Need to brush up on your Spanish vocabulary? FreeRice.com is the perfect website! Not only can you test your current knowledge, check your pronunciation and learn new words, but for each question you answer correctly, FreeRice donates ten grains of rice to hungry people.

This non-profit site is run by the United Nations World Food Programme, with two goals in mind:

• Provide education to everyone for free

• Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free

Since its beginnings in 2007, FreeRice has donated over 81,411,552,880 grains of rice, thanks to its sponsors who advertise on the site. This rice has been used to feed over 4 million hungry people all over the globe.

With over a billion people chronically hungry worldwide, each correct answer on the site can make a real difference. How? Because every day, tens of thousands of people play FreeRice and collectively that means huge amounts of food for the people who need it most. And it’s not only good for Spanish practice either. You can also choose quizzes in Art, Chemistry, English, Geography, French, German, Italian and Maths.

There are so many good reasons to play FreeRice, I can barely begin to list them all. Perhaps you’ve got a test coming up, you’re feeling guilty for all those wasted hours surfing the net, you fancy doing a good deed (or maybe you’re just bored at work or school…) Either way, click the banner below, choose your subject and get playing!

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Without a doubt anyone even considering a visit to Spain this week, or even those already here, cannot fail to miss the fesitivies taking place in the university city of Salamanca. The streets lie adorned with Casetas (small food stands) serving up local delicacies, each with its own speciality; whilst music can be heard all around and into the early hours! No wonder that I for one have never seen the streets so full!! One of the most amazing things for me is the clear popularity of festivals such as these in Spain, as instead of the normally full restaurants, they lie empty and these street attractions appear to have taken all their customers.

One of the main attractions of a visit here however has to be the clear popularity of these stands, with crowds surrounding each one, I was often left to wonder how on earth they would have enough food to serve all these people, but my stomach had need not fear, I saw no instance of a lack of food, and indeed my friends and I are debating the idea of wandering round at closing time to see what freebie foods we can source. It demonstrates quite clearly as well the quality of the food, as well as the importance of variety, as a single stand alone offers up six different varieties, and I have yet to see a single one without a customer.

So what did I have to eat? Well, an iberian burrito started off the day, and wow what a way to go! Although not food typically thought of as spanish, being more mexican in origin, this was definitely worth the experiementation. Next came the 'Secret' pincho, and we're still not entirely sure what it was .. My guess being pork and maybe a cranberry sauce! Following this, a terayaki prawns, before finishing off our lunchtime session with a ham and cheese kebab. Drinks were a little more varied, with a caña at one place, coke at another and sangría following that, it's clear to see that these stalls really do cater for everyone..

However if we thought lunchtime was busy, night time proved a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach, with the streets lit up and filled with thousands of people, all jostling to try the next morsel or craning for a caña to wash it down with, a somewhat different experience for me, considering traditional english fairs involve rides and candyfloss, but altogether a welcome change.

So will I be going to get more tonight? Definitely. Will I be coming again next year? How could I not!

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What better way to celebrate the final days of august than La Tomatina?! This annual ancient celebration took place once more to roaring sucesss last week in the Valencian city of Buñol, with over 40,000 people turning up on Wednesday to throw over 125 tonnes of tomatoes at each other. The small city centre was swamped and even at this rough estimate of participants, one can see its popularity in the fact that the local population increased by almost four fold on this day.

As one would expect, injuries were few and far between, with seemingly only ten participants affected, and those who were only experienced cuts and bruises, a far cry from the problems of this months Love Parade in Berlin.

The legendary cries of ¡Tomate! ¡Tomate! launched the celebrations at midday follwing a one minute silence held in recognition of the two Guardia Civil officers who were killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan the previous day.

The event itself comes as part of an annual one week festival in this small town, and its origins date back to late 19th and early 20th century, making it modern in terms of Spanish history, as well as culturally as it seemingly has no religious significance, clearly apparent normally for example in Semana Santa. Furthermore this festival is particularly significant due to the recognition that it brings to Buñol, a small town around 40km north of Valencia, as well as dramatically increasing by thousands the town's income.

