Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish
I love it when Spanish words resemble their English equivalent. Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish, illustrated by Andy Warhol, is a cheat code for English speakers to learn Spanish. Carried out with a sense of humour too. See if you can guess these words: diferente; conveniente; elefante; producto; intereste; nación; universidad; usé... I’ve been recommending this book to so many people that I figure I should share it on here.
Some the cheat code:
Words that end in ‘or’ are often identical in Spanish: actor; doctor; tractor; color; error; favor. All you have to do is slightly change your vowels and accents.
Words that end in ‘al’ are also often identical in Spanish: animal; central; local; musical; legal; natural.
Words that end in ‘ble’ often don’t change: horrible; possible; flexible; probable; visible; inevitable.
Words that end in ‘ent’ or ‘ant’, just add an ‘e’: presidente; ecelente; accidente; conveniente; inteligente; imporante; el elefante.
Words that end in ‘ist’ just add an ‘a’: artista; dentista; capitalista.
Words that start with ‘s’ prefix with an ‘e’: especial (special), espiritual (spiritual).
Words that end in ‘ous’ change to ‘oso’: delicioso (delicious); famoso (famous); curioso (curous); nervioso (nervous); misterioso (mysterious); fabuloso (faboulous).
Words that end in ‘ly’ change to ‘mente’: absolutemente (absolutely); automaticamente (automatically); naturalmente (naturally); personalmente (personally); realmente (really/actually).
Words with ‘ph’ change to ‘f’: filosofia (philosophy), elefante (elephant).
Words that end in ‘ty’ change to ‘dad’: espiritualidad; (spirituality); curiosidad (curiosity); electricidad (electricity); personalidad (personality); humanidad (humanity).
Words that end in ‘ry’ change to ‘rio’: necesario; aniversario; extraordinario; contrario; diccionario; imaginario; involuntario; itinerario;
Words that end in ‘sion’ change to ‘sión’: decisión; discusión; comisión; confusión; conclusion.
Some words that end in ‘cal’ end in ‘co’ in Spanish: tipico (typical), logico (logical); identico (identical); etico (ethical); clasico (classical); economico (economical); politico (political).
Words that end in ‘ic’, add an ‘o’: artistico; acadmeico; burocratico; cientifico (scientific); democratico; fotografico; historico; ironico; magico.
Words that end in ‘tion’ convert simply to ‘ción’: invitación; anticipación; civilización; cooperación; generación; admiración; generación.
Pronunciation key:
Some words to remember:
que = what; donde = where; quien = who; cuando = when; como = how; porque = why.
y = and; bonita = beautiful; linda = beautiful; amor = love.
cuánto = how much; costó = cost.
tu or usted = you; va = go; mañana = morning.
antes = before; después = after
la izqueirda = left; la direcha = right;
Verbs:
| Examples of verbs | |||||
| verb ends with: | when applied to: | that is: | tener (have) | poder (can) | ser (be) |
| -o | I | yo | tengo | puedo | soy |
| -es | you | tú | tienes | puedes | eres |
| -en | he/she | él/ella/usted | tiene | puede | es |
| -emos | us | nosotros | tenemos | podemos | somos |
| -nen | they | ellos/ellas/ustedes | tienen | pueden | son |
Some prepositions to remember:
Use ‘es’ to say ‘is’ when something is permanent eg el banco es grande (the bank is big).
Use ‘esta’ to say ‘is’ when something is temporary, or when referring to a location eg el banco no esta limpo (the bank is not clean).
‘la’/'el’ = ‘the’ (masculine/feminine singular)
‘las’/'los’ = ‘the’ (masculine/feminine plural)
‘una’/'uno’ = ‘a’ or ‘an’ (masculine/feminine singular)
‘unas’/'unos’ = ‘a’ or ‘an’ (masculine/feminine plural)
Masculine & feminine:
Feminine = words that end in -d; -sion; -cion; -a
Masculine = words that end in -e; -o; -n; -l; -s; -z
Patterning the numbers:
| 0 | cero | 10 | diez | ||||
| 1 | uno | 11 | once | 100 | cien | ||
| 2 | dos | 12 | doce | 20 | veinte | 200 | doscientos |
| 3 | tres | 13 | trece | 30 | treinta | 300 | trescientos |
| 4 | cuatro | 14 | catorce | 40 | cuarenta | 400 | cuatrocientos |
| 5 | cinco | 15 | quince | 50 | cincuenta | 500 | quientos |
| 6 | seis | 16 | dieciseis | 60 | sesenta | 600 | seiscientos |
| 7 | siete | 17 | dieciseite | 70 | setenta | etc… | |
| 8 | ocho | 18 | dieciocho | 80 | ochenta | 1000 | un mil |
| 9 | nueve | 19 | diecinueve | 90 | noventa | 1,000,000 | un million |
This is just a sample of this magical book. It not only takes you through a pile of nouns and verbs, but helps you learn how to change verbs to different tenses, including the irregular ones and exceptions, and using simple exercises it helps you apply it and start putting together your own sentences from the get go. Did I mention I highly recommend this book?
