Category Archives: Language
Conversation Hearts en español! (Giveaway!)
Over the weekend I shared on Facebook that I discovered these Spanish-language Conversation Hearts at Target and I asked if I should give away a bag here on Latinaish. As expected, the answer was an overwhelming “¡Claro que sí!” so here is your chance to win a bag of Spanish candy hearts for Valentine’s Day! See the rules (below) for how to enter.
(Random fact: The brand name is Brach’s, a company started by a German immigrant in the United States but the package says these particular candies were made in Argentina. Interesting!)
—GIVEAWAY CLOSED. CONGRATS TO: JEN E!—
GIVEAWAY RULES
Prize description: One lucky winner will receive a 1 lb. bag of Brach’s Spanish Sayings Conversation Hearts in Classic Flavors.
Approximate value: $2.50
How to Enter:
Just leave a comment below telling me what Spanish word or short phrase you would want on the candy heart someone gives to you, or what you would put on the one to give to your valentine. (Please read official rules below.)
Official Rules: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must be able to provide a U.S. address for prize shipment. Your name and address will not be shared with any third parties. This prize was purchased by Latinaish.com and will be shipped by Latinaish.com. Please no P.O. Boxes. One entry per household. Make sure that you enter a valid E-mail address in the E-mail address field so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be selected at random. Winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected at random. Giveaway entries are being accepted between February 4th, 2013 through February 7th, 2013. Entries received after February 7th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST, will not be considered. I will try to have the prize shipped so it arrives before Valentine’s Day but I do not make any guarantees that it will arrive on time. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. If you win, by accepting the prize, you are agreeing that Latinaish.com assumes no liability for damages of any kind. By entering your name below you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law.
Buena suerte!
Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored post. Brach’s was not contacted by Latinaish.com and Brach’s does not necessarily endorse Latinaish.com. All opinions are my own.
Películas Clasicas Mexicanas
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation is in italics!
¿Te gustan las películas clasicas mexicanas? Aquí están algunas de mis escenas favoritas. ¿Cuáles son tus favoritas?
Do you like classic Mexican movies? Here are some of my favorite scenes. Which are your favorites?
Poker de Reinas – Corazón de Melón
Pedro Infante – Escuela de Vagabundos – Cucurrucucú Paloma
Pedro Infante – Carta a Eufemia
A Toda Máquina – Gringuita – Pedro Infante y Luis Aguilar
Los Tres Garcias – Pedro Infante
Los Tres Garcias – Pedro Infante, Abel Salazar, Víctor Manuel Mendoza, Sara García & Marga López
Jorge Negrete – Huapango Ranchero
Cantinflas – Por Mis Pistolas
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Piedad “Piddy” Sanchez doesn’t sit at the “Latino lunch table” in her new school’s cafeteria. With her light skin, good grades, and lack of an accent, the girls at the “Latino” table don’t consider her Latina enough. To make things worse, her body has apparently begun to develop and boys are taking notice. Piddy is accused of “shaking her stuff” when she walks, and Yaqui Delgado, a girl with a reputation and a criminal record, lets it be known that she, along with her gang of friends, are going to kick Piddy’s ass.
If this were Piddy’s only problem, life would be difficult enough, but Piddy is dealing with a lot more than that; a father she’s never met, her best friend moving away, juggling a part-time job with her mother’s impossible expectations – all while trying to figure out that inevitable coming-of-age question, “Who am I?”
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina is a YA (Young Adult) novel that took me, (as a 30-something year old), right back to the insecure days of the high school hallway. I read this book in one sitting and loved it – If I had a teenage daughter, I would be putting it into her hands right now. (I have a teenage son and I’ll try to convince him to read it, but it seems boys never want to read books with a female protagonist.)
Piddy’s voice feels authentic; her situation and the challenges she faces are ones a lot of teenage girls, (Latina and otherwise), are going to relate to. The diverse cast of characters are equally complex and real. These are the kinds of Latino/a characters we need more of, in YA literature especially.
One word of caution – Piddy is 15 years old, going on 16. There are some mature themes and I would recommend this book for girls no younger than 13 years old.
Want to read this book? Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina comes out March 2013 – Until then, you can enter the giveaway below!
—THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO “SQUEEZE”—
THE GIVEAWAY
Prize description: One lucky winner will receive a copy of the book, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina.
