 35 minutes long and is hosted by Jimena – a hot Spanish teacher, and David – her flirtatious British student. The interplay between them gets quite heated at times and, in fact, one episode was banned from the Apple store for their discussion of the Kama Sutra! Let’s just say this is a language programme with adult themes.

David and Jemina are joined by a few other characters, like the Professor who explains grammar points and a man and woman who take turns at expanding vocabulary points or talking around a topic. The change of voice and pace come at regular intervals and give good structure to the show, breaking up the story with various expansions.

At times the conversation goes over my head, at other times David’s jokes seem a bit too adolescent, but the shows always make me laugh and because of that, I come back to it time and time again. Because you’re both hearing and seeing the conversations (thanks to the colour-coded magic whiteboard) there’s a high retention factor and there’s a great motivation to re-watch sections.

Is it good for you?

My impression is that Bueno, Entonces… is good for:

• Spanish learners at beginner to intermediate level. More advanced learners who have had little immersion will probably benefit from the native-style language use.
• Visual and auditory learners.
• People who don’t have a puritanical streak. If you find South Park hideously offensive, then it might not be for you.
• People who wish to focus on learning Argentinian or Latin American Spanish.

Read more or buy it here

As someone who teaches English to speakers of other languages for about half the year, I wish I had material like Bueno, Entonces for my class. It’s an excellent learning programme and the research that I’ve read on language acquisition has been put to good use throughout the script and delivery.

We recommend you check out Linda and Craig‘s awesome travel information website – he’s got tons of cool travel tips, guides, and of course, Podcasts. You can also subscribe to the Indie Travel Podcast newsletter and get a weekly newsletter of postings and cool things to check out.

***Now you can try the first Spanish class for free to see if it’s right for you. Just head here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Not everyone's type of garden

We all love piropos (pick-up lines), and, like insults, you can never have too many at your disposal, which is why we are posting yet another one to woo the crowds.

Here’s one for the romantics: La única flor que le falta a mi jardí­n es tu flor de poronga. Now practice saying it a few times. It sounds charming, doesn’t it?

Well, turns out that this pick-up line about flowers and a garden is pretty deceiving. The direction translation is:

The only flower missing from my garden is the flower of your penis

Ahem. We don’t know if this line has ever worked for anyone, but it’s probably not worth trying. Nonetheless, it is well worth a Spanish lesson, so let’s get on with it!

This phrase is interesting for a couple reasons:

1) Did you read the translation? That’s interesting enough.

2) The noun flor (flower) looks as though it should be masculine (doesn’t end in ‘a’), but in fact, it is actually feminine. And,

3) The term le falta might have thrown you off. Don’t worry, it isn’t an easy concept. In order to break down the meaning of le falta, we need to look at the phrase:

Faltar means to be lacking something, in this case, the garden is lacking the flower of your penis. Instead of saying ‘the only flower that my garden lacks,’ the word order changes a bit, and the word for ‘lacks’ comes before ‘garden’.

The ‘a‘ in falta a mi jardín is what connects the two parts of the phrase – first the action, and then who (or what) receives the action.

Lastly, the ‘le‘ in le falta refers to the garden – the garden is lacking something. It is an indirect pronoun that can mean him/her/it (or in this case, the garden). The ‘a mi jardín‘ is only there to specify, as there is no prior context to the phrase, but if there had been context, a simple ‘le falta‘ would’ve been just fine.

Whew, exhausted yet? Don’t worry, that was like Spanish Levels I, II, and III in about 5 minutes. With Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish, you’ll watch David (our protagonist) goes from “Hola” to picking up local girls (or at least, attempting to.)

Become a fan on our Facebook Page and learn cool Spanish phrases – and check out our Youtube Page for clips of our Spanish classes, too!

In Fact now for a limited time you can see the class for yourself. Go here today to get the first 40 minute class free: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Have an iPhone, Android or Blackberry? Take the quiz here: http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=bueno-entonces-class-20

Are you or someone you know doing something AWESOME in South America? Nominate them or yourself for the LIVfund Scholarship Launch Pioneer Award. Not only will LIVfund profile their/your achievements and bring attention to the cause, they will also give away an iPod Touch (with your Favorite Spanish Program already installed) to five winners!

Check out the 5 categories up for grabs:

1. Middle of Nowhere: We need your help locating these adventurous spirits! This award goes to someone who is making a difference in a remote corner of Latin America. Apply Before Nov. 1, 2011.

2. Best Treehugger: Nominate a nature-lover who is dedicated to conserving and improving the environment. Apply Before Nov. 15, 2011.

3. Helping Hand: For a kind-hearted soul serving an underprivileged population. Apply Before December 1, 2011.

4. Beautification: For a creative individual who is making the world a better place through art, music, design or performance. Apply Before December 15, 2011.

5. Most Unusual: We are intrigued by bizarre projects that are making a splash! Apply Before Jan 1, 2011.

Nominate those folks Preserving rain forests or indigenous cultures HERE: http://generallinguistics.wufoo.com/forms/livfund-pioneer-awards/

So maybe you or your friend/family member isn’t sleeping in the endangered trees yet, or passing on thespian traditions to young nips in the mountains and cities across South America until next month or so… then you might be interested in LIVfund to help make the mission possible.

Essentially, LIVfund is a brand new Scholarship that is open to individuals who plan to Learn, Intern or Volunteer abroad. They’ll be giving away $500 to two deserving folks each month to help encourage cultural exchange and make the world a better, and more interesting place.

AND: It’s launching right now! So apply today here: http://www.livfund.org/scholarship/how-to-apply-application-form/

Happy Music Monday! Today we have the beautiful and famous Chilean Ballad singer, Myriam Hernandez, with her extremely popular “El hombre que yo amo.” So get in the mood for love and Spanish listening!

Want to follow along with the lyrics? See them below and practice your comprehension:

El hombre que yo amo tiene
algo de niño,
la sonrisa ancha, tierna
la mirada.
Tiene la palabra de mil
hombres juntos
y es mi loco amante, sabio,
inteligente.
El hombre que yo amo
no le teme a nada,
pero cuando ama lo
estremece todo.

Guerrero incansable en
busca de aventuras,
tiene manos fuertes, cßlidas
y puras.

El hombre que yo amo sabe que yo lo amo
me toma en sus brazos y lo olvido todo;
él es mi motivo, es mi propio sol.

El hombre que yo amo
sabe que yo lo amo,
y vuela siempre lejos,
pero vuelve al nido,
el hombre que yo amo
sabe que yo lo amo.