If it weren’t for PROCRASTINATION and DISTRACTIONS I’d be fluent by now 
The fact that paying for lessons means you actually study is a good reason to still do lessons, even if reading this book is more effective… I’m a pretty self-motivated person, and yet when my paid Spanish classes finished, so did my reading of Madrigal’s key. That being said, the time I’d have been studying Spanish was replaced with studying philosophy (and a bit of falling asleep by the pool)… hence why another change in travel plans, but more on that another day.
This key makes me wonder what else can be made more simple. Tim Ferris seems to do it with a lot of things, from languages to swimming to the tango:
SIMPLICITY = cheat code to Spanish, and also maybe to life…
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Learning Spanish y Juego con Ninas…
Ok, given my travels, my book, and living with Latinos most of this year, I should know more Spanish than I do. And considering the “peace” and “environmentalist” stereotype it may shock you to find out I’m (A) not a vegetarian (which really has nothing to do with this post), and (B) that in Granada I had my first ever experience with volunteer work.
Given volunteering in Granada didn’t cost money (in case you didn’t know, most volunteering projects do) and the bonus discount it gave for my Spanish school (yep self-interest) I decided to give it a go.
It’s school holidays, so basically this volunteer work equated to entertaining kids 8-12 years old, for a couple of hours.
“Bring games. Teach them something you are good at.” I was told.
They were a well-behaved bunch, welcoming Mark (a fellow estudante de espaniol (- yes, I know my Spanish is probablemente incorrecto…)) by taking our hands, showing us the garbage bin (anywhere you like) and leading us into the school grounds.
We spent a couple of hours playing skip rope, limbo, soccer, and even trying to do a little yoga when the more competitive games started to cause havoc.
“Hasta mañana?” they asked, as we said goodbye.
I looked to Mark, who looked as exhausted as I felt.
“Ah… próxima semana!” we smiled.
The next week Mark and I came prepared: corn cakes and cameras.
The healthy(ish) cakes worked a treat. So did the cameras. The kids loved posing, and I always love being behind the camera.
With my shockproof/waterproof point & shoot, they learned to take their own. An interesting insight to the world from a child’s perspective. A couple of them had quite the creative eye.
Can you guess which were my photos, and which were theirs? You might be surprised!
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Returning to mi paradiso
Colour fills the streets: the houses, the clothes, the people, the air. Excitement. A familiar joy. Why did it take so long for me to return?
Even the smell is familiar — a raw combination of trees, humidity, food, and dirt.
The sound of scooters, olden-day cars, horses trotting, children playing, salsa music and a sea of Spanish words — music to my ears.
Every day is the same: the sun rises at 6, sets at 6, 25-30 degrees — mi paradiso.
It’s been almost three years. I fell in love with it then. And again with it now……… Latin America!
Last time it was South America: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
This time I’ve landed in Central: Granada, Nicaragua.
I planned to stay two weeks. Now I’m planning for two months…
Porque no?!!!
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Step away from the book…
My sprained ankle had it’s benefits – LOTS of time sitting on my arse. And so, one week ago, I finished my first draft of my first novel.
A first draft is a big achievement I suppose. The only problem is that it’s far too long and, as I decided once I started editing it, it’s also far too shit. As I read I crossed half the paragraphs out. Boring boring boring. The whole 690 page manuscript sucks.
When I finally allowed one of my friends to have a read I noticed something: he was laughing. He was laughing a lot.
“See all these bits you’ve crossed out – they’re really funny…”
I suppose that’s a good sign.
“You just need to take a long break from the book – read it in a few months time with fresh eyes.”
Easier said than done.
I want to give the manuscript to a few people to read and give me some for feedback on how I might be able to cut it in half. I also need to give it to people who are in the book, so they can decide if they want their name changed or details omitted.