Furthermore, this local party has become famous worldwide and is now being used as an inspiration for events worldwide. Korean authorities have been researching the organisation of the event in order to help them in the growth of their own mud festival that has been happening for the last 12 years, as well hoping to twin the events. In addition, film directors from Bollywood have set up a number of cameras to film the event in order to be used in the upcoming film 'Zidagi na milegi Dobara'.

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Tension may be rising between The Spanish and Moroccan government with a recent discovery by The Gazette Newspaper.

For those of you who may not know, Spain maintains a small territory in Northern Africa called Melilla, nothing more than a city that is Spanish land.

According to internal documents, it seems that Morocco has been issuing passports to its "citizens" born in Melilla, listing it as "Melilla, Morocco" and treating it as if it were part of the Moroccan kingdom.

The Spanish government is aware of the situation. In fact, the Secretary of State for Security Antonio Camacho reported by letter to the Secretary General of Consular Affairs of the existence of these illegal travel documents in mid-July. On the 30th of this month the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, María Jesús Figa Camacho, said that the government has taken the "appropriate steps" and that "as a result Moroccan authorities "will proceed to replace the words" Birthplace: Melilla, Morocco for Melilla exclusively.

This means that the Moroccan government is again questioning the sovereignty of the autonomomous Spanish city of Melilla. Officials say that despite these efforts by the Spanish government, Morocco continues issuing irregular documents. In addition, the authorities of the Alawite kingdom have not been committed to eliminating passports already in circulation.

Diplomatic relations between both countries are now "very delicate" and there is currently an online poll on La Gaceta newspaper website to ask people if King Juan Carlos should cancel his upcoming trip to Morocco.

This is not the first nor likely to be the last provocation by Morocco in connection with the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla, but it is one of the most serious, since it is the first time official documents have been issued by the Moroccan government.

But agents say the real slogan is another senior police and they asked for "flexibility" and are "volunteers" if they detect these documents because diplomatic relations between both countries are now "very delicate".

In Ceuta and Melilla border posts saved some of those passports, and officials say that despite these efforts the Government, Morocco continues issuing irregular documents. In addition, the authorities of the Alawite kingdom have not been committed to eliminating passports already in circulation.

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A few months ago a time capsule was found in front of the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, as the area was being dug up to create a new car park. Discovered under the statue of Cervantes, its contents are now on display for the public at the Real Casa de Correos, located at Puerta del Sol, the very heart of the capital ­ city.

The lead box contained more than forty objects gathered together in 1834, as well as glass-lined walls and a poison to protect the artefacts from bacteria.

Among its contents were two copies of Cervantes’ infamous novel Don Quixote, as well as maps of Spain and Madrid accompanied by a Guia de Forasteros ­ - or Guide for Outsiders - ­ in which the author provides a list of who’s who.

Almost two centuries old, historians have agreed some of the most interesting content of the capsule includes political documents, such as a speech by Maria Cristina, mother of the future queen Elizabeth II. Indeed, 1834 was part of an interesting period for Spain, as the country was at war over the succession of the throne - ­ many supported the crowning of King Ferdinand’s brother, Carlos, and opposed the succession of the then three-­year­-old Isabella II.

The display at the Real Casa de Correos includes a 3D virtual tour of Madrid in the early 18th century which explains the historical context behind the coins, stamps, medals and documents from the capsule.

And to continue the tradition, a new time capsule has been created and deposited in the very same location. This time, it contains contemporary maps of the capital city, the Spanish Constitution and pieces of music in MP3.

If you’d like to visit the exhibition it’s open daily between 10am and 8pm and entrance is free. But hurry, as it is only on display until the 15th September!

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Pancho Villa was a revolutionary from Durango State in Mexico, located in the centre of the country, around six hours north of Guanajuato. First a member and later a leader of numerous bandit groups, Villa became known as a contemporary Robin Hood figure, stealing from rich land-owners in the region and fighting for poor peasants and working classes. Despite retiring from the cause in 1920, aged 45, he was assassinated by political opponents and his dying words are famously reported to have been, “Don't let it end like this. Tell them, I said something”.

