Happy Holidays

     From December 24 through January 1, none of the Bemidji language tables will be meeting.  We will resume meeting on January 2.  Have a happy holiday season!

La Journée des Accions de Graces Chez Nous. Thanksgiving Day at our House

     Aujourd’hui, a la table de français, j’ai eu besoin de me venter de ma famille et la fête des acciôns de graces chez nous.  Amber, ma femme, a fait les preparaciôns avant de la journée, mais, maleursement, elle etait malade la matin de la journée.  Ça matin-la presque toute la famille est arrivée, et s'est restée beaucoup des choses à faire.  Je suis allé a la chambre d’Amber, elle m’a dit les direcciôns.  Je suis retourné à la cuisine, et j’ai dit les direcciôns a la famille, et tous ont fait les direcciôns.  Nous nous avons repiter beaucoup de fois.  Il y avait 12 personnes dans la cuisine, enfants et petits-enfants, et tous etaient trés ocupés. Tout la famille se divertit et chaqu’un avait une parte de la preparaciôn, et le repas était fantastique.  Heureusement, Amber a la chance de parler avec la famille, et la prochain jour elle a recouvert.  Toujours c’était beaucoup de manger, et elle pouvait manger le bon repas.  Quelle bonne fête nous avons eu!  Merci pour la joie de famille.

     Today at the French table, I had to brag about my family and the Thanksgiving celebration at our house.  Amber made preparations before the day, but sadly she was ill that morning.  Almost all the family arrived that morning, and much remained to be done.  I went to Amber's room, she told me what to do.  I returned to the kitchen and passed the directions on to the family, and they all followed the directions.  We repeated that many times.  There were 12 people in the kitchen, children and grandchildren, and everyone was very busy.  Everyone had a good time, and everyone had a part in the preparation.  and the meal was excellent.  Fortuneatly, Amber had a chance to talk with the family, and she recovered the next day.  There were still plenty of left-overs, and she was able to have a great meal.  What a great holiday we had!  Thanks for the joy of family.

Bindestrek-Amerikanere, Hyphenated-Americans

 Carl Schurz, tysk-amerikansk statsmann    

foto  tak til de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Schurz   



på norsk

I dag, på  norskebordet, vi lest litt om norsk jul skikker.  Etterpa snakket vi om aktivitetene til andre bindestrek-amerikanere; dansk-amerikanere, svensk-amerikanere; og den innsats de har gjørt  i amerikansk kultur.

Det brakt til sinn mitt et sitat fra Carl Schurz, en nittende århundre tysk-amerikansk statsmann.

"Jeg har alltid vaert i favør  av en sunn amerikanisering, men det betyr ikke at en komplett negasjon av vår  tyske arv.  Det betyr at vår  karakter bør ta på  seg det beste av det som er amerikansk, og kombinere det med det beste av det som er tysk.  Ved a gjøre dette, kan vi best tjene det amerikanske folk og sivilisasjon deres."

Så  mange bindestrek-amerikanere har brakt til oss det beste av sin hjemlige kultur, blande dem med amerikansk kultur å gjøre en perfektere nasjon.  Takk til alle de modige innvandrere som har beriket oss i fortiden, og til dem som i dag hjelper oss a bygge en bedre Amerika i fremtiden.

English

Today at the Norwegian table, we read a little about Norwegian Christmas customs.  Afterwards, we talked about the activities of hyphenated-Americans; Danish-Americans, Swedish-Americans; and the contributions they made to American culture.

It brought to my mind a quote from Carl Schurz, a nineteenth century German-American statesman.

"I have always been in favor of a healthy Americanization, but that does not mean a complete disavowal of our German heritage.  It means that our character should take on the best of that which is American, and combine it with the best of that which is German.  By doing this, we can best serve the American people and their civilization."

So many hyphenated-Americans have brought to us the best of their homeland cultures, mixing them with American culture, to make a more perfect nation.  Thank you to all those brave immigrants who have enriched us in the past, and to those who today help us to build a better America in the future.

