Voices en Español

It’s that time of year when we’re bombarded with stories about holiday gift ideas. It’s a perennial favorite of the news media to do these kinds of stories. I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon this year and put together a list of Xmas gift ideas for Hispanophiles.

1). Spain – On the Road Again

This video culinary road trip with chef Mario Batali and actress Gwyneth Paltrow is really quite good. If you’ve never been to Spain, this TV series will give you a great introduction to the foodie culture of Spain. The 13-episodes of this TV show are available on a DVD and there’s also an accompanying book. (Book + DVD combo: $49.95)

2). La Tienda

Speaking of food….the online catalog of La Tienda has plenty of mouthwatering treats. Try the morcilla with onions ($13.95) or the Tetilla queso, a soft cheese made from cow’s milk, from Galicia ($22.50).

La Tienda also has a web site for Europe and the U.K. but the selection of items is different from the U.S. site.

3). 90 Clásicos de la literatura para gente con prisas

This would be a gag gift since it’s a comic book that boils down 90 classic works of literature to the bare essentials. Epics such as Don Quijote, Lord of the Rings and Ulysses all get the same treatment: a “synopsis” presented in a panel of four illustrated squares.

If you don’t find this kind of Cliff Notes approach amusing, then stay away. But if you like the idea of refreshing your memory about some of the greatest literary works and doing that in an unconventional way, ¡adelante!

4). El Baile del Sombrero

If you have little kids or you want to encourage a young niece, nephew or grandchild to learn Spanish, here’s an ideal gift – a CD of kid’s songs in Spanish. The songs revolve around basic everyday activities (taking a bath, going to school, a trip to the zoo, etc.).  It’s a nice way to expose very young children to the sound of the Spanish language.

5. Spanish lessons via Skype

Maybe this will be a gift that you’ll want to give yourself in the new year – online Spanish lessons. There are many Spanish-language instructors currently giving classes online via Skype and their hourly teaching rates are generally quite affordable. Just do a Google search. I’ve seen some instructors charging as little as $10 per hour.  Some won’t charge you for the first class as a way of enticing you to sign up for multiple sessions.

Whether you decide to give something like this as a gift (or just keep it for yourself), make sure you get references from past or current students. Also, if you have to pay for a block of classes, don’t pay for more than three lessons initially. That should be more than enough time to figure out whether the teaching arrangement will work or not.

6. Spanish podcasts & transcripts

Download a series of episodes of your favorite Spanish podcasts, burn them onto a CD and then print out or purchase the accompanying episode transcripts. These days there are so many instructional Spanish-language podcasts to choose from, you could put together an eclectic mix of voices and topics.

It’s an idea that didn’t occur to me until recently, when a reader of my other blog, Cody’s Cuentos, purchased the entire collection of story transcripts. He told me that he was putting together a unique Spanish-learning gift pack for his wife. What a great husband!

7. Book a vacation in Spain

If a trip to Spain in 2010 is in the cards, check out this travel and leisure web site called Smart Box. It has affordable listings for several lovely rustic Spanish casa rurales (country inns and Bed & Breakfasts) like Mas Torrent in Cataluña and Casa Manadero in Extremadura. One-night stays start at 79.90 euros for two people. (On the Smart Box site check under the categories “Estancia Pintoresca” and “Estancia Sabor Rural”.)

OK, this one might be a little hard to completely arrange on such short notice with Christmas only a week away, but it’s always nice to dream, isn’t it?

Photo of Benia de Onis, a village with 230 inhabitants, located in Asturias, Spain.