Martin Chambi: A great Peruvian photographer

Currently in Lima there is a great exhibition of a great photographer whose work show us portraits of Andean people in the beginning of the 20th century.

When I visited the exhibition the diverse pictures or portraits touched my heart because I was looking something that maybe it is hard to see today and because I belong to that society. I felt deep emotions and I travelled in the past trying to imagine and see in my mind the gestures of those people in motion. The faces so authentic and real that it seems that they are eternal and, yes, they are eternal thanks to those unique pictures.

This is a short entry because I don´t find the words to describe my feelings. And this entry is my personal tribute to this simple but at the same time great man whose goal was to show us the feelings of his people (my people as well). 

If you want more information about the great and unique Martin Chambi, you can visit the following link:

http://martinchambi.org/en/

Outside from Lima

After a beautiful time in Puno, I am back. I usually say that it is good to be outside Lima for a while. Big cities are nice, but big cities do imply stress, noise and crowd and that is not always healthy. Luckily in Peru there are many places to visit. If I had the chance, I would travel twice a month. But I travel whenever it is possible for me.

I spent over a week in Puno, a lovely city South from Lima. Puno is famous because of the Titicaca lake and what a lake! Blue and I don´t find words to compare its shine. I think the lake was always in competition with the blue sky, because both were always shining. The Lord was more than good to provide Puno with such a landscape. You could feel History, good energy and mistery everywhere. History because of the many ruins there; mistery because many people, including me, where there to visit places full of energy and stories of people living underground -I was astonished when I visited the Aramu Muru door- and mistery because of the legends and stories people tell.

I have to confess I like to travel in Peru because of our diverisity and for me it is a way to get closer and to understand some of our national reality. People speak there Spanish (they were forced to since it is the most important language in Peru), Quechua and Aymara. Unfortunately in Peru, it is not mandatory to learn natives languages at the school or at the university and for me this is a huge mistake. Not to talk a language means not to understand the way of thinking, the way of understanding the world. The Andean people live in other context and their environment is more linked with nature and also with the experience of subjugation and torture by Spanish conquerors and afterwards by abusive landowners (of course there are always exceptions). All of us have traces of our history but there are times when I feel that some require more time to be overcome. However, despite our negative past experience, I have found women wearing their traditional colourful dresses working hard, women with a lovely strong black shiny hair decorated by a unique hat that has become the distinction mark of Puno´s women. I have seen beautiful girls and children with a mestizo sunburned skin. All of them full of life and hopes. I just adored the time there and I am sure I will visit the city again.  Meanwhile I enjoy my life in Lima.

Some travel tips and other data:
- There are always cheap ways to reach the touristic places. The tours I was offered were very expensive, for example, one tour for Tiahuanaco ruins was US$ 190 per person. Luckily I did it on my own and I just spent S/. 180 Soles (Exchange rate: US$ 1 = S/. 3.20 new Soles. Of course, the amount of money depends on how many days you want to stay and what do you want to visit. But, again, my best tip is that you "should always ask for alternative ways". In Peru most of the time there are cheaper ways.
- Tourists usually spend two or three days in Puno. Taquile Islands are the most visited place. Now the trend is to do "immersion tourism". I don´t know the prices for this tour.
- The best restaurant and coffee for me: La Casa del Corregidor. A nice attention and fair prices.
- Visit the Carlos Dreyer museum. I was impressed by the paintings and the well arranged section about periods of history.
- The Hotel Posada Don Giorgio was very good: simple, but very clean.
- About the "Aramu Muru" doorway, there are a couple of stories about its origin. I am the kind of person who believes in other worlds in this world. For me Aramu Muru is the conecction between our ordinary world and the other "hidden" world and this "hidden world" may help us to reach other level of awareness or conciousness. Here I share this interesting link about "Aramu Muru": http://coolinterestingstuff.com/mystery-of-the-aramu-muru-gateway

I share with you some pics of my travel:

I love the long braids.

A coca tee is always good. The coca leaves are not drug.

Chullpas (graves) in Sullastani.



We all share the same roots.

Blue sky and a blue lake through a window-door in Juli, South of Puno. A nice town.

A geougeus painting by the German painter Carlos Dreyer.

A place I wanted to visit for a long time: Tiahuanaco ruins in Bolivia. Here is the Kalasasaya temple.

