One of those most interesting things I always find about living here is finding out about other people's perceptions of their experience, and none more so than that of other don Quijote students.

Upon being shown this by a colleague, I was immmediately made to laugh at experiences that both I myself had had as well as having heard similar ones from friends, for example the nervousness as regards the prospect of homestays, the utter friendliness of the locals put in charge of caring for you, and finally the overwhelming feeling that comes from the first day of lessons.

For me, his description of lessons at don Quijote was spot on, and needless to say, I'm pretty sure I shared a teacher with him. The numerous titbits, both gramatically and culturally that I too discovered made this all the more relevant.

So, considering a course here at don Quijote? Have a look at what Paul Croughton, editor of The Sunday Times has to say about his experience here!

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Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, anounced today that he will send a detailed report to the US Department of State about the "linguistic coexistence" in Spain to demonstrate that it works "reasonably well".

The Department of State issued a Human Rights report in March which detailing a list of complaints about language measures taken on Spanish regional governments. Specifically, it states that the Catalan language has imposed on certain rights both in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

In a press conference after the document's release, Zapatero indicated that communities with linguistic coexistence with more than one official language works "resonably well", while recognizing that some specific instances can violate the natural balance that must exist between two co-official languages. However, he insisted that this linguist coexistence "works well for the majority" and that there are no fundamental problems. He stated that he understood the instinct to defend ones monther tongue, as he feels the need to preserve and defend Castillian Spanish. There should be "respect for the languages and respect for each other."

Zapatero will move to issue a complete report to the US State Department to clarify the issue and defend Spain's position.

Many comments in El Mundo, a major Spanish newspaper, demonstrate the frustration of Castillian speaking Spanish citizens with the policies of certain regional communities where many schools require all classes to be taught in their mother tongue: Catalan, Valencian, or Euskera. This practice is very controversial because Castillian-speaking children, forced to enroll in these schools by circumnstances, would be doomed to academic failure.

What do you think? In the Autonomous Communities of Spain, do they have the right to impose their mother-tongue on Castillian Spanish speakers who live there? Or should Castillian Spanish be recognized as the first official language in all of Spain?

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Various authorities and organisations in Castile and León recently announced the introduction of a new collective of tourist hotspots in the region.

What’s special about these selected areas is that they are all geared towards promoting alternative types of visits, particularly rural and active tourism, focussing on nature and outdoor pursuits.

The main site offers leisure activities for all the family, all year round, including climbing, archery and paintballing, amongst many others. The surrounding area, which covers a 40 mile sphere of influence, provides opportunities for various other outdoor pursuits, such as kayaking, 4x4, horse riding, rafting and quad-biking.

The idea is that visitors staying in any of the designated area’s 109 hotels, hostels, lodges, cottages or campsites will benefit from promotions and special offers on these outdoor activities. There are many destinations across the region which include reservoirs, natural parks, rivers, riding centres and adventure parks. They are located in Avila, Segovia, Zamora, Bergos, Palencia, Soria and León.

So, forget your standard beach resort holiday, and try something different – not only is it great fun, but really healthy and more eco-friendly too!

Find out more about the activity centres and what they offer on the PuntosActivos website.

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As part of having a true Spanish experience, a friend from back home and I came over here with the intention of spending one weekend a month travelling, in order to not only experience life in our (new) hometown but also so we could see the different regions and traditions around Spain. This weekend, it was the turn of Toledo.

After a few hiccups between us (a mistake in our historical perception, a bus strike making the return home almost impossible, a lack of appropriate footwear and the anticipation of a 40°C heatwave), we made it alive to our hotel for a quick rest before embarking on discovering the town (this time with a map, making life much easier!!!).

Very reminiscent of our university town, this small city is compact but also an unforgettable experience. Despite our disapppointment upon discovering that the Greco museum was in fact closed for renovation, sights such as the cathedral and its decadent decoration more than made up for this, somewhat of a shame however that in our excitement over certain aspects, our voices got a little too high and we were shushed rapidly by a wandering security guard, oops much!

Other high points included explorations of the museums, many of which seemed to be based in converted hospitals, with exhibitions based on Greco as well as Ceramics through the ages, a clear key element of Toledan history. Furthermore the architecture of both these buildings, the churches, and everyday visions of the streets is the importance fo the moorish roots of this town, with intrinsic artwork showing the centrality of the history.

