Why Learning Languages is Great

Americans talk a lot (and loudly).  But around the world, people are still surprised to meet Americans that speak more than one language.  Even though more and more people are not as surprised to meet Americans might know a bit of Spanish, I've had a lot of conversations where people in other countries were surprised to meet an American who speaks Spanish (or another language) well.

Muy bien, Miguel.

 We're also notoriously bad at geography.

But, we also love to travel, and with more and more universities expanding their study abroad programs, now we can (one of the best things I think a student can do - I spent mine in Madrid, Spain in 2010).  Americans also speak languages other than English with increasing fluency.  According to the most recent US census, the percentage of the total population who speak Spanish increased from 2005 to 2011.

Source: click here.

And it's not just English and Spanish that are becoming popular.  Look at these maps from Slate.com that show the popularity of languages spoken across the United States.  For reference, even that US census included 300 languages to measure for its data.

Source: click here.

The Washington Post also has a really cool graphic map measuring languages spoken by county.  The map includes languages where at least 10 percent of people in the county speak a language other than English at home.  Ten percent!  

Source: click here; you can zoom in the original source too!

If you're not into trends and aside from the growing popularity of languages other than English, why should you get down with multilingualism?  

The Huffington Post had an excellent article about all of the major benefits of speaking multiple languages.  The article echoed all of the reasons why I wanted to learn additional languages, and why I still want to continue learning (locking down Farsi fluency, then starting with French, then hopefully Arabic someday).  I won't post the article in its entirety, but you can click here for the full story.  In addition, I posted their listed six benefits below.

1. You can understand and appreciate cultural references and nuances.
2. Bilingualism can create job opportunities and help you navigate the world.
3. You notice and appreciate things that are sometimes lost in translation.
4. You feel a sense of connection with your heritage, history, and family.
5. Your interactions with people of different cultures go deeper.
6. And lastly, your self-expression excitingly takes on a multitude of forms.*

*This last point isn't just referring to the hilarious/confusing times when I say a sentence in a mixture of English/Spanish.Farsi, but rather that people who speak multiple languages fluently or with a high degree of proficiency have different personalities when they are speaking each language.  It's pretty cool.

So get inspired!  Make deeper connections with the people around you and experience to the fullest extent everything this world of ours has to offer!

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Posted in: bilingual,English,Español,French,J-Mad,multilingual,Spanish,Travel,United States,فارسی

Places I've Been So Far

I absolutely loved  this TV show & computer game!

So I found this nifty little widget online where you can make a map of all the places that you've been.  I started filling mine out, and I've been to four of seven continents (awesome), but only 3% of the countries in the world.  I think Carmen San Diego would have hit 100% on the map.  Time to increase these stats and turn some more countries green!  Hopefully, I will get a chance to go to some new places during law school since the only cure for the travel bug is, you guessed it, to travel!  Here is the link to my map that appears below:

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

Encontré un "widget" en el internet y con eso, puedes hacer un mapa que dibuja verde los países que has vistado.  Comencé a llenar mi mapa, y todavía he visitado cuatro por siente continentes (que guay!), pero solamente he visitado tres porciento de todos los países del mundo.  Creo que Carmen San Diego ha visitado cien porciento de los países en el mapa.  Ahora, necesito mejorar estas estadísticas y poner más países verde!  Ojalá que voy a tener la opertunidad para visitar algunos lugares nuevos durante mi tiempo en la facultad de derecho, porque la única cura para la enfermedad del impulso de viajar es viajando!

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Posted in: Belgium,Canada,Countries Visited,Ecuador,English,Español,France,Germany,Italy,J-Mad,Japan,Liechtenstein,Morocco,Northern Ireland,Peru,Spain,Switzerland,Travel,United States,Vatican City

Ferdinand

This week, the festival begins in Pamplona (July 7 to 14), where the Running of the Bulls is every morning at 8:00am. I told my host mom that I want to go, just to watch, but also to find my Ferdinand. Because for some reason great literature did not make it across the Atlantic, Ferdinand the Bull is a children's story about a bull named Ferdinand who just wanted to sit and smell the flowers under a cork tree in the fields. My host mom laughed and laughed. She said Ferdinand was not a bull, that the story is a tonteria, and that Ferdinand must be like a donkey because there are no Spanish bulls like Ferdinand. No pasa nada, I will find Ferdinand anyway. Below is the 1938 Disney version of the story (please excuse Disney's racism - I promise that the story book is legit).