Yo lo quiero loco,
pero loco mío
El hombre que yo amo
siempre sabe todo,
sabe de enojos, no
entiende rencores.

El arregla todo
con sabiduría,
con sólo mirarme me
alegra Ia vida.

El hombre que yo amo
está vivo en mi mente,
es mi único ídolo
entre tanto gente,
él hace una fiesta con
mi pelo suelto,
Iadrón de mis sueños,
duende de mi almohada.

El hombre que yo amo
sabe que yo Io amo;
me toma en sus brazos y
él me da alegría que
nadie me dió.

How’d you do? It’s really important to practice your Spanish listening with how people really sound, accent and all! In fact, training your ear is one of the most important steps to learning a language, because once you can understand people, you will start getting new words, grammar, and sentence structure.

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Happy Music Monday! Check out this wicked rap with an excellent message, featuring some of the coolest Spanish rappers: Including El Chojin, who is the current Guinness World Record holder for most syllables rapped in one minute! – “Rap vs Racismo” (con Lírico, Santo, El Langi, Kase O, Nach, Locus, Ose, Nervizzo, Sho Hai, Zatu, Gita). Then see the lyrics below and see if you can follow along

Want to follow along with the lyrics? See them below and practice your comprehension:

[El Chojin]
El subidón de estar aquí todos unidos
se pierde un poco cuando piensas en el motivo,
todos distintos con su rollo y con su estilo,
pero es Hip Hop, y hay que dejarlo bien clarito!

[Lírico]
¿Te has parao a hablar alguna vez contigo mismo?
La vida puede ser de otro color si se habla de racismo,
no vengo a dar un discurso de derechos humanos,
ni vengo a contaros una de romanos!
Es la lucidez frente a la estupidez que existe,
yo me pregunto dónde empieza y dónde acaba el chiste!
Buen desplante al vendedor ambulante que es otro currante
con familia y un futuro por delante!

[Santo]
Cada uno es único en su especie,
no hay motivo ni razón para que se desprecie,
es el temor a la igualdad y a ignorar lo diferente,
ùes nos separa una absurda clase social permanente!
Máximo odio por la mínima razón,
no hay color, no hay comparación,
tan solo otro episodio donde el más intolerante fascismo
no se cura leyendo y el racismo viajando tampoco!

[Langui]
Por muchas canciones que hagamos,
por mucho que nos manifestemos,
por muchas víctimas que sufran,
no caigan a lo largo del terreno,
no nos concienciamos y así nos va!
Y en el artículo número uno escrito está,
nacemos libres iguales en derecho y dignidad,
a ver, ¿por qué es tan difícil llevarlo a cabo fuera del papel?

[Kase.O]
Alto, bajo, feo, guapo, negro, blanco, ¿qué más da?
dentro de cien años todos calvos bajo tierra ¿va?
¿No has probado nunca conocer a un extranjero?
fíjate en los niños ellos saben de qué va este juego!
Y es que la raza humana es un crisol,
y el que no pueda ver belleza en esto no merece ver el sol!
Paso el relevo al compañero para este mundo nuevo,
el del triunfo del amor contra el miedo!

[Nach]
Cuando la bestia racista siente rabia y muerte,
cuando la fobia se contagia y hierve acusándote de no ser igual,
cuando en un mundo global ,
el buscar comida en otra tierra te convierte en ilegal!
Cuando la ley de extranjería te atrapa sin motivo
y la hipocresía tapa sus ojos y sus oídos,
racismo y marginación cuando solo ven la piel
y se olvidan de mirar al corazón!

[Locus]
Nadie te pide que salves el mundo de su dolor,
todos perdimos la fe en un futuro mejor,
esta vida es tan cruel y tan canalla que lo entiendo:
a veces ser honrado es como mear contra el viento!
Pero no mires el color de mi piel
si realmente lo que quieres es saber el color de mis billetes!
Terremotos, huracanes, guerras, hambre…
el racismo está en los bolsillos del hombre!

[Ose]
Respira del todo esta brisa,
ponte en la piel del otro a ver cuánto dura tu sonrisa,
mostrar respeto al desigual por sexo, ideología o cultura,
para que afecto y sensibilidad rodeen la estructura!
Porque con intolerancia muestras déficit en cerebro y corazón,
hoy comparto mi voz y mi amor contra la sinrazón y el dolor,
y la falta de inteligencia y comunicación!

[Nerviozzo]
Tú no eres racista, tío eres imbécil
por culpa de unos padres ignorantes eres dócil,
hace ya muchos años que no existen los países,
la frontera está en la piel de cada uno
y todos nuestros nietos serán grises!
Como quieres que te recuerde como aquel que decía que
odiaba negros pero se escondía por si muerden,
cobarde sin actitud, si algún día te enfrentas a tus demonios
verás que son blancos como tú!

[Sho Hai]
¿Por qué coño le miras con esa cara?
Si luego tu eres el primero en comprarle DVDs piratas!
Apoco por la amistad de las razas, difícil en este puto mundo
intolerante de ratas!
Ningún ser humano puede ser ilegal,
lo ilegal es que un ser humano no tenga dignidad,
yo apoyo al negro, al chino, al árabe incluso al marciano,
por mi parte bienvenido a mi tierra romano!

[Zatu]
Superando al treintena de edad,
me escribí la de los niños,
esta va por el papa
que lanza insultos un domingo en el bar
cuando el negro al que idolatra no consigue marcar!
El partido está perdido al entrar,
el efecto secundario es que tu hijo sea un problema social,
el futuro es que tu hija exija dinero pal cine
y se vaya con el hijo del que te vendía Cleenex!

[Gitano Anton]
Realidad difusa haciendo menesteres,
¿viste quien soy yo? Dime tú quién eres
cobrando en papeles denegando los placeres
de hombres y mujeres, héroes de tal desafío,
de luchar por su amor propio
para que sus hijos no crezcan vacíos!
Nueva generación con principios,
dando una buena educación sin prejuicios!

[El Titó]
Cuando el dolor cobre el pecho
un corazón aguanta lo que le echen,
pero dependiendo de los hechos!
Lucho por algo mejor, por derechos,
si las palabras se las lleva el viento éstas no!
Entre océanos hay una razón
y una causa que arrastra lágrimas hace siglos,
solo me fijo en la persona
autojúzgate antes de juzgar a cualquier otro!

[Xhelazz]
No, no es el tono de la piel lo que interesa
es el tono con el que te expresas, racistas se quejan,
el extranjero les quita horas en la empresa,
más horas les quita la consola y es japonesa!
Pon atención luchar por la libertad,
es algo más que odiar al opresor,
pido comprensión pues el pan se parte con las manos,
pero se reparte con el corazón!

