It was all around me … I mean ALL around me … the banners and flags, the body paint, the colors, the vuvuzela, the snare drum, the battle cries, the charged and excited chatter ….. but it wasn´t until I excused myself to the ladies room that the true beauty of it all was revealed. [...]

“So, where have you been?” you ask. “Well, trying to catch my balance,”  I respond.  ”While Luis and I continue to work on the Free Online Video Program I have had to add a job search to the ‘jarana’ (party)”. Yes, I’ve lost my job.  The clinic I was working for has experienced a meaningful [...]

Scene: Joan and Naomi working together at Naomi’s house.  It is about 12:30 PM and they have been working intensely since 8 AM.  Neither have eaten breakfast and now it’s time for lunch.  They know this not by the clock, but by their fading energy level and by the gnawing in their stomachs.  They have [...]

As I dig deeper into improving my Spanish language skills, I find myself crashing headlong into one myth after another. I was ‘pitched’ and enthusiastically bought about a zillion bills of goods at the beginning of this journey One of the biggies was that Spanish is easy.  I can’t tell you how many people I’ve [...]

I am guessing that where you live is more a reflection of what you consider to be your culture than someone else’s.  That is, if you have financial resources you likely live around other folks who do as well, if you adhere to a particular political perspective, the majority of your friends are those similarly-minded, [...]

Huh!  That would be an example of what Luis was talking about recently in our Free Video Classes.  That at times words in English and Spanish will sound very similar, “tomate – tomato” was the example he used.  But here in the title of my entry we have it again, sort of, ”exhibit”.  At least it’s spelled the same in both [...]

Pete, Paramedic and Pat, Firefighter from St. Paul, MN with their brothers-in-kind in Buenos Aires. You know … there are some sectors of our community that really stand out as exceptional contributors for the common good.  Some amazing folks that you can be sure, with out a doubt, have your back!  Like Firefighters/Paramedics for example. If these amazing men and women didn’t [...]

It´s the question that occurs to me nearly every time I welcome a new client to my psychology practise.  The first interaction goes rather routinely; “Buenos días, mi nombre es Joan.  Bienvenidos. ¿Les puedo ofrecer aguita, un cafecito o gaseosa?  Pasen por favor a mi oficina.”  (Good Morning, my name is Joan.  Welcome.  Can I get you some [...]

…….much, according to a study done by cbsnews.com  http://tinyurl.com/yb5gbtl .  When US parents of school age children were asked if they valued their children learning a foreign language, 47% said “yes” and “51% said “no”. To this I ask;  ”Really?” The national demographic of our country continues to shift to the degree that it no longer [...]

After re-reading my title, I fear it may give the impression that this post portends to posit something massively contributive to the field of linguistics or to that of  social anthropology.  It portends to do nothing of the sort - and after pausing for an insecure second, doubting the wisdom in posturing with such airs -  I decided to go forward with it anyway.  [...]