Esta semana, la festival empieza en Pamplona (7 hasta 14 de julio), y los torros corren cada mañana a las 8:00. Se dije a mi madre española que quiero ir a Pamplona, solamente para ver, pero para encontrar mi Ferdinand también. Porque literatura buenisima no se cruzaban el oceano Atlántico, Ferdinand el Torro es un cuento para niños sobre un torro que solamente quería odor los flores y sentar debajo de un arbol en los campos. Mi madre española se rió y rió. Ella me dijo que Ferdinand no es un torro, que esta historia es una tonteria grandisima, y Ferdinand es un burro porque no hay torros del tipo de Ferdinand en España. No pasa nada, voy a encontrar Ferdinand. Debajo de ese mensanje hay una versión de video de Disney se hizo en 1938 (perdón el racismo – me prometo que el libro de ese cuento es legit).

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Posted in: Bull,Bullfight,English,Español,J-Mad,Madrid,Pamplona,Running of the Bulls,Spain

Una Introducción de Guaraní

Part of the program that I am doing in Spain involves assisting an office that works with Latin American immigrants, especially Paraguayan immigrants. In Paraguay, there are two official languages: Español and Guaraní. Both are used with equal frequency by Paraguayans as well as in the areas bordering Paraguay (such as the border between Paraguay and Brazil). These are a few of the Guaraní phrases that colleagues have taught me:

Che iera (name) - Me llamo (name) - My name is... - اسم من ـــــ است

Mba eichapa? - ¿Cómo estás? - How are you? - حالت چطوره؟

Che sogue - No tengo dinero - I do not have any money - من پول ندارم

Akese - Quiero dormir - I want to sleep - من می خواهم بخوابم
Ajama (pronounced "Ahama") - Adios/ya me voy - Bye! - خدا حافظ

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Posted in: English,Español,Guaraní,J-Mad,Madrid,Paraguay,Spain,Work,فارسی

Terrible News. Da-dum.

So, I don't know how many people already knew this but since I only get Spanish Google, I just found this out today. Apparently, NBC is deciding to be stupid and cancel the original "Law and Order." After reading the Spanish version of this announcement, a friend forwarded me the New York Times obituary for it. Hopefully, NBC jumps on the million-part DVD set soon, or just takes a break and keeps writing episodes (although this would be a pointless endeavor without Sam Waterston or S. Epatha Merkerson). Thank you, TI, for your TrapMuzik to help me through this difficult time.

من خیلی خوب نیستم برای اینکه یکی چیز بد رخ داد و من نمی توانم راجع به این چیز حرف زدم

Un evento pasó, pero es muy triste y no puedo explicar más sobre esta cosa mala. ¡Qué lastima para NBC!

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Posted in: English,Español,J-Mad,Law and Order,NBC,TI,Tragedy,TV,فارسی

By This Time Tomorrow...

By this time tomorrow, I will be in Spain for the summer. Keep checking for updates and photos!

A este tiempo en la mañana próxima, estará en España. Mira a este blog con mucha frequencia para mis fotografias y historias nuevas!

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Posted in: English,Español,J-Mad,Spain,Travel

Spring Break

For spring break, I went to Florida to visit my dad while he worked there. I stayed in Tampa, went to Busch Gardens, Clearwater Beach, and St. Petersburg. I also saw the Salvador Dalí Museum and the movie Brooklyn’s Finest, as well as the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. It was a pretty fun trip even with the crazy return flight, where the TSA made me surrender a jar of peanut butter. Check out the photos here.

برای تعطیلات بهارم، من به فلوریدا رفتم و پدرم را دید. من در شهر تامپا زندگی کردم و من به باغ بش، ساحل کلیرواتر، و شهر سان پیترسبرگ رفتم. من همچنین موزهٔ سالوادر دالی و فیلم "بهترین بروکلن" دیدم. من به نمایشگاه آبی فلوریدا در شهر تامپا رفتم. این سفر خیلی خوب بود،علیرغم قسمت پرواز برگشتی با کارگرهای " TSA " که به من گفت که "این خمیربادام کوهی را تسلیم شد!" برو به این وبسیت برای عکسهایم.

Para mis vacaciones en la primavera, fui a Florida para visitar mi padre cuando él trabajó en este lugar. Fui a la ciudad de Tampa, el parque se llama Busch Gardens, la playa de Clearwater, y la ciudad pequeña de San Petersburg. Visité el museo sobre el artista Salvador Dalí y la acuario de Florida en Tampa, miré la película Brooklyn´s Finest también. Este viaje fue muy divertido, incluso con el vuelo de regreso loco. En el vuelo de regreso, una trabajadora de TSA me hizo entrega de un tarro de mantequilla de maní. Para ver las fotos de me viaje, haga un clic aquí.

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Posted in: Clearwater Beach,English,Español,film,Florida,J-Mad,St. Petersburg,فارسی

Testing...1, 2, 3...

Here I am, testing this blog post out.

من با این پست اوّل تمرین می کنم

Estoy practicando escribir en este blog con el post primero.

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Posted in: English,Español,J-Mad,فارسی