h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Eih! Rich!
I´ve enjoyed a lot the reading and I´m looking forward for the rest.

Researching the history of Spain is really rewarding, as you have said: colourful.

YOu have mentioned Río Tinto. Last weekend I saw a report, about the area, the-sometimes-sci-fiction lansdcape; the village the British built there when they bought the mine ( the most powerful industry in Spain then); the green area of Huelva, the Aracena hill. Jabugo is a village there that gives the name to that delicious ham from cerdo ibérico...
This area and its history is worthwhile an entry.
Something curious:
scientists are doing researchs in the waters of Tinto river, they say it´s because the similarities with the water that could exist in Mars ( sort of, Im not, unfortunatly, a person with enough scientific knowlegde)


Lo dicho, un placer leer tu Entry.

Mar

That's the ultimate in approval, Mar!

(I was quite worried that you'd read this project actually )

Don´t be silly, I´m not well learned about history.

An entry necessarily misses some other interesting things, but the main points are there, and well explained. Even, I´d say your words are "inviting" the reader to go further.


Spain is the one of the most visited countries, there must be something

Te animo a que estudies español. YOu will be really glad about it. It´s spoken in many places, and now in US it´s becoming quite strong.

::
There are other topics I´d like to suggest, just you or someone else may find them interesting:

The International Brigades, maybe focused on the British group.

Hispanists
There are a lot of North American and British Hispanists, people who learn the language, the literature and the history of Spain. Some focus on literature and art, like Ian Gibson (well, He´s Irish) or in history, Paul Preston.

There are also others, who simply loved this country: John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, Gerald Brenan, Rovert Graves, Orson Well, George Orwell...

All of them interesting by themselves.

Well, I´m exceeding my breaktime,
back to work

Mar

Estoy aprendiendo. Muy lentamente

Spain has the most fascinating of histories, and it's a history that is very much alive. One can't properly appreciate Carlos's palace in Granada or Palma's cathedral without understanding their context, or wander a good juderia without knowing how it sprang up. Places like La Manquita in Malaga tell their own story of religious fervour, boom and bust. Is it possible to stare into the gorge at Ronda without thinking of the fascists forced over the edge by the 'good guys'? Spain's history is there in the background all the time - it's not something you have to go looking for. I'm rarely unimpressed.

The International Brigades is a very good idea. And an Entry about literature and literary figures would be fascinating. I used to have a dual-language copy of Don Quixote, and it's still a very funny book. I've also read El Cid, but that's much harder work. Is there anything more recent you could recommend?

Maybe I should start with a children's book and a dictionary

Hi Rich,

these are two links that, if you dedicas tiempo a ellos, you will learn a lot. I think they are quite useful. The first one is the oficial page of Radio Televisión Española. YOu can watch videos, listen to radio programmes, etc.
The second one is the most important institution dedicated to the learning and teaching of Spanish and Spanish culture, in Spain and abroad.
I link a page of the site that I consider relevant for you. But, explore as much as you can. It´s worthwhile.

http://www.rtve.es/radio/

http://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/default.htm

I´m sure you find them useful.

About books... I´ve taught Spanish Literature to spanish people,but can´t tell which would be the best for a foreigner. I told you Antonio Machado, his poetry is accesible. Miguel Delibes, novelist, is also easy. But I think that the best you can do is read whatever you like most: sports? history? In the Cervantes site, surely there are recommendations you can follow.
Enjoy.

Un abrazo,
Mar

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(Estoy aprendiendo )

abrazo estrecho?
estrecho means narrow, you mean apretado, tight?







tonto!

(ok, teachers shouldn´t do that,

Tonto indeed

I heard of someone, maybe this is apocryphal, and he wanted to say they were embarrassed but couldn't think of the word. So he had a guess and came out with 'estoy embarrassado'

But the funniest one - and I'm very proud of this! - was when I was walking the Camino. We walked in August, so it was very, very hot. So we'd walk into a bar and I'd order a cold beer and, to make conversation, say 'phew... estoy muy caliente!' And sometimes the barman would laugh and say 'si?', or correct me and say 'ah, mucho calor!', or if was a woman they'd look at me in a funny way. And I did this for about ten days, wondering what the joke was. Then somebody who spoke good English laughed and said we could keep the beers for nothing, and that I should always say 'mucho calor', because saying you're very hot can mean something very different...

Avergonzado? Oh, yes