Didn’t plan to do this so soon, but ended up getting my phone setup for Ecuador. A sim card, voice and data pay as you go plan, total out of pocket: $35. Technically I think you need a cedula, a national id, to get a local number, but the guy used some one else’s they had on file. Kind of cool to be able to use google maps on the go now to keep from getting lost. And give a local number to people. And call places to make reservations and such that won’t be able to understand me.
Walked by this little software tienda…didn’t check the prices on the Windows 8.1, MathLab, AutoDesk, Adobe and other pricey packages. They are probably around $5 and most likely are torrent downloads burned to DVD :)
I think my game plan for learning Spanish is going to consist of a four prong strategy:
- Platiquemos, which is the updated FSI program that is for people really serious about drilling spanish into their brain. One quote from a language forum kind of sums up the consensus: “Great observations about FSI. I’ll add one more… I have not seen anyone who has finished FSI and says they do not speak Spanish reasonably well. You never see people who have finished it recommending against it”
- Combined with the “Telenovela” method. Which is basically just tackling a movie, song or other media and parsing it until it’s completely understood, skimming the new vocabulary and grammatically structures to anki where it will be retained. This way the topic is actually something personally interesting and gives you something to talk about with others a little more exciting that “I think I lost my pen under the table.”
- Finishing up the Pimsleur program. I’m on Level 3, I’ve got about 25 lessons + 15 more in level 3.5 to go.
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And, of course, the daily immersion and attempts to communicate
provided by daily encounters…i.e. today’s new vocabulary:
desbloquear (as in, the phone is unlocked, it’s cool)
llave (what the sales lady keep asking me to do when my phone locked her out)
crema de afeitar (shaving cream…long story)