36 hours in SMA

I thought both of these articles gave a pretty apt rundown of musts while in SMA.  If you ever decide to come down, check them out to get you started.

36 hours in SMA

Weekend in SMA

Weird

I've spent my sabbatical more excited fantasizing about future plans than speaking and learning Spanish.
But at least I have been speaking and learning Spanish, and taking all sorts of cooking classes to boot!!

It would seem that the dwindling interest has led to the dwindling posts. . . at least there are photos over at flickr!

Second to last Sunday. . .

Been having a blast with Dad, but I'll tell you a little secret: I'm ready to come home.

Three weeks would've been perfect I think - five was definitely too many.

Don't ask about my test, I didn't take it last week - wish me luck for tomorrow instead!

Gabe is coming to teach us how to make enchiladas soon (even though I already make a pretty damn good enchilada if I do say so myself).

Wish me luck. . .

I have a test tomorrow!
We finished the first book today, so I have a test tomorrow, and then we'll work on the next book after that.  I think it's going to take me at least a week to figure out this whole "le turns into se when followed by lo because we can't say le lo, that's just silly, and if there is a reflexive verb or a reflexive verb with an infinitive, then you add the le and the indirect object to the end of the infinitive but not if there is a con or a de. . . . . " so it's just as well.
Good lord.  Let's be honest, I hardly understand the concept of indirect objects and reflexive infinitive verbs in English.  Half the time I'm like, "the what?"  It doesn't help that this is all in Spanish.

In other news, atole!

In other other news, my dad should be here in about 2 hours!!!!

More learnings. . .

When one arrives to school in the morning, if one is eating, say, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich they made the day before and have been carrying around in their bag ever since that is all smooshed and misshapen, and sits down with a group of Mexicans, it is rude not to offer some.  They'll say no (no one wants a bite of your half eaten mangled sandwich, which you probably already knew which is why you didn't offer it), but it's rude.  I DID NOT KNOW and then I felt like an ass when my teacher told me they were all exchanging looks.  * sigh *
Now I know.  And now you know.  And that's half the battle.

The B&B dream?  Seriously going to take a village. . . if you're interested in partnerships and you're a quiet, easy going multi-millionaire, or you happen to have a large plot of land in say, the Alexander Valley, please contact me.  But, if when it comes to fruition, it is going to be FREAKING AWESOME.

Oh, the things I'm learning. . .

I'm excited to say that more often than not these days, when I think of something I want to say, and double check it with google translate - I'm right.  If only I could be that quick when speaking!  Some of these concepts are still kicking my ass - today was pretty tough.  But, we're almost done with the first book, and will hopefully start book three by Thursday (since book two is just review of book one).  I am no longer sad that I am in the beginner's class, because even though I am quite confident I could hold my own with the other conversation group, being a beginner means I'm still getting my own private 1:1 instruction for the price of group instruction.  And I certainly won't say no to that.  Although; let's be honest - there is only so much for my teacher and I to talk about every day for two hours.  Especially when my grammar class is also filled with at least an hour of chit chat since I was burning through the book too quickly (that's my guess anyway; that and the fact that I really do need the most practice in speaking).  Perhaps conversation with more people would actually be beneficial. . . . and to that end, some nice young guy walked up next to me on the street today and started chatting with me.  Turns out he went to high school in Michigan of all places, and his English is quite good.  Another person for me to practice with!  We exchanged email addresses, though perhaps when he finds out how very old I am (since I'm guessing he's quite young) he doesn't head for the hills!  He made some comment about wanting people his age to speak English with, versus some of the older people he knows. .  .
I am also a bit chest puffed that I get complimented on my accent quite frequently (see aforementioned young man and my teachers), since I'm typically quite shy about speaking because I think I'm pronouncing things wrong.  Everyone wants to know why I don't sound norteamericana when I speak.  I say it's because my grandfather was from Chihuahua (is that where he's from?!  Dad?  Mom?!)  I thought I remembered that from a family tree thing, but who knows if I'm right, he's from somewhere down here. . . in any case, I'm more comfortable saying that rather than, "Um, I don't know.  My parents listened to a lot of Linda Ronstadt when I was growing up?"  Maybe it was just growing up in California?  Who knows.
I'm learning plenty of Mexican culture as well (see other posts) and today I learned to play the card game Conquian!  I'm addicted already, so be prepared for Conquian and tequila nights (per Blanca's suggestion).
And the cooking!!!  Oh, the cooking.  If you like to cook I'm hoping you're keeping tabs on my other blog because every time I learn something I post it there.  (stay tuned for the chiles rellenos recipe from today)
So far milanesas (breaded cutlets of meat), arroz verde (but that is easily translated into arroz blanco, arroz amarillo, y arroz rojo), salsa verde, salsa de aguacates, chiles rellenos, and this Sunday, Dad and I will learn to make enchiladas from a new friend down here that is starting up his own "learn to cook authentic Mexican dishes in your own home" type business.  Don't worry girls, I'll try to bring him to SF some day.  ;)

More things I've learned

Spaghetti - here you cook up your spaghetti all regular like, but while it's cooking, you fry up your tomatoes, onions and garlic; then when the spaghetti is ready you mix it all together, dump it in a baking dish, add crema or queso if you so desire, and then bake it.  Spag bol it is not.
home tour

Skeeter Syndrome
 
Chiles Rellenos and Chiles en Nogada

Wedding traditions - when you're asked to be in a Mexican wedding, it may not just mean having to buy a dress and matching shoes or rent a tux; in some instances, you're actually helping to fund the wedding!
Who Pays for Wedding
Both families are involved in planning the wedding and help with all the expenses.
Sponsors of the wedding, such as parents, grandparents, godparents other relatives and friends as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen, provide money for the wedding costs, or pay for something specific for the ceremony or the party which follows. In the Mexican tradition the wedding bridesmaids and groomsmen are paired and each pair is considered for a different role in the wedding ceremony.
One pair provide the bouquet for the bride. Another furnishes the Lazo which is a special symbolic rosary used to show the unification of the couple during the ceremony. Yet another pair brings the 13 silver or gold coins - Arras - in a special basket or box for the ceremony and if there are only 3 pairs, they also provide the kneeling pillows for the bride and groom to kneel upon during the wedding mass.

Slang - you know the standard "See you later, alligator," sentiment and its paired response of "After awhile, crocodile."  In Mexico, they have: "?Que pasa calabaza?" and "Nada limonada."
Other slang, "Si mon" for totally (or maybe we prefer hell yes?), and "naranjas" as slang for maybe, "No way Jose."

Mexican animals - if a rooster crows during the day (not the early morning) the weather is going to change - and the little bastards are RIGHT (It is thought that birds, and other animals, react negatively to a decrease in atmospheric pressure; it makes them restless. A restless rooster tends to crow more.)
Burros can also predict weather changes, and they're smarter than you; hence the story and associated children's rhyme to help them remember their vowels: !a e i o u, el burrito sabe mas que tu!