I might learn more about the world than I do about Spanish in my Monday night Italki classes!
Cochabamba
My teacher is planning to visit Cochabamba soon during her visit home. Cochabamba is located in the middle of Bolivia and is the 4th largest city. It has a lot of technology companies and is known as the silicon valley of Bolivia.
The Food
Cochabamba is also famous for it’s food. She was describing the details and as I had skipped supper I was really craving the food! I was envisioning being there and eating! It reminds me of a dicho:
a buen hambre no hay pan duro
But in this case the food really does sound amazing! Here’s a list of local dishes she described:
- relleno de papa (rellenos colama: famous place)
- churrasco (grilled meat / steak house)
- trancapecho (somewhat like a sandwich or hamburger)
Cochabamba is known as a place where se vive para comer! 馃檪
Vocabulary
Like always it was amazing practice to try to speak at her pace. I’ve still got so much more to learn but I’m enjoying the process. Mondays can be blah but not when I have an amazing Spanish class in the evening!
+comer rellenos en Cochabomba
+comen seis veces al dia en Cochabomba
+el platito de la tarde
+seis horas por carretera desde La Paz
+miel de maple
+para que el aqua se evapore
+caba帽a {cabin, cottage, hut}
+recovecos {nooks and crannies, lugares escondidos}
+rec贸nditos {hidden, remote, unexplored}
+campamento {camp, camping, campsite}
+coroico {town in Bolivia}
+la carretera de la muerte {near coroico}
+retroceder {move back, go back, back up. As road is narrow}
+ya es s贸lo para los ciclistas {it's only for cyclists}
+incendios forestales {forest fires}
+recetar {prescribe}
+receta {prescription}
+tirarse a la picina {jump into the pool}
+depende por las calles que vayas {It depends on the streets that you go}
+me pidieron que pasara classes de espa帽ol {They asked me to take Spanish classes}
+era como si estuviera con mi prima {it was as if I was with my cousin}
Subjunctive
Conversation
The last three sentences used the subjunctive! Hearing it in a conversation really helps:
- depende por las calles que vayas
- me pidieron que pasara classes de espa帽ol
- era como si estuviera con mi prima
I can sometimes use it when I speak but I need to practice more!
Grammar Book
I’ve had this book for 20+ years. I finally started reading it today. Chapter 16 ‘The Subjunctive’ is deep. I don’t think I’ll ever master it but as long as I improve then that’s a major victory!
I learn more by listening and speaking but studying the grammar does help in complex cases like the subjunctive. When listening I often know that the subjective is coming later in the sentence. Developing my ear for it has taken many years of practice and in a nerdy language way I’m proud of this!