After more of a walk out of town to the north of the city centre and you stumble across the roman ruins in a open park, although not (again!) clearly signposted as a site of historical interest, this area was filled with history and untainted by large commercial plans, making it clearly a haven for locals as well as an interesting sight off the beaten track. Further on, we encountered the Plaza de Toros, covered in propoganda both regarding the next event as well as those anti-bull fighting, a rather contraversial mix, but highlighting the controvery regarding contemporary culture of Spain. After this, it was a slow meander to the bus station, full of tales of a wonderful weekend away.

Be warned though, navigating this town is far from easy, and impossible without a map or a local guide. Winding streets and confusing signs meant two hours of us wandering in circles around our hotel unable to find it.

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Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha spent the day in Granada. They left their hotel early in the morning, accompanied by 10 security vehicles.

The parked in the Gran Via were they were quick to order ice-cream in a historic shop called "Los Italianos".

They then visited the Capilla Real (part of the Cathedral) where some of Spain´s Catholic Kings remains are stored.

By 16:30 pm, they headed to Sacromonte where they watched a Flamenco show in a cave of the old neighborhood. While there, Curro Albaicín recited some García Lorca versus and gave Michell Spanish fans (Abanicos) and a blanket.

Around 8 pm, they headed to the Alhambra palace in Granada before returning to hotel Villa Padierna de Benahavís in Málaga.

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This is an exerpt from our last weekly Newsletter. Sign up here and you can learn a little bit of Spanish everyday as well as stay up to date on our offers and other cultural events in Spain. The lessons always come with a practice test as well to make sure your really understand what you learn.

As a member you will also get access to more than 34,000 pages of Spanish content, what are you waiting for?

The Lesson

Verbo + nombre + Que + Indicativo / Subjuntivo

Indicativo (Indicative):

Cuando hablamos de algo que tenemos o conocemos usamos la siguiente estructura:
When talking about something we already have o know we use the structure:

Nombre + QUE + Indicativo

Busco a la secretaria que habla inglés.
(Conocemos a la secretaria y sabemos que habla inglés. Por lo tanto usamos Indicativo).
(We know the secretary and we know that she speaks English, so we have to use the Indicative tense: habla. This is a description.)

Quiero la caja que tiene la tapa verde.
Necesito el bolso que tiene la cremallera rota.

Subjuntivo (Subjunctive):

Cuando hablamos de algo que buscamos o queremos con una condición especial usamos la siguiente estructura:
(When talking about something we are looking for or something we want with a special condition we use the structure:)

Nombre + QUE + Subjuntivo

Busco una secretaria que hable inglés.
(Busco una secretaria que tiene que tener una cualidad: hablar inglés. Por lo tanto usamos Subjuntivo: hable).
(I am looking for a secretary who speaks English.)

Quiero un apartamento que tenga vistas al mar.
Necesito una caja que no sea muy grande.

Verbs 1. Ir: To go 2. Ser: To be 3. Estar: To be 4. Tener: To have 5. Haber: To have done

Vocabulary 1. Fama Fame 2. Lustro Period of five years 3. Épico Epic 4. Bolsillo Pocket 5. Eterno Eternal 6. Cándido Naive, candid 7. Devaneo Affair, idle pursuit

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So it seems that Spain's reputation as the perfect place for a holiday is becoming more and more significant as it appears that the Obama's have chosen to holiday near Malága this year.

Reports say that the American first lady will be arriving tomorrow, with her younger daughter Sasha, some family friends and 30 body guards.. It's alright for some! Apparent plans seem to be for a relaxed vacation, as Obama himself celebrates his birthday by state visits to Chicago and their other daughter Malia spends time at an American summer camp.

But what is it that they will be doing there? This historic town is filled with interesting buildings, and the historic center is bordered by both a harbour and mountains, making it truly unique. Castles such as moorish remains on mount Gibralfaro are well worth a visit, as are the remains of the Roman theater dating back to 100 BC. Churches, as ever in Spain, are well worth viewing, for example the Mudejar (a mix of Muslim and Christian elements) Church of Santiago, as well as the impressive Iglesia del Sagrario, which although clearly christian is built upon the foundations of an ancient Mosque. Finally, next week marks the start of the Feria de Málaga, which ranks highly in Spain's local festivals, whether they'll be around for that - who knows, but maybe it's worth elongating their stay..

In a less touristy, I for one am sure that several trips to the beach won't go amiss, and the First Lady and her daughter will be lapping up the Spanish sun and golden sand, definitely a world away from their American home!