In his time, Villa was well-known for his starring roles in Hollywood films, such as Life of Villa (1912) and Following the Flag in Mexico (1916). Indeed, his work on screen and acceptance of a large media following during the revolution was used to fund his army, the Division del Norte.

And now, Villa is to make a return to our cinema screens, as a new film has recently been announced. The work, which is to document the life of this much-admired figure, will star some of the biggest names in cinema, including a number of Spanish stars - most notably, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. The film, entitled ‘Wild Roses, Tender Roses’, or ‘Seven Friends of Pancho Villa and the Woman with Six Fingers’, is currently in production and scheduled for release in 2012.

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Did you catch the game yesterday night the 22 of August? It was a warmup game for the world basketball championship between the two favorites: USA and Spain which took place in La Caja Magica Stadium in Madrid. Well, last night in Spain at least - probably yesterday during the day for most of you. :)

Defending world champion, Spain, lost its first match in nine games by the skin of their chinny-chin-chin. The game was a REALLY close one, ending in a 86-85 win in favor of the US team who recently changed most of its roster.

Tradtionally, basketball has not had a very large following in Spain. However, ever since players like Pau Gasol and his brother Marc Gasol have gained international fame in the NBA, the game has been gaining more and more following. Also, Spain winning the last World Championship tournament also helped gain momentum of this exciting sport. Learn more about Spanish Sports.

The U.S. travels to Athens on Monday to play Greece in its final warmup match ahead of the world championships. The world championships will be held from August 28 to September 12 in Turkey.

Recap of the intense game from e!tb.com Sports:

Kevin Durant scored 25 points and made two crucial late blocks as the United States hung on for an 86-85 victory over Spain

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 20 points and Derrick Rose 13 in the first match between the teams since the Americans won the 2008 Olympic final.

Kevin Durant's dunk off a turnover - his third straight basket - gave the Americans an 8-0 lead, midway through the first quarter.

Derrick Rose knocked down a 3 pointer to extend USA's lead to 16-3 with four minutes left in the opening quarter

USA led 23-16 at the end of the first quarter.

Chauncey Billups fed Lamar Odom underneath for a slam to to put the Americans on top 30-20 with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter.

USA led 45-33 at the end of the half.

That lead was extended when Durant launched in a three pointer to give the Americans a 55-47 advantage, midway through the third quarter. Durant would go to top score in the match with 25 points.

USA led 69-58 at the end of the third.

Spain went on a run to close the gap in the final quarter of play. Juan Carlos Navarro found Marc Gasol for an easy basket to cut the deficit to 76-72, with four and half minutes left.

Spain's Ricky Rubio hit a jumper from the free throw line to make it a two point game, with three suspense filled minutes remaining.

With less than two minutes left, Spain took their first lead of the game 82-80 on Felipe Reyes' layup off a pass from Rubio.

Rose dropped in a layup over Gasol with 33 seconds left to move the Americans back in front 84-82. Rose scored 13 points for USA.

Navarro answered with a three point play to put Spain back on top 85-84 with 27 seconds left in regulation. Navarro scored 20 points in the contest.

After Rose put the Americans ahead with two free throws, Durant blocked shots from Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez as time expired to seal USA's 86-85 win over Spain.

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One city that can almost certainly not be missed on a tour of Spain, or even is a worthy of a longer trip is that of Seville.

This picturesque city, and capital of the renowned Andalucian region, has become even more of a tourist attraction however over the weekend as the local council have conceeded to the demands of the city's inhabitants, and now plan to refill the almost forgotten moat that surrounds the Plaza España.

After ten years of mistreatment, the regional authorities have decided to renovate this important part of Sevillian history, and thus are making plans to clean the water and reopen the attraction in the near future. The location of this exhibit is particularly important as this paritcular Sevillian Plaza was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American exhibition, and is a mix of moorish influences, and consequently one of Seville's most famous tourist attractions, known most notably for its frequent appearances in epic films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars II

With this transformation of the city landscape, one also sees the return of the famous Seville boats, similar in principle to the Gondolas of Venice. In the past these boats used to provide a scenic tour of the area for tourists, in particular families who wanted a more relaxed view of the city, without having to brave the hustle and bustle of the popular visitor attractions and town centre, and thus many feel that they will once more put a different slant on tourism here.

