eXpresso vs. eSpresso

In between meetings, starving and in search of a flat screen TV to watch the Netherlands vs. Uruguay World Cup Semi-final Felipe Dell’Oro and I ended up at Chili’s Restaurant. Ironic I know since we are in Mexico and can get authentic Mexican food instead of the Americanized version by Chili’s Restaurant chain. But we were desperate. To “close the deal” I decided to go for an after meal eXpresso and I pronounced it exactly how it was written in the menu eXpresso /"" ikˈspresō /. Felipe politely pointed out “you know its pronounced and spelled eSpresso.” He lives in Milan he should know but I found it even more curious that he picked up on it, the variation after all is very subtle. Until that moment I had never picked up on the variation in spelling and/or pronunciation /eˈspresō/ vs. /"" ikˈspresō /. I have been interchanging Expresso with Espresso without even giving it a second thought, the way I often switch back in forth between Spanish and English without even realizing it.

Interestingly though while Merriam-Websters and Cambridge Dictionaries have Expresso as a variant of the word Espresso, Oxford dictionary clearly states it is incorrect!: The often-occurring variant spelling expresso — and its pronunciation (Pronunciation: /"" ikˈspresō /) — is incorrect and was probably formed by analogy with express.

So when in ROME.../eˈspresō/ J

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Madrid BABEL

One Sunday afternoon in an effort to escape a boring engagement (no names to protect the innocent J), I excused myself and said I had to go to Madrid Babel. I explained it was work related ... market research stuff !!!

I really had been meaning to go but it never really fit into my social agenda until that point. I had stumbled across it in the city events section of ASW (“ASMALLWORLD a private international community of culturally influential people who are connected by 3 degrees” … slightly pompous …I know!). Fortunately, Madrid Babel is completely down to earth. It’s an ongoing gathering of people from all over the world for language and cultural exchange. The creator, Fran Rodriguez Veiga started Madrid Babel over 10 years ago and has managed to keep it going this entire time. Madrid Babel was even recently awarded “Best Exchange of the Year” by Vibe Magazine.

I arrived at The Quiet Man, the pub tucked away in Chueca was loud and overflowing with people. I walked in confused and disoriented and made my way to the check-in counter where I met Fran. He had a big smile and gave me the basic intro “There’s the bar and just talk to people, there are different groups, French, Spanish, English etc”. Uh huh, I was beginning to think my initial engagement had way more potential when a confident 21 year old said “Are you here to practice your Spanish or English?” I wasn’t interested in either ( I consider them both my native tongues) but decided I would sacrifice my time for the greater good and practice English with the university boys J

EVERY WEDNESDAY 21:30 at Café Madrid (c/ Escalinata s/n - metro Opera)

EVERY SUNDAY 19:00 at The Quiet Man (c/ Valverde, 44 - metro Tribunal)

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Catalan

Barcelona may not be going to the Champions League 2010 Final but at least they still have Gaudi, Ferran Adria and their own language. Barcelona as the capital of the Autonomous region of Catalonia celebrates the uniqueness of having Catalan as a co-official language next to Spanish. So when in Barcelona if you really want to be respected by the locals, shelf the Spanish and drop in a little courtesy Catalan. Here are a few phrases to get you started:

Good Morning = Bon matí

Please = Si us plau

Excuse Me = Excusi'm

Thank You = Gràcies

Goodbye = Adéu

Chocolate = Xocolata

For more Catalan click here!

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Bump into

(New Chums Beach, Coromandel)

It wasn’t until I did my TEFL course in January 2009 that I realised how difficult it is to teach (and learn) English. I had always assumed that being a native English speaker it would be easy. It only took me a day to realise that I had no idea why I said things in the order I did and I could only reason that ‘it sounds right’ or ‘that’s just the way it is’!

Trying to explain ‘bump into’’, or for that matter, any phrasal verb, to a group of intermediate students was hard without any experience. Not only did they not know the words I wanted to use to describe the act of ‘bumping into’. The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘bump into’ as ‘to meet someone you know when you have not planned to meet them’.

I bumped into an old friend yesterday when we were walking to New Chums Beach in the Coromandel and her and her husband were just leaving. We are not even supposed to be in NZ anymore (our flight via Santiago was moved post-earthquake) and I had expected to not see her as they had just gotten married the previous weekend. You expect to bump into friends if you live in the same city but bumping into my friend on a remote beach was very random.

I would have once said that one of the hard and fast rules for ‘bump into’ would be that it’s accidental but when it happens when the chances are one in a million I can’t help but think that fate has a little bit to play in it.

I like that life can still surprise me.

Have you bumped into an old friend recently?

JAM English Flashcards: Fruit and Vegetables available online at jam.shop now!