In the back of our minds we must realize that at some point we embraced diversity; wether we wish to acknowledge it or not. We did it when we chose a life partner. Our partner was that different and unique person; that inexplicably drew us in. Yet we knew, once we took time to look into their soul; that on the inside this being shared all our same hopes, dreams and fears.
Why is it then that when we add a "hue" to the mix, it all becomes about superficiality; about doubt and what sets us apart? We fail to notice souls, likeness and uniqueness. We fail to see every human being as an individual.
Color is not a race. Let me say this again: Color is not a race. If this your only argument for racism; then I am afraid it is not a very good one.
We humans have not yet evolved enough to ever create a different "race". We are all of the same race. We are all of the "human race".
I am sorry if you thought yourself to be superior; the simple truth is that you are not. We are all equal in every way................and that is how I see it.
In the Garden of Dreams/En un Jardín de Sueños
Take time to see the unseen/Tome tiempo para observar lo oculto
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Cantinflas meets "30 Rock" for a Lesson Gem
Is it true that we can learn a foreign language via television?........Well believe it or not there have been many studies done in this area. I could bore you with research and statistics but I won't.......I will simply say this: "One always needs an instructor, in human form, in order to learn anything". This is never more crucial than when it comes to "communications", i.e. learning a foreign language.
I could spend weeks talking about this subject alone; but I won't.......That's right the boredom thing again....
So can we learn a foreign language from television?........... We can, if I am the one doing the watching and the telling.......So here goes this Lesson-Gem/Confession.........
One of my very favorite shows to watch is "30 Rock" and on this topic alone I can go on for days...........In any event as I was watching an episode of "30 Rock" the other night, (and thinking about all of you), it happened: "A teachable moment"!!!............President Obama uses this phrase a lot when talking to us.......hmmm?......I wonder why?.......But I digress............
Do you remember when we talked about the "literal" meanings of words?........ Remember the "embarrassed" and "embarazada" thing?.....Helloooo anyone there?.....
Remember when I said that just because words sound the same they do not mean the same or that one could not simply translate literally i.e. "willy nilly?"........... By the way: "Who is Willy Nilly?"........... Well I am glad you asked, I actually researched it (yeah I am a total geek) and this is what I found: This phrase dates back like thousands of years! And as it turns out our dear friend William Shakespeare (or Willy as I call him), looooooved using this phrase. It's true. One can see just how fond he was of this expression when one reads a section of: "The Taming of the Shrew" (so I am told).....but I digress.......
Where was I?............ Oh yeah............ So there was a scene on "30 Rock" where this woman is hiding (inside a closet) from Tracy Jordan. The actress is "supposed" to be depicting a "Latina" and she was a regular on "Saturday Night Live". Of course I can't think of her name right now but she is very funny and generally has a small role in most episodes of "30 Rock".........And if you don't know who Tracy Jordan is.......... then I am sorry I can't help you. You may stop reading now.............
In any event, the actress speaking Spanish has a pretty good accent, I have to say. Now I can only assume that someone NOT Latino "helped" this actress with her Spanish lines?........By the way this is almost always a bad idea, to learn a language from someone who is not a native speaker. One tends to need to learn a language from someone who has at least lived in the country (for some length of time), where they speak the language one is now trying to acquire.....Do you see where I am going with this?......Okay.........
Where was I? Oh. Yes! So the character is afraid of what another may do to her, so she says: "No el me va a doler". Okay. What she is literally saying here, if one were to translate this directly into English is: "No, he will hurt me"........Aha!......... There in lies the detail....."Allí esta el detalle!"........By the way (you know I always have to give you a Lesson-Gem/Confessional side note).........Here it is.........
There was a character named "Cantinflas" (the actor's real name was Mario Moreno) he was from Mexico and he was (to say the least) a brilliant comedian, stage and film actor. Mr. Moreno was also a pioneer of the Mexican theater. Charlie Chaplin called him: "The greatest comedian in the world". If you mention his name to ANYONE who is Latino they will know exactly who you are talking about! No kidding.
Weather young or old, "Cantinflas" was able to transcend his characters to all, including befriending Hollywood's elite like: Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd among many others. To folks in the US "Cantinflas" is best remembered as costarring with David Niven in the movie: "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956). I used to watch "Cantinflas" movies as a little girl; I loved him and all his characters. Cantinflas had this famous line where he would say: "Allí esta el detalle"......... "There in lies the detail". See?........ I had to tell you that.
