After thinking about it for months, my need of giving something my love was too strong, so I got a hamster. Two hamsters actually. I made sure I got the biggest cage available in the store, the best imported food (with a mix of fruits and herbs), bedding, chewing toy, and even a little bathtub with bath salts. Oh! And two exercise balls so they can explore the apartment without getting lost.
Took me more than 30 minutes to decide which ones to get, since they were all so cute (and most of them were just sleeping). The first one that got my attention was a brown/gray little fellow, who looked curious about me and very awake... when those shinny big black eyes met mine, the deal was sealed. The second one was just chewing some piece of food when I approached, and it looked at me like saying 'don't you dare try to take away my seed!'... and that's how the white furry ball made it home with me as well.
Chícharo and Mochi seem to be happy. They ate food without any problems right away (and who wouldn't with the crainsins I added!), and don't seem to be particularly afraid of me. Last night they were pretty active and now are sleeping so happily that I might join them with a little siesta myself. I have the feeling that having them around won't help me with my procrastination issues...
So far everything is ok, except for a fight this morning over the use of the bathroom. Can't wait for tomorrow when I'll be able to start to play with them!
PS: I promise I'll upload pics as soon as I get my camera back.
Chícharo: Green pea. 豌豆 or 绿豆.
Mochi: Japanese rice cake. 餅(Japanese)/饼(Simplified Chinese).
18 de noviembre de 2009
9 de agosto de 2009
16 de julio de 2009
Se habla español (mexicano)
A couple of days ago, someone asked me why I wanted to teach English instead of Spanish. I explained that it wasn't that I wanted to, it was just that English has a higher demand than Spanish.
Further thinking about that question, made me realize it wasn't quite true. I mean, there is obviously more demand to learn English than to learn la lengua de Cervantes, but it goes further. A simple job search for Spanish-related jobs in The Beijinger shows that most are available only to Spain nationals, even recording or writing jobs with Latin America as a target market.
I wish I had a way to tell all of those people out there hiring Spanish-speakers, that they might not be on the right track. Most of them are either Chinese or other laowai that have no idea about our language. I hope more than one reads this one day (I'll make sure I'll send this link to at least a few!).
Let's start with the basics: Mexico's official language is Spanish. There is not such thing as Mexican language (although there are a few native languages and dialects that are still around, especially among indigenous population). According to the CIA, 92.7% of Mexicans speak Spanish only, while 5.7% speak Spanish and some other local language. That is almost 110 million people. This is relevant because worldwide, there is something around 350 million people that speak Spanish, being Mexico the country with the most native speakers of Spanish in the world. Of every 3 people that speak Spanish, one is from Mexico. It is also the country with the highest GDP (purchasing power parity) among the Spanish speaking world (yes, even above Spain), just in case you were wondering. So, the importance of the Mexican variety of Spanish (part of the Latin American variety) is important both for the size of its population and its economy.
Among the different varieties of Spanish, Latin American (a generalization) is the most wide-spread in the world. The most representative countries of this variety are Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and Costa Rica, but many other countries can also be said to speak Latin American Spanish variety. The main characteristic of it is the use of "usted"/"ustedes" and "tú" to refer to 'you' (singular/plural), instead of "vos"/"vosotros", as well as a strong emphasis on consonants. This makes Latin American (and therefore, Mexican) pronunciation the easiest to understand among Spanish speakers. Most misunderstandings or confusions with people that speak other varieties could come from the difference in the use and meaning of the words, not because of the pronunciation. Other varieties include Castilian (spoken in Spain), 'Trade winds' Spanish (Caribbean and some other parts of Central and South America), Rioplatense or Argentinian Spanish (also used in Uruguay). For further information, you can check out this website.
When thinking about Latin America as a market, to distribute printed material such as manuals, software, or dubbing films and other recordings, there is something very close to a Latin American Neutral Spanish. Besides avoiding idioms and localisms, there are three basic rules for it: the use of 'ustedes' instead of 'vosotros' for plural 'you'; 'tú' for informal singular 'you' and 'usted' to indicate a relationship in which the other part has a higher authority (such as the difference of ni/你 and nin/您 in Chinese); and an homogeneous pronunciation of c (before e and i), s, and z. All of these three characteristics form part of the Mexican variety of Spanish.
