cats & cataluña

This blog started as a way for me to stay motivated through undergrad, but turned into a resource for other students learning Spanish.

[catsandcataluna]

Vocabulary list: Summer vacation

Happy first day of summer, my lil’ agaves! Here’s a vocabulary list to celebrate today, and maybe help prepare you for that inevitable “what did you do this summer?” essay.

las vacaciones vacation el verano summer el sol sun hace calor it’s hot la ola de calor heat wave la tormenta thunderstorm el atardecer sunset al aire libre outdoors el bloqueador solar sunblock la playa beach la piscina pool el traje de baño swimsuit la toalla towel nadar to swim broncearse to get a tan las gafas de sol sunglasses la pelota de playa beach ball el voleibol volleyball el básquetbol/el baloncesto basketball el béisbol baseball el parque acuático water park el parque de atracciones amusement park la feria de condado county fair el algodón de azúcar cotton candy el perro caliente hot dog el helado ice cream la parrillada/el asado/la barbacoa barbeque el jardín trasero backyard el barrio neighborhood pasar tiempo con amigos to spend time with friends divertirse to have fun/to enjoy lecturas de verano summer reading

[catsandcataluna]

Vocabulary list: Black Lives Matter Movement

las vidas negras si importan black lives matter los Afro-Americanos African Americans la comunidad afroestadounidense the African American community las personas de color people of color la protesta protest (n.) protestar to protest (v.) los manifestantes protesters la marcha march (n.) marchar to march (v.) luchar to fight las pancartas signs el movimiento movement los derechos civiles civil rights la paz peace el disturbio riot la violencia violence la vida life la muerte death morir to die la justicia justice la injusticia injustice el racismo racism la gente, el pueblo people la policía police la brutalidad policial police brutality las armas guns la seguridad safety la herida injury ayudar to help gritar to shout llorar to cry sentir to feel los medios sociales social media la influencia influence la audiencia audience

I hope this is useful for helping, supporting, & educating the people in your community, regardless of a language barrier. This list should also help in understanding and translating Spanish-language coverage of protests.

Stay safe everyone! With love from Baltimore. 🖤

[catsandcataluna]

Vocabulary list: Afternoon at the river

It’s been a little while, and I was so happy to make this list. It’s inspired by the afternoon I spent at the river today.  

el Día de los Caídos Memorial Day el fin de semana weekend la tarde afternoon disfrutar (de) to enjoy divertirse to enjoy oneself tiempo libre free time pasar tiempo... to spend time... leer to read/reading nadar to swim/swimming hacer/haciendo un asado to grill/grilling1 hacer un picnic to have a picnic la familia/ los amigos family/ friends la hoguera bonfire la manta blanket el protector solar sunscreen el repelente de los insectos insect repellant el sol sun hace sol it’s sunny hace calor it’s hot hace buen tiempo the weather is nice la naturaleza nature el parque park la excursión hike/excursion el río river el bosque forest/woods el paisaje landscape escalar to climb (rocks) las rocas rocks la fauna y flora wildlife los pájaros birds

[fleurdulys]

Seascape - Jaime Morera y Galicia

[breathtakingdestinations]

Torre de Guimarei - Pontevedra - Spain (by Noel Feans) 

[useless-catalanfacts]

windows of Barcelona, collage by Andre Vicente Goncalves

[catsandcataluna]

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.

Nelson Mandela

[catsandcataluna]

Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[fleurdulys]

Nymphs Bathing - Antonio Munoz Degrain

[catsandcataluna]

“Antonio Muñoz Degrain (18 November 1840 – 12 October 1924) was a Spanish painter who began in the Eclectic style, later in his career he moved towards Impressionism. He is best known for his landscapes and scenes inspired by works of literature.”

[catsandcataluna]

With nothing else to do on a gorgeous Sunday, my boyfriend and I walked down to the river yesterday. On the sandy beach we put down a blanket, and spent the afternoon with our books in the sun. In between chapters we discussed lost Aztec gods, Vikings, our ancestors, our beliefs, Quetzalcoatl, Jesus, energy and nature. In between sips of vodka lemonade I’d stick my toes in the blue river. When the sun began to set and the valley became cool and shadowy, we built a small fire.

Both further up and further down the river there were other groups congregated, maybe a dozen or so, more than we had ever seen, even after schools let out in the summer. Families picnicking on the beach, hikers with their dogs taking a siesta, and kids smoking blunts on the rocks. I half expected to see Lord Byron & co somewhere across the river.

Romanticism is the new normal.

(Originally published on my Wordpress)

[weirdlandtv]

Spanish painter, Francisco Goya (1746-1828).

[catsandcataluna]

A famed painter in his own lifetime, Francisco de Goya was born on March 30, 1746, in Fuendetodos, Spain. He began his art studies as a teenager and even spent time in Rome, Italy, to advance his skills. In 1770s, Goya began to work for Spanish royal court. In addition to his commissioned portraits of the nobility, he created works that criticized the social and political problems of his era. (Más aquí.)