By the way if you are wondering about the meaning of Cantinflas's name here is the scoop courtesy of "Wikipedia":
As a young man, Cantinflas performed a variety of acts in traveling tents, and it was here that he earned the nickname "Cantinflas", although the origin of the name is obscured by legend. According to one obituary, "Cantinflas" is a meaningless name invented to prevent his parents from knowing he was in the entertainment business, which they considered a shameful occupation. In another version, the Mexican media critic and theorist Carlos Monsiváis cites a legendary account of the origin of Cantinflas's characteristic speech:
| “ | According to a legend that he agrees with, a young Mario Moreno, overwhelmed by stage fright, once, in the Ofelia carpa, forgets his original monologue. He begins to say what comes to mind in a complete emancipation of phrases and words, and what comes to mind is an incoherent brilliance. His assistants recite his attack on syntax, and Mario becomes aware of it: destiny has placed in his hands the distinctive characteristic, the style that is manipulation of chaos. Weeks later, the name that will mark the invention is invented. Someone, taken in by the nonsense, screams: "Cuanto inflas!" [C' ntinflas] (You're annoying!) or "En la cantina inflas!" (You like to drink a lot at the cantina (inflar means to swell)). The contraction catches on and becomes proof of the baptism that the character needs.[11] |
So go get one of his movies what are you waiting for?........... You will die laughing!.................. And isn't that a great way to go?!.................
So where was I?.......Oh yes....Wake up!................One can't translate language "literally" as though you are simply replacing English words for Spanish ones........Or any other languages for that matter......What the actress said does not make sense in Spanish. Of course someone may be able to decipher what she is "trying" to say but who knows really?....Remember the "riding a bike with blindfolds on" thing I told you in another lesson-gem?.........
Then what should this actress have said instead?............ Glad you asked. She should have said: "El me va a hacer daño". Which does mean: "He will hurt me" and is grammatically correct!....."Daño" is meant to be used as "harm", "to cause it".....you get the idea.... When she (the comedian) used the word "doler" (though it meant hurt) it was used more as in pain that you have/feel in a physical or emotional sense.............
And here endeth the lesson for today amigos.........Be sure to leave me your leave me you comments and insights on line..........
Hasta pronto!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Call your congress man or woman /Llame a sus congresantes hombre o mujer
Hola Amigos:
I am spreading the word per an email I received today from Adam Green of BoldProgresive.org
In his email Adam asks me and all of you out there to contact your congressman or women a tell them to support this new coalition to help BP workers. Please read below:
"A new coalition...has launched a site called BPMakesMeSick.com, petitioning President Obama to make BP give [Gulf clean-up] workers respirators."
Just today, Rep. Tom Perriello became the 13th member of Congress to endorse our coalition -- joining Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Gulf fisherman, dozens of congressional candidates, and over 67,000 Americans like you.
If you live in the state of Wisconsin your Congresswoman is Tammy Baldwin and she can be reached in Washington D.C. at this #(202) 225-2906
Le's make a difference amigos!
Asta pronto!
I am spreading the word per an email I received today from Adam Green of BoldProgresive.org
In his email Adam asks me and all of you out there to contact your congressman or women a tell them to support this new coalition to help BP workers. Please read below:
"A new coalition...has launched a site called BPMakesMeSick.com, petitioning President Obama to make BP give [Gulf clean-up] workers respirators."
Just today, Rep. Tom Perriello became the 13th member of Congress to endorse our coalition -- joining Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Gulf fisherman, dozens of congressional candidates, and over 67,000 Americans like you.
If you live in the state of Wisconsin your Congresswoman is Tammy Baldwin and she can be reached in Washington D.C. at this #(202) 225-2906
Le's make a difference amigos!
Asta pronto!
Friday, July 9, 2010
una sugerencia/a suggestion
As I listened to the radio last night I was so shocked and sadden by the news that is was then the 80th day of the that horrific oil spoil in the Gulf of Mexico! I could not believe my ears. "What can I do", I thought helplessly as I listened. "I can learn more about it and I can write about it".......So here I am......