But before I do anything I just want to add this… and change that… and edit this… and to a bit more research for that part…
“Step away from the book. Step away from the book… GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!” Another friend demanded.
She was right to do so. This book is driving me crazy. I’m even editing it in my dreams. I’m going round in circles. I need to step away. I need to shut it away, at least for one month. I reluctantly handed her my only printed copy. Then I took the photographic storyboard down from my wall.
Now what??? This book has been my life for the last few months – what else am I supposed to do with my time? What is normal life like? My mind is blank.
Oh yeah, work. Earn a little dosh and stop eating up my savings. And I could, like, have fun. Read other people’s books, check out the art galleries near my place, watch movies, learn the guitar that’s been eyeing me since two Christmases ago. Try to get my uni dissertation published. And as soon as my ankle is better – start teaching pilates again, get my scuba-diving licence, get a scooter licence and a scooter. All the things I’ve been putting off for far too long.
So today’s the first day of a new life chapter. One that doesn’t revolve around this book. And I will to try my best not to look at the book for an entire month. Let’s see if I have more success with this pledge than I did my with my February detox (FYI I never got back on that horse…)
Video clip matching the second last chapter of my book:
Chapter 33: Redemption – Rio De Janeio
If you haven’t already, do check out the boy’s New York City to Rio blog: www.nyc2rio.com – there’s some amazing writing, photos and stories on there.
Music credits:
The Beatles – Revolution
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Redemption Song
Note:
Missing video-chapters have not been posted to prevent eluding a spoiler – I’m hoping you’ll read my book first!
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Chapter 28 – Size Does Matter (Rio de Janeiro)
When it comes to Brazilian butts, as you see in the clip below, SIZE DOES NOT MATTER. You got it, you flaunt it baby. But according to a drug dealer Rachel and Lola meet on the streets of Lapa, when it comes to something else size does matter…
Here’s a funny little snippet from Chapter 28:
‘Cool. Ok, so what happened next?’ I ask Rachel, interested in where this story was going.
‘Next we walk up the hill, and meet a young girl in really tiny shorts, a very tiny top and a belly button ring which kind of sat on top of her very big stomach like a cherry on top of a cupcake. She was showing us how to samba, in a very expressive way. She was a bit rough around the edges but the story we got was that she was the mother of five because her boyfriend doesn’t like to wear condoms. I guess they haven’t heard of other forms of contraceptives, I don’t know. And she went on to say that she doesn’t like Brazilian men, she likes blonde men. And one of her children had blonde hair, she is not quite sure how. She said black Brazilian men are not nice – their penises are too big and they hit their women.’
‘No stereotyping going on here,’ I laugh.
‘We later found out, 20 or so min later, when the police turned up, that she was a drug dealer. But on the way home we surmised she must have been a pretty good drug dealer, because she didn’t try to tell us any drugs. She was more interested in telling us about her life and her existence than selling us drugs. She must have been a drug dealer with a conscience. She loved sex. She made a point of saying that. And she hand shake she went like this, like this, like this and like that, and then she hit her fanny!’ Rachel grabs my hand in different arrangements and slaps her pubic bone. I start laughing uncontrollably. Trust Rachel to leave nothing to the imagination.
‘Then she was doing the whole dance behind you, let it all out, thing. So she was a very very expressive woman. But she was out and proud, you know, like the belly was there. It looked like she had had had children, but she wasn’t hiding it. She had the belly button ring going. It was good. She looked young. Younger than us. But maybe that’s the Brazilian skin. And she said to us, “Do you like black men? You want a black man? Have you been with a black man? Just warning, you they have big penises. Do you like big penises?” and I said, “well I don’t know” and she said, “well theirs are really too big.” She goes, “I can’t do it.” And coming from a woman who loves sex, I thought, that’s saying a lot!’ Rachel laughs.
‘Well… there you go,’ I say, shaking my head and with a big grin across my face. ‘Maybe size does matter.’
MUSIC CREDITS:
Cash Money, The Beautiful Girls.
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Chapter 27 – Beauty in Imperfection (Florianapolis)
Brazilian beaches – the best in the world. Coming from an Aussie that’s a pretty big call. But seriously, check out the pineapple cachaca cocktail… and the bar tender 
Oooo and I discovered the magic ingredient to that cocktail! Lucky I took notes. Inside that pineapple you will find a blend of pineapple (obviously), cachaca (a spirit made from sugarcane), ice and… sweetened condensed milk.