[El Chojin]
Por un lado me apena que sea necesario esto,
por otro me alegra oír a mis compañeros!
No se me ocurre un mensaje más tonto,
ni mas lógico, ni más obvio, ni más serio!
El problema viene cuando no ven el problema,
y el problema se queda cuando lo niegan!
Supongo que no hacía falta ni decirlo,
les queda claro ¿no? El rap esta contra el racismo!

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and treats you like an adult with slang that you don’t hear in the classroom. So you’ll be learning and laughing at the same time.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Bueno, entonces… Class 30 is the final Class in Level I & II and you will get a full review of the vocabulary, verb tenses and phrases covered in the course. And, you’ll learn the last essential words before coming to South America – airport vocab!

PLUS you’ll never believe what happens between David and Jimena!

Don’t have Class 30 yet? You can preview what will be covered here and then buy it online. You can purchase Bueno, entonces… Class 30 from iTunes for $2.99 or buy the whole 30 class course for only $44.99!

Download the app for free here: http://bit.ly/getatitunes

Haven’t seen ANY Bueno, entonces…? Starting now you can view the first class for free- simply go here to start! http://www.generallinguistics.com

Week 5 Class 30

Scroll down for a review/preview for Bueno, entonces… Class 30 and go over everything you’ve learned, including a writing exercise section below. Plus review important airport terms!

CAPÍTULOS

Here are a list of the different sections for Class 30. Make sure to go back and review the section if you didn’t understand the concept completely:

INFORMACIÓN DE REFERENCIA

As a review class, Bueno, entonces… Class 30 covers everything! Go back through the previous studyguides to go over vocabulary, different verbs tenses and phrases.

GLOSARIO

Check out all the new words you learned!
Remember the Color coding? We’ve used it here too:
Feminine Nouns / endings
Masculine Nouns / endings
Adjectives / Adverbs
Verbs – are all seen in the INFINITIVE form, click on them to see all their many conjugations.

Or look at our handy Verb Page to see them all! http://www.generallinguistics.com/conjugate-spanish-verbs/

USEFUL PHRASES:

¿Te plantó? (She stood you up?)
¡Qué bajón! (What a bummer!)
¡Qué pena! (What a shame!)
¿Ya hiciste la valija? (Did you pack already?)
Llena sus datos. (Fill out your information- formal)
¡Qué ganas de comer comida japonesa! (What a craving to eat Japanese food!)
Me muero de hambre (I’m dying of hunger)

EJERCICIOS ESCRITOS

Make sure you’ve got it all! Test yourself here:

http://blog.buenoentonces.com/2011/09/quiz-for-class-30/

It’s a quick quiz, with only 10 questions. See how well you did with the final Class of Bueno, entonces… Level I & II.

Written Exercises:

Vocabulary Review

1. Partes de la casa y muebeles / Parts of the house and furniture

Unir la foto con la palabra / Match the picture with the word.

2. Actividades de vacaciones/Vacation activities:

Ubicar las siguientes actividades según los tipos de vacaciones y el lugar mas adecuado / Place the following activities in the proper column.

Grammar And Functional Review

1. Futuro: Ir + a + infinitivo y hablar de planes futuros / Future and talking about future plans

Completar el siguiente diálogo en el que dos amigas hablan de sus planes para el fin de semana. / Complete the following dialogue where two friends are talking about their plans for the weekend.

-¿Qué vas a _________ el fin de semana?

-El viernes a la noche _________ a _________ al cine con unos amigos. ¿Y tú?

-Yo el viernes me voy a _________ en casa porque tengo mucho que _________. ¿Y el sábado que _________ a hacer?

-A la mañana voy a _________ al gimnasio, a la tarde _________ a _________ de compras y a la noche _________ a ir a _________ algo con mis colegas de la oficina. ¿Y tú?

-El sábado a la mañana voy a _________ a correr al parque y a la tarde _________ a _________ una obra de teatro, a la noche voy _________ ir a _________ salsa con mis compañeros de la clase de inglés. ¿Y el domingo qué _________ a _________?

-El Domingo no voy a _________ mucho, voy a _________ la tele o voy a _________ a _________ ¿Y tú?

-El domingo a la tarde voy a ir a _________ a la casa de mi hermana y a la noche… no sé que _________ a _________.

2. Ubicar objetos en el espacio y describir una casa / Object placement and describing a house

Observar el dibujo y decir si las afirmaciones son verdaderas o falsas / Look at the drawing and write whether the statements are true or false.

3. Hacer invitaciones:

Ordenar las palabras y agregar la puntuación para formar un diálogo de invitaciones / Put the following sentances in order to form the dialogue of an invitation.

- cine Vamos este sábado al

- El a hora qué sábado

- noche A diez la, once las o las a a

- negocios no El s puedo una sábado tengo ir a de que cena

- domingo el Y

- donde encontramos El sí nos domingo

- cine en el Directamente

- ver Qué a vamos

- se No ahí decidimos lo

- domingo hasta el Buenísimo

- Chau

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________.

4. Reservar una habitación de hotel

Poner las líneas del diálogo en orden / Put the dialogue in order.

-Buenos días, ¿En qué puedo ayudarlo?

-Jorge Maurale y señora.

-Sí, claro. ¿Le gustaría una habitación con vista al mar?

-¡Por supuesto! ¡Qué bien!

-La habitación tiene minibar, ¿no?

-Sí, tres días. Una pregunta, ¿Puede ponernos flores en el cuarto? Es nuestro aniversario.

-Si, claro, tiene bebidas gaseosas, agua, cerveza, vino, chocolates y bebidas blancas.

-¿La habitación tiene jacuzzi?

-Tenemos una reserva para hoy

-No, lamentablemente la habitación no tiene, pero tenemos un spa muy cómodo en el primer piso que puede usar las 24 hs.

-¡Ay que bien! -Aquí tienen las llaves Sr. Maurale.

-¡Qué bien! Desayuno en la habitación, ¡sí por favor! Lo más tarde posible. Muchas gracias.

-A ver… si aquí tengo la reserva, es por 3 días.

-Una cosa mas ¿a qué hora es el desayuno?

-¿A nombre de quién?

-De 6 a 10 de la mañana, peor si prefiere puede tomarlo en su habitación

-Gracias a ustedes y que disfruten de su estadía en nuestro hotel. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________.

PRÓXIMAMENTE

Congratulations on finishing Bueno, entonces… Level I & II!

Stay tuned for our advanced classes coming soon.

And, as always, please let us know what you think of the study materials and the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish I & II program.