3 week report, san1 xing1qi1 de bao4gao4, 三 星期 的 报告, tre uke melding

     Three weeks ago, I wrote that I would study Chinese and Norwegian every day, and would write something every week.  I didn't do it.  I went to the Chinese and Norwegian conversation tables every week, but I didn't study every day.  Today I change my habits.

Pinyin

     San1 xing1qi1 qian2, wo3 xie3 le wo3 mei3 tian1 xue3 Zhong1wen2, Nuo2wei1yu3, mei3 qing1xi1 wo3 xie3 yi1dian3.  Wo3 bu2 zuo4le.  Wo3 mei3 qing1qi1 qu4 zai4 Zhong1wen2 he Nuo2wei1yu3 shuo1hua4 de zhou1zi, dan4shi4 mei3 tian1 bu4 xue2xi.  Jin1tian1 wo3 gai3bian4 wo3 de xi2guan4.

Chinese

      三 兴起前，我 写了 每天 我 学 中文，挪威语; 每星期 我 写 一点. 我 不 做了.  我 每星期 去 在 中文 和 挪威语 说话 的 桌子, 但是 每天 不 学习.  今天 我 改变我 的 习惯.

Norwegian

     For tre uken, skrivet jai skal jai hver dagen studere kinesisk og norsk, og hver uke skal jai noe skrive.  Jai har ikke gjore det.  Hver uke gjoret jai  til kineserebord og norskebord, men studier jai ikke hver dag.  Idag skal jai forandre vanen min.

     (Being a student, I know there are many errors in my Chinese and Norwegian writing.  I won't feel bad if you would like to correct any or all of my errors.  You may do so in the comments section below, or by e-mail at bemidjidavid@gmail.com.)

After a year, what next?

     A year and a week ago I wrote the first post on this blog.  I created this blog to be a source of information on the current schedule of language tables and resources available in the Bemidji area.  My secondary reason was to give me an incentive to write in the languages I am studying, to help me develop my understanding of these languages.
     Although I've not added any new languages to my "survival" list, nor have I brought any of my "survival" languages up to the "pretty good" level, I've made small progress in most of them.  Participating in language tables does help one maintain current skills in that language, but without significant outside study, improvement is very slow.
     For that reason, I've decided to concentrate on Mandarin Chinese and Norwegian for the next four months.  I will do something in these two languages every day, and write about some mundane aspect of my life in these two languages every week.  By the end of December, I hope to have survival skills in Norwegian, and speak "pretty good" Mandarin Chinese.  Look for the first written report in these two languages by next Thursday, August 30.
     I will continue to spend some time each week to maintain my Spanish and other survival languages, and of course if I get a surprise opportunity to visit some distant corner of this globe, all bets are off, and I'll concentrate on the language and culture of that area.  Questions, comments or suggestions? click on "comments" below.

Concordia Language Villages, International Day

     Located in the beautiful northwoods of Minnesota, Concordia Language Villages offers language immersion programs in 15 different languages.  Twice each summer, we celebrate this with an international festival.  On Friday afternoon, August 10, 2012, we will be celebrating in the 11 languages that currently have immersion programs in progress.  For a more complete description of the activities and languages involved, please click on this site; International Days, 2012.

     To get an idea of the fun and excitement experienced by the learners and staff, or to observe and interact with them and others, come visit with us on August 10.  Admission and participation in activities is free, including but not limited to a tour of the 5 villages at this site.  However, you may wish to bring some money to purchase food and beverages and some exotic items at the International Bazaar.

     Be sure to be here for the opening ceremony at 2 PM, for the colorful entrance of all the different villages. And if you get a chance, stop by and say "hi" to me in the language of your choice at the International Cafe.  We have soft drinks, ice cream and chairs in the shade for that brief respit you may be needing.  Feel free to bring in food from one of the many stands near-by selling international cuisine.