Lima: children of migrants

According to the Peruvian National Statistical System there are 9 million 752 thousand citizens in Lima and the district of San Juan de Lurigancho is the most populated with over one million inhabitants. In total there are 43 districts of Lima Metropolitana and 6 districts of Callao province. 14 districts of Lima do not appear in the next picture of the five (cinco) Lima and Callao sectors.  Nevertheless, this picture is a good presentation of the present Lima.

As you see Lima is divided in five sectors: Norte (North), Este (East), Sur (South), Moderna (Modern) and Antigua (Ancient). The most traditional districts are located in Lima Antigua and Lima Moderna. As the name implies, Lima Antigua (Ancient Lima) is characterized by its beautiful colonial architecture, republican buildings and some of them with precious balcony.

The popular tourist destination are Lima Antigua, Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro.

Over the years Lima has changed radically. At the beginnig of the 40s, the migration process started and since then, Lima changed for ever. In 1945 the popoulation in Lima was about 573 6000 inhabitants and the current figure is over 9 million people. This figure provides us a very good idea of how significant migration was. A crisis in agriculture was the trigger of this event.

The current inhabitants of Lima are primarily descendant from Andean people. For example: my dad´s family is from Cajamarca (north of Peru) and my mom´s family is from Ica and Ancash (South and Center of Peru, respectively); so I have a great mix in my blood.



My family: a mix from Spanish and Andean people (my aunt, the woman with glasses says that we also have African blood.)

This huge diversity provides the city with many pictures. Pictures that vary depending on where you live. I remember that during a flight from Europe to Peru, a man from Ecuador, who lived in Rome, told me that most Peruvians in Rome said that they lived in Miraflores. I had to laugh, but it was not true. I guess he was suspicious about my answer. Miraflores is definitely the new "meeting point" in Lima, the "welcome door" for our foreign visitors. The amount of tourits is amazing and every time I walk in Miraflores, I find myself surrounded by people all over the world. Its location next to the Pacific Ocean is a perfect place for running, riding a bike or just for taking a walk. Miraflores is also a business area where middle-class and some wealthy people  live. San Isidro, its neighbouring district, is maybe the most elegant and one of the most wealthy districts. Districts like Surco, La Molina and a little bit Barranco and San Borja are the homes of Lima´s richer families. Here it is expected to see large residences, mansions, luxurious departments and white Peruvian people, some of them of European ancestry.

 

But, in Peru, we are predominantely mestizos (mix-raced), but at the same time our physical features and special entonation are our distinctive marks to recognize our origins in Peru. We are all different. 



With lovely friends, all of us with Andean roots

As I previously said, the migration to Lima started in the 40s and from the 40s to the 70s, districts like El Agustino, San Martin de Porres, San Juan de Miraflores, San Juan de Lurigancho, Comas, Villa El Salvador, among others, appeared. All these "new" districts are populous and some of them are famous for their industrial areas. The district Villa El Salvador, created in 1971, is the most representative example with its industrial zone and its very visited market.

The majority of the population of these "new districts" belong to the middle, lower-middle and lower class. If you were in a bus going through these places, you will find yourself with people of different ages whose travel is anymated by loud vernacular or cumbia music. People going to work, study, to visit someone, people who dream for better life conditions.
Each time I get into the only electric train in Lima, whose route embraces Villa El Salvador (South Lima) to San Juan de Lurigancho (East Lima), I am impressed by the view along the route: urban areas, malls, hills fully crowded, large retailers, big businesses, poverty, dirt, a narrow river (Rimac River) and children, the new hope for change.

The famous Ovalo de Miraflores

A crowded train with children

A part of the huge San Juan de Lurigancho

 

It is also very important to mention the influence of foreigners long settled in Peru, specially in Lima, like the Japanese, Italian and Chinesse colonies, among others. Maybe these three are the most popular in Lima. A Chinese restaurant in Peru is called "Chifa" although the food is a mix of Chinesse and Peruvian food which is hugely appreciated by Limeños. Limeños also love Italian food and in Lima there are some Italian cafes that I enjoy a lot.  Nowadays, the trend is the Japanese food with more Sushi bars in whole Lima. 

Chifas are everywhere in Lima with affordable menus.