Scroll to the end and write a review here: http://bit.ly/iPhoneLearnSpanish

David’s QUOTE of the CLASS:

Like to see ALL of the Support Materials?

You can view the most recent and up to date support materials here:

http://blog.buenoentonces.com/2011/01/see-all-the-support-materials/

Missed the Study Guide and Quiz for Class 29? Check it out here:

Study Guide: http://blog.buenoentonces.com/2011/09/study-guide-for-class-29/

Quiz: http://blog.buenoentonces.com/2011/09/quiz-for-class-29/

Let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions on the new materials in the comment section. Muchas Gracias!

Happy Music Monday! Today we have influential Argentine rocker, Gustavo Cerati, with his song “Puente”. Unfortunately this fellow is still in a coma and big stars, like U2 and Shakira, have come out to express their wishes for his recovery. Check out this crusie tune, which can help your Spanish and remind you of Coldplay and Nirvana at the same time?

Want to follow along with the lyrics? See them below and practice your comprehension:

Hoy te busque
En la rima que duerme
Con todas las palabras
Si algo calle
es porque
Entendi todo
Menos la distancia
Desordene atomos
Tuyos para hacerte
Aparecer

Un dia mas, un dia mas…

Arriba el sol
Abajo el reflejo
Ve como estalla mi alma
Ya estas aqui
Y el paso que dimos
Es causa y es efecto
Cruza el amor
Yo cruzare los dedos
Y gracias por venir
Gracias por venir
Adorable puente
Se ha creado entre los dos

Cruza el amor
Yo cruzare los dedos
Y gracias por venir
Gracias por venir
Adorable puente……
Cruza el amor
Cruza el amor
Por el puente
Usa el amor
Usa el amor
Como un puente

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Happy Music Martes! One day delayed due to our Halloween special, but bringing you music weekly none the less. This week’s selection is straight from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Internationally famous, Maná, have earned three Grammy Awards, five Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, four Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 13 Premios Lo Nuestro awards. Check out Amor Clandestino, and follow along with the lyrics!

Want to follow along with the lyrics? See them below and practice your comprehension:

Eres inevitable Amor,
casi como respirar
casi como respirar.

Llega a tus playas inpuntual pero no me rendiré
soy tu amor clandestino,
soy el viento sin destino
que se cuela en tus faldas mi amor,
un soñador un clandestino
que se juega hasta la vida
mi amor clandestino..

Ama amada Amor

Mi amor clandestino en el silencio el dolor
se nos cae todo el cielo de esperar..

Inevitable casi como respirar
se nos cae toodo el cielo
de tanto esperar clandestino….

El universo conspiro inevitable
corazon clandestino entre el Amor

Pero me duele no gritar tu nombre
y tu libertad bajo sospecha hay que callar

Y te sueño piel con piel
ahogado en besos y tus risas amor
y me hundo en el calor
que hay en tus mundos en tu Mar,
llorando en silencio, temblando tu ausencia,
rogandole al cielo y finjiendo estar muy bien

Mi amor clandestino en el silencio el dolor
se nos cae todo el cielo de tanto esperar

Inevitable caasi como respirar,
se nos cae todo el cielo
de tanto esperar clandestino

No te engañes mas ya no te mientas…
Si Aire ya paso ya paso…..

y verdad ya no tengas miedo
solo tu detienes mi respiracion……

Hace tanto que yo esperaba al viento amor,
cae el llanto del cielo de esperar,
hace tanto que yo espere tu luz mi amor
hay amor, hay amor, hay Amor..

Se nos cae todo el cielo,
se nos cae todo el cielo de tanto esperar..

Mi amor ya no te engañes
no te mientas corazon
se nos cae todo el cielo entiendelo amor.

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Happy Music Monday! For today we have some cuban Hip Hop from the band Orishas with their song El Kilo(2005). They have been around for 12 years, making themselves famous in Europe and Latin America.They’ve sold close to a million copies of their three albums, and won several awards including 2 Grammys. Their music is charged with deep lyrics, sticky beats, and that latin flavor that makes them unique. So enjoy them and sing along with Orishas, a perfect way to start your week!

Want to follow along with the lyrics? See them below and practice your comprehension:

Lyrics to El Kilo :

So in English you say MILF when there is a really hot mom that you will like to… just try this Spanish phrase brought to you by Bueno, entonces…

Con esa mamá, para qué juguetes?

It translates: With that mom why would you need toys?

In spanish it does not sound as agressive as MILF in English. It’s more moderate, and it appeals more to the beauty of the mom rather than the action of having sex with her.

HOW IT WORKS: “Con” is a preposition and “esa” is a demonstrative pronoun to refer to “mamá” mom. The pronoun “para” denotes the reason and “qué” is an interrogative pronoun that Clustered to the noun “juguetes” toys, inquires the nature, quantity, intensity, of something.

TIP: When you an interrogative pronoun don’t forget to add the accent! Here is a list!

_______________________________________________

Check it out http://www.generallinguistics.com/

Want to learn more useful phrases in Spanish? Check out Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish Levels I & II. We teach you everything from grammar and vocab to slag and figures of speech because we teach Spanish for the streets, not for some boring test.

Want to give it a test ride? Now you can watch the Bueno, entonces… Class 1 completely free, streaming instantly on your computer. Just head here and sign up below for Free:
http://www.generallinguistics.com/

So we decided to start this section, because in different Spanish speaking countries, things may be called different.    

So let’s get to the word of the day, HOTDOG yes the classic sausage and bun. It’s a really easy word to learn and it could save you from starving in an Spanish speaking country. The name pretty much changes depending on the country, not only it’s name but also the ingredients.

So here are the names depending on the country:

Argentina: Pancho

Pancho in Salta, Argentina

Bolivia: Mencho

Chile: Completo

Colombia: Perro Caliente

Paraguay: Pancho

Peru: Hot Dog

Uruguay: Pancho

Venezuela: Perro Caliente

Guatemala: Shukos

Mexico: Dogo

Salvador: Chévere

Spain: frankfurt

You can use them in the following way:

Te puedo pedir un ________________  y una cerveza por favor. ( Can I ask you for a _________ and a beer please)

Cuanto cuesta el   ________________? (How much is the _______________?)

The ingredients vary depending on the country but we can assure that there is an infinite of combinations.  The ingredients go from the classic sauces, to the avocado they put in Guatemala and Chile, or the amazing salsa criolla from Argentina.

Guatemala - Shukos

So it’s good to know how to ask for a Hot Dog in different places in the world. Sometimes when you are traveling your stomach miss’s familiar taste, and you may just need a Hot Dog.

