Mysterious Chaco Canyon

 Day 233 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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My copy of the magazine Sierra arrived in the mail today. The article that captured my attention is about Chaco Canyon, in New Mexico. To me ancient civilizations are interesting. The Chacoans must have been great astronomers and architects. Below I have embedded a video about this mysterious site. (Corrections to my grammar in my practice Italian script are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Chaco Canyon nel New Mexico è un luogo di mistero.
  Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is a place of mystery.

• La posizione è in realtà composta da centinaia di antichi siti sacri.
  The location is actually composed of hundreds of ancient sacred sites.

• Queste persone hanno costruito strutture per un periodo di centinaia di anni.
  These people built structures over a period of hundreds of year.

• Devono essere stati incredibili costruttori e astronomi.
  They must have been amazing builders and astronomers.

Alla prossima!

Sources:

- The Taos News: October 23, 2015

- Sierra Magazine, May/June 2018

- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h9WlozwiTQ

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Bronchitis

 Day 232 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Our granddaughter has had a nagging cough for days and saw a doctor today. She has bronchitis. Hopefully the medications prescribed will shorten the duration of the illness soon. (Corrections for my grammar in my practice Italian script below are welcome -- I still have much to learn.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Oggi la nostra nipotina ha visitato un dottore a causa di una tosse prolungata.
  Our granddaughter visited a doctor today, because of a prolonged cough.

• Il dottore diagnosticò la bronchite.
  The doctor diagnosed bronchitis.

• Spero che i farmaci prescritti funzioneranno bene, e presto.
  I hope the medications prescribed will work well, and soon.

• Non penso che la nostra nipotina vorrebbe mancare a partecipare a una parata venerdì.
  I do not think our granddaughter would like to miss participating in a parade Friday.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Yogurt - An Ancient Food

 Day 231 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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As I look for topics with which to practice Italian, I have been also learning about interesting information. Today is no different. We shopped at a warehouse store and had some yogurt. So tonight I sought to find the origins of yogurt. This milk product is quite old: dating back to the 3rd millennium B.C., when goatherders in what is now Turkey fermented milk in sheep-skin bags to conserve it. The Turkish word yogurt means “to thicken." It is believed that the milk fermented spontaneously when in contact with the bacteria contained in the skin. (Corrections for my Italian grammar in my practice script below are welcome.)

Reference: A Brief History of Yogurt.

Ascolta Questo:

• Da dove viene lo yogurt?
  Where did yogurt come from?

• La parola "yogurt" è turca e significa "addensare."
  The word "yogurt" is Turkish and it means "to thicken."

• Lo yogurt proviene dal latte fermentato.
  Yogurt comes from fermented milk.

• Oggi io e mia moglie mangiamo yogurt con frutti di bosco e muesli.Today my wife and I eat yogurt with berries and granola.

Grazie per i commenti da
- Ermete
- marcoforlai

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

"Buc Days"

Day 230 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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This week is the beginning of Corpus Christi's "Buc Days" (short for "Buccaneers Days"). This is our city's longest-running Pirate festival that’s held downtown every year since 1938. The event includes a major carnival, petting zoo, parades, roller coasters, rodeos, and live music. The entire event is held in Corpus Christi for 10 days. The festivities include "Buc Days" Pirate Queen and King Scholarship contestants, all hoping to received the college scholarships. It is said that in 1821, after a presidential pardon, Pirate Jean Lafitte and his fellow pirates moved to the beautiful shores of Corpus Christi, Texas. (Corrections to my Italian grammar in my practice script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• A Corpus Christi, Texas, ogni anno si celebra un festival chiamato "Buccaneer Days" o "Buc Days".
  Corpus Christi, Texas, has an annual festival called "Buccaneer Days," or "Buc Days."

• Questo festival include un carnevale, rodei, parate, un sacco di cibo e musica dal vivo.
  This festival includes a carnival, rodeos, parades, lots of food and live music.

• Il primo festival "Buc Days" fu celebrato nel 1938.
  The first "Buc Days" festival was celebrated in 1938.

• Durante gli anni del liceo, come mazziere, ho guidato la nostra banda durante la parata dei "Buc Days".
• During my high school years, as the drum major, I led our marching band in the "Buc Days" parade.

Grazie per i commenti da
- Ermete
- Catullus

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Sapere vs Conoscere

Day 229 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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It's time to review that there is a difference between sapere and conosere. In English "to know" is more general.

Sapere means "to know” in the sense of "to be able to," or "to know how to." It can also be understood as knowing about a situation or a fact, like “Non sapevo che tu fossi qui.- I didn’t know that you were here.”

Conoscere, on the other hand, means “to know” in the sense of “to know someone” or “to know an area, town, restaurant, etc.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Administrative Professionals Day

Day 228 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Today is Administrative Professionals Day. It was previously call Secretaries Day. The Rotary Club of Southside Corpus Christi hosted a luncheon honoring administrative professionals, and one of the members invited me and eight of my students to attend. The meal was excellent, the guest speaker informative, and my students had a good time . . . two of them won door prizes!

