Day 42. We enrolled in Spanish School this morning along with several other victims from Germay, Switzerland, USA and UK. The first thing they did was give us a test to assess our level in order to put us in the correct class. It’s funny how a quiet room, a pen, a blank piece of paper and some questions can make your heart beat faster. The marking system was a little arbitrary, though after some musical chairs, we settled down into our classes.
Spanish School
At break time we were all served the popular Colombian beverage, Cafe Tinto, a tiny plastic cup of strong coffee with enough sugar to stand your spoon in. Cafe Tinto is served from flasks by street sellers who regularly refill their flasks from taps in coffee shops. We’ve had some very good coffee on our trip so far but this takes some beating.
Tiddly coffees all round at break time
A bit more study whilst hiding from the afternoon heat was followed by an evening’s wander. A traditional arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) for dinner rounded off the day nicely.
You didn’t say whether you both got into the same class..Is the Spanish you are doing Spanish Spanish or is it a version that has evolved in the country over the years?
PS. I cut the grass today to encourage Spring to hurry along. At least the snow seems to have stopped and buds are appearing. Deo Gratias !
We were separated into different classes which works out well because we can come home and exchange notes. Two for the price of one!
We’re effectively learning South American Spanish which, apart from one notable exception, has identical grammar to Spanish Spanish. The main differences are some of the words used and the accent, very similar to the differences between British English and US English.
Roll on Spring!
Annie & Safe
P.S. For you linguists out there, the main differences between Spanish Spanish and South American Spanish can be summarised as follows:
Grammar: The informal 2nd person plural (i.e. “you” referring to more than one person) exists in Spanish Spanish but not in South American Spanish. South Americans just revert to the formal 2nd person plural which is more like “they”!
Words: Just like the British will join a “queue” in the bank and the Americans a “line”, the Spanish will join a “cola” and the South Americans a “fila”.
Accent: The South Americans make fun of the Spanish lisp! No “th” sound here!