Bueno Entonces, we keep teaching you simple things, for the street, not  the test.

AND it’s kept interesting, so you want to keep watching. Check out the first class for free here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

The Backpackers Paradise, in South America.

Located in the pacific coast of Ecuador, Montañita has become on of the most popular places in to visit in this country. It’s a a perfect place for culture, nightlife, surfing, great sea food, and the best thing of all it’s the good vibe from its people.

As we mention before, it’s the backpackers paradise, you will not find a 5 star hotel, and thats the great about Montañita because the true soul of this place is the easy going life and the ambient build from the tourist and the natives.

Montañita By PJ

If you are planning to travel around South America, or just find a place to chillax for a while Montañita must be an option on your list. The idea of  waking up in cozy hostel, and then having breakfast based on tropical fruit in a table with people from all over the world, and talking to them like if you known them since ever, its simply amazing. If you love sea food you will love their ceviches, they are made from fresh sea food, and their tropical ingredients just make them unique. One of the main dishes in Montañita is the Encebollado de Pescado, a soup perfect for the “chuchaqui” or hungover in English. It’s served at any time of the day and its main ingredients are:

Atun Fresco – fresh tuna

Yuca – It’s a root, also known in some parts of the world as mandioca   

Aceite de Girasol – sunflower oil

Tomates – tomatoes

Cebolla roja – red onion

Chile en Polvo – chili powder

Comino molido – ground cumin

Cilantro –  cilantro/coriander

The side dish with the soup includes:

Arroz – Rice

Ensalada – Salad

Platanos – Plantains

So if you have a chance to go to Montañita do it! You wont regret it, nice place to realax and enjoy the true things in life. I will drop you a few links that would be useful if you are planning to go to Ecuador. (they all have translations to different languages but first try to practice your spanish and read them in Español!)

http://www.infomontanita.com/

http://ecuador.travel/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta%C3%B1ita,_Ecuador

A Sunset in Montañita!

________________________________

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Just to go with the trend of the number 11′

SEE! You are reading our post!

We could actually give you just 10 reasons or 12 reasons about why you should learn SPANISH but today we just feel like giving you 11, we just don’t know why yet. But here they are:

Once 11. It’s not romantic but sounds really cool.

Diez 10. There is more than one way to say I Love You.

Nueve 9. You can always wear a t-shirt that says: “watch what you say, this gringo is bilingual”

Ocho 8. It’s spoken by more than 320 million people around the globe.

Siete 7. It can increase your job opportunities.

Seis 6. It will transform your traveling experience.

Cinco 5. To be able to enjoy the warmest and richest culture on earth; the Latino culture. (clearly this latino is not biased!)

Cuatro 4. To develop your creativity – language stimulates the imagination.

Tres 3. To be able to sell your product or service to one or more of the 350 million Spanish speakers in this world.

Dos 2. To meet your Latino/a

Uno 1. Because learning Spanish is fun! 

Well, are you convinced? We don’t mind how you learned, we just want to assure you it’s the right thing to do because it will open the doors to a whole new world.

Here are some spanish courses that will probably teach you spanish but are not as fun or economical as Bueno, Entonces… We don’t know if they give you a free trial but here are the links to their websites:

Rosseta Stone

Rocket Language

Primsleur Approach

Bueno, Entonces…

There are 12.500.000 results for “Spanish Classes App” so you can continue searching or just try our app and see it yourself.

Feel like learning Spanish? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

A few years ago when you told your friends that you were coming to South America,most of them would have said to you: “You know it’s Dangerous”, “Are you going to be safe?”

Well, we are not going to lie about it, South America has its issues, but who doesn’t? Countries in Latin America have their pros and cons (los pros y los contras), and one of their main pros is that there is a big RISK (Peligro) of  falling in love with the country you visit. Have you ever talked to a Colombian about the civil war in their country, or better yet, read the appropriate articles about the situation and not ONLY the sensationalist press(Prensa Amarillista)? That is the biggest outcome on the image of Latin America in general, it only pops-up on the news every time something bad happens.

But times are changing (Pero los tiempos están cambiando) and in that contient that begins with Colombia and ends in Argentina, holds 371,000,000(Trescientos setenta y un millones) happy enthusiastic souls. Good things happen in Latin America everyday, that’s why they wake up every morning with a smile, because their issues are just a little part of their lives, and they try to overcome them every  day, just like you. When you step a foot in Latin America you will receive a “smile-tan” all over your face, and that would be reflected on your experiences of traveling or living in Latin America. The three things we recommend you are basic, be respectful (respetuoso), comprehensive(comprensivo), and have a positive attitude (actitud positiva) -  the recipe  to a successful experience with the Latinos!

So come to Latin America, read about it, practice your spanish, experience the culture, and try new things! It would be a mind opening, this culture is more than amazing! Here are some useful links for countries in South America!

www.colombia.travel

www.peru.travel

www.ecuador.travel

www.paraguay.travel

www.chile.travel

________________________________

Feel like learning Spanish to travel all over South America? Get Bueno, entonces… now and you’ll be speaking and understanding native Spanish in just five weeks! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our teaching style.

Better yet – you can now get the first 40 minute class for free! Try it out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

So here are a few jokes(chistes) just to end the week with some humor.

Un hombre cae a un rí­o y es salvado por un habitante del lugar.
- Gracias por salvarme la vida. Le darí­a cincuenta dólares en agradecimiento, pero sólo tengo un billete de cien.
- Bueno, en ese caso, tí­rese al agua y lo rescato de nuevo.

A man fell into a river and was saved by someone who lived there
-Thanks for saving my life. I would give you $50 dollars in gratitude, but I only have a $100 bill.
-Well, in that case, throw yourself in the water and I’ll rescue you again

Un átomo viendo la cara de preocupado del otro le pregunta:
- ¿Por qué llevas esa cara?
- Es que perdí­ un electrón
- ¿Estás seguro?
- Sí­, estoy totalmente positivo

One atom, looking at the worried face of another, asks
“Why do you have that look on your face?”
-”It’s because I lost an electron”
“Are you sure?”
-”Yes, I am completely positive”

_______________________________

See how quick and painless that was? Bueno, entonces… is the most effective, entertaining Spanish learning software on the market–and our user community is growing rapidly because of it. Join us on our Learn Spanish Facebook Page!

Want to watch the first Bueno, entonces… class for Free? Check us out here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Click here to order the 6-DVD set or Instant Download and learn Spanish today!

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend even thought it’s Monday! But guess what we have some great music to cheer you up.

