More notes on language learning

 

Fitting rooms rendered in Spanish in Bogotá, Colombia

On May 11, 2013, I wrote a post on language learning which you can find at https://latin-caribbean-travelblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/language-learning-in-class-and-on-your.html. Since that time, there are other lessons that I've acquired from experience - sometimes just observing how I react to a given situation - or reading that I've incorporated into my language learning. These are given in no particular order here.

If I feel an inner resistance to moving in a given direction, I don't struggle with it and try to force it to work. Instead, I let it go. For example, I absolutely despise flash cards because I associate them with being in school and having to memorize something to take a test. That feeling is the kiss of death for any of my language learning efforts. If I actually had to, or chose to, take a test, I would consider using flash cards, but overall, my learning is predicated on removing as much stress as possible. If you find that you like flash cards or any other method that I say that I don't like, by all means use them. Conversely, if I say that such and such a method works wonders for me and you find that you dislike it, don't force yourself.

When I write other languages or grammatical concepts of other languages in a notebook, I find that my brain absorbs the content better than when I type it on a keyboard. Certainly, there are times when typing is more convenient or has a benefit because the text can be manipulated, copied and pasted, but part of my language learning has to be done the traditional way for it to really hold.

I may resist doing further language study for a time, but I will know when I'm ready to take it on. This is a natural process that I don't rush.

If I know that I will be traveling to a place where one or several of my target languages is/are spoken, the language(s) move immediately to the front of the line before any other languages, and I practice it/ them more intensely before I go, and of course during the trip!

 

Some subtle ways that Spanish differs from English

 

Over more than 40 years, I have learned many subtleties to Spanish. It is true of Spanish, as it is of learning the guitar, that it's easy to learn poorly but hard to learn well. Here is a random list of differences between Spanish and English that surprised me when I first learned them. Each language apparently has its own logic.

In Spanish, you don't turn on (prender) or turn off (apagar) a faucet; you open it (abrir) or close it (cerrar).

You can't say in Spanish "He almost fell down" (casi se cayó), because people will say, "He already fell down, so he didn't 'almost' do anything." The correct way to say this is "Casi se cae," which literally translated means "He almost falls down."

In Spanish, you don't eat (comer) your soup; you drink it (tomar). The same is true of oatmeal.

There is a curious construction in Spanish that goes something like this: "hasta que no termine" which literally translates as "until I don't finish" where we would say in English "until I finish." 

I will share more of these in future posts.

A sign in Spanish demonstrating how to wash one's hands correctly. I take photos of signs like these to demonstrate both similarities with, and differences between, Spanish and English.

Photos from trip to Colombia in May-June 2023!

My wife and I were exceedingly blessed to spend a month in Colombia in May and June of 2023, after our 2022 trip was hampered by COVID and other illnesses in our family. We seemed to be making up for lost time with encounters with family and friends, as well as side trips to Santa Marta, Pereira, and Manizales. Below are just a few of the highlights of our trip.

Manizales is a city with pockets nestled in the mountains

The Hotel Irotama in Santa Marta has an enormous pool

The Nevado del Ruiz, an active volcano that was emitting fumaroles

We peeked inside a church in Madrid, a town outside of Bogotá, and witnessed a wedding!

The dizzying view from the top of the cathedral of Manizales

The Museo del Chicó in Bogotá is a former hacienda

Nevado del Tolima in the foreground, Nevado del Ruiz in the background

Plenty of birds to see in Colombia like this Bananaquit in Pereira

Informal gatherings of musicians, like this one in Bogotá, are always fun

The courtyard in the Museo del Chicó in Bogotá is beautiful

In the Laguna de Guatavita park, about two hours north of Bogotá

Like Manizales, the city of Pereira has cable car transportation

The Laguna de Guatavita, site of the Muisca ritual of the cacique or chief, also known as El Dorado or The Golden Man, covered in gold powder and bathing in the lake

Colombian Andes: Eastern Cordillera from Bogotá to Choachí (2022)

On my last trip to Colombia in June-July 2022, I wanted to see the road between Bogotá and a town to the east named Choachí. (For those of you who have been to Bogotá, this road goes between Monserrate and the Cerro de Guadalupe.) This trip only takes 1-1/2 hours, but it goes through an impressive array of landscapes, including this one. Bogotá is high at 8,600 feet above sea level, but the road would reach the "páramo," a high altitude landscape found only in northern South America, reaching as high as 11,000 feet. The plant life in those climates is amazing.