Ok, so I recently discovered cachaca is available (at ten times the cost, but still available) in Australia, so now we just need the freedom to put a few cute bartenders on our beaches… then we’ll be giving Brazil a run for their money…
MUSIC CREDITS:
Tease me, Unknown.
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Chapter 26 – One Big Cliche (Sao Paulo)
The concrete jungle mega-city where I experienced my very first taste of acai (ah-sigh-ee) – the wild Amazonian berry that tastes like frozen chocolate and is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidents that give you an energy hit and allegedly make you lose weight. My friend imports it to Oz in pulp and powder, and I happen to be drinking a mixture of acai, banana and ice right now. Mmmmm mmmm! Check out www.riolife.com.au if you wanna taste the purple goodness…
MUSIC CREDITS:
Sao Paulo, Morcheeba
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Chapter 25: The Fall (Iguazu)
Oh man these waters were powerful. Arrgh! We had so much fun!!!
MUSIC CREDITS:
Learn Yourself, The Beautiful Girls
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Chapter 24: When in Rome (Buenos Aires)
Colours, fashion shoots, tango and a lost bat. Buenos Aires Part 2.
MUSIC CREDITS:
Juanito Alimana, Hector Lavoe
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Chapter 23 – Melting Ice (Patagonia)
A long long (but fun) bus trip down route 40 brought us to El Calafate in South Argentina where we thought we would see “Climate Change” in action. Glaciar Perito Moreno melted before our very eyes but it is interesting to note that it has always done this and is actually one of the few glaciers that is still growing. We then made our way back up along the East Coast up to Rio Colorado where Rachel sought the secrets to sharing it’s water… my favourite moment was the ant at the end… and sorry – I couldn’t help but add my corny subtitles 
Music Credits:
Across The Universe, Jim Sturgess – Across The Universe Soundtrack
Across The Universe, Alicia Keys, Alison Krauss, Billie Joe Armstrong, Bono, Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, Steven Tyler, Stevie Wonder, Tim McGraw & Velvet Revolver.
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Chapter 22 – Doing a Bariloche
Argh! Holiday season had hit. No where to stay, and no way to leave – we learned an important lesson for the remainder of our trip: book accommodation and transport at least one day/night ahead.
Don’t “Do a Bariloche” again!
Music Credits:
With A Little Help From My Friends
Jim Sturgess & Joe Anderson – Across The Universe Soundtrack
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Chapter 21 – Errupted Interruption (Pucon)
Climbing volcanoes, swinging from trees, spotting condors, and drinking wine in this Swiss-Alps-like setting.
Music credits:
Honest Goodbyes, Bic Runga
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Chapter 20 – Sex Changes and Serial Killers (Valpariso and Santiago)
Ok, I know this sounds like a very crazy title, which doesn’t at all suit the video you’re about to see… but when you read the book it will all make sense
Music Credits:
Call me, Blondie
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Chapter 19 – Feminine Serenity, or Not (La Serena)
Three girls on the road again, this time speeding down the Chilean coast. Regrettably we only spent one night in La Serena as it really was a beautiful little beach town. But voices from Pucon in the even more beautiful Lakes District in southern Chile were calling us loud and clear.
Music Credits:
Before The World Was Made, Carla Bruni
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Chapter 18 – Chilean Deserts & Spicy Desserts (San Pedro)
Atacama desert at the top of Chile. We didn’t spend long here, as we were somewhat deserted out after Boliva. But was still a very funky sandy desert town. And we bumped into some friends we’d met in Lake Titicaca too. And. as you can see, our Brazilian friends we’d traveled with in Boliva were still with us
Mmmm mmmm – did you see that crepe? It was filled with Dulce de Leche… it’s seriously to die for.
Music Credits:
Why I Stay, Black Heart Procession
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Chapter 17: The Salty and the Sweet (Uyuni)
On a salt-lakes tour with five Brazilian boys, a dodgy 4WD consistently breaks down which synchonistically provided an opportunity to literally dance on clouds (and take some incredible photos). On New Years Eve the girls reunite in a remote conglomerate of hostels and in one small room people from all over the world sing, dance and cheer. The New Year begins with the end of a drought and an explosion of fireworks.
Music Credits:
I’m Yours, Jason Mraz.
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong.
