Greetings,

Just when we thought it was safe ... along come the Paralympics! After the saturation media coverage for the Olympics, I feel sorry for the athletes and organisers of the Paralympic Games being held at the moment. Whereas the entire Opening Ceremony was broadcast - in prime time - by one of our commercial channels, the same event for the Paralympics only rated "selected highlights" later at night, on the government channel.

However, "people power" again won the day, with all the tickets being sold out!

Seeing how these people have overcome setbacks that would floor most of us really is inspiring - I've spent the past few days busily 'counting my blessings' as my grandma used to say. Take a few moments to stop and smell the roses ...

I may already have mentioned that our daughter is back from overseas (yes, all right ... I've told you  a dozen times or more ... sorry - it's just so good having her home). We spent an hilarious couple of hours yesterday afternoon, trying to translate the words from Spanish to English while listening to a Ricky Martin CD (what can I say? That boy is ver-r-ry easy on the eyes!)

What struck both of us (apart from how easy he is on the eyes ...) was how many Spanish words we were able to work out just from our smattering of knowledge of other languages and from English words. It shows how closely related our languages are. 

Of course, what caused all the hilarity that kept my husband coming in to see what all the laughter was about, was the closeness of many words - in Casi Un Bolero, we chuckled  over whether the song was about someone who was almost a liar or almost a bolero dancer ...  Our little dictionary caused more giggles - especially when we checked that in Asi Es La Vida, Ricky was, in fact, singing about "... without a single kiss" or could we substitute the word before beso in the dictionary, which was berza (a cabbage)? Yes, well ... I guess it was one of those times when you just had to be there.

The point to all this (yes, there IS a point), is that if you come across words you've never seen before, you can always have a stab at working out the meaning, just by looking for similarities. We were encouraged in our endeavours by the first track, Por Arriba .. we knew that cantar had to have something to do with singing because of the English  cantata; tristeza  meant sadness from the French trieste and corazon we guessed as core and then went on to assume it was more likely the core of being or heart. Wow - a hat-trick with our first efforts - no wonder we were inspired to go through the entire CD! (Did I mention that he's very easy on the eyes? I did?)

CONFUSED BY TECH-SPEAK? 

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Word of the week: Fustian n. or a. Ridiculously pompous, bombastic, or inflated language. The essence of fustian is not the use of big or exotic words but the adoption of a declamatory style that is unsuited, by virtue of its high-flown and flowery imagery, or its grandiose delivery, to the purposes for which it is being employed. Thus, any actor's speech delivered at any Oscar presentation ceremony; any address to a public gathering by any union official; any television commercial for any car or laundry detergent; any tourist guide describing any tourist attraction. (Hall of Superior Words)

Tautology of the week: If you're contemplating writing an autobiography of your life, you'll want to make sure you include the absolute essentials and some of the basic fundamentals that have occurred in the past and that have shaped your personality.

We're approaching that time of year when we're expected to turn up to various social gatherings as support to our spouses, partners and friends - so here's a Latin phrase you may find yourself muttering under your breath quite a bit in the weeks ahead:

Credo nonnullos hic mortuos esse. ( I think several of the people here are dead.)

Regards,

Jennifer

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