Approximate value: $11.00
How to Enter:
Just leave a comment below telling me why you want to read this book, or why you want to win it for someone else. (Please read official rules below.)
Official Rules: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must be able to provide a U.S. address for prize shipment. Your name and address will only be shared with the company in charge of prize fulfillment. Please no P.O. Boxes. One entry per household. Make sure that you enter a valid E-mail address in the E-mail address field so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be selected at random. Winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected at random. Giveaway entries are being accepted between January 29th, 2013 through February 12th, 2013. Entries received after February 12th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST, will not be considered. Realize that the prize can not be shipped until the publish date in late March 2013. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. If you win, by accepting the prize, you are agreeing that Latinaish.com assumes no liability for damages of any kind. By entering your name below you are agreeing to these Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law.
Buena suerte!
Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored post. I received an advance reading copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
10 Tarjetas de San Valentín!
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation in italics!
Sí, ya sé que es muy temprano por escribir sobre El Día de San Valentín, (también conocido como “Día de los Enamorados” y “Día del Amor y la Amistad”), pero yo no puedo esperar porque les tengo una sorpresa.
He creado algunos “valentines” para ustedes en español! Por favor, siéntase libres de compartirlos en las redes sociales, a través de E-mail, o incluso imprimirlos y darlos a su amorcito. Son completamente gratuitos. Besos!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Title: 10 Valentines
Yes, I know it’s too early to write about Valentine’s Day, (also known as “Día de los Enamorados” and “Día del Amor y la Amistad” in Latin America), but I can’t wait because I have a surprise for you.
I have created valentines for you all in Spanish! Please, feel free to share these in social media, through E-mail, or even to print them and give them to your sweetheart. They’re completely free to use. Kisses!
Please note: The license on each of these photos put in place by the individual photographers allows for non-commercial use and adaptations of the original with attribution. Each photo has been watermarked by me with the photographers name and linked to the original photograph. I want to thank the photographers for making their photos available for use under Creative Commons.
El paisaje celeste de los días de enero
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!
Hoy me desperté y mi primer pensamiento fue, “El sol! El cielo celeste!” Me sentí que había salido de la cárcel despues de una sentencía de viente años y que yo estaba viendo de nuevo la luz del día por primera vez. Es que toda la semana pasada los días fuerón iguales.
Por una semana entera no ví el sol y el cielo de color gris estaba sin nubes – o una gran nube que cubria todo – no estoy segura. Los días no parecian días … más como otro tipo de noche, una noche un poco menos oscura. Como escribio Junot Díaz, los días eran “el color de palomas de castilla.”
Por eso me hizo sonreír de felicidad ver el cielo celeste y a mi amigo, el sol, esta mañana. En ese momento, un poema por salvadoreño Roque Dalton me vino a la mente. El poema se llama, “Como tú” y decidí leerlo para ustedes – espero que les guste.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Today I woke up and my first thought was, “The sun! The blue sky!” I felt like I had just left prison after a twenty year sentence and that I was seeing daylight again for the first time. It’s that this past week, all the days passed the same.
For a whole week I didn’t see the sun and the grey-colored sky was without clouds – or a great cloud covered everything – I’m not sure. The days didn’t look like days… more like another type of night, a night that is a little less dark. As Junot Díaz wrote, the days were “the color of pigeons.”
That’s why I smiled out of happiness to see the blue sky and my friend, the sun, this morning. In that moment, a poem by Salvadoran poet Roque Dalton came to mind. The poem is called “Like you” and I decided to read it for you today – I hope you like it.
La Música de Dawin y Una Canción Justin Bieber Estilo Bachata!
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation in italics!
Dawin Polanco es un joven músico dominicano-americano con mucho talento. Él no sólo canta, sino que también toca la guitarra y el piano. Vean por ustedes mismos – aquí es su versión de As Long As You Love Me por Justin Bieber, pero estilo bachata. Me encanta!
(Dawin Polanco is a young Dominican-American musician with a lot of talent. Not only does he sing, but he also plays guitar and piano. Look for yourself – here is his version of As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber, but bachata style. I love it!)
Claro que Dawin tiene sus propias canciones también, como esta canción, Light of Day (Let ‘Em Go). ¡Qué bella la canción!(Of course Dawin has his own songs too, like this one, Light of Day (Let ‘Em Go).) It’s so beautiful!
