Piropo technically means compliment in Spanish, but it is typically used for the kind of compliments that are shouted by construction workers to chicas walking by, or whispered drunkenly in dance clubs in the wee hours of the morning. Argentines have taken piropos to an art form (later we’ll talk about chamuyeros/bullshitters).

Our piropo of the day is: Sos tan dulce, que solo con mirarte engordo.

Which is pretty tame by Argentine standards. What it means is “You are so sweet, I get fat just looking at you.” You sort of have to imagine it being said by Vince Vaugn. It’s kind of interesting from a learning Spanish perspective for two reasons:

1. “Sos” is the first person familiar of the verb ser/to be as it is used mainly in Argentina and the Southern Cone. In Mexico or Spain you would use “eres” in this context.

2. It shows how flexible Spanish is with sentence structure. The literal translation would be:

“You are so sweet, that just by looking at you I get fat.“

Anyway, I think funny (or vulgar) expressions are helpful in learning – or at least in getting things to stick in your head. So for our giveaway this week:

CONTEST!

Post your favorite piropo (compliment or pickup line) in Spanish to our Facebook page here: http://on.fb.me/ModelPickUp

The best one (funniest, most creative, most outrageous – as selected by Bueno, entonces… Facebook Fans aka the one with the most “LIKES”) gets a $100 iTunes Gift Certificate to use in any which way!

Second place, you ask? $50 iTunes Gift Certificate! Not too shabby and definitely a reason to try. Enter as many times as you like.

Suerte!

Upload a photo of yourself to our Bueno, entonces… Fan Page with a note explaining why you should win a trip for two to Argentina to learn Spanish:

*Each fan to get over 100 ‘Likes’ on their photo is automatically a Finalist for the ‘Learn Spanish in Argentina’ Trip Contest Drawing

*Any fan with 3000 likes wins a brand spanking new iPad!

Learn Spanish with Bueno, entonces... and win a trip to Argentina!

Five Simple Steps:

1) Go to the Bueno, entonces… Fan Page. If you aren’t already, Become a Fan!

2) Look at where it says “Write something…”. Underneath that box, you will find a picture icon. Click on it!

3) Here you can ‘Upload a Photo’ or ‘Take a Photo’! Press ‘Share’ and the image should appear on our wall!

4) Tell your friends to ‘Like’ your photo. Make an Event, ‘Share’ your video, Tweet it, Blog it – do what you need to do to get everyone you know and everyone they know to ‘Like’ your Video!

5) ALL photos with over 100 ‘Likes’ will become a Finalist to win a trip for two to learn Spanish in Argentina!

Each fan to upload a photo will also receive a FREE 40-minute Spanish lesson from Bueno, entonces…and a Slang Dictionary!

And the iPad?

We’ve got a shiny FREE iPad with your name on it – as well as Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish Levels I & II.* Just get 3000 likes for your photo and it’s all yours!

Bueno, entonces… is already the best-selling Learn Spanish App on the iPhone – and you’ll be the first to Learn Spanish on the hottest new Apple gadget!

Contest ends Thursday March 11th at 4 PM EST. Finalists will be notified via Facebook Message so make sure your settings allow non-friends to contact you!

GRAND PRIZE includes:
* Round trip airfare for 2 from a major international airport to Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* Gateway Argentina customized (10-day) package (includes accommodation)

To find out more contest details (and everything else that is included in the Grand Prize) click here: http://bit.ly/ContestDetails

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to write to us at marketing@generallinguistics.com

Suerte!

The Bueno, entonces…Team

Any tax liabilities are solely the responsibility of any iPad winner. Sponsor will cover shipping costs only for iPad winners living in United States. iPad subject to availability. Prize is non-transferrable. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Contest, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of the Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and may result in disqualification. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Apple. Contest is open to residents age 18 and older in all jurisdictions where receipt of prizes or entry in the Contest is not prohibited by United States and/or local laws, rules or regulations. Prohibited countries include, but are not limited to, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, India and residents of any country embargoed by the United States. Sponsor reserves the right to remove any video violating copyright restrictions or containing inappropriate content.