Furthermore this visit is reported to be increasing the income of the small town by the sum of around 800 million dollars, so here's hoping they´ll be back to boost the local economy of Spain sometime soon..

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Workers at Madrid’s Zoo-Aquarium were delighted to announce the birth of a baby orang-utan, for the first time in the zoo’s history.

The tiny creature, which is native to Borneo, was born on July 5th this year, at 6 in the morning, and weighed only 1.5 kilos. While fragile at first, he can now be seen at the zoo, enjoying life with the rest of his family.

His birth marks the beginning of the second generation of the species at the zoo, and is excellent news for conservation projects worldwide, many of which are attempting to save this endangered animal. Indeed, the current status of the species is estimated to be only 14% of what it once was.

The zoo is currently recruiting the help of children in deciding a name for the new arrival, on one condition – the name must begin with the same initial as that of his mother (P), a tradition which makes it easier to identify the orang-utans' family groups. Children have until the 31st August to submit their suggestions to comzoo@zoomadrid.com.

To see this cheeky little monkey (well, technically he’s an ape) and all the other animals, you can visit the Zoo-Aquarium from Monday to Saturday. For more information about exhibitions, special events, facilities, opening times and prices, click here.

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Spain is launching its own version of the hit American series "The Golden Girls." It will be called "Las Chicas de Oro" and is being produced by Disney Media Networks and Latin World Entertainment. They have plans to release the Spanish series in the Spanish language in the US, some of the episodes could be perfect for your Spanish class!

You remember silly Rose (Betty White), promiscuous Blanche (Rue McClanahan), serious Dorothy (Bea Arthur) and lovable Italian Sophia (Estelle Getty)? The original series was filmed from 1985-1992 and made its way into the hearts of millions of people both nationally and internationally.

The show is about four previously married women who live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times. The owner of the house is Blanche who was joined by Rose and divorcée Dorothy. They all had responded to a room-for-rent ad on the bulletin board in the grocery store. Later, Dorothy’s mother Sophia joins the group completing the cast.

So what is all the news about? It is not the first time that the Golden Girls has been adapted for other countries, but Spain is different! The cast includes some of the biggest Spanish movie stars: Concha Velasco, Carmen Maura, Lola Herrera and Alicia Hermida.

Velasco will be playing Dorothy, or in Spanish "Doroti" and has been an onscreen character actress since 1954. Maura, who plays "Rosa" is famous for her part in Pedro Almodovar's (one of the top names in Spanish cinema) hit movie Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, can also be recognized for her role along side Penelope Cruz in Almodovar's hit 2006 movie Volver, which won the award of Best Screenplay.

Herrara will take on the role of "Blance" and Hermida (best known for her award-winning role as Valentina in Cuéntame will take on unforgettable role of "Sofia."

And what about the cherished introductory song "Thank you for being a friend?" which was a top hit for Andrew Gold in 1978, sung by Cindy Fee. Up until now the dubbed versions used the original version, so we will have to wait until September to see if they will translate it, because it just won’t be the same without it!

As of 2010, out of the original cast only Betty White (Rose) survives. In 2008 Estelle Getty (Sophia) died of dementia, followed by Bea Arthur (Dorothy) in 2009 from cancer. Last month, Rue McClanahan passed away from a stroke and a brain hemorrhage.

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There can be little doubt that bullfighting is one of the most controversial issues of Spanish culture today, with both fierce supporters and opponents constantly trying to maintain and stamp out the tradition.

The former argue that corridas de toros (bullfights) represent an integral part of Spanish heritage and, what’s more, that they are a hugely important contributor to the country’s tourism industry and thus its economy. For advocates, bullfighting is an impressive sport and an opportunity for participants to demonstrate a high level of skill, while simultaneously providing excellent entertainment for the public.

Conversely, many others, including animal rights groups such as Prou! (meaning Enough!) believe it is a bloody spectacle which involves needless cruelty to innocent animals and that it has no place in modern culture. In Catalonia, Prou!’s efforts against the ruthless killing of toros (bulls) culminates tomorrow in a parliamentary vote on the banning of bullfighting, following a petition of 180,000 signatures submitted last year.

It is expected that the Catalan parliament will vote in favour of the ban, and that this will mark the beginning of the end for bullfighting in Spain, as it won't be long before many more of the country's seventeen autonomous regions follow suit.

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