Courtesy of Wikipedia this is something of what I learned......
Wildlife and environmental groups have accused BP of holding back information about the extent and impact of the growing slick, and urged the White House to order a more direct federal government role in the spill response.
In prepared testimony for a congressional committee, National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger said BP had failed to disclose results from its tests of chemical dispersant used on the spill, and that BP had tried to withhold video showing the true magnitude of the leak.[107]
On 19 May BP established a live feed of the oil spill after hearings in Congress accused the company of withholding data from the ocean floor and blocking efforts by independent scientists to come up with estimates for the amount of crude flowing into the Gulf each day.[108][109
Journalists attempting to document the impact of the oil spill have been repeatedly refused access to public areas. Photojournalists have been prevented from flying over areas of the gulf to document the scope of the disaster. These accusations have been leveled at BP, its contractors, local law enforcement, USCG and other government officials.[112][113]
Scientists have also complained about prevention of access to information controlled by BP and government sources.[112] BP states that its policy is to allow the media and other parties as much access as possible.[112]
On 31 June, the Coast Guard put new restrictions in place across the Gulf Coast that prevent the public, including news photographers and reporters, from coming within 65 feet of any response teams on the beaches or vessels or booms on the water. In a press briefing, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said the new regulation was related to safety issues.[114] On televsion host Anderson Cooper rejected the motivation for the restrictions outright.
And so it goes.........Then I heard something even more shocking on the radio: BP is NOT allowing it's workers to ware protective mask; which means that these men and women are risking their VERY LIVES to save the planet and to put food on the table for their families. Why are they not allowed to ware masks? Well I guess the answer is as old as the world it self: MONEY.........How will it "look" if we saw these workers wearing masks? Why we might think there is a real disaster going on?..........Isn't there?............
Please log on to: bpmakesmesick.com and join me and many others by signing a petition that will all workers to have protective masks/gear..........
Asta pronto!
Courtesy of Wikipedia this is something of what I learned......
Wildlife and environmental groups have accused BP of holding back information about the extent and impact of the growing slick, and urged the White House to order a more direct federal government role in the spill response.
In prepared testimony for a congressional committee, National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger said BP had failed to disclose results from its tests of chemical dispersant used on the spill, and that BP had tried to withhold video showing the true magnitude of the leak.[107]
On 19 May BP established a live feed of the oil spill after hearings in Congress accused the company of withholding data from the ocean floor and blocking efforts by independent scientists to come up with estimates for the amount of crude flowing into the Gulf each day.[108][109
Journalists attempting to document the impact of the oil spill have been repeatedly refused access to public areas. Photojournalists have been prevented from flying over areas of the gulf to document the scope of the disaster. These accusations have been leveled at BP, its contractors, local law enforcement, USCG and other government officials.[112][113]
Scientists have also complained about prevention of access to information controlled by BP and government sources.[112] BP states that its policy is to allow the media and other parties as much access as possible.[112]
On 31 June, the Coast Guard put new restrictions in place across the Gulf Coast that prevent the public, including news photographers and reporters, from coming within 65 feet of any response teams on the beaches or vessels or booms on the water. In a press briefing, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said the new regulation was related to safety issues.[114] On televsion host Anderson Cooper rejected the motivation for the restrictions outright.
And so it goes.........Then I heard something even more shocking on the radio: BP is NOT allowing it's workers to ware protective mask; which means that these men and women are risking their VERY LIVES to save the planet and to put food on the table for their families. Why are they not allowed to ware masks? Well I guess the answer is as old as the world it self: MONEY.........How will it "look" if we saw these workers wearing masks? Why we might think there is a real disaster going on?..........Isn't there?............
Please log on to: bpmakesmesick.com and join me and many others by signing a petition that will all workers to have protective masks/gear..........
Asta pronto!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
30 ROCK AND A LESSON IN LANGUAGE?.................
As you all may or may not know (or care) one of my VERY favorite shows in the whole "mundo" (world) is "30 Rock"! I love love love it! Me encanta mucho! ( I really like it).........
So as I was watching "30 Rock" tonight (one of their episodes from season 1)......it hit me........This episode (a small part of it) is the perfect example for my "Lecciones Joyas" (Lesson-Gems) regarding; using words too "literally" when speaking a foreign tongue...........Mas después..........More later.......
