Post 2336
- 8 years and 246 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment
I'm proud to announce the completion of four straight weeks of daily Duolingo Spanish lessons.
Duolingo is a free online language-learning site that uses a game format for the lessons.
The lessons are in the form of test questions that ask you to translate from English to Spanish, Spanish to English, and write the Spanish that you hear. I have the most trouble with that last, and it is exposing the degree of hearing loss I'm enjoying.
Sometimes, I don't hear what's being said correctly, especially when the speaker is female. I just don't understand or misunderstand what's being said.
It doesn't bode well for my coming experience in Cuenca. Of course, there are lots of English speakers there, but now that I've narrowed my retirement options to Spanish-speaking countries, I'm committed to learning Spanish. I don't want to limit my friendships to English speakers, which was the one non-governmental mark against Chiang Mai. My prospects of learning Thai were dismal, and I found it, even in my brief time there, extremely limiting to restrict all my communications to a language that the majority of residents didn't speak.
I won't let that happen in Cuenca, Medellin, or Oaxaca (my current Mexican destination pick).
I'm enjoying the approximately twenty-five minutes a day spent on Duolingo. I have no doubt that once I settle in for a while - a while being at least ninety days - I will take local language lessons. I really want to be able to communicate with the local people, and I don't want to be any aspect of an Ugly American.
I've been pleasantly surprised at my progress, even as I'm chagrined that my hearing is so bad, that I should probably also learn International sign language.
I'm enjoying this aspect of my current life - I'm grateful these things I'm able to do.
Food and Diet
Duolingo is a free online language-learning site that uses a game format for the lessons.
The lessons are in the form of test questions that ask you to translate from English to Spanish, Spanish to English, and write the Spanish that you hear. I have the most trouble with that last, and it is exposing the degree of hearing loss I'm enjoying.
Sometimes, I don't hear what's being said correctly, especially when the speaker is female. I just don't understand or misunderstand what's being said.
It doesn't bode well for my coming experience in Cuenca. Of course, there are lots of English speakers there, but now that I've narrowed my retirement options to Spanish-speaking countries, I'm committed to learning Spanish. I don't want to limit my friendships to English speakers, which was the one non-governmental mark against Chiang Mai. My prospects of learning Thai were dismal, and I found it, even in my brief time there, extremely limiting to restrict all my communications to a language that the majority of residents didn't speak.
I won't let that happen in Cuenca, Medellin, or Oaxaca (my current Mexican destination pick).
I'm enjoying the approximately twenty-five minutes a day spent on Duolingo. I have no doubt that once I settle in for a while - a while being at least ninety days - I will take local language lessons. I really want to be able to communicate with the local people, and I don't want to be any aspect of an Ugly American.
I've been pleasantly surprised at my progress, even as I'm chagrined that my hearing is so bad, that I should probably also learn International sign language.
I'm enjoying this aspect of my current life - I'm grateful these things I'm able to do.
Today's Weight: 201.0 lbs.
Previous Weight (9/2/19): 201.9 lbs.
Net Loss/Gain: - 0.9 lbs.
Diet Comment
Food Log
Breakfast
6:15pm:
Lunch
10:00pm: Cottage cheese and a Quest bar.
Dinner
11:45pm:
Liquid Intake
6:15pm:
 |
| Arugula, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, roasted turkey breast, shaved parmesan cheese, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. |
10:00pm: Cottage cheese and a Quest bar.
Dinner
11:45pm:
 |
| Brussel sprouts on riced cauliflower and dal tadka (lentil curry). Not shown: A Quest bar. |
Espressos: 1; Coffee: 20 oz.; Water: 74+ oz.;
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Thank you!
Thank you!
I think your disappointment is premature. was mrs gardella your Spanish teacher? I seem to remember some difficulty way back when.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think I had Mrs. Tanenbaum in 9th grade and Mrs. Gast in 10th grade. I struggled with both, but the latter was a nightmare, who only passed me conditionally that I not take 3rd-year Spanish. I succeeded much better in Summer school at Rhodes (where I took 3rd year Spanish and Driver's Ed) than with either of those two. But my recollection of whatever skills I managed to get almost 60 years ago is nearly nil. The bad hearing aspect is something I have to live with no matter the language, but it makes understanding a foreign language much more difficult.
ReplyDelete