Newsletter
Summer 2008 - Eighth Edition
Breaking the Barrier Quarterly
Many of us wait all year long for the blue skies of summer. In this issue of The Breaking the Barrier Quarterly, we turn our attention to the wonders of travel - the varied sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations that comprise the lure of a different land. The aim of our summertime missive is to share some language tools and tips to enrich your adventures this season. Whether you find yourself soaking up the Mediterranean sun, winding your way along the Inca Trail toward Machu Picchu, taking in a little night music at the Montreal Jazz Festival, or simply staying put in your armchair, we wish you nothing but blue skies all summer long.
John Conner and Cindy Beams
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During the past couple of years our travels have taken us to places where we had virtually no grasp of the language - Nepal, Thailand, and Sweden. We were disappointed that we couldn't speak directly to people we met, frustrated that we couldn't adequately ask and answer questions, and often irritated by our inability to read the signs! These experiences prompted us to think long and hard about precisely what we would want in a pocket-sized language guide. What collection of words and phrases would give us exactly what we needed to become "survivors?" The result is the OASIS in Spanish and French.
Getting your feet firmly on the ground in a French or Spanish-speaking country inevitably means confronting the language barrier. We don't want that elusive word or phrase to be the straw that breaks the camel's back! We've created the SPANISH OASIS and the FRENCH OASIS to give you everything you need for on-the-ground survivial. Indulge your appetite for adventure because OASIS provides all-you-need to step out with confidence. And we guarantee that your efforts to communicate in Spanish or French will be rewarded many times over. ¡Buen Viaje! ~ Bon Voyage!
A Request for Fellow Travelers: As is our custom to edit and update our products frequently, the OASIS will be under continual revision, too. If you discover that we have left out essential words or phrases, please let us know. If we have made mistakes, we want to know about them! Your generous input continues to be an invaluable source of editorial wisdom. Merci! ~ ¡Muchas gracias!
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Each month I write a column for Think Spanish magazine. This terrific publication has high-interest articles of great cultural significance to students studying Spanish.
Because we're focusing on the pleasure of travel, I want to make sure your own fun isn't derailed because you don't know how to stand up for yourself in certain situations. At times you just have to put up those boundaries! After a long flight at the height of the tourist season, it's not unusual to be swarmed at the airport by people eager to carry your bags. At much-visited tourist attractions you're apt to be approached by "guides" who just don't want to take "no" for an answer, although you have absolutely no interest in their services. Sometimes being able to deliver a definitive "NO" is just what the doctor ordered!
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- In May I traveled to the Dominican Republic on behalf of Infante Sano, a dynamic public health organization whose focus in on maternal-newborn healthcare in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- In August I will participate in a community service project in Ollantaytambo, a village in Peru's Sacred Valley. On my last day I will hike into Machu Picchu at sunrise.
- And tomorrow I head to New York City where I will see the Tony-award-winning play In the Heights, for the second time. This hip-hop, salsa-infused musical is the brainchild of 28-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda's homage to his childhood barrio of Washington Heights has moved south - from upper Manhattan to Broadway. Get thee to the theatre if you possibly can!
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