Que esten bien!
Be well!
So as I was watching "30 Rock" tonight (one of their episodes from season 1)......it hit me........This episode (a small part of it) is the perfect example for my "Lecciones Joyas" (Lesson-Gems) regarding; using words too "literally" when speaking a foreign tongue...........Mas después..........More later.......
Que esten bien!
Be well!
Lesson gem/Leccion Joya "Embarrassed"...."Embarazada"....?
Hola Amigos:
Don't you just love it when someone tells you (usually a language instructor) how much you already know of the particular language you are trying so desperately to learn?.......So here is me:
"Really? I was not aware that I already knew Korean?.......or "I guess I always knew that I knew some sign language?"......."Like this one?".........ooooooooooh come now have a little fun............
Okay so back to this "very serious topic"...........Perhaps "recognizing the fact that you may already know some Spanish; is probably the most "crucial" component of this exercise. So without further ado here are some ejemplos/examples:
A) pronto (prohn-toh)= rigth away/soon
B) conclusión (kohn-clue-see-ohne)=yup you guessed it"conclusion"
C) invención (in-vehn-see-ohne)= yup "invention"
And so on............
However.......You knew there would be a "however" here somehwere........The trouble begins in the "World of Words" (no not the "War of the Worlds" from Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise, they had nothing to do with this one)...........Here goes that story:
Courtesy of Wikipedia..........
False friends (or faux amis, French for "false friends") are pairs of words in two languages or dialects (or letters in two alphabets) that look or sound similar, but (big but here) differ in meaning. .
Here are my Ejemplos/Examples:
A) Actual= same spelling in English NOT same meaning in Spanish
In Spanish= "actual" means current, this day, this moment......You get the idea.......So when you say in English: "The actual name given to that State was......... in Spanish you are saying: "The name given today or up this date is".........
B) My personal "favorita"/favorite is: embarazada (to be with child)........Oh yeah this is a fun one! So here goes this story...........
As you may or may not know "embarrassed" in English means NOT pregnant but ashamed or encumbered.......
Now in Spanish the problem begins with the fact that "embarazada" is the adjective that comes from the same root as the English word but (a big but here) nowadays or "actualmente" (this vocabulary word evolved a bit over time) it is exclusively used to mean "with child", pregnant, "preggos", "bun in the oven" and so on...........
My mama refers to this stage in life of pregnancy as: "the walking incubator"..... isn't that romantic?.......Ahhhhhhhh.........
More later........
An anecdote:
I knew this lady from Perú who was here in the US for sometime while she learned English. One say she came home from church telling how nice EVERYONE at the church was. How all of them shook her hand and welcomed her to the church.......I thought: "Wow I know no one at that church and I have been living around here since grade school". The next Sunday came and went and again my Latina pal came telling me how delightful everyone had been and not just to her but with one another......"Hmmmh?" I thought to myself.
The following Sunday I decided to go with my Peruvian friend to this "wonderful new" church.......
Well we got to the church and everything seemed as normal as one would expect at a church........We sat down listened, stood up, sat down , you get the idea........ Then my friend looks at me and says: "Okay here it comes" she says, "This is the time when we all greet one another"...........
Then it began: "Pleased to meet you", as my friend shook everyone hands who she could reach and then some.........
As we left the church I burst out laughing. My friend asked why I was laughing so crazily after church; my whole body went into convulsions. "Well", I said trying to be serious, "These folks are not telling you "nice to meet you". To which my friend replied in her Latina accent: "No?'.........I replied: "No", and tried to continue with a straight face.
"What these folks are actually telling you is: "Peace be with you!", "Not", I continue, "Pleased to meet you"............Then we both burst out laughing ........
Ahhhhhhhh that was a fun day!
Don't you just love it when someone tells you (usually a language instructor) how much you already know of the particular language you are trying so desperately to learn?.......So here is me:
"Really? I was not aware that I already knew Korean?.......or "I guess I always knew that I knew some sign language?"......."Like this one?".........ooooooooooh come now have a little fun............
Okay so back to this "very serious topic"...........Perhaps "recognizing the fact that you may already know some Spanish; is probably the most "crucial" component of this exercise. So without further ado here are some ejemplos/examples:
A) pronto (prohn-toh)= rigth away/soon
B) conclusión (kohn-clue-see-ohne)=yup you guessed it"conclusion"
C) invención (in-vehn-see-ohne)= yup "invention"
And so on............
