Gloria de Castro, professor at don Quijote Salamanca, along with other local poets and musicians performed at the Automobile Museum this past Friday night in Salamanca, Spain. The recital brought close to 30 performers with nearly 100 in attendance. Proceeds went to the victims from the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti January 12th, 2010.

Thank you to all that attended, contributed, and sent a message of hope!

Poetas:

Tono Bazquez, Gloria de Castro, Esther Patrocinio, Isaura Diaz Figueiredo, Jose Maria Sanchez Terrones, Maribel Dominguez, Benito Gonzalez, Montserrat Villar, Natividad Gomez, Roxana Sanchez Seijas, Sofia Montero, Soledad Sanchez Mulas, Mamen Somar, Annie Altamirano, Veronica Amat, Pepita Sanchez, Carlos Blanco Sanchez, Luz Mercedes Orrego, Victoria Diaz, Luis Gutierrez, Maria Angeles Guerrero

Los musicos:

Maria Jesus Galayo, Luis Mayol, Andres Sudon

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The Sunday Express, a UK based paper, recently sent one of their reporters to our Barcelona school for one week of Spanish courses and sightseeing. Their reporter had a great time learning Spanish, seeing the sights, and making friends. We hope Claire returns to us!

One of the comments posted to the article questioned the organization of Spanish language schools given the "free souls" of the Spanish. You can check out the original article here www.donquijote.co.uk.

To address ´Kingoftravel´, yes we have siestas in the Spanish speaking world but, call our office in USA and Canada:1 800 518 0412 or in the UK:(44) 020 8786 80 81 and an information packet will be at your door pronto! Not to mention classes start at 9AM or earlier at all of our schools.

For the rest of you interested in living and studying at one of the 12 Spain schools read about: Madrid, Salamanca, Tenerife (in the Canary Islands), or Granada. As for Latin America, check out Flamingo Beach, Costa Rica or Buenos Aires, just 2 of the 23 schools in Central and South America. We also provide accommodations in apartments, student residences (like a dorm), or family stay. Don´t worry, our counselors will talk to you through the entire process.

By the way, I did 3 months of Spanish in Salamanca and the bottom line is that it was an awesome experience and a great resume builder for all you gap year and college students.

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My name is Charlotte and I am from Brighton, England. I am currently in my third year of a degree in Spanish and Italian, and as part of this degree we are required to spend the third year living abroad improving our language skills. I spent the first half of the year studying in Rome, but now I am here in Salamanca as one of the two new interns at the head office of Don Quijote. My duties include translating texts for the English version of the website, as well as creating some of the articles which you read, on anything from Federico Garcia Lorca to La Rioja wines (something I have developed a bit of a passion for during my time in Spain…..)!

Salamanca is a great place to be a young person; it is full of students, and so naturally has a great nightlife scene as well as a huge selection of tapas bars and cafes to hang out in when you feel like a quieter night! It is a small, clean, safe-feeling city; everything is walkable, allowing you to take in the breath-taking sights which are dotted all over the city. Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor is generally considered to be the most magnificent in the whole of Spain, and with good reason. In fact, in my opinion, it is worth coming to Salamanca even if only to see the Plaza Mayor.

I spent my first two weeks here attending classes at the Don Quijote school in Salamanca, which I really enjoyed. It was a great opportunity to meet people from countries all over the world, and the teachers at the school are so kind and helpful, and really good fun! The school itself is a lovely building, and it has a nice café where you can go and have a coffee with your new friends at break time.

Although people often think Salamanca is small, Spain is so full of opportunities for travelling that you don’t have a moment to be bored! From Salamanca you can get the train or the bus to a variety of different cities in both Spain and Portugal, and you can even reach a ski resort in just 40 minutes on the bus! After translating an article for the Don Quijote website about the Cadiz carnival a few weeks ago, I thought it sounded so great that I went home and organized a trip to go down to it myself with a group of friends!