Quieren aprender más sobre Dawin? Aquí les traigo una mini-entrevista con él. Chécalo! (Want to learn more about Dawin? Here I bring you a mini-interview with him. Check it out!)
Latinaish habla con cantante, Dawin
(Latinaish speaks with singer, Dawin)
Latinaish: Eres dominicano-americano, ¿Cómo han contribuido las dos culturas en tu vida? (You’re Dominican-American – How have those two cultures contributed to your life?)
Dawin: Sí soy dominicano – estas culturas me han dado el lujo de poder disfrutar plenamente o comprender lo que sucede en el mundo inglés y español. (Yes, I’m Dominican – these cultures have given me the luxury of being able to fully enjoy or understand what is happening in the English and Spanish world.)
Latinaish: ¿Por qué haces música? Parece una pregunta simple, pero no siempre tiene una respuesta fácil! Lo sé porque la gente me ha preguntado por qué escribo.(Why do you make music? It seems like a simple question, but it doesn’t always have an easy answer! I know because people have asked me before why I write.)
Dawin: Es cierto. Por suerte siempre he tenido mi respuesta [se ríe.] Hago música porque es mi manera de vaciar mi mente de cosas negativas y crear música es mi forma de rejuvenecer. (It’s true. Luckily I’ve always had my answer [laughs.] I make music because it’s my way to empty my mind of negative things and making music is my way of rejuvenating.)
Latinaish: ¿Dónde podemos encontrar/comprar tu música? ¿Crees que un día vamos a escuchar una canción en español o spanglish de ti? (Where can we find/buy your music? Do you think we’ll ever hear a song from you in Spanish or Spanglish?)
Dawin: Mi música se puede encontrar en sitios como YouTube donde me gusta hacer mis estrenos. Tengo música gratis y disponible para descarga aquí: www.soundcloud.com/dawin y en iTunes. Te prometo que voy a hacer una canción en español o spanglish y como continuar con mi éxito, me gustaría hacerlo con artistas conocidos. (My music can be found on sites like YouTube where I like to make my premieres. I have free music and it’s available for download here: www.soundcloud.com/dawin and on iTunes. I promise I’ll do a song in Spanish or Spanglish and to continue with my success, I would like to do it with well-known artists.)
Enlaces/Links:
DawinMusic.com
Dawin on Twitter
Dawin on Facebook
Dawin on iTunes
En Transición
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!
Image source: Amir Kuckovic
¿Qué significa “transición”?
Según dictionary.com, “transición” se define como “movimiento, pasaje, o el cambio de una posición” – también, “el período de tiempo durante que algo cambia de un estado o etapa a otra.”
O sea, “transición” es una buenísima palabra por describir el estado en que me encuentro.
Todavia no sé exactamente cuales cambios busco, y cuales van a suceder, pero yo sé que necesito menos tiempo en frente de esta pantalla, menos tiempo sentada, menos tiempo gastado en cosas que no valen.
Yo sé que necesito mucho tiempo por pensar, escribir, mover, estar con mi familia, observando personas reales y las maravillas del mundo natural. Necesito comer comida sana, beber más agua, dormir más, leer los libros que están acumulando polvo iguál que mi.
Estas no son resoluciones del Año Nuevo, son necesidades – cosas que mi alma me estaba pidiendo hace mucho tiempo.
Un cambio que ya hice fue a la página “about” aquí en Latinaish.com. Espero que les guste.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
What does “transition” mean?
According to dictionary.com, “transition” is defined as “movement, passage, or a change of position” – also, “the period of time during which something changes from one state or stage to another.”
In other words, “transition” is a very good word to describe the state in which I find myself.
I still do not know exactly what I’m looking to change, and what will happen, but I know I need less time in front of this screen, less time sitting, less time spent on things that are not worth it.
I know I need a lot of time to think, write, move, be with my family, watching real people and the wonders of the natural world. I need to eat healthy food, drink more water, sleep more, read books that are gathering dust like me.
These are not New Year’s resolutions – these are needs – things that my soul has been asking me for for a long time.
One change I’ve already made is to the “about” page here on Latinaish. I hope you like it.
Feliz Día de Los Inocentes!
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!
Image source: Felix E. Guerrero
Hoy me levanté infeliz. Carlos me despertó diciendo: “Tracy, el perro tuvo un accidente terrible en la sala. Ve a ver. Es un desastre.”