The moat itself is only very small, with a width of 14 meters and a length of 500 meters, whilst the depth being only 1.2, making it almost impossible to have any kind of danger hazard. Once reopened, tickets will need to be purchased from a nearby kiosk, and the attraction itself will be open from 10 am to 8 pm in the winter, with opening hours being extended to close at 10pm in the summer.

The hope is that this will also bring in extra revenue for Spain's busy tourist market, encouraging more people to visit this historic and beautiful southern town!

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Learning Spanish for the main is not simply about the language. Yes, it is important to know your grammar, and increase your vocabulary, but further than that, Spanish is intrinsically about the culture. For me at least, Spain has three main exports: that of food, music and bull fighting, but why are these so important?

Food, well, you can't live without it! And Spain is famed for its wide variety. Tapas and Paella immediately spring to mind when considering what is the spanish national dish, but within both of these there exists many different varieties, for example seafood or Valencian Paella, whilst Tapas is simply a byword for many small dishes served together to make a meal. Even more suprisingly for many non-natives is that Paella is more commonly eaten as a 'primer plato' rather than a main course.

Music can be viewed in several ways, both as regards traditional dances such as flamenco and the more modern music market. Interestingly is not actually a directly spanish tradition, but instead comes from the gypsies of the Andalusian region, the name flamenco meaning the music rather than the dance as it has become more known as. The pop music market has also expanded in Spain, with stars such as David Bisbal and Enrique Iglesias being household names. Definitely worth a listen I'd say!

Finally, La Corrida de Toros, or bull fighting as it is otherwise known. Despite recently being outlawed in Catalonia, the symbol of the bull is still intrinsically linked with Spanish culture, and on any long journey across the countryside here you are bound to see them dotted on the horizon. Often considered a symbol of masculinity and power, the Spanish are clearly very proud of this as their emblem.

So why not experience learning Spanish while experiencing Spanish culture here at don Quijote!

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For many countries in Latin America, 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of their independence from Spain.

In 1810, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and Chile all began the process of emancipation from three centuries of Spanish rule, while Ecuador headed the group in 1809 and Uruguay and Paraguay followed suit in 1811.

The failure of the Spanish empire did not mean an easy time for South American nations however. Several countries also had to struggle through violent dictatorships which claimed tens of thousands of lives and internal conflicts stemming from political instability and drugs, amongst other problems.

The late 20th century saw a wave of democratic elections for the continent, and today all but two of the Latin American countries (Cuba and Honduras) have elected governments. What’s more, many countries have made important progress for global political issues, being among the first to be run by female or indigenous presidents.

The independence anniversaries are not only a time to look back and celebrate the breaching of ties with Spain, but also an opportunity for Latin American countries to look forward and consider their great potential in the global political sphere, as well as the way in which they must continue to face major challenges in the 21st century, such as widespread poverty, huge polarisation between the rich and poor and ethnic segregation.

However, the region continues to gain strength, and a few countries, most notably Mexico and Brazil have been described as “international economic and political powerhouses”. In addition, with the creation of a new regional organisation in February this year, 32 member countries are presenting themselves as a substantial political power with their own interests and agenda.

Below are the dates of Independence Days for a few Latin American countries. On these days, you can expect festivals, parades, music, pageants and fireworks to mark the occasion. And this year, the parties will be bigger still for those celebrating the bicentenary of their liberation.

Paraguay - May 14
Cuba - May 20
Guyana - May 26
Venezuela - July 5
Argentina - July 9
Colombia - July 20
Peru - July 28
Bolivia - August 6
Ecuador - August 10
Uruguay - August 25
Brazil - September 7
Costa Rica - September 15
El Salvador - September 15
Guatemala - September 15
Honduras - September 15
Nicaragua - September 15
Mexico - September 16
Chile - September 18
Belize - September 21
Panama - November 3

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