Archive for September 2012

Travel Spot: Salzburg

Travel Spot: Salzburg

Salzburg is the capital city of the province of Salzburg in Austria. The city has an approximate population of 150,000 and is located along the Salzach River at the northern boundary of the Alps. The most prominent feature of its skyline is a fort or Festung located up on a hill. This iconic building overlooks the city and dates back to 1077! Salzburg is very popular with tourists year round owing to its beautiful old town or Altstadt, great café culture, and vibrant music and arts scene.

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Grammar Tips: Muy vs. Mucho and Bueno vs. Bien

Many students struggle with the differences between muy/mucho and bueno/bien.  At least part of the blame lies in English, as its speakers have come to use adjectives as adverbs in everyday speech. For example:

Question:  “How are you?”                                  Answer:    “I’m good, thanks.”

When asking how someone is doing you are asking for their state of being. Therefore an adverb should be used in the answer as it is modifying the verb ‘to be.’ However, in English we generally respond using an adjective. The same exchange in Spanish is as follows:

Question:  “¿Cómo estás?”                                  Answer:    “Estoy bien, gracias.”

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Cultural Corner: The Tango

Cultural Corner: The Tango

The tango is an evocative dance that has its origins in 19th century Argentina. It developed on the riverside, or ribera, of the Riachuelo River in Buenos Aires in the early 1880s. At the time, Buenos Aires was a city in expansion due to large numbers of immigrants coming from Europe in search of work. The majority of the new immigrants were single men, largely sailors and artisans by profession. To mitigate their loneliness many frequented brothels or burdeles with live music for entertainment. As the atmosphere was somewhat melancholy, undertones of longing, loss and separation are present in the music.  The dance that developed is a slower, more intense and restrained version of the milonga, a dance that had previously been popular in the same circles, and features very intricate footwork and partnering.

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