Lunfardo

I was aware of the word 'Lunfardo'. But I didn't know its meaning and the sort of slang that it is behind this word.
From a very long time ago my opinion is that the more you pay attention to anything the more you get aware of everything.
I recalled the above concept when I read the Carla's 'Lunfardo' explanation. I knew the word although I didn't know the meaning just because the word Lunfardo is within the lyrics of a Joaquin Sabina's song. There you are!
I felt another point of interest from the Lunfardo and Cockney existence. Can we imagine the variety of languages, dialects and slangs worldwide? If these days we met two slangs can we reckon how many hundreds or even thousands may be around the world?
The world of languages to me is actually fascinating.
I made a quick search based on Unesco data and found that currently in the world there are some 6,000 languages (dialects and other variations not accounted). Out of that number roughly 50% are in danger of disappearance before the end of this century!!! We may believe it or not but this has been stated for long time by bodies not directly political driven. And the studies supporting this were made by very qualified linguistics professionals.
If the former information is not enough think on the following: more than 200 languages have died in the last three generations elapsed time. And currently 538 languages are in 'critical situation' plus 502 in 'serious danger'.
A desolating panorama, don't you think so?

Cockney rhyming.

Hello everybody,

This week I’ve been quite busy and most of it I was out of my Barcelona home. I did nothing related to English or at least related to our English class. Please, Felicity don’t be upset because by now you know how much I like English and how much I enjoy your course (don’t you hear some violins in the background?).

Now, justa few minutes before our May, 31st class I’m writing this post. I’ll bring a hard copy to the class because it is physically impossible for you to read it on internet.

Going to the cockney rhyming I must confess that I’m not yet sure on how it works. My question is the following. Should one or the two words on the left have some sort of relation (meaning) with the ‘single’ one (on the right)? Or the two words might be whatever you want and the only ‘condition’ is that when you say both together the ending phoneme must rhyme with the ending phoneme of the word on the right?

I’ll put my question in another way: the relation between ‘left’ and right’ is somewhat conceptual or it is simply phonetic?

outside ÷ easy = busy
awake ÷ frog = blog
brave ÷ peak = speak
below ÷ around = underground
chemistry ÷ dove = love
twelve ÷ wealth = health

And here’s another one which I feel is closer to the way we use rhyming than the way cockney does.

no homework ÷ no writing = no exercising

End of the post.

English Social Classes

I found in the Montse’s Blog a description of an 'English class test'. It is very interesting, illustrative and funny. I wasn't aware about most of the 'class indicators' Montse explained so well.

After reading Montse’s comprehensive ‘report’ I put myself an immediate question. What is my reaction to the English classes (EC) endless subject?

I love English language and I love many features of the English way of thinking and behaving. I love many English traditions too. It could be almost said that I am an English culture fan. In addition I worked close with many English people and I spent some leisure time with some of them too.

After all here is my honest opinion about the EC subject. I’m not referring to the test but the actual social class pattern.

Being a foreigner I feel very little sensitive to EC. My level of English language is far from being able to differentiate between subtle accents and vocabulary diferences. Even more important is that not leaving in the country makes me look at the EC as a theme belonging to some classical black & white films rather to real life. And my last view is that if for any reason one of us had to live in the UK, according the current times he or she would be appraised fundamentally by what he or she was and did rather than his or her accent, wealth level or specific manners.

I don’t think I’m too much naïve. And I know that in England as in many countries there are still strong social segments closed and conservative. They try to keep their privileges and they look down on other lower segments. But modern times and ECONOMY are imposing an unstoppable trend to dismantle those unfair and even ridiculous positions. I don’t care much about social classes even if they are English. My natural reaction in front of people believing they are upper-whatever (like our Spanish rich-pijos) is to laugh at their faces.

At least that’s what I honestly think.

Girona’s Flowers Week (Unique in the World-probably-)

Yesterday I went to Girona. I visited most of the old town. The town has an old tradition consisting in making a great number of design sets of flowers and plants. The designs consist in sets of hundreds of flowers, plant leaves and some artificial materials. This is something very difficult to describe. Photographs can give some idea. But I would dare to say that these days the ‘Girona’s Flowers Week’ is something unique. This week is a ‘must’ for people who like flowers –thousands of flowers- arts and beauty.