Today we are listening to an Argentinean band: Los Pericos. This band was founded in the late 80’s, by a group of friends that loved reggae music. In 1987 they became famous when they opened a concert for UB40 at River Plates Stadium in front of 50,000. Since then they haven’t stop releasing cds. “Me late” (It beats) was one of the most successful hits from the 90’s in all of South America, making them so big that Jamaica officially designated them as the official reggae ambassadors in Argentina. In their almost 21 years of carrer they have sold over 2,000,000 records  and 1,500 live performances around the world.

So listen to them, and sing along, to this successful single “Me Late”.

Anoche salí (soñé) con una mujer
de esas que nunca se olvidan, no, no.

Wha, wha, y no pude dormir.
Wha, wha, y no pude dormir.

Yo creía que todo,
que todo era el final;
que ya nadie podría,
hacerme sentir igual, no, no.

Por suerte amigos,
yo me equivoqué,
todavía me queda,
mucho por recorrer.

Me late, me late,
me late el corazón,
tengo taquicardia,
ay si Señor.
Me late, me late,
me late el corazón,
tengo taquicardia,
ay si Señor, no, no.

Hay pulso, hay pulso,
oh no, no,no,no,no.
Hay pulso, hay pulso.

Anoche salí con esa mujer,
que me hizo ver las estrellas,
anoche salí con esa mujer,
que me sacó del planeta.

Wha, wha,
y no pude dormir.

Que linda minina que tengo en Panamá.
Que linda minina que tengo en Panamá.

___________________________________

How’d you do? It’s really important to practice your Spanish listening with how people really sound, accent and all! In fact, training your ear is one of the most important steps to learning a language, because once you can understand people, you will start getting new words, grammar, and sentence structure.

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!:http://www.generallinguistics.com

The only place in the world where you are invited to drink and drive!

In South America, the wine culture has been growing rapidly in the last century, especially in Argentina and Chile. In the western city of Mendoza, Argentina you can find more than 1200 vineyards and most of them are open to the public in guided tours. The wines from the region of Mendoza have always been recognized in Argentina. The Harvest Festival, between February and March, is known nationally, with musical performances, parades, and the election of a queen. In the last decade, with the organization of  rutas del vino”wine roads”,  it exploded as wine tourism destination: the wineries opened their doors, organized visits to vineyards, wine tastings, started up restaurants and art galleries. Some of them are even offering accommodation in boutique hotels and spa’s with ”wine”.

The idea of the “wine roads” is to visit the vineyards in the lovely summer weather of Mendoza, and one of the options is by bicycle. The tour is around 12km and it takes the whole day. You visit around 6 different wineries, a chocolate and olive oil factory and some other stops that would let you catch a breath if you are not an exercise fan!

But before you pack your bags to see this amazing place, get your language skills up to scratch so you can fully enjoy the locale (and the locals!) Start Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish I & II today and get the first class free: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Coolest thing? You can take the classes everywhere with you on your laptop, iPhone, iPod, or iPad so you can learn while you’re exploring!

See for yourself: http://www.generallinguistics.com

The names of your groceries may change in the translation, so how do we call…

Lets start by the personal hygiene while traveling, things you always forget to pack! And they are the things you will need to buy as soon as you land.

Deodorant – Desodorante

Soap – Jabón

Toilet paper – Papel higiénico

Toothbrush – cepillo de dientes

Toothpaste – crema dental

Foot deodorant – talco para píes

Sunscreen – Protector Solar

Dental Floss – Hilo Dental

Panty Pads – Toalla higiénica.

Hopefully this will help you around if you land in a new country, but forgot a few things- the things that are necessary to keep yourself clean during your visit! We will continue with this lesson next week!

This is simple vocabulary, but Want to learn more Spanish? Head to our site to get the first 40 min Spanish class for free! Go here today:http://www.generallinguistics.com

You can also see funny Spanish classes on our Youtube Page.

Created by linguists, teachers and students from a half-dozen countries, General Linguistics developed Bueno, entonces… to incorporate all the best elements of the software and audiobook language learning methods like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone that have been around for decades.

We mixed the comprehensive learning material of the audiobook courses with the addictive, fun and universally beloved format of a television show to create the Bueno, entonces… series. Each of the 30classes is 30-40 minutes long, proven as the perfect length for a language course – long enough to cover vocabulary and grammar topics but short enough to keep you interested the whole time. The challenging fast pace and edgy, entertaining style of Bueno, entonces… will keep you coming back for more.

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. Bueno, entonces… infuses a witty, engaging storyline into the learning process – and by following along you absorb more Spanish, morequickly than you ever thought possible. By the end of the 5-week, 30-class series, you
will be speaking and understanding native conversational Spanish!

Bueno, entonces… incorporates the following 5 principles to make learning Spanish fun, painless and effective:

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging With Wit and Charm.

If you are not engaged, you are not going to learn or remember anything. Learning doesn’t have to be boring — remember your favorite teachers? Well, wait until you meet David & Jimena…

2. See The Words On The Screen.

Some people are audio learners, some people are video learners – most people are both, and learn different things in one way or the other. With Bueno, entonces… every word in Spanish is written on the screen so you can see how it is spelled while you hear it being pronounced. Old-fashioned audiobooks only get your half-way there.

3. Color-Coding.

Everything on the screen is color-coded in Spanish and English to help you understand word usage and sentence structure. You’ll start to quickly see and understand which words in Spanish correspond with similar words in English, and how those words are used in a sentence.

4. Symbols & Illustrations.

The symbols will help you learn and remember verb tenses and grammar concepts. The illustrations will burn iconic images into your brain so you remember vocabulary easily and instantly.

5. REPETITION Is The Key To Learning Languages.

Any teacher will tell you that, and it’s one of the big problems with traditional audiobooks and software programs – they are mind-numbingly boring. Bueno, entonces… is engaging and fast-paced and fun. You can use these classes over and over and get something new every time.

Hello everyone, I hope you had a great weekend and that this monday goes well for you!

To start the week we are listenning to this emerging artist from Bueno Aires, Argentina, Javier Zuppi.  His Pop Rock style, began in 2008 as soloist, featuring numerous shows in Buenos Aires andother cities of the province of Buenos Aires, such as, La Plata and the Atlantic coast, having among his guests the participation of musicians of Barassiinternational and Mario ”Super Mouse” and Fernando Nale, bassist from “GustavoCerati”.

His first CD “Sin excentricidad” was launched on 2010, and has been played on the radio stations in Argentina and Colombia. He would be touring in Colombia and Argentina during summer 2012. Check him out he has some cool catchy tunes.

Here is one of latest videos: Cientos de Variantes 

This are the lyrics so you can sing along!