     Questions or comments?  Click on 'comments' below, or send me an e-mail at bemidjidavid@gmail.com.

Eric Dregni's "Vikings in the Attic"

     Mandag aften, 9. juli, kloka 7  på  Bemidji bibliotket, Eric Dregni kommer og snakker over sin nye buk, "Vikings in the Attic."   De er en historie om en amerikansk hvem finner sine norske  røtter. .
     Eric er også opphavsman av "In Cod We Trust," om sine opplevelser da han og familie sine bodde et år i Norge.
     Kom mandag aften for en interessant presentasjon på Bemidji biblioteket.

     Monday evening, July 9th at 7 pm at the Bemidji library, Eric Dregni will come and speak about his new book, "Vikings in the Attic."  It is a story about an American finding his Norwegian roots.
     Eric is also the author of "In Cod We Trust," about his experiences when he and his family lived a year in Norway.
     Come Monday evening for an interesting presentation at the Bemidji library.

Ninguna reunión de la mesa de español ésta semana, No meeting of the Spanish table this week

A causa de la celebración  de la fiesta nacional de Los EEUU, el cuatro de julio, no se reunió esta semana la mesa de español.  Qué nos vemos la semana que viene.

Because of the US holiday, the Fourth of July, the Spanish table will not meet this week.  See you next week.

三 人 行， San1 ren2 xing2, Three people walk

     星期一上， 三个人 来 中文的 桌子。 在 会议 以后， 我 烤炉 孔子。  他 说， “三 人 型。  庇佑 我 的 师。“  我们 不 型， 但是， 每个 人 学， 每个 叫 娶她的。
     星期一 下， 我们 要 说话 的 农场 和 财源。  你 想说 一点 汉语 吗？ 你 相会说， 东， 一点吗？ 请 来， 请教，请学 以下。
     你有问题吗？  请 在 “comments  “ 下， 写 还是 罚 我 电子邮件。

     Xing1qi1yi1 shang4, san1 ge ren2 lai2 zhong1wen2 de zhuo1zi.  Zai4 hui4yi4 yi3hou, wo3 kao3 lu4 Kong1zi3.  Ta1 shuo1 "san1 ren2 xing2, bi4 you3 wo3 de shi1."   Wo3men bu4 xing1, dan4shi,mei3 ge ren2 xue3, mei3 ge jiao4 qu2 ta1 de.
     Xing1qi1yi1 xia4, wo3men yao shuo1hua4 de nong2chang3 he cai4 yuan2.  Ni3 xiang3 shuo1 yi dianr3 han4yu3 ma?  Ni3 xiang3 hui4 shuo1, dong1 yi1 dianr3 ma?  Qing3 lai2, qing3 jiao4, qing3 xue2 yi xia4.
     Ni3 you3 wen2ti ma? Qing3 zai4  "comments" xia4 xie3, haishi fa1 wo3 dian4zi you2jian4

       Last Monday, three people came to the Chinese table.  After the meeting, I thought about Confucius.  He said, "Three people walk, certainly there is my teacher."    We didn't walk, but each one learned, and each one taught the others.
     Next Monday, we will talk about farming and gardens.  Do you want to speak a little Mandarin?  Do you want to be able to speak and understand a little?  Please come, please teach a little, learn a little..
     Do you have questions?  Please write in "comments" below, or send me an email.

Une erreur de comunication, A miscommunication

     Aujourd’hui, samedî,une femme a telefoné le Wild Hare Bistro pour demander de la table français.  La répondante ne sais pas que nous nous rencontrons tous les samedîs à 9 heures, jusque 11 heures. 
     Perdonnez-moi pour l’erreur de comunication.  Je posterai l’horaire au restaurant, et je retournerai samedi prochain.
     On a des questions?  cliquez vous “comments“ ici-bas, ou envoyez moi un e-mail.

