Freedom! Libertad!

I've just become familiar with Google Talk and video chats. I imagine this would be a nice way to listen to distance learning student oral presentations or to have on-line office hours.

Finally! Por fin! I can rid myself of my avatar (as in Second Life) and just be me.

Yo.

Baja. Morena. Contenta.

The college was, and still is, supportive of the Second Life format. Instructors and students walk around (as avatars) in a virtual world. I took a class in order to familiarize myself with both the culture and the tools involved. My name was "Aracely Highfield." (Don't bother looking for me in Second Life, however.)

Flying off of buildings was fun. Seeing "myself" walking under the ocean and navigating through strange virtual cities was, well, strange.

I'm using a tablet with front and rear facing cameras for the video chat. It's easy to carry around and I'm freed from sitting in front of a desktop for extended periods of time.

Students- Contact me in the course space for my gmail address. I'd be more than happy to set up a time to give this idea a test run.

RELAX!

Tengo que relajarme. Sé esto porque hoy me encuentro anxiosa y enfadada incluso con el tiempo. Quién se enfada con la nieve? Pues yo. Hoy nieva mucho y es muy peligroso viajar. Acaba de nacerse mi nueva nieta "Collette" y quiero ir a la casa de mi hermana para conocerla. Y no me atrevo.

Every Tuesday morning I take my oldest son to school for early morning band practice. This morning the roads were snow covered. The van doors were frozen (Picture me trying to shove the younger children, half asleep and wrapped in blankets, into the back of the van by way of the driver's seat).

I had plans to travel today. I have a new niece, named "Collette" (her father is French-Canadian) and I had hoped to drive to the Niagara Falls area to meet her. But when I set out this morning I found that travel is dangerous. It's very cold outside and the blowing wind is causing drifts. I don't dare drive.

And I'm mad. I'm mad at the weather. Like many people who live in the Northeast, I'm simply tired of the snow and cold.

I really should find a way to relax.

How do you relax?
¿Cómo te relajas?

Pasando mucho frío

De verdad prefiero no quejarme...pero tengo que decir que en estos momentos...estoy pasando mucho frío.

Tengo muuuuucho frio.
Me muero del frío.
Frío... frío...frío.

Perhaps I should buy myself a gadget or two to help me with this problem. Something like mittens or a big sweater, or like the objects featured on the blog "Todo Cute"

Ayer tuve un sueño...

I have a plan to help me through the coming Western NY winter...ir a Andalucía.

Such a trip is complicado y caro. But, my sister IS a travel agent in Spain. Should I take along my oldest children? The youngest are 3 and 5 years old. Not one of them has met my family face to face.

I haven't proposed the trip to mi esposo yet. For now, sufro una meloncolía profunda y eschucho la música del grupo El Barrio.

Aventura

I've recently discovered the music of "Aventura." Their official web site (available in English and Spanish) describes their musical style as...their nouveau sound fuses bachata (a guitar-based Dominican folkloric music sometimes called the “Dominican blues”) with R & B, hip hop and other American pop and urban styles.

I particularly like the series "Amor de Madre" (Parts I and II). The songs tell the story of a fatherless boy who runs with the wrong crowd and lands in jail, only to find himself face to face with his father, who suffered a similar fate.

Escucha aquí

NPR Mexico

NPR is my preferred source for information and news surrounding the drug wars in Mexico.

I find it difficult (but important) to teach on this topic, if merely for the fact that it is such a horrible, sad situation

WORLD
Mexico Drug Cartel Territory
Mexico is the top supplier of marijuana — and also a major supplier of methamphetamines — to the United States. In addition, it is a major transit country for other drugs, including cocaine and heroin, coming from other countries. Mexican cartels have now displaced Colombian groups as the dominant cocaine traffickers in the world. Several drug cartels in Mexico have a part in the process, and often war over territory. As Mexican President Felipe Calderon's administration has attempted to clean up the country and to rid Mexico of the top narco-traffickers, other cartel members have killed thousands in an effort to swoop in on the territory and trafficking routes left behind.

Foreign Service Institute Course Material

The foreign Service Institute has made its foreign language training materials public. The audio of taped courses as well as texts and workbooks have been digitized. These are available free to the public.

My first glance is that some of the material is rather dated. But you might find something helpful in there or at least, feel like a future ambassador or better yet, a spy!

Find it here. Choose Spanish or another language from the extensive list. I can't recommend one Spanish course over another.