Yo sospechaba que él estaba bromeando, pero yo no estaba cierta y fui a investigar. Claro que no habia nada de accidente en la sala y el perro estaba dormido.
“Feliz Día de los Inocentes!” Carlos me dijo. Cuando vio que yo no le hice mucha gracia, él se disculpó y dijo que no más bromas por el resto del día. Ja! Como si no voy a tener mi venganza? Yo no lo creo!
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Today I woke up unhappy. Carlos awakened me saying, “Tracy, the dog had a terrible accident in the living room. Go look. It’s a mess.”
I suspected that he was joking, but I wasn’t sure and I went to investigate. Of course there wasn’t any accident in the living room and the dog was asleep.
“Happy Innocents Day!” [Innocents Day is like Latin America's April Fools Day] Carlos said. When he saw that I wasn’t amused, he apologized and said there would be no more tricks for the rest of the day. Ha! As if I won’t have my revenge? I don’t think so!
Un Nacimiento Bilingüe y Bicultural
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!
El miercoles en la página Facebook, durante una conversación sobre nacimientos, una amiga y lectora de Latinaish.com, (“Lady Amalthea”), me mencionó que tenía un nacimiento que quería compartir con todos. Originalmente habíamos planeado compartirlo en la página de Facebook, pero cuando me mandó la foto ví inmediatamente que era muy especial y tenía que ser compartido aquí.
Dale un “click” para ver la foto en grande. Hay muchos detalles! (Click the photo to see it full size. There are a lot of details!)
En las palabras de “Lady Amalthea”:
[Mi nacimiento es] un pueblo bicultural y bilingüe. He incorporado piezas que mi esposo y yo trajimos de Ilobasco, El Salvador y algunas casas de “Christmas Village” que hemos recogido juntos, como el Teatro de película, y la estación de tren. Mi esposo americano mantiene el argumento de que el nacimiento es algo fuera de control y que no es una escena de la natividad correcta, con los soldados, cachiporras, los animales de todo el mundo, etc., pero cada vez que mi hermana me manda más figuras para agregar, mi esposo no puede esperar para ver cuál es esta vez y donde yo la voy a poner! Mi esposo aún me convenció añadir un tren eléctrico para dar la vuelta alrededor del pueblo!
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
On Wednesday on the Facebook page, during a conversation about nativities, a friend and reader of Latinaish.com, (“Lady Amalthea”), mentioned that she had a nativity that she wanted to share with everyone. We originally planned to share it on the Facebook page, but when I saw the photo I immediately knew it was very special and had to be shared here.
In the words of “Lady Amalthea”:
[My nativity is] bicultural and bilingual. I incorporated pieces that my husband and I brought from Ilobasco, El Salvador and some Christmas village houses we have collected together, such as the movie theater, and the train station. My American husband keeps arguing that it’s getting out of hand and it’s not a nativity scene at all, with soldiers, cachiporras [cheerleaders], animals everywhere, etc., but every time my sister sends me more figures to add to it, he cannot wait to see which one it is this time and where I am going to place it! He even talked me into adding an electrical train to go around the village!
Este Chico Está Loco
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. Scroll down for English translation!
Cada día nuestro perro Chico nos muestra que está loco. Le gusta comer tierra de las macetas en la casa, perseguir su cola, tratar de entrar a la tina cuando estoy bañando, y ahora hemos descubierto que le gusta perseguir la luz de una linterna. Por todo eso y más, ya tiene el apodo de “Chico Loco” – pero el otro día en el carro, mientras escuchaba música, yo comencé a reír porque la canción me recordaba al perro. La canción era “Latinos in Paris” por Pitbull y Sensato, y en la letra dice “Este chico está loco.”
Pitbull (el cantante) Loco…
Perro (que no es de raza Pitbull) Loco…
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Each day our dog Chico, shows us that he’s crazy. He likes to eat the dirt from my potted plants, chase his tail, tries to get into the bathtub when I’m taking a bath, and now we discovered that he likes to chase the light from the flashlight. Because of all this and more, he’s earned himself the nickname “Chico Loco” (crazy Chico) – but the other day in the car, while listening to music, I started to laugh because the song reminded me of our dog. The song was “Latinos in Paris” by Pitbull and Sensato, and part of the lyrics go, “Este chico está loco” (This boy/guy is crazy.)
