back in the saddle again

[aroraborealis]

It's great to be back in classes. I definitely feel like the time off did me some good -- I had a chance to absorb some of the ideas around the subjunctive, a somewhat difficult verb tense for English speakers to learn, since we don't really HAVE much of a subjunctive, but it's used a lot in Spanish. The focus of the week is conversation, learning some idiomatic expressions, and just general practice, practice, practice. Also, some music. Excellent. I'm thinking about requesting to have the same teacher next week for consistency, and because he's very good, and I have to decide by tomorrow, but we'll see...

In the meantime, a song:


"Gracias a la Vida" por Mercedes Sosa y Violeta Parra

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio dos luceros, que cuando los abro
perfecto distingo, lo negro del blanco
y en el alto cielo, su fondo estrellado
y en las multitudes, al hombre que yo amo

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el oido que en todo su ancho
graba noche y dia, grillos y canarios
martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
y la voz tan tierna de me bien amado

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
con el, las palabras que pienso y declaro
madre, amigo, hermano, y luz alumbrando
la ruta del alma, del que estoy amando

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansado
con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
y la casa tuyo, tu calle y tu patio

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio el corazon, que agita su marco
cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo
cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
asi yo distingo dicha de quebranto
los dos materiales que forman mi canto
y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto

Comments

[kcatalyst.livejournal.com]

Actually, American English speakers are growing a new subjunctive. It's "would (have)". You know like when people say "If I would have known that you were coming I would have baked a cake"? (Ok, actually it's a counterfactual, but it's close to a subjunctive!)

nym in FtL

[(Anonymous)]

Hi my darling, After almost a month here in FL I am heading home Thurs. Andy, in Red Rocks will be home Wed, insh allah. I know you are anxious to pin down our dates, so am I! Of course with buddy passes and standby flying nothing is sure. Dan has to stay in JH till school is done.
Gramma Irene does have a slow growing cancer on her lung and colon. We have worked hard on pain control while I've been here. She is too old and frail for surgery or chemo. Tomorrow she gets another ECT to help her over my departure. She doesn't know about her diagnosis of cancer.
So by Fri yr parental unit should be reunited in yr ancestral home.
Do you like the NYT articles? luv, nym