Café Gianfranco, a cafe with Italian style in Miraflores

A famous sushi bar in Lima
 

The presence of many cultures is definitely exciting and enriching but, on the other hand, it may lead to a problem of identity resulting in a problem of complex.  Socioeconomic status, appearence and skin color become differentiation features. Unfortunately, this distinction originates discrimination and words like "cholo"* and "serrano"* (refers to the natives from the Andes) are used in disdainful manner to refer to the provincial origin of people living in Lima or to connote "uneducated" or "poor".  In Lima, for a long time there has been a distinction between people born in Lima already settled for a long time and people  from the Highlands whose Spanish is not so well (for them) and seem poor. But according to my experience in overseas, I guess this is an issue in most big multicultural cities caused by historic facts, absence of inclusion policies, poor education, among others. The hope for a better future with more inclusion must always be alive in most of us.

Actually, there is a lot to say about Lima and its people, but my intention was to give an overview about this difficult, but always friendly city where people "of all bloods" (as the title of the famous book by the Peruvian writer José María Arguedas) live.

 

The best attitude!

Thanks for reading me!

* Peruvian cumbia music is a  mix of Andean and jungle rhytms influenced also by Colombian rhytms.)

* Cholo and serrano are words whose meanings are not always pejorative. It depends on the entonation and your relationship to other people (how close you are to them).

* According to the great Peruvian historian Maria Rostworowski, the word "cholo" has its roots in the Moche culture (pre-Inka culture of the north coast of Peru) and it means "boy" or "young man".

Welcome to Lima, a brief overview of a city with over 9 million people ...

I am from Lima, so I think I know my city well enough (I hope so). Anyway, I am writing now about Lima because I am aware of the big change that is taking place here, in Lima.
I was born in the middle of the seventies, so I spent my childhood during the eighties -a decade I love a lot. But it was during this time that the terrorism was at its peak moment. I remember a city with a slightly better order, some days there were explosions in important locations of the city, much more street vendors in Lima downtown, blackouts, English and German classes in the state channel 7, nice Spanish rock, a few tourists, buses (no combis) and Marcon Van Basten (I am his fan). Many years have gone through and Lima has now another face: more buildings, more towers, a lot of personal cars, a lot of universities, more people and much more tourists.
Honestly, the last thing does still impress me. When I was a kid, there were barely tourists, but now I can recognize people from Europe, Asia, America (I mean the whole continent not USA).
Lima is becoming a metropolis and the food is the main cover letter, besides Cuzco with Macchu Picchu.
I have to confess that I have experienced a new city through the eyes of my Spanish students. Since they are from other countries, I have seen another angle of my own city. An interesting angle that have allowed me to understand me and the people who live in Lima (not all of us are born in Lima) much better. We are so diverse, so diverse that maybe the one thing that can unify us is the food, the soccer and the history. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Cuzco were not in Peru? I may sound weird or cold, but everything in Lima has to do with Cuzco. But we are more than Cuzco, we are not just Highlands, we are much more than that. We are people trying to discover ourselves, trying to understand ourselves, trying to accept ourselves. This is a long, a very long process. I don´t know about the actual situation from other Latin American countries, but I guess many of them, special the indigenous ones, might have the same feelings. We are an amazing mix. Well, this is a personal opinion, just mine.

Next: People in Lima ... a rough topic

Street vendors

Traffic at peak hours with street vendors

Business area in Lima (San Isidro district)

The famous mall Larcomar in Miraflores district (the new downtown in Lima)

The beach in Miraflores

Our Superman (he really works in Lima downtown.)

What I love the most: the architecture in Lima downtown

Lovely balcony (I really adore these.)

These are combis (cheap, uncomfortable, but they can reach places that buses sometimes do not; therefore a necessary evil.)

A bus (the other extreme of the transportation system)

A weird Inka with US dollars!!

Lima

Ser and Estar: An endless topic about Spanish language

It is true that for native Spanish speakers ser and estar are not a problem, but most native speakers are not able to explain the differences between ser and estar because both words are naturally integrated in their brains. Meanwhile, for non-native speakers this difference is essential for their Spanish learning. 

As a tutor, I know that even people fluent in Spanish still make mistakes when using ser or estar.  I deeply believe that apart from the grammar rules, reading and memory are fundamental to understand the use of ser and estar. Reading is necessary because you see in (real) texts the way they are used and memory is essential because when you read, repeat or hear several times phrases with ser and estar, the uses stick into your mind.