I am not saying that other forms of Spanish are not ok. But not to hire Mexicans (or some other Latin Americans) for Spanish-related jobs, is as wrong as not wanting to hire an American for an English-related job. Unless it has an specific target market for which that particular variety of Spanish is needed (Castilian for Spain, or Rioplatense for Argentina), HR managers should know that hiring exclusively people from Spain to do this kind of job, sometimes can even be a bad choice, as it is not the most standardized form of Spanish. Lo siento Cervantes.
Further thinking about that question, made me realize it wasn't quite true. I mean, there is obviously more demand to learn English than to learn la lengua de Cervantes, but it goes further. A simple job search for Spanish-related jobs in The Beijinger shows that most are available only to Spain nationals, even recording or writing jobs with Latin America as a target market.
I wish I had a way to tell all of those people out there hiring Spanish-speakers, that they might not be on the right track. Most of them are either Chinese or other laowai that have no idea about our language. I hope more than one reads this one day (I'll make sure I'll send this link to at least a few!).
Let's start with the basics: Mexico's official language is Spanish. There is not such thing as Mexican language (although there are a few native languages and dialects that are still around, especially among indigenous population). According to the CIA, 92.7% of Mexicans speak Spanish only, while 5.7% speak Spanish and some other local language. That is almost 110 million people. This is relevant because worldwide, there is something around 350 million people that speak Spanish, being Mexico the country with the most native speakers of Spanish in the world. Of every 3 people that speak Spanish, one is from Mexico. It is also the country with the highest GDP (purchasing power parity) among the Spanish speaking world (yes, even above Spain), just in case you were wondering. So, the importance of the Mexican variety of Spanish (part of the Latin American variety) is important both for the size of its population and its economy.
Among the different varieties of Spanish, Latin American (a generalization) is the most wide-spread in the world. The most representative countries of this variety are Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and Costa Rica, but many other countries can also be said to speak Latin American Spanish variety. The main characteristic of it is the use of "usted"/"ustedes" and "tú" to refer to 'you' (singular/plural), instead of "vos"/"vosotros", as well as a strong emphasis on consonants. This makes Latin American (and therefore, Mexican) pronunciation the easiest to understand among Spanish speakers. Most misunderstandings or confusions with people that speak other varieties could come from the difference in the use and meaning of the words, not because of the pronunciation. Other varieties include Castilian (spoken in Spain), 'Trade winds' Spanish (Caribbean and some other parts of Central and South America), Rioplatense or Argentinian Spanish (also used in Uruguay). For further information, you can check out this website.
When thinking about Latin America as a market, to distribute printed material such as manuals, software, or dubbing films and other recordings, there is something very close to a Latin American Neutral Spanish. Besides avoiding idioms and localisms, there are three basic rules for it: the use of 'ustedes' instead of 'vosotros' for plural 'you'; 'tú' for informal singular 'you' and 'usted' to indicate a relationship in which the other part has a higher authority (such as the difference of ni/你 and nin/您 in Chinese); and an homogeneous pronunciation of c (before e and i), s, and z. All of these three characteristics form part of the Mexican variety of Spanish.
I am not saying that other forms of Spanish are not ok. But not to hire Mexicans (or some other Latin Americans) for Spanish-related jobs, is as wrong as not wanting to hire an American for an English-related job. Unless it has an specific target market for which that particular variety of Spanish is needed (Castilian for Spain, or Rioplatense for Argentina), HR managers should know that hiring exclusively people from Spain to do this kind of job, sometimes can even be a bad choice, as it is not the most standardized form of Spanish. Lo siento Cervantes.
- 12.2% of people (older than 5 years old) in the United States, speak Spanish at home. The largest number of them are Mexicans or from Mexican origin.
- Most films in a foreign language, get dubbed into Castilian and Latin American varieties, instead of just Castilian. I have the feeling that most Latin Americans appreciate this deeply (I know I do!).
- Mexican TV shows and soap operas (particularly from Televisa) have played an important role in exporting Mexican idioms and slang to other parts of Latin America. This is the reason why some of our common use phrases are understandable to people in other countries. It makes me feel both proud and embarrased.
- The first Congress of Spanish Languages Academies, was organized by the Mexican Academy of the Language, in 1951, giving birth to a Permanent Commission among them. Also, the 1st International Congress of the Spanish Language, was held in 1997, in Zacatecas Mexico.