Ascolta Questo:

• Oggi è la Giornata dei professionisti amministrativi (Secretaries Day).
  Today is Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day).

• Otto studenti e io partecipammo a un pranzo onorando i professionisti dell'amministrazione.
  Eight students and I attended a luncheon honoring administrative professionals.

• Il pasto è stato eccellente, e l'oratore è stato informativo.
  The meal was excellent, and the speaker was informative.

• Due studenti hanno vinto premi.
  Two students won door prizes.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

More Than / Less Than

Day 227 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Periodically I refer to an Italian language book from my collection -- not only for motivation but also for review of language points I have forgotten. I came across the Italian expressions for "more than" and "less than." These two expressions are worth reviewing and practicing once again. (Grammar corrections for my practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Il vestito costa più della maglia.
  The dress costs more than the shirt.

• La maglietta costa meno del vestito.
  The shirt costs less than the dress.

• Jim ha più soldi di Bill.
  Jim has more money than Bill.

• Bill ha meno soldi di Jim.
  Bill has less money than Jim.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Language Apps

Day 226 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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I have many language learning apps on my smartphone to use as I work on learning Italian. However, I do not use most of them regularly. Today I was in line at a local pharmacy waiting to collect some prescriptions and I did use one of the apps as I sat in my car. The apps are handy for reviewing and learning new words and simple phrases. It was worth the time since there were words I had forgotten, that I had studied some months ago. At the beginning stages of learning a new language, there is no getting around the need to review, review, and review. (Grammar corrections needed in my practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Le app per l'apprendimento della lingua sul tuo smartphone possono essere utili.
  Language learning apps on your smartphone can be useful.

• Queste app possono essere scaricate sui nostri smartphone.
  These apps can be downloaded on our smartphones.

• Le app sono utili mentre aspettiamo nelle linee di servizio.
  The apps are useful as we wait in service lines.

• Ci sono diversi approcci per imparare una nuova lingua.
  There are many approaches to learning a new language.

Grazie per i commenti da
- sailorcya
- RiccardoAmorio

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Fiesta San Antonio 2018

Day 225 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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When I made plans to spend this weekend in San Antonio, Texas, I was not aware that it would be the beginning of the city's Fiesta San Antonio 2018. Hotels were packed all across the city. In our hotel, there were members of a motorcycle club from another state. My wife, daughter, and I had a good time visiting my son and his family and doing a bit of shopping. We started back home Sunday afternoon to beat the highway traffic that gets busy later in the day. (Corrections to my Italian grammar in the practice script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• San Antonio, Texas ha una celebrazione annuale chiamata Fiesta San Antonio.
  San Antonio, Texas has an annual celebration called Fiesta San Antonio.

• La città fu dato il nome il 13 giugno 1691, dopo s. Antonio di Padova.
  The city was given its name on June 13, 1691, after St. Anthony of Padua.

• La città di San Antonio è uno della più antica colonizzazione spagnola.
  The City of San Antonio is one of the oldest Spanish colonization.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Walk for Autism Awareness

Day 224 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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My wife, daughter, and I left Corpus Christi shortly after 6:00 a.m. this morning, in order to arrive in San Antonio by 9:00 a.m. to participate in a walk in support of autistic individuals, especially children. We were there to join the team for a grandson who is on the spectrum. Our group had team t-shirts and worn the medals designed for the San Antonio Fiesta Days. The city of San Antonio is celebrating its 300th anniversary. There were hundreds of participants in the 2-mile walk in cool humid weather. It was a good opportunity for family fellowship. Tomorrow morning we will head back to Corpus Christi. (Grammar corrections for my practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

1) Abbiamo viaggiato a San Antonio oggi.

2) Abbiamo partecipato a una passeggiata per l'autismo.

3) C'erano centinaia di partecipanti.

4) La passeggiata era lunga due miglia.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Students Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

Day 223 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Busy day, fun day. This morning I took thirteen of our students to volunteer on a construction site of a house being built by Habitat for Humanity-Corpus Christi. Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in nearly 1,400 communities across the United States and in approximately 70 countries around the world. Habitat for Humanity works in a number of different ways to create decent, affordable housing. Our thirteen students and I arrived at the construction site and spent the morning painting the interior walls of the living room, dining area, bedrooms, bath, and closets. The students' clothing was a bit more colorful by noontime. (Corrections of my grammar in the practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Habitat for Humanity lavora per creare alloggi a prezzi accessibili.
  Habitat for Humanity works to create affordable housing.

• Oggi io e un gruppo di studenti delle scuole superiori abbiamo lavorato come volontari in un cantiere di una casa di Habitat for Humanity.
  Today I and a group of high school students worked as volunteers at a construction site of a Habitat for Humanity house.

• Gli studenti hanno dipinto le pareti interne della casa.
  The students painted the interior walls of the house.