Every year during this week many privet yards (‘patis’) of the very old houses are opened for visitors and inside you can see incredibly beautiful floral sets. The floral designs are different in every site and they are made by garden centers, plant shops, design schools, associations and groups of students. Some of the monumental sites within the historical center show some of the bests floral sets. If you plan to visit this unique sort of flower exhibition you should not miss the Arab Baths and a couple of the towers of the old walls. Other public buildings like churches, City Hall, are equally fitted with those beautiful and original flower sets.

The visit interest is strongly enhanced by the fact that a part of the old town it used to be the Hebrew ‘district’, now called ‘call’ in Catalan. The Hebrews living there –and those living everywhere else in Spain- were driven out from the country by the sadly well known Spanish Catholic Kings in 1,492. The same year that Cristóbal Colón reached the New World. The current ‘call’ is much the same as it was at that time. But during these days you may visit the inside of some of those houses and see the incredible stone walls, arches, cistern reservoirs, etc. To me it is always striking to realize how few and small windows those stone houses had. Those people lived in almost dark rooms and consequently their main source of light was just oil lamps.

I’m inserting a few photos to better illustrate that event. I hope you’ll like them. If you haven’t been there yet think of going some year. You won’t regret your decision.

See you next Thursday!

Places vs Photography Gallery

Two classmates and our gentle English boss made some comments on the photographs published within my last blog. I had no intention as to organize a game or a quiz but rather to have an excuse, as I do usually, to write a subject in English.

But Lydia took it seriously and wrote the names of the places depicted in the photos. She was more than great! She must have a special gift for sites recognition because she succeeded in identifying all places including the two more difficult ones. I thought those two photos could be known only by Carla or anyone else having been in Argentina.

Also Montse wrote a comment which I found it to be very nice. Apparently she likes lighthouses and she felt curious about the one you may see in my photo.

So I'm going to list right away the places of the photographs. I will list them in the same order appearing in my post. Here they are,

Cala Aiguablava (Costa Brava)

Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, US)

Colosseo Romano (Roma)

Hoi Han (Vietnam)

Peterhof Palace (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Una bodeguita (La Habana)

Mountain train (Switzerland)

El Ateneo bookshop (Buenos Aires)

Chichen Itza Pyramid (Yucatan Peninsule, Mexico)

Bangkok (Thailand)

Lighthouse (Argentina) SEE EXPLANATION BELOW

India (place not identified)

Blue Mosque (Istanbul, Turkey)


Last but not least:

Huge dish of 'rice with lobster', prepared by 'cheff' Miguel. (Miguel, not Miquel!)

Restaurant's name: Miguel, el Rey del Cabrito (sic)

Location: Palafrugell (Girona)

Comment: '10 star' Michelin, providing you don't expect any luxury
and you're rather ready to the noise made by customers and fumes
from kitchen.

However, dishes are obscenely large and tasteful!!! (and cost is very, very reasonable)

Comments on Argentinian photos:

The bookshop 'El Ateneo' in Buenos Aires used to be an old large classical theater. When the theater was closed the building was reconditioned as a bookshop. As you may see this is a very especial bookshop. Because of its layout and esthetics but also because you're allowed to take any book from the shelves and read it seated in a box for as much time as you want. And eventually you may leave the book back in the shelve without having to buy it. Furthermore the stage is now a 'cafeteria' were you can also read the book you like while having a drink or coffe for as long as you wish. That's a great bookshop, isn't it?

The name of the lighthouse is 'Les Eclaireurs'. This is a French name which means 'The explorers'. This lighthouse is in 'Tierra del Fuego' in the very south of the Argentinian Patagonia. It is situated in a tiny island on the Beagle Channel, very close of the Ushuaia town which is the closest town to Antarctica in the world. Many people there call this lighthouse as 'El faro fin del mundo' (The end of the world lighthouse). Ushuaia and the surroundings is one of the actual fascinating places one can visit worldwide. There it is easy to feel you are still in one of the few 'end of the world' places.

Argentina is a country full of places that can be qualified as the Michelin guides state: 'Worth the travel'.

The Buenos Aires bookshop and the 'End of the World Lighthouse' are clearly among those which 'Worth the travel'.

See you next Thursday!