Free Spanish Lesson 42 – More dirt

Vocabulario semanal – Weekly Vocabulary

el boletín de la semana pasada – last week’s newsletter

polvo – dirt

me encanta recibir – I love to receive

respondió – responded

por – by

con – with

en las calles de polvo – on (the) dirt roads

ya que – since

carros – cars

las calles – the streets

se convierten en – are converted to (in)

en la mayoría de – in most of

pueden caminar – (they) can walk

una pelota de fútbol – a soccer ball

parecen estar – they seem to be

bolitas – marbles

las calles – the streets

la edad de – the age of

en – in

simplemente levantan – they simply lift up
es divertido mirar – it’s fun to watch

fútbol – soccer

voleibol – volleyball

bolitas – marbles

y – and

patearon la pelota – they kicked the ball

tenía un poco de vergüenza – I was a little embarrassed

practiqué – I practiced

pueden variar – can vary

béisbol – baseball

o conversando – or conversing

todavía – yet

una oferta actual – a current sale

El boletín de la semana pasada focused on sweeping polvo in Latin America and the reasons they do it. Me encanta recibir responses from you (our readers). Last week Deborah respondió por e-mail with the following:

“Dave: In poor areas in Mexico I saw family wash hanging out and was so impressed at how the whites are so white. Families built homemade speed bumps in front of their homes to keep cars from going too fast and kicking up dirt.

The dirt is so fine and dusty that all their work washing clothes would be for not if they didn’t either sweep and wet the dirt, or build speed bumps. I enjoy your travel observations.” Deb.

Thanks for your comments Deborah!

I just wanted to follow-up con last week’s newsletter and talk a little more about the activities that are done en las calles de polvo in the pueblos. Ya que carros rarely pass by in the lower-income pueblos, las calles se convierten en a play place for young children and teenagers.

En la mayoría de Latin America, as soon as the little boys pueden caminar, they learn to kick una pelota de fútbol. In fact, parecen estar everywhere in the streets kicking soccer balls and playing soccer. When the very little boys aren’t playing soccer, they like to play with bolitas or with string tops called trompos [troam-poes]. Girls also use las calles for a play place.

As soon as they are around la edad de eight or nine, in many regions, they play volleyball en las calles. They set up nets from one side of the narrow streets to the other and if any cars happen to pass by, simple mente levantan the net.

Es divertido mirar the culture of the Latin streets and see everything that goes on. The boys and girls are usually quite good at fútbol, voleibol, bolitas, y “trompos.” In fact, the first time I tried to play soccer with them, patearon la pelota right between my legs. Tenía un poco de vergüenza as everyone laughed at me, the “Gringo”, who didn’t know how to play soccer very well. Needless, to say, practiqué soccer and now enjoy playing it.

The sports played pueden variar region to region. For example, in the Dominican Republic, many of the boys play béisbol instead of fútbol. However, fútbol is still the most prevalent sport throughout Latin America.

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Written by David S. Clark President/Director, U.S. Institute of Languages. Copyright © 1999-2010 US Institute of Languages All rights reserved.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.