15 de julio de 2009
My name is Megumi, and I am a Beijing Kaoyaholic.
It's been almost two weeks since I got back to The Jing, and it's been nothing but fascinating!
There has been many new places to visit since my last stay here, but getting back to the old ones has been even better. I found it particularly interesting that wherever you go now, there is a hotdog stand around! I know most people reading this won't find it special, but for all those laowais around (and especially the ones outside Beijing and Shanghai) it will make sense.
Talking about food: getting back to Beijing also reminded me about how much I love Chinese food. It is not that I have something against Southern cuisine... well, maybe I do... it is just that the marvelous smell of Sichuan cai, toasty flavour of Jianbing with just a bit of sweet sauce instead of two ounces, and (my friends won't be surprised with this one) real-peanutsy-spicy-absolutely-wonderful Gongbaojiding. I really should get one of those t-shirts at Nanluoguxiang: 宫保鸡丁.
But the greatest thing about being back is the people. I know, cheesy. While I'll miss the old friends, it's good to have a place outside your hometown, outside your own country, that also makes you feel welcomed. And I'm not talking only about my friends here, that's too obvious. I'm talking about people like the neighbors, such as the tall Chinese guy with very good English that looked at me and just said "hey, you are blonde now! how have you been?"; the woman from the store across the street that looks at me wondering if I am the same person or not; the young guard that smiles and says "Hi! Ni hao!" even if he just saw me 3 minutes before. Bumping into acquaintances: like my newest one getting off the bus with a bouquet of 30 white roses in his hands. Randomly delicious.
But deliciousness has its price, and I'm already having a Beijing Roasted Duck hangover. That won't stop me for having it again soon I'm sure. It is not only that I love the taste of it, but there is something so familiar about getting the pancakes out of the little basket, like tortillas out of the tortillera, organizing the structure of the roll like if you were finding the balance in a taco while all the time making sure you got the right amount of sauce on it. Or maybe it is just me and my Mexican genes.
The Beijing police never had a record of me leaving Beijing, as I learnt when I went to re-register. They were right: I never left.
There has been many new places to visit since my last stay here, but getting back to the old ones has been even better. I found it particularly interesting that wherever you go now, there is a hotdog stand around! I know most people reading this won't find it special, but for all those laowais around (and especially the ones outside Beijing and Shanghai) it will make sense.
Talking about food: getting back to Beijing also reminded me about how much I love Chinese food. It is not that I have something against Southern cuisine... well, maybe I do... it is just that the marvelous smell of Sichuan cai, toasty flavour of Jianbing with just a bit of sweet sauce instead of two ounces, and (my friends won't be surprised with this one) real-peanutsy-spicy-absolutely-wonderful Gongbaojiding. I really should get one of those t-shirts at Nanluoguxiang: 宫保鸡丁.
But the greatest thing about being back is the people. I know, cheesy. While I'll miss the old friends, it's good to have a place outside your hometown, outside your own country, that also makes you feel welcomed. And I'm not talking only about my friends here, that's too obvious. I'm talking about people like the neighbors, such as the tall Chinese guy with very good English that looked at me and just said "hey, you are blonde now! how have you been?"; the woman from the store across the street that looks at me wondering if I am the same person or not; the young guard that smiles and says "Hi! Ni hao!" even if he just saw me 3 minutes before. Bumping into acquaintances: like my newest one getting off the bus with a bouquet of 30 white roses in his hands. Randomly delicious.
But deliciousness has its price, and I'm already having a Beijing Roasted Duck hangover. That won't stop me for having it again soon I'm sure. It is not only that I love the taste of it, but there is something so familiar about getting the pancakes out of the little basket, like tortillas out of the tortillera, organizing the structure of the roll like if you were finding the balance in a taco while all the time making sure you got the right amount of sauce on it. Or maybe it is just me and my Mexican genes.
The Beijing police never had a record of me leaving Beijing, as I learnt when I went to re-register. They were right: I never left.
- laowai/老外/foreigner
- cai/菜/food, dish - also: vegetable
- jianbing/煎饼/some sort of Chinese crepe
- gongbaojiding/宫保鸡丁/better known as Kum Pao chicken in the West but not exactly the same taste
- Beijing kaoya/北京烤鸭/Peking roasted duck
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