     Today, Saturday, a lady called the Wild Hare Bistro to ask about the French table.  The respondant didn't know that we meet every Saturday from 9 to 11 am.
     Pardon me for the miscommunication.  I will post the schedule at the restaurant, and will return next Saturday.
     Any questions?  Click on "comments" below or send me an e-mail.

中文 的 桌子 改变 时候 的 回忆。 Zhong1wen2 de zhuo1zi gai3bian4 shi2hou4 de hui4yi4。 Chinese table changes meeting time.

     下个星期一，我们 五点半 要见面。 这个 时候 多一点儿 方便 根 几个 人。  星期一， 五点半 件。

     Xia4ge xing1qi1yi1, wo3men wu3dian3ban4 yao4 jian4mian4.  Zhe4ge shi2hou4 duo1 yi1dianr3 fang1bian4 gen1 ji3ge ren2.  Xing1qi1yi1 wu3dian3ban4 jian4.

     Next Monday, we will meet at 5:30.  This time is more convenient for some.  See you Monday at 5:30!

中文的桌子有节日。 Zhongwen de zhuozi you jieri。 Chinese table takes a holiday

      昨天，四口人 来了 中文的桌子。 我们说话，甚或快乐。
      因为 星期一，五月，二 十八号 是 纪念节，那天 中文的桌子 没有 会议。 我们 回来 下个 星期一， 六月四号。  我们也 改变 会议 的 时候。  四点钟 会议 开始。  两个星期  见！
  
     Zuo4tian1, si4 kou3 ren2 lai2le Zhong1wen2 de zhou1zi.  wo3men shuo1hua, sheng3 huo1 kuai4le4
     Yin1wei4 xing1qi1yi1, wu3yue4, er4shi2ba1 hao4 shi4 ji4nian4jie2, Na4 tian1 Zhongwen de zhuozi meiyou hui4yi4.  Wo3men hui4 lai2 xia4 ge xing1qi1yi1, liu4 yue4 si4 hao4.  Wo3men ye3 gai3bian4 hui4yi4 de shi2hou4.  si4 dian4zhong1 hui4yi4 kai1shi3.  Liang3 ge xing1qi1 jian4!.
 
     Yesterday, four people came to the Chinese table.  We talked and had a good time.
     Because Monday, May 28 is Memorial Day, the Chinese table will not meet that day.  We will return the following Monday, June 4.  We have also changed the meeting time to 4 o'clock.  See you in two weeks!

Il giorno della Memoria alla tavola italiana

     Il lunedi che viene è il giorno della Memoria.  Per questo, la tavola italiana non si riunira lunedi, il 28 di maggio.  Torneremo di nuovo lunedi, il 4 di giugno.  Coloro che non sono con noi, ricordiamo.

     Next Monday is Memorial Day.  For this reason, we will not meet on Monday, May 28th.  We will return again on Monday, June 4th.  We remember those who are not with us.

中文 的 桌子 开始 Zhong1wen2 de zhuo1 zi kai1shi3 Chinese table begins

     5月14号 星期一 晚上 5点钟，中文的桌子开始。 每 星期一，5点，我们 要来 Cabin Coffeehouse, 说 汉语, 听 汉语, 可是 学 一点点..  你 喜欢 说 汉语 吗? 请来.. 你不 好 说, 但是 香 联系 吗? 请来. 时候 不 好 吗? 请 写一张 便条 "Comments" 里, 还是 送我 一个电子邮件. bemidjidavid@gmail.com             星期一间! 

     5 yue4 14 hao4 xing1qi1y1i wan3shang 5 dian3zhong1, zhong1wen2 de zhuo1zi kai1shi3.  Mei3 xing1qi1yi1, 5 dian3, wo3men yao4 lai2 Cabin Coffeehouse, shuo1 han4yu3, ting1 han4yu3, ke3neng2 xue2 yi1 dian3dian3.  Ni3 xi3huan shuo1 han4yu3 ma3? qing3 lai2.  Ni3 bu4 hao3 shuo1, dan4shi4 xiang3 lian4xi2 ma3?  Qing3 lai2.  Shi2hou bu4 hao3 ma3?  You3 wen4ti2 ma3?  Qing3 xie3 yi1 zhang1 bian4tiao2 "Comments" li3, hai2shi song4 wo3 yi ge dian4zi you2jian4..     xing1qi1yi1jian4!