• Per pranzo, abbiamo mangiato molta pizza.
  For lunch, we ate lots of pizza.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Charlie Brown the Musical

Day 222 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Our high school Theater Department produces several programs each year. This week the musical "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" is being performed several nights. It is truly interesting how our theater arts teacher brings talent out of some of our students who typically are not as out-going as the more extroverted students. The main character is Charlie Brown, the cartoon character created by Charles M. Schulz. (Corrections for my Italian grammar in the practice script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• I nostri studenti delle arti teatrali eseguono il musical "Sei un uomo buono, Charlie Brown".
  Our theater arts students are performing the musical, "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown."

• Il musical parla di Charlie Brown, un personaggio dei cartoni animati creato da Charles Schulz.
  The musical is about Charlie Brown, a cartoon character created by Charles Schulz.

• Il cast di attori studenti è eccellente.
  The cast of student actors is excellent.

• Alcuni dei nostri laureati hanno perseguito una carriera come attore.
  Some of our graduates have pursued a career as an actor.

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Plural Loan Words

Day 221 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Today, with the help of a Hinative.com member, Anasdav, I learned an interesting point of Italian grammar: the way English plurals are translated into Italian. I still consider myself as a beginner as I independently learn Italian, so there is still much for me to learn. Today I have learned what is referred to as “loan” words. For example, when using the plural “computers” and translating into Italian, the word remains singular as in “due computer” in Italian. An exception is the word “marines.” This is an excellent lesson to keep in mind.

The 1964 Ford Mustang

Day 220 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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On this day in 1964, a new type of automobile was unveiled, the Ford Mustang. At the time I was in the military and a few months later I purchased my first car -- a beautiful, dark-ivy green Mustang. The original Mustang was named after the World War II fighter plane. Almost 22,000 Mustangs were bought immediately. During its first year, over 400,000 Mustangs were sold. There is a story about a buyer in Texas who slept in a Ford showroom until his check cleared and he could drive home in his new Mustang. (Grammar corrections to my practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Le prime Ford Mustang furono vendute il 17 aprile 1964. The first Ford Mustangs were sold on April 17, 1964.

• 22.000 Mustang vennero vendute immediatamente. 22,000 Mustangs were sold immediately.

• La mia prima automobile era una Mustang del 1964. My first automobile was a 1964 Mustang.

• Ho guidato la mia Mustang per più di 20 anni. I drove my Mustang for more than 20 years.

Grazie per i commenti da
- Daniel_LOL
- saradema
- Anasdav

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Brief Trip

Day 219 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Plans are in progress to take a brief trip to San Antonio, Texas this weekend. I have family there and this will be a pleasure trip. (Corrections to my grammar in the practice Italian script below are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Mi recherò a San Antonio, Texas, questo fine settimana.
  I will travel to San Antonio, Texas, this weekend.

• Alcuni dei miei parenti vivono lì.
  Some of my family members live there.

• Questo sarà un viaggio di piacere.
  This will be a pleasure trip.

• Sono sicuro che mia moglie farà un po' di shopping.
  I sure my wife will do a little shopping.

Grazie per i commenti da
- Manuela_Bongioanni
- Charly97

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.

Iberian Pigs Fly to Texas

Visit Acornseekers Website

Day 218 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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Even though my prime purpose for this blog has been to maintain a habit of devoting some time every day to learning and practice some Italian, I like to write abound something interesting, rather than just a grammar exercise. The topic for today I found especially interesting, from an article in the Texas Highways Magazine. There's a funny expression, "If pigs could fly." Apparently, they can and they did fly to Texas.  Manuel Murga and Sergio Marsal, flew 150 black Iberian pigs, on board a KLM from Spain to Texas. What I find fascinating is the Iberian pigs' predilection for acorns, and the composition of theTexas acorn turns out to be like that of the acorn in Murga's family ranch in Spain. The purpose of all this is the production of high-end Jamón ibérico de bellota (ham of acorns). One more point of interested, Over the species' 2,000 years of eating acorns, these pigs have developed a talent for unshelling the acorns in their jaws and spitting out the unwanted caps! (If you have corrections for my Italian grammar in my practice script below, they are welcome.)

Ascolta Questo:

• Ho letto una storia interessante sui maiali iberici che volano in Texas.
  I read an interesting story about Iberian pigs flying to Texas.

• Perché il Texas? Per le querce e le ghiande.
  Why Texas? For the oak trees and the acorns.

• Il miglior prosciutto spagnolo proviene dai maiali neri iberici che mangiano ghiande.
  The finest of Spanish ham comes from the black Iberian black pigs that eat acorns.

• Il processo di allevamento, macellazione e stagionatura dei suini iberici segue una tradizione di 2000 anni.
  The process of Iberian pig breeding, slaughter, and curing follows a 2,000-year-old tradition.

Grazie per i commenti da
- Catullus
- Valerio_roma
- CarmenKoreanNewbie
- Valleri2004

Alla prossima!

Sources:

- Texas Highways Magazine, May 2018

- AcornSeeker Pork Website

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.