“Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta”

Do you know the meaning of “Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta”? It´s the same as the English saying of “Bite off more than you can chew".

¿Cuántas veces en vuestra vida cuando habéis intentado hacer u obtener muchas cosas al mismo tiempo os han dicho este refran: “Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta”? How many times in your life when you have tried to do or obtain too many things at the same time have you recalled or been reminded of this proverb: "Bite off more than you can chew"?

This expression seeks to remind that it is better to undertake only as much as you can handle instead of trying to do many things at the same time. Because in the end not only will you not be able to devote enough attention to the respective tasks but you will also not be able to give each task the attention that they deserve.

According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish language, the spanish verb Abarcar has many meanings such as: 

1.   To cover

2.   To include

3.   To embrace

4.   To undertake

5.   To monopolize

All these points refer to the actions that a person performs when they are responsible for taking or doing many things at a single time.

In short, if we want choose to do too many things, it is impossible to take care of all of them as it should be as we will cannot retain and control them. For this reason it is sometimes desirable to resign oneself to do certain things, limiting ourselves to only do what we can do and to not be frustrated with the things we cannot do.

This proverb refers to a series of aspects not only material objects but also for example jealousy, possessiveness toward someone etc. Sometimes in greed one tries to accumulate even more but not being able to focus can lead to neglect and in turn unhappiness.

Everyone should always remember this phrase “Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta” For many people it should not be forgotten as it can help to avoid an end result where the person feels like a failure because of the inability to carry out the task/s at hand.

That is why it is better to do a few things, but do them well. At the end you are satisfied! J

Valeria, Intern at Tía Tula.

Weekend in Madrid!

Living in Salamanca makes it very easy to journey to other places as it is affordable with good reliable transportation lines. I took the opportunity to go to Madrid for a couple of days. Getting to Madrid from Salamanca is very easy; you have the choice of either taking the bus or the train. It usually takes 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours depending on which you transport you choose and students usually travel to Salamanca via Madrid.

 

Madrid is a very interesting city and it is easily navigated. Armed with maps of the city and the metro, I and my companion set off to discover the charms of Madrid. We used taxis solely during our initial entry and departure from Madrid and the remainder of the time we used the metro which was clean, very affordable and with our maps handy we were able to get around easily. We bought our metro tickets at an automatic machine in the station and we were assisted by a very friendly attendant.

In our first excursion we visited The Retiro Park with its boating lake and took some time to just relax and look at the beautiful well-manicured surroundings with the lake. Our subsequent visits included visiting Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, other parks and stores, Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium and Mercado de San Miguel. One of my favorite moments was during our visit to the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid. I had the opportunity to view the world famous painting Guernica by world acclaimed artist Pablo Picasso! It portrays the devastation caused by the Nazi’s bombing the town of Guernica on April 26, 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. It was one of the most powerful statements in Picasso’s work and many people visit the museum today to catch a glimpse of this painting.   

Madrid is a very interesting city and there is so much to do and experience. I’m happy that I took the time to visit and I hope during my next visit I will have the time to visit some more of the historical monuments and museums in Madrid!

 

Debra, Student in Tia Tula

http://www.museoreinasofia.es/

http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardines_del_Retiro_de_Madrid

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estadio_Santiago_Bernab%C3%A9u

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Mayor,_Madrid

Stairway to Heaven… Scala Coeli.

If you are in Salamanca I recommend that you visit the Scala Coeli and climb the towers. You will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular views of Salamanca! This monument is located very close to Tia Tula. A mere two minute walk away and it opens daily. Upon arrival, the ticketing desk assistant gave us information on the cost and the next available tour.  I and my companion opted to wander leisurely through the building as the previous tour had already started and we were too excited to wait for the other to start!  After paying the entrance fee which is less than 4 euros each we started our exploration of the building. 
 

We entered different rooms filled with artifacts, preserved literature and there were also small models of the building. There was an amazingly view of the ornately decorated interior of the Real Clerecía de San Marcos which has a magnificent Baroque altarpiece. Afterwards we started our climb up the towers. The steps were narrow and wooden and we got an opportunity to rest on the way up by stopping off to view a projection giving details of the monument.

At last we arrived at the end of the stairs and entered the towers. The views are indescribably beautiful!! One has a panoramic view of the monuments and city of Salamanca. I especially loved the view of the Cathedrals of Salamanca. All the while we were busy admiring the architecture of the monuments and those huge bells in the towers and saying it was definitely worth the climb! 

 

Debra Student in Tia Tula

http://www.torresdelaclerecia.com/

Practice makes perfect…Poco a Poco!

In Tia Tula there are so many international students here and all of them focused on learning Spanish and improving their speaking, writing and reading capabilities. One of the most interesting things for me in interacting and getting to know all of these students is the sharing of the cultures. Not only am I learning about Spanish but I am also learning about so many other different cultures that it’s definitely adding to my experience while I am here!
 

I really enjoy speaking and practicing with various students. Even though I may be in a different class from some of my friends here it’s really easy to meet and make friends in Tia Tula as the school encourages mingling among the students during daily activities, as well the school has an intimate atmosphere so this makes it really easy to interact with each other.