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Chapter 16: Nunca say Nunca
A few bad decisions lead to a few disasters but “don’t worry be happy”… there’s a miracle or two just around the bend…
A race through Puno and a beautiful sunset on Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, is followed by another race through the witches markets in La Paz and finally, slicing time to the second, we stepped onto a bus that would soon turn my life upside down.
Nunca say Nunca. Never say Never.
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Chapter 15: Old Peak (Machu Picchu)
This was my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year. It was absolutely positively fantastically magic. I highly recommend!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
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Chapter 14: Inferma en Amor (Cusco)
This time last year we finally arrived in Cusco having travelled the long way round from Lima through Huacachina (the sanddunes), Nasca (the alien lines in rocks) and Areiquipa (the monastery town of white walls and large volcanoes).
Not sure if it was the excessive number of hours we were spending sleeping (or trying to sleep) on buses, or the high altitudes we were reaching, but by the time we reached Arequeipa I was sick. Very sick. The photos footage was less and less interesting as I spent most of my time in bed and in a coffee shop with wifi. Eventually we made it to Cusco, the old Inca town nearby Machu Picchu. It was raining when we arrived and all I wanted to do was “get up to Machu Picchu and get out of there”… but when the sun came out so did the old city. It glowed. Sitting amongst the mountains one could feel the deep magic of this historic town.
On top the sickness penetrating my head I received the wonderful pre-Christmas gift of a terrible tummy bug. Now I was completely bed ridden in The Point, a hostel known for its wild parties.
Everything happens for a reason. In my case a special encounter from the distance of my sick state on a hostel bunk,would initiate a fast-paced romantic adventure through Bolivia, down the Chilean coast and beyond…
That is why in Cusco I was “inferma en amor” – sick with love.
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Chapter 9: Garden of Secrets (Vilcabamba)
Vilcabamba is famous for its people’s longevity (living to 120 on average), its spectacular sky-scapes and normalised UFO sightings. At the Secret Garden hostel the girls meet Mark, an older American conspiracy theorist, who opens their eyes to a whole new perspective of the happenings around the world. A Vilcabamban boy who works at the hostel joins the girls for a glass of regional wine and shares with them the town’s history and secrets. Rachel and Juliet discuss religion, peace and Juliet tells her about “Creativist” philosophy – discovering a life that values creativity over materialism.
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Chapter 11: Dreadlocks and Shaman (Huacachina)
Oh man! This was sooooooooo fun!
Aside from the insanely fun sliding down monstrous sand-hills, at this little Oasis in southern Peru we received messages from the universe including a recommended hostel in Cusco that had far more significance than we could ever imagine. Around a campfire a group of hippies shared their experiences drinking Ayahuasca, a spiritual plant, and told me how I too could find the shaman in jungle should I want to experience it to. I want. I want. I want.
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Chapter 8: The Three Amigos (Cuenca)
The local boys (that they met in Quito) show the girls the university town by day and by night: city lookouts, alcoholic shots in backseats of cars, coffee shops and museums that introduce Juliet to the indigenous “cosmovisions”. With Lola bridging the language barriers, Juliet learns about the local (mainly Catholic) religions and (mainly Capitalistic) attitudes, values and aspirations, which lead her to reflect on the idea of indoctrination, and the roots of dominant religious and capitalist worldviews.
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Chapter 7: Enchanted Islands (Galapagos)
30th November till 6th December last year we were at the Galapagos….
A month before “The Year of Darwin” – Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150-year anniversary of Origins of Species – I stepped onto the Enchanted Isles with more than age (26) in common with my hero.
Charles and I both defied our fathers expectations for us: for Charles this involved the rejection of a career in medicine and for me it was a career in the corporate business world.
Both Charles and I came from strong Christian backgrounds (Charles was a clergyman and I a was once a Sunday School teacher and unknowingly a fundamentalist Christian).
We both are (some-what) self-taught scientists (although mine more in the social-sciences than Charles).
And we were both inspired by the enchantment of Galapagos to question the significance of humanity’s connection with animals and nature, and wonder what this means for our lives.
Incredible encounters with iguanas, sea lions and cubs, ancient turtles, fish, crabs, birds, eagles, death, love, families, English teachers, Ecuadorian boys, planes, boats and tummy bugs – these are just some of my experiences of the Galapagos Islands.
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Sneak preview… Rio’s Carnaval
Chapter 34 @ Rio’s Carnaval… a short clip from the most insanely incredible party in the world…