The previous paragraph is supported by one experience I had with a Canadian student. He was angry because he was struggling with this topic. I remembered he said to me: “Why do you say estar muerto (to be dead)? He is dead and the state will not change, it should be es muerto.” Based on the rules he was right because the rule says that esta” is for temporal (or changing) things and ser for permanent ones. To be dead (estar muerto) is a permanent state and consequently it should be ser muerto. I was trying to explain him about state changes, from alive to dead, but it didn´t help. It was clear to him that he had to accept that most of the time exceptions are the rule.

As you see even for tutors it is sometimes not easy to give logic answers. However, I think that for most grammar issues there are always logic reasons and rules are good. On the other hand, language is a living thing dependent on people and people are unexpected, consequently language is unexpected. 

After this experience I changed my mind and now I think that reading followed by a text analysis would help students grasp the idea better. As an example here is an extract from a Peruvian newspaper. Let's analyze the use of ser:

“Me encantan las playas de Perú más que las de Chile porque son más calentitas*. Es otro tipo de veraneo. Mientras en Chile las playas son más fresquitas, acá son más chiquititas pero tienen su onda, pues puedes tomar una cerveza en la playa tranquilamente sin que nadie te moleste. Con un rico ceviche, el ambiente es más relajado”... [I love beaches in Peru because they are warmer than Chilean beaches. It’s another summer. While in Chile beaches are cooler, here are smaller but with their own beauty, since you can drink peacefully a beer without being disturbed. With a delicious ceviche the environment is more relaxed]

*-ito,-ita: suffixes for diminutive in Spanish,e.g. niño = niñ+ito (male)/niñ+ita (female), caliente = calentito/-ita, fresco = fresquito/-ita, chico=chiquito/-ita

Ser is used mostly to describe people, things, places, events and the previous extract is a good example of this main characteristic. Some questions may clarify this aspect:   

1.    ¿Por qué le encantan las playas? (Why does she love Peruvian beaches?)

 

Porque son más calentitas. (Because they are [generally] hotter. The person is describing and making a comparison between Peruvian and Chilean beaches)

2.    ¿Cómo son las playas en Chile? (How are beaches in Chile?)

… en Chile las playas son más fresquitas … (in Chile beaches are cooler …) 

3.    ¿Cómo es el ambiente? (How is the environment?)

Con un rico ceviche, el ambiente es más relajado (With a ceviche [traditional dish] the environment is more relaxed)

Let´s see another extract of the same article:

¿Y el pisco es peruano o chileno? […] “Yo pienso que son dos productos totalmente distintos. Si yo pienso que el pisco es realmente peruano [...].

Ser used for origin: ¿Y el pisco es peruano o chileno? (And is it pisco [traditional drink] Peruvian or Chilean?)

Ser used for describing: “… pienso que son dos productos totalmente distintos” (I think they are totally different)

Source: http://peru21.pe/cultura/sandra-silva-chilena-que-siempre-celebra-28-julio-pisco-sour-2223682?href=cat0pos2

A brief example with estar from an article about health in the website of a Peruvian radio and television company:

“Cada vez está más claro que las bacterias intestinales pueden comunicarse con el cerebro humano: Esas bacterias liberan compuestos que actúan como neurotransmisores [...] Aún no estamos seguros exactamente de cómo se envían esos mensajes, pero los estamos siguiendo por sus efectos”, explican los autores del trabajo. [It is increasingly clear that intestinal bacteria can communicate with the human brain: these bacteria release compounds that act as neurotransmitters … We cannot be yet sure about how these communications take place, but we are following their effects”, authors explain]

Source: http://www.rpp.com.pe/2015-06-24-consumir-alimentos-ricos-en-grasa-y-azucar-deteriora-la-funcion-cognitiva-noticia_810480.html 

 

Estar is mostly used for indicating moods, states in a specific period of time and actions in progress. Our paragraph can be analyzed as follows:

1.    Cada vez está más claro que = Now it is increasingly clear (than before);

2.    Aún no estamos seguros exactamente de = We cannot be yet sure about (not yet); the temporal state is clear noted.

3.    pero los estamos siguiendo por sus efectos = but we are following their effects (an action in progress; typical use of estar + gerund)
 

This is just a simple attempt to analyze the uses of ser and estar. Of course, there are much more examples in several situations. I just wanted to provide you with a little help.