The school encourages speaking Spanish both in and out of class and it’s definitely best to do so. When we are together we are always speaking Spanish and taking the opportunity to correct each other and this way I’ve learned a lot of new words or how to correctly phrase a sentence and conjugate a verb. Even when I am out in the city and interacting with locals in the stores etc. and I make a mistake or don’t know a word they help me by supplying the word or correcting my Spanish.
 

This is what I love about being in Salamanca because I have the opportunity to practice at class, with my friends, at my apartment, as well in the streets!  It’s a great opportunity to practice your conversational skills and if you are in Salamanca I would advise you not to be shy. It is expected that you will make mistakes as you are learning a new language, so laugh off the mistakes, they will make for a good story one day!

Debra, student in Salamanca.

 

Have some Paella!!

If you are in Spain or you’re still researching on what you are going to do when you get here, one of the things that you’ve undoubtedly read about would be the delights of the gastronomy. One of the most popular dishes is Paella. This would definitely be on your list of things to eat when you get to Spain!

 

To give you a little history on the origins of Paella, It is a Spanish rice dish which originated in Valencia in the mid-19^th century and is considered to be Valencia’s regional dish but it is popular throughout Spain. In typical Valencia tradition the dish is made with rice, vegetable, rabbit and chicken meat, beans, saffron, oil and seasoning. Other paellas are also made with Seafood or there may be a combination of both.

Paella is very popular here in Salamanca and can be eaten in restaurants by the plate or as a Tapa serving. As part of the extra-curricular activities at Tia Tula we have cooking classes and sometimes we will have a tutorial on Paella which the students always enjoy. I recommend when you get to Spain or if you are already in Salamanca that you try the Paella, I’m sure that you will love it!

 

Debra, student at Tia Tula

Do you know the meaning of "Siesta"?

Siesta in Spain refers to the time taken to relax in the afternoon, usually after lunch.  It is an afternoon rest or nap normally taken between 2:00pm and 5:30pm. In Salamanca, as well as in other parts in Spain, it is normal for some shops to close during this time as this is also the time to have lunch.

 

It is thought when there is siesta that working time is short. But in fact, one works on average 4 hours in the morning and another 4 hours in the afternoon sometimes even more, which is at least 8 hours daily.

 

To follow the rest of the European countries, in January 2006 large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona abolished siesta for public government offices and other public offices. And that is why in the larger cities there is only a short break for lunch.

 

It is said that human productivity increases throughout the day and reaches its highest levels at midday. Then, between 2:00pm and 3:00pm it decreases. At about 4:00pm in the evening it rises again and remains constant for several hours. At the end of the day it begins again to drop gradually and will reach its minimum levels at 2:00am to 3:00am in the morning, when one is asleep.

 

Personally, I think having a siesta impacts positively on the human body. It can be used to recover from the fatigue accumulated during the day and increase performance at work in order to be productive with the remainder of the daily activity.

I think it creates a healthy lifestyle for the body and spirit.

 

 

Noriko, student internship in Tía Tula

Back to the past ...

Salamanca is known as one of the most culturally rich cities of Spain. It’s known for having a wide array of monuments, churches, museums, ancient cathedrals and universities but it is also a city in where different famous persons have lived and passed along the story of the city. Highlighted in this article is Miguel de Unamuno, whose work is known and appreciated all over the world; a famous character who made a great contribution in the field of philosophy.

 

One of the most visited tourist destinations in Salamanca is the "Unamuno House Museum", in which the philosopher lived and today is open to the public. The house is in the old part of the city. At first it was owned by the University of Salamanca. Built in the eighteenth century, it became famous as the place where Miguel de Unamuno lived as Rector of the University of Salamanca and in the 50's it was converted into a museum dedicated to the writer's life. Today the house/museum is integrated into the Office of Archives and Libraries of the University of Salamanca.

 

In preparation to becoming a museum, work began in 1952 by adding furniture on the second floor and creating Unamuno's personal library (assigned to the University) with its 6000 books. Between 1976 and 1977 spaces in the house were adapted to create a historical spectrum which recreates the atmosphere of the writer; work would end in 1996 when the museum was officially opened to the public.

 

The house built between 1758 and 1762 by architect Andrés García de Quiñones, was converted into the house of the Rector of the University of Salamanca and used by the school Administration. Later on it was occupied by Unamuno when he moved to Salamanca in 1900 to teach Greek at the University. He took over the second floor of the house to devote himself to writing his works and poetry. The building is located on a street of booksellers, on the corner of Calderon de la Barca.

 

The façade of the building bears the shield of the University of Salamanca in quoting the following sentence: "OMNIVM SCIENTARVM PRINCEPS SALMANTICA DOCET” which loosely translated means Salamanca is the first in the teaching of all sciences. The building, rectangular in shape, is divided into two parts: the first floor is the Official Hall, while the second are offices. I advise those interested in philosophy and who are lovers of culture, to visit and to experience this journey to the past thanks to the perfect preservation and restoration of this building!

 

 

Valeria, student internship in Tía Tula.