spanish 102- exam 1 club cultura
Uruguay- the carnival and candombe
- the carnival in Uruguay is the longest: it lasts 40 days.The carnival of Uruguay is of European and African origin and is celebrated the last days before the religious period of Lent. During those days, there are many groups that parade singing and dancing in the streets of cities and of the towns, like the comparsas, the murgas and the groups of candombe. The comparsas are groups of people where everyone is dressed in the same carnival costume, and parade through the streets singing and dancing. -The murgas, who are of Spanish origin, are similar to the comparsas but the group sings a kind of popular opera that ridicules some important event in society. Their lyrics and dances have a lot of humor and are very funny. On the other hand, candombe is a Uruguayan style of dance and music which mainly uses percussion with different drums. This song started with African slaves in colonial times. -During the days of carnival, the black slaves of Montevideo they wore robes with many colors and they played candombe in the street. Today they continue to do it, not only during the carnival but throughout the year. You can hear your drums at dusk on the corners of different neighborhoods of Montevideo.
chile introduction
-17 million inhabitants -has a very diverse landscape -its length from north to south is equal to the distance between New York and Los Angeles. its width from east to west, is equal the distance between San Diego and Los Angeles -Santiago is the capital of Chile -chile boarders the pacific ocean to the west with mountains of the Andes to the east -the Andes is the highest mountain range in Latin America -from Patagonia in the south, where there are lakes, volcanoes, glaciers, and forests -in the north, there is the driest desert in the world, the Atacama. It seems extraterrestrial, the sand is a reddish color which makes it look like the planet Mars landscape
paraguay- introduction
-Asuncion (accent over o), the capital of the republic of paraguay -Paraguay has no sea -it is known as the "Heart of South America" -Although there is no coast it is possible to reach the Atlantic Ocean by navigating the waters of Paraguay River. The River divides the country into 2 very different regions -the eastern region (east of the river) has very green territory with more than 800 rivers. 95% of the population lives in this region -the western zone or Chaco has 60% of the national territory but only 5% of the population lives here. mainly 14 ethnic groups of indigenous people and some colonies of Mennonites of Russian and German origin -it is a country the size of California with less than 7 million inhabitants (less people than in New York City) -it is an argicultural and livestock country--second largest exporter of soybeans in the world. -the country can feed the whole world for 8 days a year -it also is one of the leading exporters of the electric power worldwide -the paraguayan population is one of the most homogeneous in all of South America--95% of the population is mestizos -mestizaje is the result of the relationship between the Guarani and European Cultures -the Guarani have lived in what is now Paraguay for more than 1000 years -its influence is evident since the guarani gives name to all a culture, to a living language and even to the currency of this country -87% of paraguayans speak Guarani and 80% are bilingual and speak Guarani and Castilian (the two official languages of the country)
paraguay- adventure sport
-paraguay has a little bit of everything- hills, marshes, forests -you can buy chipa anywhere. Chipa is the most typical bread and most consumed by paraguayans. Chipa is made with butter, manioc flour and a variety of cheeses and anise seed -there are waterfalls and caverns full of bats -paraguay has a fascinating history where you can see the fusion between american culture and the european one
Argentina - introduction
-Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina -Obelisk is one of the most important symbols in the city -Argentina is the second largest country in South America -from Buenos Aires there are 1,300 miles to La Quiaca, the northmost village on the border with Bolivia, and 1,900 miles to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city on the planet -different landscapes in Argentina are the glaciers of patagonia in the southwest and the deserts of the plateau of La Puna to the northwest, Iguaza falls to the northwest border with brazil -La Pampa is the most fertile region of the country -Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the entire American continent, which is on the border with Chile -Argentina is distributed in 23 provinces
Argentina- cultural life of buenos aires
-Obelisk of Buenos Aires, cross the two main avenues of the city: 9 de Julio avenue which is the worlds widest avenue and corrientes avenue which is always full of people day and night -here you can discover the Argentine taste for culture with its theaters, concert halls, and bookstores -the most famous bookstore in Buenos Aires is El Ateneo. it has a great literary tradition and most of the country can read -there is an old theater converted into a bookstore and cafeteria -they call the subway "subte" -Mayo Avenue of the late nineteenth century and is inspired by the boulevards of paris -also places resemble spain because when it was built many spanish immigrants lived there -hat's why the most universal Spanish symbol is here: the statue of Don Quixote. At the end of the Avenue of May, is one of the most important squares of Argentina: the plaza de mayo -You have the seat of government: the Pink House, which is like the White House of the United States but people just work here -the president normally lives in Olivos, on the outskirt of Buenos Aires -there is a Cathedral where Jose de San Martin is buried, which many call "the Father of the Fatherland"
Paraguay- El terere (accent over las e) the most Paraguayan tradition
-Terere is the official drink and cultural heritage of the nation of paraguay -in february, National terere day is celebrated -before taking terere you have to eat terere rupa which meand "mattress terere" that means you have to eat something before you take it. some eat a meat pie and another one of corn -the traditional container of it is made of cow horn. which is a custom inherited from the Guarani and is part of the village. If someone invites you to share, you have their trust -you need water, mate grass, and lots of ice; it is similar to mate but this one is taken with cold water -if you have discomfort, a headache, or shaking chills you can add medicinal plants or weeds to the terere. for example, peppermint is good for calming nerves -the cost is between 1,000 and 2,000 guaranies--which amounts to 25 cents