[allthingseurope]

Calella de Palafrugell, Spain (by Jorge Franganillo)

[catsandcataluna]

Estoy de vueltooo... I’m baaack! I haven’t posted in over a year, and this is what I’ve been up to. I graduated last May, and I crammed everything into my last two semesters, including studying abroad in Spain, and graduating with my bachelor’s. I became conversationally fluent in Spanish and studied culture and upper level literature, but my language journey is far from over.

It’s been almost a year since I graduated, and lately I’ve been rereading my old notes and delving back into Spanish grammar. I’ve missed having a studyblr, and although I don’t have anything to really study for right now, I thought I’d start posting here again. More language, vocabulary & culture posts coming soon! 💕 

[catsandcataluna]

I’ll be graduating in May 👩🏻‍🎓🎉🎓 and last night I realized that I’m not quite at the level of fluency I want to be in Spanish. 

As of today, Tuesday 12 February, there are 101 days until graduation. Let’s do this. 💪📚💯

[catsandcataluna]

Vocabulario list: University

Here’s the first of two (possibly three?) vocabulary lists about people and items in the classroom and at university. The list is from a textbook I’m using to re-learn vocabulary and verbs I’ve forgotten, especially because the other day I realized I’ve forgotten how to say pencil eraser (la goma) and green beans (las judías verdes). I feel like language fluency is just a process of realizing what you don’t know and patching the missing knowledge. 

en el salon de clase in the classroom

el reloj clock

el pizarrón blanco white board

el marcador marker

el borrador eraser

la ventana window

la puerta door

la computadora porátil laptop

la computadora computer

el celular cell phone

el diccionario dictionary

el libro de texto textbook

el papel paper

el lápiz pencil

la goma pencil eraser

el bolígrafo pen

el escritorio desk

la silla chair

el cuaderno notebook

la tarea homework

el/la bibliotecario/a librarian

el/la compañero/a de clase classmate

el/la compañero/a de cuarto roommate

el/la profesor(a) professor

el/la estudiante student

el hombre man

la mujer woman

Source: Experience Spanish, Un Mundo sin Limites textbook

[catsandcataluna]

Recommended Study Atmospheres for Autumn & Winter

It doesn’t take much to get me into the right mood for studying -- usually I just need a cup of tea and a comfortable spot to hide away in for a few hours. I’ve found that having some sort of continuous background noise helps me concentrate on what I’m studying, and I’ve noticed that it’s actually very difficult for me to study in quiet or complete silence. If I’m in a library or home alone I’ll put on a atmosphere/ambiance video from YouTube, and below is a list of my favorites that I now can’t study without. I hope you all find this useful! 🎃

Hogwarts Rainy Window Ambiance. Put this bad boy on full screen for when you want to feel the is-Sirius-Black-looking-for-me vibes that Harry felt in Prisoner of Azkaban. The adrenaline rush will help you study.

Slytherin Common Room and Slytherin Dormitory Common Room. I am absolutely biased in my recommendation of these because I’m a Slytherin.

Potions Class. A chemistry major’s dream.

Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. Another to put on full screen, though slightly distracting because it’s so gorgeous to watch.

Hogwarts Great Hall on Halloween. Full screen is a MUST. Also good to have a flickering candle nearby.

Three Broomsticks Inn, Hogsmeade. But only if you got your Hogsmeade permission slip signed.

RainyMood. This is the atmosphere/sound experience that started it all for me. I’ve been using it since like 2010? Lots of rain since then.

Coffitivity. For when I want my kitchen to sound like the campus Starbucks but I’m feeling too introverted to actually deal with an IRL Starbucks.

[catsandcataluna]

Vocabulary list: Transition phrases

Happy Fall, my lil’ agaves! Here’s a vocabulary list of transition phrases and expressions to improve the fluidity of your Spanish writing and speaking. I actually have an exam on these phrases next martes, and I thought this would be an excellent vocab list to share with you. The Quizlet deck for this list can be found here. This vocabulary list is from the textbook I’m using this semester for my advanced Spanish comp class: Taller de Escritores.

asimismo also, in addition to

así/ de ese modo so/ in that way

con relación/ respecto a regarding

como se puede ver as you/one/we can see

además de in addition to

por suerte fortunately, luckily

desgracia unfortunately

de hecho in fact

al igual que like

a diferencia de unlike

en cambio/ por el contrario in contrast

en vez/ lugar de instead of

no obstante/ sin embargo however

por una parte/ un lado on the one hand

por otra (parte)/ otro (lado) on the other hand

a causa de because of

debido a due to, on account of

entonces/ por lo tanto therefore

con resultado/ consecuencia as a result

por eso/ por ese motivo/ por esa razón for that reason

antes de before

desde que/ desde entonces since/ since then

al mismo tiempo at the same time

a partir de starting

al final in the end; at/ toward the end

en aquel entonces at that time, back then

primero first

después/ luego later, then

en primer/ segundo lugar first/ second of all

a fin de cuentas in the end, after all

en otras palabras/ es decir that is to say

después de todo after all

en conclusion in conclusion

en resumen/ en resumidas cuentas in short

en todo caso in any case

al fin y al cabo in the end

This post is also published on my Blogger.