Thursday, February 01, 2007

Survey Shows The Outstanding Things About The Special Spanish Lifestyle

According to a survey conducted by the Center for Sociological Research in Spain, most Spanish people are very impressed that they live a very special lifestyle compared to lifestyles in many countries in the European continent. The survey revealed that there are just various aspects in their lives that the Spanish people enjoy so much. It was determined that the citizens are very much delighted about the well-planned eating habit in Spain, since 85% of the respondents said that they like the times when lunch and dinner are eaten in Spain compared in other European nations. More than half of the respondents choose to take their lunch between two and three in the afternoon, while 19 percent of the respondents choose to take their lunch from three to four in the afternoon. More than 48% of the respondents choose to take their dinner from nine to ten in the evening, while 27% choose to take their dinner between ten and eleven in the evening.

In line with their special eating habits, health is the most crucial thing among many Spanish people. Almost 86% of the respondents highlight health, with family (81 percent) as the second most crucial. Friends and money are also among the main priorities of plenty of Spanish people, while religion and politics seem to be not that crucial to most citizens.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Crucial Obligation of Instituto Cervantes

Instituto Cervantes plays a significant obligation in the advancement of Spanish language and culture among non-Spanish nations. This non-profit group was established in 1991 by the government of Spain and is currently based in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and in Alcala de Henares where Miguel Cervantes, well-recognized writer of the much-preferred Spanish literary classic Don Quixote, was born.

Instituto Cervantes attempts to motivate people who are not speaking Spanish to adopt Spanish as secondary language. The organization has language courses, both general and advanced, to various students who want to learn Spanish. The group also supervises exams and issues diplomas (which are internationally recognized through the authority of University of Salamanca in Spain) as proofs of achievements for students who finished a Spanish course under the Instituto program. What's more, the organization also supports Spanish language teachers by providing them financial care and advanced teaching modules to develop their teaching skills and styles.

Aside from these, Instituto Cervantes has documentation and libraries in most of its locales as references of students about Spanish arts, history, and culture. The group even launched an annual publication called El Español En El Mundo to emphasize the status and up-to-date trends of the Spanish language across the world.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Renowned Spanish Meals For Visitors

Part of the mystery is how gorgeous Spanish hunks and beautiful Spanish senoritas are able to maintain a leaner waistline, when their own is almost impossible to resist. With the famed "Paella," which is already a feast of its own, and "Jamon Serrano", always served raw in thin slices, the next best thing from bullfighting is to gorge on a table filled with delectable Spanish treats. Breakfast, lunch, or evening meals -- anyone could always satisfy his hunger with flavorful seafood specialties or even saucy chicken plates.

However, not everything in Spain is gourmet cooking, while in local hubs, delightful serving of "tapas" could be a nice, cheaper sample for what local food has to offer. "Tapas" are dishes of different snacks with seafood, vegetables, and other specialties prominent in various Spanish locations. In fact, popular tradition among foreigners is to hop from one hub to another to try out different "tapas." To enjoy the food at its finest, Spain also considers wine to be a delightful companion for a hearty treat. There's a good variety of wine from different Spanish locations, though perhaps, one of the best is "sherry," exported in great volume for English wine drinkers. Sparkling wines in Spain are most of the time fruity and sweet, which for me, tells a lot about the intense and passionate character of Spanish locals.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Deciphering the House Color of the Celebrated Bernarda Alba

If an opportunity comes that you will collect millions of dollars but in a condition that you will dress in black and your house must be painted white all over for the rest of your life, would you accept the fortune? I’m utterly sure that insatiable people will immediately answer “Yes” and reason out that “Who cares! I’ll be a millionaire!” On the
other hand, those who are free-spirited and are free will advocators will surely disagree because these people do not want to be captivated in a black-and-white world forever.

But the celebrated Bernarda Alba---a character in Lorca’s most captivating play entitled “House of Bernarda Alba”---will choose the former although she is already rich. Bernarda Alba is the governing character in the play who always styles herself in black, along with the rest of the characters, mainly because of the death of her husband. What’s captivating about the play is that her house is splashed in white, which symbolizes purity, contentment, and peace. The color of this house is ironic because what happens inside it is otherwise---Alba’s family lives in despair, sadness, and chaos because of varying problems.

For your information, Federico Garcia Lorca is a celebrated Spanish writer and critically-acclaimed poet whose works are celebrated around the world.

Converted Animals are Allowed in this Unparalled Spanish Hotel

Want to go on a tour of any place in Europe, but scared that your pet dog or cat or whatever might not be welcomed and eventually left out in the cold? Then why not give Spain a try, specifically Madrid, where you can take your pet along during your sojourn and quietly check in at Maria Elena Palace Hotel that has this unique provision of allowing pets into its area.

Of course, you need not feel uneasy that the room that you will be staying in is of the substandard variety. On the contrary, all 64 rooms at Maria Elena Palace Hotel is put up with modern amenities that certainly include air condition systems, telephone, cable TV, shower, and hairdryer. Interestingly, another hotel offering is the free shuttle to and from the airport, so you need not concern yourself as to who will take care of your baggages when journeying to and from the hotel.

Providing even more attraction to this Spanish hotel is its glass dome ceiling designed over its reception area. The feature further punctuates the inherent charm of the hotel and helps spread out the lighting to the usual areas of the hotel.

Maria Elena Palace Hotel has a cool, quiet ambiance, and this perfectly suits the mood of the average Spanish tourist who is obviously tired after a long day of journeying.