Intermediate Spanish - Spanish Obsessed

We recently held our first full Spanish immersion trip in Bogota, where we were joined by 10 participants. Here's how it went.

How important is a native accent, and is it possible to develop one? Is it even desirable?  Rob and Lis talk about their own efforts to develop better accents, and some reasonable goals for learners.

Earlier this year, two protestors threw soup over the Mona Lisa. This follows a long list of similar protests of vandalism of artwork - they got our attention, but do the ends justify the means? And, are these types of protests still effective?

We discuss the trend of "positive thinking" - where does this trend come from, and how have we found it? Also, how is it connected to the concept of "manifestation"?

Rob and Lis recently moved to the "Coffee Axis" in Colombia, not just so Rob could feed his caffeine addiction. They discuss their new lifestyle, and how it compares to city living (so long, Bogota!).

Have you seen the show "Traitors"? Rob and Lis got hooked on it, and discuss it in this episode.

Have you met someone truly "toxic"? What do you think made them that way?  In this episode, Lis and Rob discuss the "Fundamental Attribution Error" - when we try to explain someone's behavior based mostly on their personality and don't think enough about the situation they are in. 

¿Qué hace que una relación a largo plazo tenga éxito, y hasta qué punto podemos predecirlo de antemano?  ¿Existe un alma gemela para todo el mundo, o podemos decidir a quién queremos?

Why do we decide to bake cookies when we've got a deadline tomorrow? How has procrastination affected us, and what can we do about it? Lis and Rob explore their own experiences with procrastinating, and discuss 3 effective strategies to combat it.

Status symbols... How do people mark themselves as high status around the world, and have we fallen into these traps?

We discuss coming up with business ideas, and how running a business has changed our lives. Also, some new business ideas, both from us and our friends! Rob describes his "Ayahuasca for Silicon Valley" business idea, as well as new cafe concept called "The hangover"...

Lis and Rob talk noisy neighbours, sounds of the city, and noise pollution. How noisy are our cities, and how much does this bother us?

We chat with Andrea and Nate, who run Spanish Land. They divide their time between USA and Colombia - how do they find life compares in the two countries, and what are their plans for the future?

We've been parents to our daughter, Ana Paz, for nearly a year now. Here, we reflect on what we expected going into it, and how things really were in reality.

We've been living in Colombia over a year! Lis and Rob talk about what they most like about life in Bogotá.

Rob and Lis talk about the arrival of their daughter, Ana Paz. How were those first days, and do they have any advice for other first time parents?

Rob and Lis talk about their move to Bogotá: arriving at chaotic El Dorado airport, somehow getting picked up, catching covid, and the saga of the apartment.

Rob and Lis talk about their arrival and first few days in Bogotá

Rob and Lis talk about the final few days in London before moving to Colombia: saying goodbye to friends and family, eating out of a saucepan, and forgetting passports...

Rob and Lis talk about their decision to move to Colombia in 2021, post pandemic.

What would you bring to a deserted island? Rob and Lis discuss their suggestions, to feed both body and mind.

Some strange things have happened to Rob and Lis over their lives. Hear three stories including witches, fortune tellers, and a strange encounter with a taxi driver...

We tell the story of "Epa" Colombia, an internet sensation who became a millionaire in Colombia, all off the back of the most ridiculous videos we've ever seen. However, la "Epa" is now facing a possible prison sentence. What happened?

Tú and usted... We learn in our first Spanish class how to use these two pronouns, but it seems that native speakers don't follow the rulebook. We explore the different shades of meaning of usted and tú, and when to really use which.

Link to El País article