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These are the top 15 Most ‘Liked’ Photos on the Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish Facebook Wall (in no particular order here). The top 10 will become Finalists in our pool of 100 fans to win a trip to Argentina! Click on any of the photos below and you’ll be redirected to Facebook, where you can ‘Like’ them!

Step One: Become a Fan (Wahoo!)

Step Two: Like a Photo (or 2, or 3…)

The ones in RED need your help!

#15

‘Like’ Zoe “Soie” Loftus-Farren

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#14

‘Like’ Sarah “I want to visit my sister” Sykes

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#13

‘Like’ Kaci “Keepin’ it Classy” Tucker

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#12

‘Like’ Alyson ‘Needs a Good Lesson’ Kilday

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#11

‘Like’ Paul “Caliente” Zimmerman

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#10

‘Like’ Nakia “I have the best hair in this competition” Casey

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#9

‘Like’ Chris “Oh so Dreamy” Knauer

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#8

‘Like’ Elish “I’m in a Bush” Henderson

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#7

‘Like’ Laurence “I’m already bi-lingual, suckers” Allyson

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#6

‘Like’ Ceyda “I may cut you up into little pieces if I don’t become a Finalist” Marifet

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#5

‘Like’ Alex “Steez” Spencer

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#4

‘Like’ Trevor “Holy Crap!” Schrock

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#3

‘Like’ David “Giddy up” Rascoe

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#2

‘Like’ Kathryn “I deleted my photo but I’m still kickin’ ass” Colleen

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#1

‘Like’ Stephen “The Rockstar” Sbanotto

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Honorable Mention:

‘Like’ Amy “I’m already a Finalist but I’m such a stud that I’m competing again” Freyn

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REMEMBER: We need to get to 10,000 fans by March 12th to give away the trip! Are you a fan yet?

*Note: If you uploaded your photo to our Facebook Page and it isn’t on here, get your friends to ‘Like’ it – you still have two days left!

Ok, so… I’m having a hard time being coherent today because yesterday essentially spilled over in today and well, suffice to say that there’s a never ending supply of places to go out in this city and it never stops. I haven’t even made a dent in it, nor have I done many of the touristy things… I did see the big metal flower that opens and closes and is the place to hang out underneath and drink a mate in the sun. I also went to Malba which is a gorgeous art gallery and it has a great cafe.
Winetasting last night, and after that we went to a restaurant that’s so underground that it’s only open once a week and only twenty people know about it and the food is thai.. the best thai I’ve ever had.
We went to another bar after that, basically I didn’t sleep very much, so this morning in the bus I really wasn’t with it and almost got robbed in the bus. I was hanging on with one arm staring out the window in a full ‘colectivo’ and then got rather annoyed as a little man who kept kind of pushing upto me. I looked down and literally caught him red-handed with my bag clip opened and his hand IN my bag. I was so baffled I forgot all my Spanish and yelled lots of expletives at him in English. He told me “You’re crazy”, IN ENGLISH and got off in a hurry. I stood there seething but figured out pretty quickly he didn’t take anything. When I got to my class my teacher was so kind to fill me in on what words I should have used to ‘make a scandal’, as they say here.

Vibeke (our winner from last year) is a feisty one, that’s for sure. We’re going to be real here: shit can happen abroad. While her experience on the bus isn’t a common one (and it is really unfortunate it happened to her), she definitely handled it like a champ. Luckily, if you come down to Buenos Aires, you’ll have a bunch of Gringos (and locals) from the Bueno, entonces… office to help you out with whatever happens.

So, do you think you have what it takes to hang with the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish crew in Buenos Aires? Become a fan on our Learn Spanish Facebook Page and participate in our Photo Upload contest!

Six Super Simple Steps:

1) Go to the Bueno, entonces…Fan Page

2) Become a Fan. Woohoo!

3) Take a photo of yourself holding a sign saying “I want to win a trip to Argentina!”

4) At the top of the Wall on the Fan Page, under “What’s on your mind?”, you will see a Photo icon and a Video icon. Click on the Photo icon.

5) Upload your photo and tag yourself.

