Chau Palta!

Oh NO! Que triste! Martin The Lawyer has left Jimena. Obviously David is quick to offer consolation and ´useful´ advice, as well as offering his shoulder to cry on, so i´m sure Jimena will be ok!

But, ever the professional Jimena does not let her homelife interrupt the Bueno, entonces... class and she presses on...David wants to learn the past tense, and so do I to be honest, because although I am all for ´living for the now´ and looking to the future, rather than dwelling on the past, it is sometimes quite difficult not to be able to say ANYTHING at all about my former life! However, Jimena refuses, saying that the past tense is a level about the level we are at now, which, I suppose is fair enough, and it does mean I will have to wait (with baited breath, and no past life) for another series of Bueno, entonces...! I don´t know how other learn Spanish programmes, such as Rosetta Stone, work, but I suppose it is necessary to spread the learning out, rather than cram too much information into a short amount of time.

Entonces, El pasado es el pasado, and on with the now....This class covered language of vacations, and began with an outline of all the wonderful places on offer in Argentina. This really is a spectacular country, and although I have already been to many of the places mentioned, I am now filled with an urge to go back! If I was at home watching this dvd I would be simply bursting with excitement about coming to Argentina.....ah me encantar! From the montañas and lagos of Bariloche to the desiertos de sal in el Norte, a traveller in Argentina will be overwhelmed by beauty, and after this the Bueno, entonces... class, the traveller will also be able to discuss the sights!

An intersting little snippet of information (or should I say Folklore) I have learned in this class is the existence of Nahuelito, Patagonia´s own Loch Ness Monster- I´m glad I didn´t come across it then I was dipping my toes into the Lago Nahuel Huapi!

The vocabulary sections today included ´vocabulary of meat´not ideal for me, as a vegetarian, but for most visitors to Argentina, essential, as carne, carne and more carne will become part of the everyday diet. Talking of the vocabulary sections, our very own ´vocabulary couple´who were having a few problems throughout the series are back on, for sure...in fact, I wouldn´t be suprised if we do not hear from them for a while, I heard ´cama´mentioned in there!

On a final note, david mentioned today that he doesn´t enjoy seeing people playing sport on the beach, due to the, as he so delicately puts it, ´wobbling parts´, well David, all I can say is you obviously haven´t been to watch the footballers and volleyballers on Copacabana...