You can send me your doubts and I will try to clarify them!

Thanks for visiting me!

 Rosa

Self-education

Yesterday I was delighted by my American student who explained me some aspects about English writing style. I was delighted by his attitude and self-confidence. He told me he learnt on his own because his school teacher was not good.
His experience resembles me the experiences of other people I have been following because of their knowledge. A couple of them were (and still are) autodidacts.
The traditional education system did really not fit well for one of them. This person found in books and other personal experiences another source of knowledge, a knowledge containing spiritual awareness that allows him understand better this crazy world.
The other case surprised me since I discovered that a great Peruvian historian was a autodidact. Maria Rostworsky

 is one of the most important Peruvian historians and the author of "Historia del Tahuantinsuyu" (History of Tahuantinsuyu), one of the most important books about Peruvian history. Maria was born in Peru from a Peruvian mother and a Polish father. 

These two people prove me that with a real commitment and responsability a high quality education is possible.
Unfortunately, it is true that education is a big business in many countries and not everyone can afford a good university or to pay a master or a diploma specialization. Well, if this is not possible for you or you just do not agree with the current education system, just look for other information available in Internet, look for MOOCs and contact other people that may help you building your learning path. A learning path should never end and a book will always be a great friend.

If you are interested in Maria Rostworoski, here is a link with more details about her, http://www.librosperuanos.com/autores/autor/2344/Rostworowski-Maria. The info is in Spanish, so if you want to practice your Spanish, just take a look and see how much you are able to understand. If you need help, just drop me a line.

 About Maria Rostworoski, Peruvian program "Sucedió en el Perú" (Ocurred in Peru)

Thanks for reading me!

Rosa

English for teaching Spanish

Based on my personal experience, I think that a Spanish teacher should at least be

able to speak and understand another language. English is currently the language most people use while being overseas. In every country there are many English institutes, so, English should be, at least, this “other” language that every Spanish teacher should know. Moreover, if you understand how other language works, then you will be able to understand yours better.

Children listen first, then they repeat; later on they are more conscious about meanings. But, adults are more aware about meanings, so, if they listen something new in a new language, they will try first to know what that expression means; and, afterwards, they will identify it when listening to it again. What I mean is that during listening you are identifying sounds, then, when someone tells you what does the expression means, the relationship between sound and words is created.

Based on this short explanation, when you help the student to identify the structure using English, they will be able to grasp it easier or, at least, they will have a basic idea about the similarities between the two languages. Of course, there are always exceptions that must be considered.

For me, a good example is the Spanish Pretérito Perfecto (Haber + Participle form of the verb); in English its equivalent is the Present Perfect (Have + Past participle):

-"I have gone to the mountains" ] A says to B what he/she has previously done. A hasn´t seen B for a while.

- "(Yo) he (have) ido (gone) a las montañas" } We use the same structure for the same situation in Spanish.

Both, the English and the Spanish structures are used for the same purpose: to express states or actions started at some point in the past but whose effects are still considered or seen so far.

Another example would be the following:

Luisa has been making a diet for two months. She is thinner. Everybody can see the results and you would say in English "Maria has lost weight."

In Spanish, we would also use the same structure for the same situation: "María ha (has) perdido (lost) peso".

So, if you are able to explain the students these similarities, it might help them to understand Spanish and, of course, his/her own language. So far, it has proven very useful for me, but it doesn´t mean that I speak English the whole session. I use it when I deem it necessary.

There are many ways for teaching languages, but the main idea is to be able to give the students what they need according to their doubts, questions, requirements, etc. The point is to guide them the best possible way. That´s all we have to do.

I hope you find this text interesting and helpful.

Regards from Lima, Perú!

Rosa

Solo importa la unión

La semana pasada hubo una gran oferta de vinos en un supermercado muy famoso en Lima y como me gustan los vinos, aunque conozco muy poco de uvas y de sus propiedades, decidí ir a ver.
Los vinos que he probado son diversos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, etc. No sé aún distinguirlos, pero disfruto cuando los tomo.
Como dato adicional, les puedo comentar que en Lima a mucha gente le gusta el vino dulce.

Mi contacto inicial con la bebida de la vid fue la "cachina", la primera extracción de la uva. Para mí era común tomar cachina en fiestas familiares. Mi tío Rigoberto, cuñado de mi madre, es de Ica, zona vitivinícola del Perú, entonces, gracias a él y a sus familiares, conocí esta deliciosa bebida. Lamentablemente, la cachina está siendo desplazada por el pisco, bedida tradicional y de bandera del Perú, pero, todavía es posible disfrutarla.

