Universidad Europea de Madrid

December 31st = New Year's Eve Spaniards & 12 grapes

It's almost New Year's Eve. What are your plans?
Do you think that people in other countries celebrate New Year's Eve the same way as you do?

New Year's Eve in SPAIN

In Spain people get dressed up, and have a big elegant dinner with their families. Yes, everyone who can spends the evening with mom and dad, grandma and grandpa. At midnight the whole country is glued to the TV because they need to hear the 12 bongs from the clock tower at Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Simultaneously Spaniards eat 12 grapes, trying to get the 11th and 12th down before someone grabs them for a big hug. Yes, Spaniards are big on hugs and kisses. Everyone kisses EVERYONE else in the room on New Year's Eve: 2 kisses, one on each cheek.
Then the champagne or "cava" appears, the dancing may or may not begin and most everyone grabs a cell phone to call his or her significant other. Yes, boyfriends and girlfriends are NOT together on New Year's Eve ! Well, not until about 1:00 a.m. when the "real" parties begin. The roads are crowded with vehicles as the young are all off to their all-night parties. And a new year dawns.....

VERY IMPORTANT VOCABULARY:
hugs= abrazos
kisses= besos

In English we say HUGS & KISSES
In Spanish we say BESOS y ABRAZOS

Have Fun. Enjoy Yourself. Drive carefully!

*Don't get in a car unless there is a "designated driver", someone who hasn't been drinking.

Happy New Year. Wendy

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays = ¡Felices Fiestas!
The holidays= Christmas and New Years
a holiday= día de fiesta or día festivo
vacation= vacaciones
Easter vacation= Spring break= Semana Santa

Where are you going for the holidays?
Are you spending Christmas and New Year's Eve with your family?
I'll be here in Spain with my family for the holidays. Sometimes when I have
a long weekend, I visit friends and family in other parts of Spain or in England. I usually go to the States during my summer vacation, and try to go somewhere for our spring break. This year I went to Ireland.

What is your favorite holiday? Remember holiday here means "día de fiesta" Here are some holidays we celebrate in the US: Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Labor Day,Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. There are many more of course.

Happy New Year ! Wendy

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Guess your number

I like math problems, word problems, logic....

If you can figure out how "guess your number" works, write and tell me. Wendy

http://www.quizyourprofile.com/guessyournumber.swf

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LONG WEEKENDS

In English we don't have a term for a "long weekend". In Spanish you say you have a "puente", but we simply say we have a long weekend, a 3-day weekend or a 4-day weekend. We DON'T use the term "bridge." If you have worked very hard, maybe you have taken a long weekend recently. Did you get away for a long weekend in October, November or December? Where did you go and what did you do? Tell me about it. Wendy

--Oscar Guillen

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"All the world's a stage" from AS YOU LIKE IT

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...
---William Shakespeare
**********************************************

Would YOU like to take part in our INSTANT THEATER?

http://comunidad.uem.es/myfiles/shakespeare/Instant-Theater-Poster-for-distribution-2007.docenlace

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Help ! ¡ Ayúdame !

I'm catching up with yesterday.
By tomorrow I should be ready for today!
Do you ever feel like this?
Tell me about it.
Wendy

Publicado por shakespeare