Dame el tiempo para conocerte un poco más,

aeropuertos ya nos separaron y no volverá a ocurrirnos,

por eso estoy tranquilo, yo quiero desnudarte!

Por tu espalda corren cientos de deseos míos,

cientos de variantes para  amarte.

Un distante y cítrico mensaje  vuelve a amenazar,

ya sabemos como resolverlo ya pasamos mas de una lección de riesgo,

por eso estoy tranquilo, yo quiero desnudarte

Por tu espalda corren cientos de deseos míos,

cientos de variantes para  amarte.

Demostrame que tenes lo que yo interpreto,

de tu cuerpo no se escapa mas!!

Por tu espalda corren cientos de deseos míos,

cientos de variantes para  amarte.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=b0oyEqVG1j8

______________

How’d you do? It’s really important to practice your Spanish listening with how people really sound, accent and all! In fact, training your ear is one of the most important steps to learning a language, because once you can understand people, you will start getting new words, grammar, and sentence structure.

That’s what so special about Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish I & II- a program unique in its format and structure. It teaches you Spanish at REAL speed, and gets your ears ready for talking folks on the street.

PLUS: You’ll hear Spanish while seeing both the Spanish and English written below, color coded and with road signs so you can pick up grammar and vocabulary easily.

Best thing of all? You can take it ANYWHERE – on your laptop, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Check out the first Bueno, entonces… class for free & get a discount!:http://www.generallinguistics.com

There is only one reason for today’s Blog. There are only 24 hours left. Of what, is the question. Let’s see what can we do in 24 hours.

“24hrs left” is such a cliche, it even became a tv show! But is 24hrs hours a lot of time?  What can you get done in a day? Time magazine always has a section of what you can do in 24hrs in different cities around the world. It’s interesting but we all know it’s just impossible to do it all. And honestly, I think that when you are traveling it’s better to take your time, it’s quality not quantity.

At Bueno Entonces we really focus on making your lessons as useful as possible, that’s why Jimena and David (the Main Characters of the classes) go through everyday situations, which real travelers face, including SEX<DRUGS<ROCK & ROLL. Because this is Spanish for real world situations. Books and Spanish schools usually don’t teach you the real thing, they probably teach you the ‘right’ thing, but you will sound like a robot. Plus! Most people don’t actually say the ‘right’ thing, and you want to understand them!

SLANG & EXPRESSIONS make Spanish fun, interesting and RICH! So this is why we think in 18hrs (NOT 24HRS) we can give you what is needed.

The total class footage is 18hrs. We know you won’t sit in front of your TV or PC for 18 straight hours and learn it all! Language practice must be involved, but we assure you that if you take them regularly you will learn spanish! AND you only have 24hours left to get it all at HALF PRICE ! So what does this deal include?

• 6 DVDs with all 30 classes for learning Spanish Levels I & II which you can watch on your TV or PC.

• Over 18 hours of David and Jimena hi-jicks that’ll keep you entertained and learning.

• All the backup files so you can save, store and view the classes on your laptop, as well as most mobile devices (like iPhones, iPod, and iPads).

• The BE Unique style of teaching, which replicates the immersion process while you learn grammar, gender, vocabulary and sentence structure subtextually.

• Free Lifetime support in addition to an electronic Study Guide and Slang Dictionary.

• A US$197 product, which for the next five days only, will be on sale for US$99. 

• Did we mention Free shipping and handling???

So get yours now! If you don’t like them, we have a 100% return policy, no questions asked- we like making people happy! This is the link to buy the DVD’s http://bit.ly/HalfOffDvds 

 24hrs left of half price + 18hrs of Spanish = Learning Spanish in a fun way!

No matter where you are in the world you can immerse yourself in learning Spanish. Designed for students, travelers, and people on the move, Bueno, entonces… allows you to learn Spanish on your laptop, netbook, or any portable media device; wherever, whenever you have time.

Interesting Fact: Not all authorities agree on which letters make up the Spanish alphabet. Crazy, right? This here is the closest thing to an official Spanish alphabet (from the Real Academia Español. )

A: a
B: be
C: ce
CH: che
D: de
E: e
F: efe
G: ge
H: hache
I: i
J: jota
K: ka
L: ele
LL: elle
M: eme
N: ene
í‘: eñe
O: o
P: pe
Q: cu
R: ere
S: ese
T: te
U: u
V: ve
W: uve doble
X: equis
Y: i griega (E griega)
Z: zeta

Want to hear the words? Check out this great site that has the Spanish alphabet audio clips. Yup, they don’t include the ‘ch’ or ‘ll’ on that site. Because sometimes they take those ones out. Or they add ‘rr’. And sometimes the ‘w’ is called ‘doble v’ or ‘doble u’ or ‘w’ is not included at all. Oh yeah, and the ‘v’ (as in Victor) is sometimes ‘uve’.

Come on Spanish, get your act together.

To find out more about Spanish grammar, check out Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish and speak and understand native Spanish in five weeks! (You can also check out clips from our Spanish classes on Youtube!)

Hi Everyone,

Here is a funny argentine Quilmes Beer advertising. Is a different way to develop your listening skills, hopefully you could understand the dialogues without a problem, it also includes English Subtitles.

The comercial talks about how guys react to the different situations of their group of friends specially jealousy and friendship! You are going to find different type of questions in the dialogues like:

- “que estas haciendo?”
- Nada tomando algo…
- Porque escucho voces de hombres????

- De donde son?
- De acá del bar
- El señor tiene otro grupo de amigos, otro grupo de amigos.. doble vida, no, no le alcanzamos precisa dos grupos ehh

It’s a fun way to practice your Spanish! Just like we do it in Bueno Entonces, with humor!

Remember that this Christmas we have different offers, so you can give Bueno Entonces as a Christmas Gift to your loved ones! Click Here for this weekends sale!

Includes the Instant Download, 6 DVDs, with a back up disc with all the files, AND a FREE copy of the Lonely Planet Latin American Spanish phrase book.

Get the perfect gift for yourself and others! Delivered to your door, complete with Holiday Packaging! DVDs work on your TV, PC, Mac – also includes a version for mobile devices!

While many of you in the Northern Hemisphere may be complaining about snow and freezing temperatures, us Gringos in South America are burning our pasty Gringo skin and being eaten alive by bichos (bugs/little critters). It’s the holiday season, after all!

We all know that whenever one leaves their country (or region) they encounter all sorts of new bichos. They may be different. They may be larger. And if you’re in a tropical location, they are most likely much more aggressive.They bite, suck your blood, or burrow themselves beneath your skin.