     May 14, Monday evening at 5 o'clock, the Chinese table will begin.  Every Monday at 5 we will meet at the Cabin Coffeehouse to speak and listen to Mandarin Chinese, and maybe learn a little.  Do you want to speak Mandarin?  Please come.  You don't speak well, but want to practice?  Please come.  Is the time not good, or you have other questions?  Please write in the "comments" or send me an e-mail. bemidjidavid@gmail.com   See you Monday!

中文的桌子吗？ Zhongwen de zhuozi ma? Chinese table?

2012年5月2号，星期三，晚上5：15，有汉语的会议在Cabin Coffeehouse  。我们要说话的新汉语的桌子。我们做什么在那里，什么时候？有意思吗？请来。 驾驶 不回来，下泄便条在"comments"。

2012 nian 5 yue 2 hao, qingqisan wanshang 5:15, you zhongwen de huiyi zai Cabin Coffeehouse.  Women yao shuohua de xin hanyu de zhuozi. Women zuo shenme zai nali, shenme shihou?  You yisi ma?  Qing lai.  Jiashi bu hui lai, xia xie biantiao zai "comments".

May 2, 2012, Wednesday evening at 5:15, there will be a Mandarin Chinese meeting at the Cabin Coffehouse.  We will talk about a new Mandarin table.  What will we do, where and when?  Sound interesting?  Please come.  If you are unable to come,  write a note in the "comments below.

Türkçe masa şimdilik buluşmıyor, For now, Turkish table not meeting

     Sadece iki insan Türkçe masada buluştuk.  Onun için, şimdilik her iki haftada buluşmuyoruz.  Türkçe öğrenmek devam ediyorum, ve ne zaman bize uygun, buluşcağiz.   Eğer Türkçe masa ilgili ile seniz, e-posta ile bana bildir lütfen. 

Only 2 people met at the Turkish table.  Therefore, for now, we will not be meeting every two weeks.  I am continuing to learn Turkish, and we will continue to meet when convenient.  Anyone with interest in the Turkish table, please send me an e-mail.

Nuestros amigos a la mesa de español

     Lo siento que pasó tanto tiempo que tuve esta foto y no lo puse en el sitio de web.  La foto es de nuestra mesa de español que se reunió el 28 de marzo.

Ahora mismo, no recuerdo los sujetos de nuestras conversaciones, sino recuerdo que nos divertimos muchísimo.

     I'm sorry I had this photo so long and haven't put it on the website until now.  It's a photo of our Spanish table meeting on March 28.  Right now I don't remember the topics of our conversations, but I remember we had a good time.

Confessions of a Minnesotan

     English is not my first language.  I grew up in central Minnesota.  Minnesotan, (pronounced Minasood'n) is my mother tongue.  My mother tells me that I didn't speak at all until I was almost 3 years old.  She quickly added that was probably because things were going pretty good, so I didn't need to talk. Going to school I came in contact with other cultures.  Immigrants who came from such far away places as Iowa, Illinois, even New York.  I eventually learned to speak, understand, read and write American English "pretty good.", but I sometimes revert to my Minnesotan to express important concepts.  (See also "Norwegian and Minnesotan")
     One of these concepts is the phrase "pretty good".  I'm pretty good at math.  That doesn't mean I don't make occasional mistakes, or that I know anything about trigonometry or calculus, but I can do simple calculations in my head, and know that a section of land is 640 acres, 1 mile on each side, and 10 acres is 660 feet on each side. There's a lot of math I can't do, but for a Minnesotan, I'm "pretty good."
     When I brought home my straight A report card from the first grade, my mother smiled and said "That's pretty good, David."  I knew I had received high praise.  On rare occasions my father said "pretty darn good"
     That being said, when I say I speak pretty good Spanish, it means I can converse on general topics and understand most of what I hear.  You might lose me in a conversation on macro-economics, quantum physics or a host of other topics which don't interest me, but you might also lose me on those topics in English or Minnesotan,
     So when I say I have become pretty good at a language, or that I have a goal of becoming pretty good, you'll know what I mean.

