Your Casual language Exposure for the Week
First post! We did it Joe! I'm Sharilyn Vera. This is what I've been watching, reading, and listening to in other languages.
First of all, thanks for being here. I’m excited to have a platform/accountability for my language learning journey. Let’s get into it.
These are a few of my favorite things– En Español
I’m gonna keep it simple this first time around and share some helpful resources and fun ways I try to integrate Spanish into my daily life.
On Repeat
Sueños Bravos by Bodysync.
I love this song. Play it, have a little dance, then scroll down a bit and read the lyrics. Sueño means dream. And bravo has a few translations, it can mean fierce, wild, or crazy. In the context of this song, I think it means crazy dreams.
Mueve, siente a toda la gente / Move, feel all the people
Rayos alumbrados, comenzamos lentamente / Illuminated rays, we start slowly
No me digas que no puedes / Don't tell me you can't
Te conozco / I know you
Caminando por la acera / Walking on the sidewalk
Sueños bravos / Crazy Dreams
Te conozco is a good line to know. Conocer, is a verb you use a lot in spanish. It means to know, or to be acquainted with.
Example: Conozco ese chico de una universidad / I know that guy from college.
Honorable Mentions
Otro Atardecer - Bad Bunny, The Marías (spotify / youtube)
This is my favorite song on this album. I love the Marías. If ya didn’t know, Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican. The Marias are from Los Angeles, and the lead singer is Puerto Rican too 🇵🇷
Sacatela - La Femme (spotify / youtube)
La Femme is a french band and this song is part of their first album done entirely in spanish! Also, fun music video.
Juanes - La Camisa Negra (spotify / youtube)
Camisa Negra / Black Shirt. This one is kind of a joke but not really. Juanes is an iconic Colombian singer and musician. I remember really being into this song as a teenager. Learning these lyrics could be a fun challenge.
An app I use every day
SpanishDict app (or their website SpanishDict.com)
It’s a horrible name for an app. Every time you say it out loud it sounds like you say Spanish dick, but c'est la vie. There are three things I love about this app.
It is much better than google translate. They give lots of examples of words in sentences and even tell you the region the word could be from if it’s slang or one of those words that’s different in every country, like straw.
It’s a dictionary and a learning app. This algorithm is great for memorizing vocab. They use digital flashcards with an advanced spaced repetition algorithm. Spaced repetition is a powerful technique that helps you memorize information in much less time than it would take otherwise. The idea is to space out your repetitions so you’re not trying to cram all the knowledge into your brain at once.
Widgets! If you download the iphone app, you have the option to create a widget on your screen. I use mine to display the spanish word of the day on screen.
In the news
This was in the news in January of this year, but it is still unfortunately relevant
Peru has closed off Machu Picchu due to growing anti-government protests.
Peru indefinitely shut the famed ancient ruins of Machu Picchu on Saturday in the latest sign that anti-government protests that began last month are increasingly engulfing the South American country. (link)
Pro-Bolsonaro protesters storm Brazil's Congress
Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro have stormed Brazil's Congress building and Presidential offices, in scenes that echo Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (link)
Egg smuggling from Mexico
As the price of eggs continues to rise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are reporting a spike in people attempting to bring eggs into the country illegally from Mexico, where prices are lower. (link)
Movies and TV recommendations
Swedish alert! So this might be one of my favorite short films ever. Min Börda (The Burden). Just watch it.
A dark musical enacted in a market place. The employees of the various commercial venues deal with boredom and existential anxiety by performing cheerful musical turns. The apocalypse is a tempting liberator.
And Finally, Summertime. So I am low-key obsessed with this Italian coming-of-age Netflix series. They have three seasons now. It’s fun, it’s light, and it has beautiful cinematography and music. It’s actually introduced me to some of my favorite songs.
Thats all for now folks! I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the short film The Burden. But if you have any other thoughts, or requests, comment because I wanna hear them!
See you soon. Bye!
Nos vemos pronto, adiós!