It’s disgusting, we know. But these situations do happen, and we at Bueno, entonces…feel that it is imperative that you, Gringo, learn Spanish and know how to explain a) what has bitten you, b) what has burrowed itself in your skin, or c) what has infested your house.

Plaga=Infestation

Repelente de Insectos=Insect repellent

Picadura=Bite

Tengo alergia a las picaduras de…/I am allergic to (type of bug) bites.

Tengo una garrapata.=I have a tick.

Araña=Spider

Mosquito=Mosquito

Hormiga = Ant

Escarabajo=Beetle

Pulga=Flea

Chinche=Bedbug

Mariquita/Vaquita de San Antonio=Ladybug

Mantis Religiousa=Praying Mantis

Abeja=Bee

Garrapata=Tick

¡OJO!Each bug name (and whether to refer to a bug as an insecto or bicho) varies from country to country, so make sure to double check with a local or Googlearlo antes de irte (Google it before you go). Yes, Googlear is a verb in Spanish, too.

So there you have it’s mosquito bites? No problem. Bedbug infestation? Piece o’ cake. Tick burrowed beneath your skin? Well, not great, but at least you know how to explain yourself!

If you want to further explain what the hell is going on with your skin, we recommend you buy whole Bueno, entonces… program. We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check them out and get a taste of our style. Become a fan of Bueno, entonces… on Facebook to interact with other users in our Spanish-learning community and learn useful (and hilarious) Spanish phrases!

 We are used to the idea that Friday the 13 is a day of bad luck due to the Hollywood movie that goes by it’s name. But in Latin America its on Tuesdays! MARTES 13

Are you scared at your desk while you are reading this? Well you should be! Martes 13 it’s a very serious day and nobody leaves their houses unless they are wearing black! I am just playing with you guys it’s like any other tuesday, but the story behind this day, is very interesting.

Number 13 (número 13) around the world has been considered a bad luck number for several reasons, especially in religion:

• Paganism (Paganos): 13 is the age when people start learning witchcraft (magia negra).
• Christianity (Cristianismo): There were 13 attendees of the Last Supper and the 13th dinner guest, Judas, betrayed Jesus to the Romans. It was on Friday, the 13th of October, 1307 that King Philip IV sent out his guards to systematically massacre the Templar Knights.

• Sikhism (Sijismo): It is a lucky number in Sikhism, in which it means ‘yours.’ The holy word of Sikhs ‘Waheguru’ appears only 13 times in the Holy Sikh scripture. The Baisakhi festival is celebrated on April 13
• Judaism (Judaismo): God has 13 attributes of mercy. 13 years is the age of maturity. 13 circles, or “nodes” make up Metatron’s Cube in Kaballistic teachings.

Many of the buildings around the world don’t have a 13th floor, ( just went to check my elevator but it does have floor 13, I guess my building was built by an unsuperstitious architect) or they just skip the number 13 in the elevator. But that does not mean there is no 13th floor! They say that in government buildings 13th floors are not open to the public, and used for top secret activities.

Por qué un Martes? (Why a Tuesday?)

At the end of the  Medieval Age ,specifically, Tuesday 29 of 1453, the Christians lost control of one of the most important cities of their empire; Constantinopla. This was such a slap in the face for the Pope, Genoa and the Venetian States that they marked this day as a day of bad luck. Also, the name “Martes” is related to the planet Mars (Planeta Marte) that was seen as  the “small hex planet” (pequeño maleficio) in the middle ages. That is why it’s Martes the 13th not Viernes the 13th like the Hollywood movie says!

That is why in Spanish there is a saying : En un Martes 13 ni cases ni te embarques. (Tuesday the 13th neither get married nor start a journey (take a boat or a plane)).

What do you think about all this? Are you a Triskaidekaphobia (someone who has a phobia of the number 13?)

Now you know about Tuesday the 13th! There are a bunch of traditions and superstitions to learn about here in Latin America. We are more than welcome to be writing about them, this is what is all about sharing knowledge. Follow us on #Facebook! Facts, Lessons, and many other #spanish things! http://www.facebook.com/buenoentonces . You can also start learning Spanish with our program! Try it for free! http://bit.ly/BEFreeTrial

This is how we do it! 

BUENO ENTONCES – Video Presentation on Vimeo.

______________________________

Bibliography:

• Home of beliefs : http://www.homeofbeliefs.com/the-number-13-superstition/
• Wikipedia: Martes 13

Christmas in South America is totally different! Lets begin by saying there is NO snow!

The City is full of lights, specially the Rio Medellin covered with lights like the picture shows. Beautiful!

Even though we may be sunbathing and having asados in Argentina, Lechona in Colombia, ceviche in Perú for Christmas here in South America, it doesn”t mean that we”ve lost our holiday spirit! Things are a bit different down South–but we could say the exact same thing from household to household up North.

Back home, oftentimes the presents are opened on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas morning; some families have elaborate dinner while others eat Dim sum; and some decorate their house to the max while others go for a more sparse look. In my experience, because of the widespread Catholicism in the Spanish-speaking countries, the holiday is more religious and less about presents. Generally there is a large dinner on Christmas Eve and another large lunch on Christmas Day, but the hooplah that exists up North is absent here. There are decorations, though, and the image of Papá Noel does exist—people just kid about how he wears less clothing.

Our Lovely models from Bueno Entonces!

In the Spanish-speaking world, each country (and family) has different traditions (dinner, when to open presents, etc.), but the vocabulary stays the same. Here are some useful vocabulary terms that you can use to show off your Spanish skills this holiday season!:

Nochebuena = Christmas Eve

Dí­a de Navidad = Christmas Day

(el) regalo = present

(el) muérdago = mistletoe

(el) Árbol de navidad = Christmas tree

¿Qué te regalaron para Navidad? =What did you get for Christmas? (What did they give you for Christmas?)

Año Nuevo = New Year

Nochevieja = New Year”s Eve

El dí­a de año nuevo = New Year”s Day

Túrron = A typical Spanish sweet eaten during the holidays, made of almonds, nougat, and sometimes rice or chocolate

Una rosca de reyes = a bread eaten on the 6th of January (stay tuned for a more in-depth post about this day in the New Year)

There you have it. Now, spike some eggnog, grab some muérdago, and make this holiday season an unforgettable one!

Felices fiestas from Bueno, entonces…!

Don’t get bored.

That’s our philosophy here is Bueno, entonces…—make it as fun, culturally relevant, and engaging as possible. Check out our videos if you aren’t familiar with the program!

Also, try out Bueno, entonces…. Class 1 for Free! Click here to get started