Namaste! (Hello) from the Nepali section of Bemidji

    Whenever I meet a new language and culture, I can't help wanting to learn more about it.  The other day I had a pleasant conversation with a young man from Nepal.  I knew where Nepal was, and that it was in the Himalaya  mountains, but not much more.  He spoke 4 languages, English, Hindi, Nepali and Sherwa, his family language.  He told me of his plans and some about his culture.  I went home and started to read on the internet about Nepal and the Nepali language, and found a good introduction to Nepali at this site.  I've listened to the first video a couple of times, and now know a few words and phrases in Nepali,  I don't know how much further I'll go in this language, I'm not into mountain climbing or trekking at this time, but I'm enjoying the trip so far.

Auf Deutsch bitte!

     Wir haben einen neuen deutschen Tisch! Wir treffen uns jeden Donnerstag um 1530 auf Java City in der Uni. Java City befindet sich im unteren Niveau des Hobsen Memorial Union, 1510 Birchmont Drive, Bemidji. Klicken Sie hier für den Aufbau Karte. Ob Sie ein BSU Student sind oder nicht, sind Sie herzlich willkommen. Sie brauchen nur ein Interesse an einem Besuch auf der deutschen Sprache.
      Vielen Dank an Professorin Graefe und der BSU deutschen Abteilung das möglich gemacht haben. Am kommenden Donnerstag, "auf Deutsch bitte!"
     Fragen, Kommentare oder Korrekturen? Klicken Sie unten auf "Comments" oder schicken Sie eine Email an bemidjidavid@gmail.com.

     
     We have a new German table!  We meet every Thursday at 330 pm in Java City at BSU.  Java City is located in the lower level of Hobsen Memorial Union, 1510 Birchmont Drive, Bemidji.  Click here for building map.  Whether you are a BSU student or not, you are welcome.  You only need an interest in visiting in the German language.
     Many thanks to Professor Graefe and the BSU German Department for making this possible.  Next Thursday, "auf Deutsch bitte!"

     Questions, comments or corrections?  Click on "Comments" below or send an email to bemidjidavid@gmail.com.

The senior advantage

     Minnesota residents 66 years of age and over can enroll in classes at Minnesota state colleges without cost.  There's a small charge if you wish to receive credit towards a degree, but auditing is free.  I've been taking advantage of this from time to time for several years now, taking linguistics and language classes.  I'm currently enrolled in a Spanish history and culture course, a German linguistics and grammar review, and a second semester Chinese course.  (The Chinese course is for the third time, but it gives me the chance to hear. speak and review.  Only one year of Chinese is offered here at Bemidji State.)
     Some may think our senior brains are starting to harden up and get crusty like our arteries and our muscles, and we can't cram any more into them or compete with the millennium generation.  I believe the brain is like any other muscle. the more we exercise it, the better it functions.  While it's true we may be deteriorating some, we have one distinct advantage.  We can draw from 66+ years of experience.  Besides, our fellow students have 46 more years than us to contribute to our society, and if they do better than us, more power to them.  We're not in a competition, we're learning with them and from them. 
     So if you're a senior citizen and have an interest in languages or any other subject, check with your local college or university.  You may find that other states, provinces or areas have even lower age minimums.  If you do find that, I would appreciate letting us know in the comments section below.  Of course any other questions, comments or criticisms are always welcome.