chile- Valparaiso, the pearl of the pacific
-Valparaiso is the main port of chile -much of chile's trade enters and leaves here -the neighborhood is a world heritage site but there are also modern buildings -the city has sloping architecture that looks like San Francisco. it also has many stairs -if you like fish and seafood they have a large variety -you can cook a sea pail with all different types of seafood- you cook them in water and white wine with onion, garlic, and some spices -the paila marina is a dish very typical of this area of chile -on the weekends you eat with family and friends -every area of chile has is own typical seafood dish like the cancato or curanto -the city by the sea also serves as inspiration for writes such as Pablo Neruda who wrote poems about the sea and love there
chile- walking through the Andes
-chile is for nature lovers -mountains to sandy beaches -a lot of outdoor sports -only an hour drive from the capital are some of the best places including skiiing -in this Chilean mountains is where the olympic ski team of the United States trains during the summer months (in the US) -South Americans spend the winter holidays here in chile but in December it is summer here so you can not ski -but when it is december and warm there are tons of other things to do such as hiking, rafting, and it is an incredible place. -you can hike up glaciers (glaciar el colgante del morado)
Argentine- dance and music
-many types of music but many people identify with the tango -the tango is more characteristic of the capital; buenos aires -in the interior of argentine for example in Satla or Tucuman it is much more traditional folk music like zamna, chacarera, or the malambo -Slaughterhouse rock dance -the whole country has the Argentine national rock in common -one of the most famous rock groups in Argentina act in their concert in pajamas and fans do too
Argentina-gastronomy
-roast means reunions and grilled meat brings family and friends together -almost all celebrations are accompanied by a good roast -the mate is one of the most popular drinks in Argentine culture and it is a social custom that means union and moment to share. when you drink coffee with friends, everyone has their cup but if you drink mate, it is shared among all and goes from hand to hand -mate is like tea but is a little more bitter, when a group invites you to share mate that means it invites you to integrate with them, it is the first step to a great friendship -the italian influence is seen by the large number of pizzerias and they say there are more than 11,000 pizzerias in Buenos Aires alone -a pizzeria is a place where many people get together and watch football, the most popular sport (9 out of 10 people are fans) -argentina has won the world cup twice and there are 3 argentines among the 5 soccer players in history -other things to eat are empanadas; which are small puff pastry stuffed with chicken, veal, ham, cheese, and corn (one of the richest foods in argentina)
chile- a very fertile land
-they have many natural resources and the land is very fertile -they export products such as copper, wine, and wood -it also exports many agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, and milk -cherries or strawberries that are available in the winter in the US probably come from Chile -mercado central is a good place to buy fresh food. the market is more than 100 years old and is a historical monument of chile because it is a symbol of the country's culture and argicultural tradition -at the market you can also buy fresh fish and seafood. there are also restaurants at the market -the most important drink in Chile is wine. They have one of the most developed wine industries in the world. The wineries produce almost one billion bottles a year
Uruguay- Argentina and Uruguay a fascinating story
-until their independence from spain, Argentina and Uruguay were both under the same administrative unit -it is said that Uruguayans have argentine customs and the argentines have uruguayans customs -Uruguayans, like argentinines, have mainly a european origin -they eat mate, they eat dulce de leche and have a lot of roast -they have the culture of the gauchos and here football is also a religion -despite being such a small country, they have been twice world champion -it even looks like his brother on the other side of the river that has also won the world cup 2 times -the tango is another thing in common between uruguay and argentina -the tango happens in Montevideo, they believe the tango was born there -tango is a dance but also a musical style which fuses latin, european and aftrican musical styles -At first, the upper class despised tango because this genre began in poor neighborhoods, and their dances and lyrics were provocative. Today the tango is cultural heritage on both sides of the Rio de la Plata and you have fans all over the world. But like the brothers, these two countries also have their differences. -Uruguayans in general are more reserved and calmer than the Argentines. Even its capital, Montevideo, is much quieter and less stressful than many other major South American capitals. -Matte is also part of the national identity of Uruguay. But Uruguayans not only consume it in a house or in a park. It is very common to see people walking the streets of Uruguay with its thermos and its mate sharing this drink in the avenues, in the plazas, in the classrooms of the university, or in his own work. Uruguayans can not leave the mate in no time.
uruguay- introduction
-uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America -it is located between two S. American giants: Brazil and Argentina--- it is bigger than England -it has approximately 3 million inhabitants, half of which live in the capital, Montevideo -Montevideo is a city with a lot of economic power because of its strong banking system -the full name of the country is the Eastern Republic of Uruguay because it is on the eastern side of the Uruguay river -Uruguay is almost all at sea level with no big elevations -their land is an extension of the Pampa and is very suitable for livestock, rice cultivation, and other cereals as well as grapes for wine production -Uruguay is the 4th largest wine producer in Latin America -Uruguay has extensive grassland and abundant vegetation. It is considered one of the 10 greenest countries in the world and its landscapes are on of the most important natural tourist attractions in the country. but what also what attracts tourists is the beautiful beaches of the atlantic coast like those in Punta del Este 90 miles from the capital -people also enjoy their jazz festivals and movies or to observes the largest colony of Sea lions in South America and there are virgin beaches with fewer tourists and more removed from civilization- places like Punta del diablo, valizas and cabo polonio