You're welcome, Peggy, Yes, it is amazing how polished my sister's Spanish has become since watching novelas in San Jose. I never was a fan of soap operas, but we do rent foreign films from the foreign film section at Hollywood Video here. Up here in Washington State, they do not broadcast the Spanish-language channels, unfortunately. I miss them. In order to get them up here one has to subscribe to the satellite TV companies, but that system hasn't worked out too well for those up here who have tried it---the satellites can't break through our frequent cloud cover and rain, and they were getting pixilated pictures on their screens, so they had to go back to cable TV. Emilie Garcia Port Orchard, WA ----- Original Message ----- From: peggydee@... Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 10:28 AM To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: Re: [ranchos] Juan v. Juan Jose v. Jose Francisco Emilie,
Thanks so much for you message. I think I will try your suggestion about reading books in Spanish. I've read, "Like Water for Chocolate" already, the english version and I have it. So I'll be it in Spanish, as well as my other favorite, "Caramelo" which is also sold in Spanish.
My mother told me that she learned by watching the novelas with her mother-in-law and that helped a lot.
I also do belong to a group where I get articles and posting from Zacatecas, but you're right. Youngsters just post their pictures looking to "hook up" with one another *laugh*.
Thanks for your help....and your advice.
Peggy
> From: "Emilie Garcia" <auntyemfaustus@...>
> Date: 2005/07/12 Tue AM 11:52:55 EDT
> To: <ranchos@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: Re: [ranchos] Juan v. Juan Jose v. Jose Francisco
>
> Peggy,
>
> I too was lucky enough (along with my husband) to have worked in civil service (in Silicon Valley) and retire with good defined benefits. As for the Spanish, my experience is very much like yours, but I did improve my reading and understanding of Spanish by joining a Mexican Jerezano group on the internet where I was forced to read Spanish, and with the help of a Spanish dictionary I learned a lot by printing out what I wanted to read and then slowly, tediously translating it to English. I still do that in order to thoroughly understand books and articles in Spanish
>
> There are many groups like that on the internet for just about every region in Mexico and you might find one for the specific area of Mexico your ancestors were from. I enjoyed the group I belonged to because I learned a lot from the people from there who traveled there (Jerez) at least once a year and kept us up on the goings on. I felt like I was beginning to know my father's people. I don't follow that group too much now because its focus was not genealogy or history, and when many of the younger members filled the message board there with their provincial rivalry and discussions about fashion and music I lost interest and was glad to discover these groups of Joseph's that are more oriented towards genealogical research and history. You might also check into the MexicoConnect group and find articles there in English about Tlaltenango. It is a group for expatriate Americans living there or those who travel there frequently.
>
> There is a book called "Como Agua Para Chocolate" that has an English translation "Like Water for Chocolate". When you have the two books together you can learn a lot about the language and culture. I do that with other languages, and I enjoy reading Italian and French and even a little German, even though I cannot think quickly enough, or know enough of those languages to speak them, or hold a conversation in them except to ask for directions, order a meal, check into a hotel. But I enjoy reading biographies and historical novels in the language they were written in. You might join a club or group of some kind or get to know some immigrants so you can immerse yourself in the language.
>
> If you do get to travel into Mexico (a dangerous proposition now in many parts there and in other parts of the world, unfortunately) go with someone who is from there and understands the customs and language. If you do take lessons, be sure to take them from a native-born speaker of the language. It is much more interesting to be taught by someone who can be informative about the life-styles, etc of the country they were raised in. I always looked for native-born teachers of languages, and I learned more than I did taking classes in high school where teachers had only learned the language from books and did not pronounce the words correctly, etc.
>
> Emilie Garcia
> Port Orchard, WA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: peggydee@...
> Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 7:52 AM
> To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: Re: [ranchos] Juan v. Juan Jose v. Jose Francisco
>
> Thanks for the info. I guess I'm one of the babies of the group at 36?? I've also been lucky enough to have a civil service job with a great union who has cemented great benefits for the next five years. I feel spoiled when I hear the stories about people's health care issues. It's a total shame that all people don't have good insurance and benefits!!
>
> I did want to say, though, that for the record I always enjoy reading everyone's post. I've been so educated by each and everyone of your messages. I feel like I lack the family experiences, though, since myself as well as my parents were born here. I envy the members who have gotten to travel to their ancestral homelands. I want to do the same but I don't have a lot of free time. And I was never taught spanish and would like to take a class. Is there any online programs, software (I feel like such a dork!) that teach spanish? I understand the basics from high school spanish classes, but I want to learn more. How does one go about doing that!!?
>
> I do have one question for the gentlemen who made his trip to Tlaltenango If you can, email me and let me know how found it...was it your first trip there? What's the city like? Was it hard to get there? What are the people like?
>
> Thanks again,
> Peggy Delgado
>
> >
> > From: Yolanda Bobby Perez <windrocklili@...>
> > Date: 2005/07/11 Mon PM 11:24:53 EDT
> > To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [ranchos] Juan v. Juan Jose v. Jose Francisco
> >
> > Alberto, Mil Gracias! You hit the nail on the head, sooner or
> > Alberto, thanks for sharing with the group. You hit the nail right on the head, sooner or later we will need meds that are over priced and out of our price range. I for one will share this info with my friends and family. I hope that your wife feels better very soon and remember prayer helps.
> > Again, Gracias
> > Yolanda Medina Perez
> > El Paso, Tx
> >
> > Alberto Duarte <albertodua@...> wrote:
> > Dear Members:
> > I would like to share the following with our members
> > since I believe most of us are about the same age
> > range, like me, a youthful med 60s, and are probably
> > purchasing expensive prescription drugs.
> >
> > My wife just got back from the doctor and was given a
> > free prescription pill for her illness that would
> > normally cost me $50.00 each. She will eventually
> > need to take the same pill, once a month, that will
> > cost me $200.00 for 4 pills. Yes, $200.00 for 4
> > pills.
> >
> > Anyway, this morning I found a number of pharmacies in
> > Canada that sell the same pills, same weight, and I
> > believe from the same company that makes the pills.
> > The same pill in Canada will now cost me $9.58 each,
> > or a total cost for 4 pills at $53.31, and that
> > includes shipping cost.
> >
> > You can log on www.pharmacychecker.com to see
> > comparative costs of drugs from the various pharmacies
> > throughout Canada
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Alberto Duarte
> > Santa Maria, Caifornia
> >
> > --- Margarita Vallazza <TeaCozyGran@...> wrote:
> >
> > > She's probably related to my great-grandfather's
> > > first wife, Eleuteria
> > > Tovar.:) Marge:)
> > > On Jul 9, 2005, at 12:17 AM, Alberto Duarte wrote:
> > >
> > > > You think that is confusing? My great grandmother
> > > > Maria Dolores Vasquez Tovar from Jerez had her
> > > name
> > > > written sometimes as: Maria Dolores Tobar, Maria
> > > > Dolores Tovar, or Maria Vasquez Tovar, or Maria
> > > > Vasquez Tobar.
> > > >
> > > > Alberto.
> > > > Santa Maria, California
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ____________________________________________________
> > Sell on Yahoo! Auctions ? no fees. Bid on great items.
> > http://auctions.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
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