6) Tell your friends to like it! (and tell them to become fans – we need to get to 10,000 fans by March 12th to give away the trip!)

The top TEN most “liked” photos will become finalists (in a pool of 100) to win a trip to learn Spanish in Argentina (the sooner you do it, the more time your friends will have to like it!)

Every fan to upload their photo will receive a FREE 40-minute portable Spanish lesson, formatted for the iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, and computer.

Contest ends Friday, February 5th at 7 PM EST. Winners will be notified via Facebook Message (check your Inbox on Friday night!)

GRAND PRIZE includes:
* Round trip airfare from a major international airport to Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* Gateway Argentina customized (10-day) package
* Two sessions with the educational director of “Bueno, entonces…”
* Welcome dinner with the cast and crew

Only one photo per fan. To find out more contest details (and everything else that is included in the Grand Prize) click here: http://bit.ly/ContestDetails

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to write to us at marketing@generallinguistics.com

After class I meet the production people behind Bueno, entonces… in Palermo, where they work. I’ve brought some chocolate all the way from New Zealand, which I think Corrie is happy about. It’s still surreal, can’t believe these people just brought me to Buenos Aires because they felt like giving away a trip. What’s more, I’m being spoiled rotten. Tonight more amazing Argentine food… has anyone told you about the food here?

Argentines like cow. They like to eat it, apparently per capita they eat something like 80 kg of cow on average a year. I find that hard to comprehend as a concept, but then again the beef here IS really quite incredible. The portion sizes are also quite incredible. When you order a bife de lomo you get enough to feed a small village back where I come from. It also turns out that the other David from Bueno, entonces… (el productor) knows a thing or two about wine and likes ordering really nice bottles of wine. OOOh this is heaven…mmmm Malbec.

If you want to eat and drink yourself silly here in Buenos Aires with the Bueno, entonces… crew, take part in one of the contests that’ll be taking place over the next few weeks on our Facebook page. There will be a total of 100 finalists, so chances of winning are really good. Our goal is to have 10,000 fans by March 12, so do your homework and get all of your wannabe bi-lingual friends to show some love.

Prerequisite to the trip?: Start learning Spanish. We’ll forgive your Gringo-ness, but the locals are a tougher crowd and we’re the only program that teaches how real Spanish speakers talk in the street. Only $147 for 18 hours of audio/visual classes–ponete las pilas and you’ll be bi-lingual faster than you can say cafí© con leche.

We gave away a trip last year to a lucky Bueno, entonces… user, Vibeke. Once she arrived in Buenos Aires, she wrote a blog chronicling her journey. Here’s Day 1:

I’m here! Finally… by myself in Buenos Aires. My classes start straight away and I walk in the pouring rain from San Telmo across the Plaza de Mayo to my school at 9 in the morning. It’s just me and one other student in the class, a Bulgarian who is based in London. Basically we get to chat in Spanish all morning to our teacher Martin, who is muy fachero, and who answers all our questions.
I still am jet lagged from traveling from New Zealand and am fresh as a daisy at 6 am. I realize this will need to change if I am to get in sync with Buenos Aires because everything happens kind of late here. After class David (that’s right famous DAVID from BUENO ENTONCES) comes to get me and we have lunch. I’m starving after all the grammar, (that’s my own fault.. asked for it) We eat some Amazing Meat from the parilla in a tiny grubby restaurant downtown. David shows me what a fake 10 peso bill looks like. (Easy spot if you ask me, it comes out of an inkjet printer!) and walks me through the essentials of life in Buenos Aires.

We hope you are as excited as we are! Our advice on how to prepare? Learn Spanish, obviously! Our course is only $147, and with over 18 hours of comprehensive Spanish lessons it’s the most bang for your buck. Whether you’re preparing for a trip to Argentina or just want to learn Spanish without falling asleep, rest assured that you’ll learn the most relevant and useful Spanish with Bueno, entonces… Thousands of users can’t be wrong!

May 4^th - $10 iTunes Gift Certificate

May 11^th – Bueno, entonces… DVD set

May 18^th – two, $10 iTunes Gift Certificates

May 25^th – Bueno, entonces… Instant Download

Become a Fan to enter!