However.......You knew there would be a "however" here somehwere........The trouble begins in the "World of Words" (no not the "War of the Worlds" from Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise, they had nothing to do with this one)...........Here goes that story:
Courtesy of Wikipedia..........
False friends (or faux amis, French for "false friends") are pairs of words in two languages or dialects (or letters in two alphabets) that look or sound similar, but (big but here) differ in meaning. .
Here are my Ejemplos/Examples:
A) Actual= same spelling in English NOT same meaning in Spanish
In Spanish= "actual" means current, this day, this moment......You get the idea.......So when you say in English: "The actual name given to that State was......... in Spanish you are saying: "The name given today or up this date is".........
B) My personal "favorita"/favorite is: embarazada (to be with child)........Oh yeah this is a fun one! So here goes this story...........
As you may or may not know "embarrassed" in English means NOT pregnant but ashamed or encumbered.......
Now in Spanish the problem begins with the fact that "embarazada" is the adjective that comes from the same root as the English word but (a big but here) nowadays or "actualmente" (this vocabulary word evolved a bit over time) it is exclusively used to mean "with child", pregnant, "preggos", "bun in the oven" and so on...........
My mama refers to this stage in life of pregnancy as: "the walking incubator"..... isn't that romantic?.......Ahhhhhhhh.........
More later........
An anecdote:
I knew this lady from Perú who was here in the US for sometime while she learned English. One say she came home from church telling how nice EVERYONE at the church was. How all of them shook her hand and welcomed her to the church.......I thought: "Wow I know no one at that church and I have been living around here since grade school". The next Sunday came and went and again my Latina pal came telling me how delightful everyone had been and not just to her but with one another......"Hmmmh?" I thought to myself.
The following Sunday I decided to go with my Peruvian friend to this "wonderful new" church.......
Well we got to the church and everything seemed as normal as one would expect at a church........We sat down listened, stood up, sat down , you get the idea........ Then my friend looks at me and says: "Okay here it comes" she says, "This is the time when we all greet one another"...........
Then it began: "Pleased to meet you", as my friend shook everyone hands who she could reach and then some.........
As we left the church I burst out laughing. My friend asked why I was laughing so crazily after church; my whole body went into convulsions. "Well", I said trying to be serious, "These folks are not telling you "nice to meet you". To which my friend replied in her Latina accent: "No?'.........I replied: "No", and tried to continue with a straight face.
"What these folks are actually telling you is: "Peace be with you!", "Not", I continue, "Pleased to meet you"............Then we both burst out laughing ........
Ahhhhhhhh that was a fun day!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Lesson gem/Leccion Joya
A brief note about learning languages........
One of the many ways in which learning a second language helps you "the learner" is by opening/developing what you already know. Huh?........Okay it's like this: knowing a first language is a sort of segue way into knowing an another.......Huh?,,,,, Okay stay with me here......
It is much easier for one to learn to read in a second language if one already knows how to read in ones own language.......If you can read then YOU CAN read. Period. The ability to read transfers rapidly across languages.....Get it?......As a reader you already know all the rules to follow on how to read (left to right, sounds etc) now you just need to apply them to the reading of foreign language.
Basically the old adage that: "Old dogs can't learn new tricks" is definitely NOT the case in acquiring language. The older you are the more of an advantage you have.....See I knew that getting old had its advantages!
Hope this helped!
One of the many ways in which learning a second language helps you "the learner" is by opening/developing what you already know. Huh?........Okay it's like this: knowing a first language is a sort of segue way into knowing an another.......Huh?,,,,, Okay stay with me here......
It is much easier for one to learn to read in a second language if one already knows how to read in ones own language.......If you can read then YOU CAN read. Period. The ability to read transfers rapidly across languages.....Get it?......As a reader you already know all the rules to follow on how to read (left to right, sounds etc) now you just need to apply them to the reading of foreign language.
Basically the old adage that: "Old dogs can't learn new tricks" is definitely NOT the case in acquiring language. The older you are the more of an advantage you have.....See I knew that getting old had its advantages!
Hope this helped!
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