Vuelvo al día en el supermercado. Ya tenía una idea de los vinos que quería, entonces, cuando los elegí, me di cuenta de algo: compré dos vinos de Argentina, uno de Chile y otro de Perú. Mi mente relacionó de inmediato este hecho con el fútbol y toda la polémica que hace poco se generó por la Copa América Chile. Chile ganó y a muchos, me incluyó, les pareció algo injusto por algunas decisiones de los árbitros durante los partidos. No obstante, después del torbellino futbolero, me puse a pensar en algo fundamental que dijo el gran cantautor Facundo Cabral y que parafraseo: "Hay que unir y no desunir".

El fútbol es en esencia  un deporte y, como tal, debe ser diversión. Intoxicarlo con ideas de nacionalismo es deformar su naturaleza. Se debe celebrar la actividad, no los resultados. Inafortunadamente, ahora el fútbol es un gran negocio y, por consiguiente, debe ser rentable. Esta rentabilidad se basa en ideas de nacionalismo y, a veces, creo que el nacionalismo exacerbado desune y no une. La esencia del ser humano siempre es integrar. Por eso es lindo ver cuando los jugadores se abrazan, son iguales. Los hinchas son iguales, pero sus banderas no. Sé que hay gente que va y disfruta el espectáculo y acepta sin reparos (bueno, siempre hay algo de sentimientos encontrados) el resultado final. No hay mayor consecuencia. Sin embargo, otras personas sufren, maldicen y ven en otro partido una oportunidad de venganza. A este sentimiento me refiero.

Vuelvo a mis vinos y pienso en Facundo. Para mis adentros digo: "He unido parte de Sudamérica en estos vinos". Sé que los disfrutaré independientemente de su origen. Desde hace poco he decidido que soy ciudadana universal que nació en Perú.

Es difícil pero este pequeño detalle en mi vida siempre reafirma lo dicho por Facundo Cabral, siempre hay que buscar unir y no desunir.

¡Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de leerme!

Rosa

Is Grammar important for learning a new language?

I deeply think that it really is. To understand which are the functions of words and, then to be able to identify these functions in a text, it may allow a better and easier comprenhension of another language. This is true for Spanish, for example.
Since English and Spanish are similar, basic notions of Grammar would be extremely useful to grasp the basic Spanish notions, for example:

- Mi carro (my car) [Possessive]
- Este es para mí. (this is for me) [pronoun acting as an object of a preposition]

Or a simple notion of "noun" (nombre o sustantivo in Spanish), for example: love, peace, house,  Rosa, he, they, you, Peru, Germany, etc.

I realized about this fact when I was explaining some basic notions of English to some technicias in Peru. They could not explain what a noun, adjective or adverb were, and I thought that they learned Grammar at their school. Unfortunately, it was not the case or they just forgot it.
After some days, I found myself explaining to them these ideas in Spanish first. It was really helpful and a rewarding experience for me.

Based on my experience, I can claim that Grammar is really helpful. Tutors should always ask students if Grammar explanation is necessary. Some students have told me that they can understand now how their own language works because of the Spanish grammar they are learning. This is amazing!

Everything has an order in the world and of course, a language has its order and rules. Grammar is for me like a puzzle, once you know how each piece works then everything becomes clear and the puzzle takes form little by little. In this process, practice (patience and affection for the language) is mandatory.

I found this video in Youtube about the importance of Grammar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzXMLtrKBqE and I find it extremely interesting. What do you think? I will be glad to read your comments.

Until the next time!

Rosa

A mí me gusta mucho el café, ¿qué te gusta a ti? (I like coffee, what do you like?)

Si hay algo que me gusta mucho, eso es tomar café.