The "páramo" at 11,000 feet above sea level

Upon descending toward Choachí, the climate gradually gets warmer. The luxuriant vegetation gives an indication of being in "tierra templada" or temperate land.

At Choachí, the landscape was bright with sun and I could feel the warmth of the lower altitude.

The center of town was brightly painted and featured some nice murals:

When it came time to return, I sat on the right side of the bus to appreciate the dramatic changes in altitude. I could see the road where I had been only a short time ago.

Upon arriving in Bogotá, I was deeply grateful for having seen an area I had wanted to travel for many years!

Attractions in Bogotá and vicinity

 

View of the Magdalena River valley from La Piedra Capira, near Guaduas

This is a quick list of attractions accessible in the vicinity of Bogotá, Colombia's capital.

La Candelaria, the traditional center of Bogotá, is an interesting place with museums, coffee shops, bookstores and other attractions. For some reason I like hearing people doing English tutoring in the coffee shops or having discussions about politics. Take reasonable precautions but don’t be paranoid.

From my first trip to Colombia in 1980, I had seen buses to Valle de Tenza but had not gone there until 2015. It’s a few hours from Bogotá and has spectacular scenery and picturesque towns. I immediately connected with people every time I would arrive in the town.

Suesca, another town outside of Bogotá, is known for rock climbing. While on the bus, I observed a tourist with a large backpack asking for directions. I didn’t go to climb rocks but wanted to see the town. Again, I had some very nice encounters with people there.

La Piedra Capira, outside of the town of Guaduas, is one of the best-kept secrets of Colombia travel, in my opinion. It’s a fenced overhanging rock that on a clear day boasts an incredible view of the Magdalena River valley, including snow-capped peaks in the Cordillera Central. Talk to several taxi drivers in Guaduas to see who gives you the best price. Go in the morning as the afternoon sun obscures some of the view. (Note: Guaduas itself is a nice destination. It has a design similar to Villa de Leyva, but does not have the influx of foreign tourists that Villa de Leyva has. It was also the home of the Colombian patriot Policarpa Salavarrieta (aka La Pola).)

Chocolate Art and Crafts in Philadelphia

Chocolate Art and Crafts owner Eva Hernández (right) with her sister Perla (left) and Raíces Culturales Co-Founder Yolanda Alcorta

 

One of the gems of the increasingly diverse Latino community in Philadelphia is the crafts store in the Italian Market in South Philadelphia called "Chocolate Art and Crafts." Its owner, Eva Hernández, dedicates herself to using crafts to show positive images of her home country of Mexico. Raíces Culturales Co-Founder Yolanda Alcorta visited the store in 2019 and found in Eva a willing collaborator in Raíces programming. Fortunately, Eva's store survived the pandemic and along with her sister Perla, will also collaborate with Raíces in a program on Sunday, October 24 dedicated to chocolate and its origins, along with the local organization Penn's Village. Check the Raíces website www.raicesculturales.org for details as the date approaches!

Some of the many treasures available at Chocolate Art and Crafts

Local travel in PA as we ease out of the pandemic

An Eastern Bluebird in Ridley Creek State Park

Hunting Hill Mansion, where the park offices and banquet facilities are located

Like so many, I'm looking forward to traveling again as we come out of the pandemic. In the meantime, I'm enjoying taking in the local sights, such as in Ridley Creek State Park, which is a wonderful retreat for suburbanites in southeastern Pennsylvania. The park is spacious, but the area that provides a good starting point is Hunting Hill Mansion, which houses the park offices and has a space that can be rented out for weddings via www.peachtreecatering.com. Close by are stables where horseback riding is available. Go to www.hiddenvalleyhorsefarm.com for more details. 

One of the residents at the Hidden Valley Horse Farm