News October 2009

"Hispanidad" is a difficult word to translate as it has no equivalent in another language. If you tried you might come up with “Spanishness”, which doesn’t sound too good but it is what the word implies. We have to look back in history to find the meaning. The term "Hispanic" is derived from "Hispanicus", which comes from Hispania (Iberian Peninsula), both of them Latin terms. As the North Americans celebrate Thanksgiving day the Spanish, and South and Central Americans celebrated the "Fiesta de la Raza", raza being “race”, to mark the colonization of South America by explorers from Spain and Portugal. In 1926 a priest from Buenos Aires, Zacarías de Vizcarra, proposed the name be changed to Día de Hispanidad to be more inclusive of all the people who had come under the influence of the Iberian way of life.

On this day In Tenerife there are open air parties in the squares and parks with activities for the children and live music.

At the FU Academy we are a hard working lot but we too have a holiday and our usual Monday morning student breakfast, will be on Tuesday 13th instead. This is a good moment for new students to meet existing students and hopefully catch a few rays of sun on the terrace of our own Academy Café.

Life Long Learning - Leonardo da Vinci (LdV) EU funded projects in Tenerife

As we say goodbye to our students from Wroclow in Poland who have finished their 3 months internships in hotels in Tenerife, we welcome three new students who are part of an Open Project organised in Heidelberg, Germany. They will have a month’s Spanish course here at the Academy and then three months in selected hotels in the Canary Islands.

As employers are more likely to take on students with work experience these LdV Mobility Projects are becoming ever more popular with young people. The FU Academy hopes to develop partnerships with even more countries in 2010 to add to our existing links with Germany, the UK, Poland and Lithuania.

Are you a Culture Vulture? If so Tenerife is for you...

Our spectacular Auditorium in Santa Cruz is the venue for a new autumn season of opera and music. There is an innovative programme of opera for children featuring Rossini’s, La Ceneretola (Cinderella) and Il Pagliacci, the tale of the tragic clown by Leoncavallo.

Also a concert by Benito Cabrera who is probable the world’s best known player of the Timple - a small guitar-like instrument typical of the Canary Islands. The Canarians are justly proud of their folkloric music and traditions - type his name into www.youtube.com and you can hear the unique sound.

More information and bookings: www.auditoriodetenerife.com

Recipe Corner - Mojo Verde - Green Mojo

Last month we gave you the recipe for the spicy Red Mojo, Mojo Rojo or Picante, but the green Mojo Verde, is equally popular especially for those who are not so keen on chili. It is either served with the Papas Arrugadas - wrinkled potatoes, plain boiled potatoes with fish but is also delicious with grilled meat.

Ingredients
1 bunch of coriander
Half a green pepper
2 small cups of olive oil
2 tablespoons of vinegar
I spoonful of cumin seeds
6 cloves of garlic
Coarse salt

Method: Peel the cloves of garlic and wash the coriander and pepper. Grind the cumin in a mortar, add the garlic and salt. Grind it altogether and then add the pepper and coriander and mix together to form a paste. Add the oil and vinegar. This can be served immediately but it will also keep in the fridge for a few days.

TEA - Tenerife Espacio de Artes

This recently opened building in Santa Cruz is a new arts centre and library. Designed by the Swiss architectural firm of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron y Virgilio Gutiérrez it has a distinctly contemporary feel.

Until 10th October TEA hosts an exhibition of Mexican art comprising paintings, photographs, sculpture, installations and video performances from the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition seeks to bring the visitor into the new age of Mexican art which is still rooted in the more traditional style of the past. It includes works by prominent contemporary Mexican artists such as Melany Smith and Gabriel Cruz Villegas as well as young new artists on the international scene such as Tatiana Trouve, Rivaner Neuenschwander and Terence Koh.
For more information see www.teatenerife.es

Why not have a holiday and learn Spanish while you are here?

When you book a Spanish course with us this includes a full programme of weekday activities and weekend excursions – see the webpage for details. We always tell students about the local festivals and events and even better, the street fiestas are free! You can dance into the small hours and still go home with money in your pocket…