No sé desde cuándo exactamente, pero sí sé que me siento feliz cuando tomo una taza y la acompaño con un postre. Mientras disfruto mi manjar, puedo estar leyendo o simplemente mirando a la gente.
Confieso que empecé a tomarlo sin azúcar gracias a la recomendación de una amiga. Y, en verdad, el sabor del dulce se aprecia más con el amargo del café. ¡Una delicia! No tengo un postre preferido, pero, me agradan mucho los postres de manzana y de chocolate.
Hace tres años y por mi gusto por el café, me inscribí en un curso de Barismo, pero todavía no ha dado resultados. Me encanta el el café, pero a veces creo que nací para tomarlo, no para preparalo profesionalmente. Quizá lo intente más adelante, pero sería un pasatiempo. No obstante, mi sueño es tener mi propia cafetería y compartir momentos agradables con la gente. Me gustaría que la gente se relaje y pase un momento agradable en mi cafetería.
Hasta que mi cafetería sea una realidad, puedo disfrutar de buenos cafés en Lima. Afortunadamente, en Lima ha aumentado el número de cafeterías y, entre ellas, hay más cafeterías que ofrecen café peruano. Las que más visito son Bisetti, Origen tostadores de café, Altomayo, entre otras.
Cuando estoy en casa, preparo mi cafecito en una prensa francesa. Es un placer tomarlo a diario. Me gustaría tener más amigos que tomen café y que lo disfruten tanto como yo.

¿Qué te gusta a ti?

Note for foreigners: If you understand the content in Spanish, I will be very happy if you answer me also in Spanish. In this way, you can practice your Spanish with me.

Aprender un idoma

He aprendido a dar mi opinión con base en mi experiencia. Ya llevo muchos años aprendiendo y practicando con el inglés, pues soy traductora y trabajo como tal. Entonces, cuando se trata de enseñar y aprender otro idioma, pienso en mí.
Empecé a aprender inglés desde los 6 años; realmente no recuerdo nada sobre cómo lo aprendí, pero sí recuerdo mi primer diálogo en inglés:

A: Milk or coffe?
B: Milk, please.
A: Sugar?
B: No, thank you.
A: A sandwich?
B:Yes, please.

Se sabe que los niños aprenden por repeteción y por la facilidad innata que poseen, facilidad que se va perdiendo a medida que crecemos porque nos volvemos más analíticos. Sin embargo, siempre somos capaces de aprender. Para mí la clave son dos cosas: deseo sincero de aprender y que el idioma te guste.

Creo que un nativo que siempre acompañe a un extranjero se puede convertir en un excelente profesor de idiomas sin proponérselo. Este comentario lo escuché muchos años atrás de una profesora de español de la universidad. Tenía muchísima razón. Por naturaleza soy muy conversadora, entonces, he notado que las conversaciones sobre diversos temas, pero, especialmente aquellos que mis alumnos proponen, han sido muy útiles para mejorar el uso de expresiones en español. El proceso que identifico es el siguiente:
1. La persona identifica (pasivo)
2. La persona repite (activo)
3. La persona comprende el porqué (activo)

Honestamente, no soy amiga de clases con un programa hecho, siempre es bueno que el alumno dé el primer paso. Lógicamente, siempre hay que tener una idea previa y saber el interés de tu alumno. Las dudas y consultas siempre aparecerán. Ya que mis clases son personales, puedo conocer mejor a las personas y adaptarme a ellas. Esta adaptación puede demorar o no, eso depende de la personalidad del alumno.

La naturalidad es lo mejor en toda actividad. Hay muchos métodos y formas para enseñar, pero si transmitimos nuestro conocimiento con el corazón, estoy segura de que la persona lo aprenderá. Un tutor simplemente da las herramientas, el alumno las comprende y, luego, las usa.

¿Qué piensas tú?

¡Hasta la próxima!

Lima, el primer ineludible contacto con Perú

Hace dos semanas fui a un encantador show de un cuentacuentos francés que hablaba un excelente español. Lo conocía, pues había enseñado francés en mi facultad de Lenguas Modernas de la universidad. Sus cuentos fueron una maravilla y tan encantada estuve que decidí buscar información sobre él. Encontré un video en Youtube donde dice que, para él, el Perú es como una señorita violada  que ha sido muy maltratada y cuando le dicen las cosas buenas que tiene, ella tiene miedo. En verdad, me sentí tan identificada que hasta pensé que por eso había decidido nacer en Perú. Yo creo firmemente en que uno elige dónde nacer y qué viene a aprender. Pero, ese es otro asunto.