I am really looking forward to the next few months here in Spain; improving my Spanish, making new friends and experiencing a different culture. Why not take a look at some of the courses don Quijote has to offer and you could be doing all of this too in any of the great destinations in Spain or Latin America. Who knows, maybe we’ll be seeing each other in Salamanca soon!

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Hey,

My name is Chekufeh and I am an intern here at don Quijote. I am in Salamanca for 6 months aiming to improve my Spanish before returning back to university in England for my final year studies in Modern Languages.

I have just come from spending 6 months in Paris so it has obviously been a bit of a shock as the size of both places are VERY different! Paris is a fantastic, cosmopolitan, dynamic city. Everyone is always on the go, in a hurry and there is always something to do just outside your front door whether it be a museum, park, restaurant or tourist attraction (the Eiffel Tower was just outside mine [:)] ). But it is definitely, just like any other capital city, not your typical French city. As a student I found it a struggle to come across many people my age however Salamanca is completely different! Ok, it's small, but it couldn't be more Spanish if it tried.

The city boasts beautiful, historic architecture and is buzzing with students! The streets are lined with tapas bars and at any hour of the night you will see people out (mainly students) with their friends. I love that you don't need to use any public transport and that it probably takes at most about 15 minutes to get anywhere. Obviously, as I am working, I have to be at work at 9 every morning so adjusting to nights out ending at 6-8 in the morning is going to be VERY difficult (and probably never going to happen)!

Life here is so relaxed, this is probably a result of the combination between the laid-back Spanish lifestyle and the endless numbers of students in Salamanca. This place attracts students from all over the world and it's great going out and meeting people because everyone is so open and obviously here having the same experience.

So far I'm really enjoying it here and am still to get fed-up of tortilla de patatas! I am looking forward to making new friends, improving my Spanish and discovering new elements of Spanish culture in the next 6 months of my salmantino adventure.

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Hello! My name is Stephen Maher, originally from the small town of Ramsey, New Jersey, USA a suburb of New York City. Perhaps some of you have seen MTV´s latest creation, Jersey Shore? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru7FLCwlStE It´s an awfully embarrassing comedy complete with spray- on tans and bad accents. I can tell you as a Jersey native we do not all talk like these colorful characters.

I come to don Quijote after attending the ´09 Summer/Fall semester at the Salamanca school. For the next 6 months I will continue to attend the don Quijote Salamanca school while spending my afternoons as a copywriter and blogger for the Internet department.

Previously in New York I worked at Ogilvy&Mather as a researcher in their public relations department. As a research assistant I worked on multiple campaign messages for an array of clients in the healthcare, financial, public affairs, and consumer markets.

I look forward to meeting all of you!

Cheers,

Stephen Maher

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We are very proud to announce that “La Gaceta de Salamanca,” a local newspaper in Salamanca, recently published in November 2009 a letter written (in Spanish!) by a don Quijote student.

Here’s the letter as it appeared (in Spanish) in the newspaper.
(We made no corrections; however, an English translation is provided at the bottom)

Hope you find it as amusing as we did!

A mi ladrón de bicicleta… ¡Muchas gracias!

Estimado director,

Llevo un mes estudiando español en Salamanca (en la escuela Don Quijote) y me he llevado un pequeño disgusto que me gustaría contarle.
Vengo de Suiza para mejorar mi español en la ciudad más famosa del mundo por su idioma. ¡Y aquí estoy, en Salamanca!

Hace algunos días alquilé una bicicleta a “los amigos de la bici”, la dejé en la entrada de mi edificio… Pero el otro día desapareció.
Es extraordinario como un acontecimiento desagradable con los que en una situación normal nunca hubiera hablado. Pregunté a Miguel, lleva una librería no lejos de mi casa, si había visto una persona en bici, es tan raro en Salamanca… Hablé con la escuela donde estoy estudiando, y finalmente lo denuncié a la policía. De repente, me di cuenta de que nunca había hablado con tantos Salmantinos! No olvidarlo, estoy aquí para eso, practicar la lengua de Cervantes, de Contador (vencedor del último “tour de France”), del rey Juan-Carlos (esto tipo me gusta mucho, tiene clase) y también de Franco (éste está bien donde está).