Italia à Connecticut

     Ho trovato un nuovo sitio di web scrito per una segnora chi è traslocata d'Italia ai Stati Uniti.  Scrive nelle due lengue, italiano ed inglese, delle sue esperienze ed osservazioni nei due paesi.  Mi piacciono molto le storie, ed alla stessa volta, m'aiutano impegnare l'italiano. 
     Spero che anche à Lei si piaccia questo sitio.  Fa clic qui, "From the North of Italy to Connecticut" per leggere le sue storie.

     I found a new website written by a lady who moved from Italy to the United States.  She writes in the two languages, Italian and English, about her experiences and observations in the two countries.  I like the stories very much, and at the same time they help me learn Italian. 
     I hope you also like this site.  Click here, "From the North of Italy to Connecticut" to read her stories.

Turkce program, Turkish schedule

Turkce masası her ay iki zaman               The Turkish table will be meeting
buluşacak. İkinci ve dördüncü pazartesi,   twice a month.  We will meet the
430-6pm CabinCoffeehousede                  second and fourth Mondays, from 
buluşacağız.                                               430-6 pm at the CabinCoffeehouse.

         Program                                                       Schedule

Pazartesi  13 ve 27 subat 2012                   Monday, 13 and 27 February 2012
Bahar tatılı  12 marş, karşılamayorız        Spring break, 12 March, no meeting
Pazartesi  26 marş 2012                             Monday,  26 March 2012
Pazartesi  9 ve 23 nisan 2012                    Monday, 9 and 23 April 2012

Una experiéncia deliciosa

     Ayer por la noche los pasantes de Concordia por nosotros prepararon una cena espléndida.  Lo siento que me olvidé los nombres de los platos, pero empezamos con una sopa deliciosa de México, y continuemos con un plato argentino de arroz, carne y una ensalada con una vinegreta delisiosa.  La comida estuvo magnifica, y comí tanto que fué difícil moverme.  Tanbién tuvimos buenas charlas con los pasantes y los otros huéspedes a la mesa. 
     ¡Qué afortunada que tenemos tan buenos amigos de Concordia!  Se pueden ver más de los programas de Concordia a  Concordia language villages, fall 2011. y http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/
     Cómo siempre, pueden hacer commentos abajo.
    
    
     Last night the interns at Concordia prepared a splendid meal for us.  I'm sorry that I've forgotten the names of these dishes, but we began with a delicious Mexican soup, and continued with an Argentine plate of rice, meat and a salad with a delicious vinigrette.  The meal was magnificent, and I ate so much it was hard to move.  We also had very pleasant conversations with the interns and the other guests at the table.
     How lucky we are to have such good friends at Concordia!  You can see more about Concordia's programs at Concordia language villages, fall 2011. and http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/
     As always, you can comment below.

¡Felíz Año Nuevo! Happy New Year!

     Después de las vacaciones, la mesa de español ayer se reunió por la primera vez en este año nuevo.  Vino una nueva persona quién nos discubrió por este sitio de web.  Cómo siempre, aprendí un poco del idioma.  La diferencia entre "ir" y "irse", y también" y "tampoco".  A causa de una discusión de la tubería, aprendí nuevas palabras, "la trampa del aire" y "una llave francesa".  ¡Qué bueno reunirnos de nuevo!
     Todas las otras mesas, con la excepción de alemán, también van a reunirse de nuevo.  Vean el horario a la derecha de esta página.
     ¡Qué se vaya bién en el año nuevo!
     Peguntas, comentarios, correcciónes?  Favor de hacer clic abajo en "comments."

     After our vacation break, the Spanish table met yesterday for the first time in this new year.  A new person who discovered us on this website came.  As always, I learned a little more of the language.  The differnce between "to go" and "to go away" and "also" and "also not".  During a discussion on plumbing, I learned the new words, "sink trap" and "crescent wrench".  How wonderful to meet again!
     All the other tables, with the exception of the German table, will also be meeting again.  See the schedule on the right side of this page.
     Wishing you the best for the new year!
     Questions, comments or corrections?  Click on  "comments" below.