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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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

Some of you might not have noticed that yesterday was the 13th, or cared. In fact, many would look at the title of this post, and think ‘Martes? But doesn’t martes mean Tuesday?’– no worries, your Spanish vocabulary has not suddenly plummeted.  Let us explain…

Even uploading this photo caused our computer to crash. Superstitious yet?

Okay, in Western culture, Friday the 13th is regarded as an unlucky day for a couple reasons. First, Friday is an unlucky day because that is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified.  There are a couple other reasons for it, but for the most part, Friday is unlucky only because of reasons based on Christian beliefs.  Why 13?  Because thirteen is comes after twelve, and twelve is supposedly regarded as a number of wholeness, based on the twelve apostles, twelve hours of the clock, twelve zodiac signs, etc… Thirteen is therefore seen as irregular, and apparently unlucky.  Hence, Friday the 13th is unlucky.  

But wait– this only applies to the Western world.  Friday the 13th in South America, for instance, is just like any other day.  Tuesday the 13th, however, is considered a day of mala suerte (bad luck).

Now, why martes 13 (Tuesday the 13th)? Apparently, way back in the Edad Media (Middle Ages), the city of Constantinople fell on a Tuesday to the Ottomans, which marked the end of the Byzantine Empire.  Thus, the Greeks began considering it an unlucky day.  Somehow this mentality spread to the Spanish, and from there to South America, which is why martes 13 is now considered an unlucky day.  Now how about that, eh?

Have anything to add to our description here?  We used Wikipedia as our source, which, besides being absolutely amazing, is not always the most accurate.  We’d love to hear your feedback!  

And, as always, feel free to visit our site and check out the Bueno, entonces… learn Spanish program– $97 is a small price to pay for over 18 hours of Spanish classes that will have you speaking (yes, actually speaking) Spanish by the end.  Why not give it a look?

Better yet, you can see the first 40 minute class for free to see if you like it. Check out our unique system of color coding and immersion learning here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

AND you’ll get a $50 discount once you try! So why not give it a whirl?

When going abroad, trying the local food is almost always at the top of the list for experiencing culture.  The world runs on food, and without it, no one would be alive, but every culture and subculture in the entire world have different eating habits, patterns, tastes, etc… Which is why we felt it was well worth a lesson to teach you about the food and eating out in Spanish-speaking countries.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the entirety of Central and South America does not survive off of tacos and nachos.  Hell, nachos were invented in the States.  The food isn’t always spicy, and Corona is not the ‘national’ beer of the Spanish-speaking world.  In short, not everywhere is going to resemble your one-week Spring Break vacation in Cancun (although we are the first to admit that we do love ourselves some tacos fresh from the truck).  Now that we’ve got a clean slate, let’s begin.

In most Spanish-speaking countries, there are four main meals: desayuno (breakfast), almuerzo (lunch), merienda (similar to British tea), and cena (dinner).  In some countries they have merienda and cena, in others they only have one or the other– just depends on where you are.  El almuerzo is always the largest and most important meal of the day, unlike in Western culture, where dinner is the major meal.  Here, la cena is typically eaten around nine or ten at night, which is why it is not as big as el almuerzo.  And the merienda is eaten around six in the evening as a small snack to hold you over until la cena.

The food itself obviously varies from country to country– Peru is known for its fish, for example, and Argentina is known for its beef.  Two very different dishes.  However, in Argentina there is so much Italian influence that pasta and pizza are two of the most prominent dishes you will find on any menu or in any home.  Not exactly tacos and nachos.

Besides the cuisine, though, it is important to know some basic words when it comes to ordering food or going to a restaurant. Here are a few to help you out:

La carta = The menu

La cuenta = The check

Las bebidas = The drinks

La entrada = The appetizer

El plato principal = The main course

El postre = The dessert

La servilleta = The napkin

La propina = The tip

El/La mozo/a = The waiter/waitress

There you have it– all the necessary key words to enjoying one of the most important aspects of any given culture: Comida (food)!

Asado (barbecue) is a major part of the South American culture, and even though it is food, we decided to leave it until another post, because asados deserve an entire post of their own. But for now this vocabulary should do you just fine.  Let us know if there are any other good words we should add, or feel free to leave a comment with the words yourself!

Don’t forget to check out the Buenos, entonces… learn Spanish website for special deals for Levels I & II– available on DVD or as a download for your computer, iPod, or iPhone!

Start today and get the first Spanish Class for free: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Check out our Youtube page for clips from our Spanish lessons.

PLUS: Facebook Fans get an extra $50 off and learn useful Spanish phrases, pick-up lines, and hilarious insults.