Querido ladrón, le agradezco de todo corazón su estimada ayuda en mi aprendizaje. Espero que usted haga un buen uso de esta bicicleta. Hay un paseo que puedo aconsejarle: Empieza en el barrio de Pradillo, enfrente de la comisaría, bordea el río Tormes, cruza el puente romano, y se dirige hacia el parque de la Huerta de Otea ¿Quizás nos encontremos? Hago regularmente esté paseo… corriendo.

Cordialmente,
Marc SCHWITTER

_______________________________________________

To my bicycle thief... many thanks!

Dear editor:

I’ve been studying Spanish in Salamanca for a month (at the Don Quijote school), and suffered a small displeasure which I would like to tell you about. I come from Switzerland to improve my Spanish in a city famed around the world for its language. And here I am, in Salamanca!

I had rented a bicycle from “los amigos de la bici” a few days ago, left it at the entrance of my building… but discovered it missing the other day.
It is remarkable how this unpleasant event - which in a regular situation I would not have spoken to anyone - led me to ask Miguel, who runs a library not far from my house, if he had seen anyone riding a bicycle, an unusual sight in Salamanca… I also spoke with the school where I am studying at, finally reporting the robbery to the police. Suddenly, I realized that I had never spoken to that many Salmantinos before! Don’t forget, I am here for that, to practice the language of Cervantes, of Contador (winner of the latest “tour de France”), of King Juan-Carlos (I like this guy, he’s got class!) and also of Franco (this guy is better where he’s at).

Dear thief, I appreciate with all of my heart your esteemed help towards my learning. I hope you make good use of that bicycle. There’s a route I would like to recommend to you: Start off in the Pradillo neighborhood just in front of the Police Station, follow along the border of the River Tormes, cross the Roman bridge and head towards the park of Huerta de Otea. Perhaps we shall meet as I regularly make this route… running.

Sincerely,
Marc SCHWITTER

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One great way to get to know a place the way only locals know it is by experiencing it thoroughly when learning Spanish. If you want to discover Spanish, then this is your chance: sign up to take a Spanish course in 2010 -and pay 2009 prices! Don't let this opportunity pass you by!

Destinations: All don Quijote destinations
Course length: Starting from one week
Discount: Your 2010 course with prices of 2009
Enroll by: 30 October 2009
Offer ends: 30 October 2009

Conditions:
- Registration must be made before 30 October 2009.
Contact your Course Counsellor now to request more information.

Request a free brochure!

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Book your course before 29 October and receive a 15% discount on your volunteer program in Guanajuato (Mexico).

City: Guanajuato (Mexico)
Duration: 4 weeks
Discount: 15%
Valid for courses in: 2009- 2010
Book before: 31 December 2009

Conditions:
- Offer applicable only to dQ Guanajuato school.
- Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.
- Offer must be requested at time of booking.
- Offer expires 31 December 2009.

Check out offer details and request your brochure here!

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If a few weeks ago we told you we were working hard renovating the www.donquijote.org homepage, then this week, it's your turn to check out our best web yet!

don Quijote's sleek new pages offer informative streamlined content in dual-language (English and Spanish) with complementary vocabulary, Spanish-text audio and exhilarating new images that are sure to enhance your Spanish skills and provide for a more pleasant reading experience.

Navigate through the new and improved don Quijote website!

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Pick up Spanish as you dance in Argentina, the Latin America country renowned for its European customs, marvelous art, culture, welcoming people, great food, wines, lively nightlife... and the sensual tango!

• Package includes:
  • Intensive Spanish course
  • Tango dance classes
  • Accommodation
• Location:
  • Buenos Aires
  • Córdoba
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Price: starting USD$1,680
• Offer ends: September 29, 2009
• Enroll by: September 29, 2009

Conditions:
- Offer applies only to schools in Buenos Aires and Cordoba.
- Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.
- Offer must be requested at time of booking.
- Offer subject to availability.

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