Su afirmación confirma esa sensación que muchos de mis alumnos han sentido al vivir acá. La gente rinde culto a la apariencia porque sirve para negar algo que no quiere aceptar, ¿será acaso la gran desigualdad? ¿Por qué Lima es tan chocante para muchos? ¿Por qué es tan diferente? Enseñar español me ha permitido comprender más mi ciudad. A través de mis alumnos, mi ciudad se ve diferente. Es increíble como siempre se aprende algo nuevo sobre "algo" o "alguien" que supuestamente conoces bien. Esa experiencia es refrescante para mí. Confieso que antes criticaba mucho a Lima. Ahora, lo sigo haciendo, pero también valoro más las cosas positivas que surgen, por ejemplo: la moda de usar bicicleta y el mayor respeto a los animales. Ya que todo cambia en esta vida, Lima, una ciudad inmensa, jamás sería la excepción.

Creo que la tradición multicultural es el fundamento de esta compleja sociedad tan marcada por el maltrato, la exclusión, el sometimiento. En lo personal, pienso que estamos marcados por un complejo de inferioridad que no nos permite ver todo nuestro valor porque siempre pensamos que no es suficiente o nos criticamos por nuestras falencias. Tenemos vergüenza de muchas tradiciones y pensamos que si imitamos el estilo "occidental", es decir, lo americano o lo europeo, nos veremos mejor o nos irá mejor. Valoramos tan poco lo que nos viene de nuestros ancestros, que, incluso, he leído que muchas personas que hablan quechua no lo hacen por temor o vergüenza.

Cuando una ciudad aparantemente moderna, pero que a la vez oculta su vergüenza por falta de amor da la bienvenida a un foráneo con los pies más firmes en tierra, sucede algo: la apariencia es lo que más importa y "lo desigual" se desvanece ante el orgullo tonto de lo que tengo y no de lo que soy. El extranjero lo percibe y se adapta para sobrevivir. No obstante, también rescata lo bueno y lo valora. Al final, gracias a la vida, siempre hay algo apropiado y algo no tan apropiado.

Qué importante es para mí reconocer esto, porque con ojos más reales puedo tratar de componer ese sentimiento (claro que me he sentido inferior y he tenido mucho temor) y ver lo mejor a mi alrededor.
Lima, una ciudad serrana, colonial, criolla y tan única, siempre estará en mi corazón a donde vaya.
Nunca lo he dicho, pero me encanta como suena su nombre en mi mente.

¿Qué piensas de tu ciudad?

¡Hasta la próxima entrada!

Si quieres saber más sobre el cuentacuentos frances, François Vallaeys, te dejo aquí un link interesante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtTHt6F9fs8

Primer día

Después de tanto postergarlo por diversos motivos, especialmente cansancio, me decidí a escribir.
Estoy a punto de tener 40 años y creo que lo mejor que me sucede en la vida es aprender a aprender a vivir.
Actualmente estoy enseñando español y traduciendo. Ambas actividades se nutren entre sí y me han enriquecido mucho. Conocer a personas de otras partes del mundo ha hecho que pueda ver mi país y mi ciudad, Lima, con otros ojos. ¡Somos tan diferentes y tan parecidos a la vez!
En verdad, este blog tiene dos motivos: compartir lo que siento con lo que vivo y veo a diario, y el otro GRAN motivo es ofrecer a las personas que deseen mejorar y practicar su español, hacerlo conmigo. Me he enriquecido tanto con mis alumnos en Lima, que pienso que puedo enriquecerme más con otros tan distantes a mi y los nuevos alumnos que vendrán -eso espero- conmigo.
Creo que todos somos profesores o tutores alguna vez en la vida. Siempre damos algo de nosotros alguna vez.

Me gustaría recibir opiniones y recomendaciones para hacer este espacio más interesante y novedoso. Si deseas saber algo sobre sesiones de español, escríbeme y con gusto responderé.
Si simplemente deseas escribir algo sobre cualquier tema, también estaré feliz de leerlo.

¡Gracias!

Algo más sobre mí:

Nací en Lima, Perú. Estudíe Traducción e Interpretación (inglés y alemán).
Actualmente me dedico a ayudar a las personas a comprender más el español. También colaboro con una empresa de traducción y traduzco textos técnicos. He aprendido muchísimo.
Me encanta conversar, tomar una buena taza de café, caminar, escuchar música. Últimamente estoy muy interesada con todo lo concerniente al crecimiento personal.
Adoro a mi familia y me siento dichosa con todo el cariño de mis amistades.