¿Cómo estás?

The 7th graders have been studying emotions. How are you feeling today?

alegre

triste

enfermo(a)

nervioso(a)

enojado(a)

Hope you're feeling alegre today!

Las noticias

Sometimes we get wrapped up in our communities or our lives and we don't have a clue what's going on in the rest of the world. Take a minute to read about a fishing boat from northern Spain that is in the news this week.

On April 19, a Basque fishing boat was attacked off of the coast of Somalia, on Africa's east coast. The boat was attacked by Somalian pirates (yes, pirates are still around!). The crew of the Playa de Bakio is still being held captive and the Spanish government has appealed to the United Nations for help. Follow this link to read the rest of the article and learn more. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7363645.stm

There are all kinds of interesting news stories from all over the world. It's important to know what's going on in other countries, pay attention!

El Zócalo

The 7th grade Spanish students just finished a unit on Mexico City. We read a little about el Zócalo, the main plaza in Mexico City. The plaza represents the history of Mexico by mixing elements of Spanish, Mexican and Aztec culture. Take a look at these websites to learn more and see pictures of el Zócalo.
http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/zocal2.html
http://www.delange.org/Zocalo/Zocalo.htm

We’re on to Puerto Rico next!
Have a great weekend!

La Feria de abril

Beginning on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. the city of Seville in southern Spain will be transformed into a fairground. The festival is called the Feria de abril and dates back to 1846. The Feria used to be a fair in which farmers met to trade cattle. Now it is a festival that draws visitors from all over the world. It also marks the beginning of the bullfighting season. There are tents set up in the city that are owned by families or businesses. These tents are called casetas and they are set up like dining rooms with tables and chairs. There’s also room for dancing! A popular dance performed at the Feria is Flamenco dancing. This is well-known throughout Spain. But there are also dances that are specific to Seville. They are called Sevillanas. People young and old perform these dances in the casetas or in the streets. There are also special costumes that people wear during Feria. Women and girls wear dresses that are called trajes de flamenca. They are dresses that are usually specially made. Look at this website to see some of the different styles (and prices) of these dresses: http://www.flamencoexport.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.htmlrt.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.html.

Here's Señorita Payne and one of her amigas at the Feria gate in 2004. The design of the gate changes a little every year.

Here's what the casetas look like inside.

Learn more about Feria by visiting these websites:

http://feriadesevilla.andalunet.com/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feria_de_Abril

Puerto Vallarta

I went to Puerto Vallarta last week during our vacation. One well-known attraction in Puerto Vallarta is its seaside promenade. There are many shops and restaurants along the promenade as well as a number of statues and sand sculptures. One of the most-recognized statues is The Seahorse.

"The Seahorse, a nine-foot-high bronze statue featuring a boy riding it, is arguably Vallarta’s most-recognized symbol and has the most complex history. Almost a decade before Rafael Zamarripa’s work became the first sculpture on the Malecon back in 1976, its identical twin stood at the south end of Los Muertos Beach. But due to the relentless force of people climbing on it and high waves and strong winds, it eventually toppled and was lost to the sea. Then, years after its doppelganger was installed on the downtown Malecon, the original mysteriously reappeared, only to be lost again in Kenna, re-found and then reinstalled yet again."

We had a great first week back, enjoy your weekend!

http://www.visitpuertovallarta.com/puertovallarta/entertainment/Culture/monumental-oceanfront-art.html