Simple Stories in Spanish

Many kings and queens are given nicknames along with their titles. Juana was the third child of Isabel and Fernando “the Catholics”. Her nickname, “la loca”, or “the crazy one” came from her dramatic outbursts, often related to her husband, Felipe “the Handsome”. The question remains, was Juana really loca? Or was she the victim of circumstances and manipulations well out of her control? This stor...

“Inca” or “Sapa Inca” is the title given to the kings of the Incan Empire. The incas did not have a written language, rather they had a rich oral tradition. Due to the lack of records, it is hard to know when exactly the Incan state, Tahuantinsuyo began. However, oral tradition tells of the Sun God, Inti, and his desire for a civilized people in the Andes mountains. He sent his son, Manco Capac, t...

Sign Language is a beautiful form of communication. For many years, the Deaf community was denied education, in large part because of Aristotle. Thankfully, many people recognized the ability of deaf people to communicate using signs. Sign Language became documented and standardized. However, due to dictatorship and revolution, in 1980s Nicaragua, sign language didn’t really exist. So, a group of...

In their attempts to convert the native peoples of the Americas to Christianity, Catholic missionaries destroyed many elements of preHispanic cultures, including their books. The mayan culture in particular had hundreds, if not thousands, of books and documents concerning mythology, astronomy, history and religion. Thankfully, one person thought to record this information and hid it. That book, El...

Puerto Rico is an anomaly. After being visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493, it fell under Spanish rule. England, Portugal, and France attempted invasions, but Puerto Rico did not break free from Spain until 1898 when the Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American war and gave Puerto Rico to the United States. Today it remains an unincorporated territory of the US, but that could change in the...

Diego Maradona is one of the greatest footballers, or soccer players, of all time. He started playing professionally just before his 16th birthday. He was already a popular player when he arrived at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. However, it would be his performance here, especially in the quarterfinal game against England, that would cement his name in history. This story is told in the third pers...

When the Old Christians Rugby Club chartered a flight from Uruguay to Chile, they were excited at the prospect of their upcoming match. The 45 passengers included the team and some family and friends. The plane hit turbulence over the Andes mountains resulting in a crash that would prove fatal for many on board. The remaining survivors were trapped on a snowy mountain, not knowing their fate. This...

The Panama Canal plays a critical role in today’s global commerce, but it almost didn’t happen. A group of French engineers led by Charles De Lesseps spent nine years in Panama excavating earth to no avail. Later, Theodore Roosevelt took up the canal dream. Another 10 years of hard labor resulted in the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal. This story is told in the third person and the past...

In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte placed his older brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. This act led to multiple uprisings. After a short reign of only 5 years, Joseph left Spain and King Ferdinand VII reclaimed the throne. Those 5 tumultuous years led to many changes in Spain and its colonies. This story is told in the third person and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “rey” (...

Moctezuma II is largely considered to be the last true Aztec emperor. He died shortly after inviting the Spanish, led by Hernán Cortés, into the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán. Moctezuma was a priest and a great general before becoming a respected leader. But public opinion of him changed drastically when he was imprisoned by the very Spaniards he invited into his town. His people became so angry tha...

I have been thinking a lot lately about mental health. I usually feel like I have a good grasp of my own mental health, but there are days I want to ignore the world and all my responsibilities in it. I have many activities that help boost my mental health and today I would like to share a few. Please note, I am not a mental health professional and what works for me may not work for everyone. This...

Thirty years ago, Lisa took a pottery class. She learned the basics of throwing, forming, and firing clay. Now she is an expert potter, creating pieces for stores, events, and individuals. This story is told in the third person using the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “la cerámica” (ceramics/pottery), “arcilla” (clay), “barbotina” (slip: water-clay mixture), “...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I love Lego sets. I have been playing with them for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I would build and stage houses. Now that I’m older, I help my sons build whatever their heart desires and make stop motion videos.   This story is told in the first person using both the past and present tenses. Important vocabulary in th...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. My high school Spanish teacher had a poster of Machu Picchu on his wall. I would look at that poster and tell myself that one day I would visit those magical ruins in the mountains of Peru. That day came in the summer of 2009.   This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I love the theater. I love acting and singing and being in front of an audience. I haven’t been on a stage in years, but I have wonderful memories from my time in the theater.   This story is told in the first person using both the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: comedieta (skit), obra de teatro (...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I am from the state of Minnesota, but I live in Colorado. So, how did I get here? It wasn’t an easy decision or experience to move to Colorado, however, I am glad to be here and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.    This story is told in the first person using the past te...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. One of the best things I ever did was spend a semester of college in Spain. I lived with families and attended La Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. I made many friends and traveled all over. I immersed myself in the language and culture. While that experience was more years ago than I care to admit, I remember it fondly.    This st...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I enjoy learning about my family history. My love of genealogy was encouraged by my dad who has done a lot of research. This last week I spent some time searching for clues about my ancestors. I found multiple documents, pictures, and even a few people I didn’t know about before. Today I am going to share a few of their stories.    T...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. As you have heard in previous stories, I love the outdoors. I have been on many hiking and camping trips, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I combined the two and went on my first backpacking adventure. That trek taught me many lessons and today I am sharing those lessons with you.   This story is told in the first person usin...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I have very fond memories of my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside with my friends and family, no matter the time of year. As a child I played, I ran, I rode bikes, I read, and I just had fun.   This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “recuerdo” (memory), “muñeca”...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. I take my son on a lot of hikes. One time he decided to bring two of his stuffed animals on our hike in Grizzly Creek. Their names are Wolfy and Toothclaw. Toothclaw decided to take a swin in the creek and I went after him.   This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “arr...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. David is one of my listeners and he recently shared his story with me. His adventures started when he joined the US navy at the age of 17 and they continue today. From playing the guitar to building his own house, David has lived a fascinating life.   This story is told in the third person using the past tense. Important vocabulary i...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. This is the second half of my Spring Break adventure in southern Utah. While everything did not go as planned, due to engine trouble, we were still able to have fun and enjoy Bryce Canyon National Park.   This story is told in the first person using the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “taller” (shop), “nieve”...

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. At the end of March, I decided to take my boys on a trip to some national parks in southern Utah. Unfortunately, our trip took a turn for the worse when my check engine light came on. Fortunately, we were still able to have some fun in Zion National Park.   This story is told in the first person using the past and conditional tenses....

This new season of fresh stories all about personal experiences. Living in Indonesia had a huge impact on my mother. Although she was young, she remembers much of her time there. While most of her time was spent in Kisaren, she also traveled to other places with her family. Her journey home marked a literal journey around the world that changed her forever.   This story is told in the first and th...