Flores realmente bonitas

Hepatica nobilis / Anemone hepatica

Decided to learn Spanish. It would have been easier to refresh my Swedish, French or German skills _{HA! What skills?!} or to start almost from scratch with Estonia but no, I decided to try to learn something new. There were three options in my head, Russian, Chinese and Spanish because these three languages are in my opinion in the top six languages to learn or at least to know a little. English, French and German of course being the three other important languages.

Decided it would be Spanish because I though it would be the easiest of those three options. Thought writing or pronouncing to a Finn is easier than Russian or Chinese. And I've been watching lately a lot of TV-series from Netflix that have Spanish or Latin American Spanish in them. I always watch everything with original language. I hate dubbed series and movies and I also hate that Netflix thinks I want to see the trailers that are not originally in English, dubbed in English.

I love listening different languages and I often like to repeat the words or sentences that the actors say if they sound weird or funny to me, are in some way very challenging or if the actor has a distinctive accent. Like an Australian or Scottish accent. But I hate it if the actor talks English with Russian or German accent because the character is Russian or German and they should be talking either of those languages but aren't, because the actor can't speak that language. And the actor can't be changed because it's a Hollywood movie that has a superstar acting in it and they need to speak English or the movie won't be a success.

If the movie has to be spoken in English, I prefer some subtle movie transitions from that some other language to English. It was a good thing that Sean Connery didn't speak Russian or Lithuanian in The Hunt for Red October the whole time or English with an accent. And thank goodness Tom Cruise spoke normal English in Valkyrie. If I remember correctly, both had smooth transitions from one language to another. A tracking shot to side going behind someone's back and language changing at the same time. Or some other transition. If you are a fan of older movies, check out if you spot smooth and not so smooth transitions from one language to another. I bet you can't unhear or unsee them now that I've told you to look for those.

Anyway, I learned the most vital German words and sentences before I was able to learn German in school from Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot. I still love it. The movie. So knowing that fact that movies play a big role in my life when I want to learn something, I chose Spanish.

Found pretty good free sites that help me with vocabulary and which I can listen at home when working or from my phone with headphones on when I go outside. Found also old 90's radio shows from the Finnish national TV's www sites in mp3's. Though the show quickly goes from easy to quite hard because there no longer are those www sites that are frequently mentioned in the show available to support the learning. Or any textbooks for it. But that's okay because there are so many other sites to help me grow my Spanish vocabulary.

So this week I've been spending my days talking with Timo and Cristina from the year 1997. And on some days also photowalking. This photo was taken at the same time as I had to listen to a story and spot as much as possible different kind of groceries that Timo and Cristina got from the market. Pepino, zanahoria, tomate, espárragos... Hard to concentrate on taking a good or goodish photo and try to listen an unfamiliar language.

This was taken when I answered to Cristina what I wanted to order in a cafeteria. "Café solo y tostadas con mermelada." Again really hard to do two things at the same time. I think what I pronounced was more like: "Cafe solo y tosmelada."

And then there's Netflix. Language Learning with Netflix

My life just keeps getting better!

Because of what I like to watch from Netflix and because I don't watch dubbed stuff, I will be learning the basic sentences and words needed for Spanish from series like El Chapo.

"Si a este pendejo lo manda a la chingada, ¿a nosotros también?"
When someone you know is in trouble it's important to know if you are too.

"Tu tío es un chingón, Amado."
Good to know how to compliment someone.

"No lo conozco."
Remember to deny, deny and deny everything.

"Arrepentido nunca estoy."
...and regret nothing.

"Estoy listo para aventar perico al otro lado."
Be honest in customs when traveling. "Let me just tick that box from this form..." And no, the translation is not: "I'm ready to throw a parakeet to the other side" like Google translator claims. Unless parakeet has a second meaning.

"Ya déjate de chingaderas."
Sometimes it's necessary to be a bit rude.