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OKAY SO.

The Penumbra Podcast.

This is one podcast I will ALWAYS recommend. It's a character-driven audio drama following 2 main stories: the Juno Steel series (scifi detective story with a bit of spicy hero-turned-vigilante flavour) and The Second Citadel (fantasy. also there's a lizard everyone wants to kiss. yes, including me).

The reason why I love this podcast so much is because there is a constant theme of growth, maturity and acceptance in every character as the stories progress. They make mistakes, stumble, fall down a rabbit hole of more mistakes and despite ALL that? They get up again. Learn to be better. Choose to be better.

TPP gives me a lot of hope that people can be better - that I can grow and be loved and be better too.

SO if you're looking for a podcast with great plot, character growth, amazing tropes like found family and enemies-to-rivals-to-lovers, mystery characters that ghost you for unnamed reasons,, do give this podcast a listen ❤️

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Absolutely my favorite podcast of all time, give it a listen! I promise you won’t regret it. It’s truly got everything: queer rep, amazing character development, out-of-this-world acting and very wholesome moments. I started listening to it when I was 16 and I was blown away by the LGBTQ representation, and haven’t stopped being blown away by it. 

Travelers, we need your help! 

If you want to keep the show on the airwaves AND win fabulous prizes, then we invite you to the #PenumbraParty – from now until 2/10! One GRAND PRIZE winner will even get FREE early episode access for the rest of Season 4. Check it out! 

(For a plain text/accessible version of the graphics above and contest rules, click here.)

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Hey! I have no idea if the people that follow my page would be interested in something like this, but I just made an art TikTok in Spanish! Here’s the link if any of you want to check it out! It’s one of my biggest projects right now and I’m really proud of it! 

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just wanted to thank you for your book recommendation posts. i can't wait to dive in!

I’m so glad they’re helpful!! I hope you have a good time reading them, please send me a DM if you want to discuss any of them! 

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Náhuatl Online Course / Curso de náhuatl online

A lot of people have asked me how I am learning nahuatl and I have talked about this organization that is doing so much for nahuas communities and also employs native people to teach their language. I’ve attended their courses twice and it was wonderful! They’re running a digital course (five hours daily, from Dec 28 to Jan 08), with different levels, a cultural presentation and conversation practice! If you’re interested in learning náhuatl this would be a wonderful way to start! Please send an email to [email protected] or here’s the sign up document

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Mucha gente me ha preguntado cómo estoy aprendiendo náhuatl y he hablado de esta organización que ayuda a algunas comunidades nahuas y también emplea a personas nahuas para enseñar su idioma. ¡Asistí a sus cursos dos veces y fue maravilloso! Están impartiendo un curso digital (cinco horas diarias, del 28 de diciembre al 08 de enero), con diferentes niveles, una presentación cultural y práctica de conversación. Si estás interesado en aprender náhuatl, ¡esta sería una excelente manera de comenzar! El correo para informes es [email protected] o aquí está el documento de registro

#nahuatl #náhuatl #mexico #indigenous #indigenous languages #langblr #languages #language learning #signal boost #important #lenguajes

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Hey! I have no idea if the people that follow my page would be interested in something like this, but I just made an art TikTok in Spanish! Here’s the link if any of you want to check it out! It’s one of my biggest projects right now and I’m really proud of it! 

#not langblr #Karen talks #personal #art #artist #idk it seemed like a fun thing to do!

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Bro, you're so cool!! Es tan padre ver a otra mexicana que está en dark academia. Y estas aprendiendo nahuatl? Que genial, yo también! Te quería decir que tu blog está bien padre, buena suerte con el griego, hay demasiadas declinaciones :') Que tengas un buen día, amiga!

¡Hola! Muchas gracias por tu mensaje, ¡mándame uno privado para poder hablar más! ¡Espero que tú también tengas un buen día!

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Hi, I need some advice pls! I love studying languages (it's one of my biggest special interests!) so naturally I have a big list of languages I want to eventually study in my bucket list. I don't care much for speaking said languages necessarily, but I love being able to read every book I can get to in their original language (reading translations just doesn't compare).

What I need help deciding is: should I try study English for real (I learned to speak/read it just by forcing my way into books/movies & forcing exposure with people in online communities) or should I go for one of the other languages in my list (since I already have a pretty good handle of what I do know of English)?

I'm a bit frustrated because while I do know my way around informal conversation and language in general, if I try to read anything more formal/complicated (like old books or research papers) it just doesn't work... So do you think it's worth it, to get better at what I already know instead of jumping to something new now? And if it is, do you have any tips of interesting books and resources to learn English? Most of what I find usually starts with the pretty basics of "English for foreigners" type of stuff and it's really boring for me.

Anyway sorry for the gigantic message and thanks in advance!!!!

Hello! Sorry for taking such a long time to answer, I hope you don’t mind! 

I really relate to the “reading books untranslated” being your main reason to want to learn languages. I think it’s very useful to have specific goals very early in your language learning journey so you can adapt the learning method, and there isn’t a “valid” or “invalid” reason to learn languages. 

In reference to your English level, I think you sound like a native! If you aren’t planning on working in an academic environment that would require you to have Bussiness English level skills, I don’t think you should worry too much about actively working on your English skills. Personally, nowadays I just consume English media and I learn things here and there, but my learning has been passive for a lot of years now (which is the level that I want to get to with French, so I can consume media without actually writing stuff down).

If you like reading, I think starting with English literature (especially the “classics”) could be beneficial for you to learn more complex sentence structures, become familiarized with formal language, and add a couple of words to your vocabulary. I do really enjoy reading classics but they ARE a bit of a workout for me, which means I need to practice the skills I just mentioned. If you need some specific recommendations let me know!  

If you do want to improve grammar-wise, try to identify fossilized errors and make it a point to correct yourself (for me these are mainly pronunciation) or actively practice words or sentence structures that you struggle with (for me it was “awkward” for a long time, and now I have to pause for a second and remember it’s spelled “genuinely”). If you feel weary phrasing things in a certain way, it’s very probable that your brain doesn’t want to use that specific word or sentence structure because you are not familiar with it, and that’s when you know where you’re lacking practice.

I really recommend learning your next language in a language you are passively practicing, it makes things more fun and will help you retain it better. You can always change the plan even if you have already started, I think personally I forget that if I make the lesson plans, I can change the way I am studying if I don’t like it as nothing is set in stone. 

Let me know how everything goes, good luck! 

#language learning #langblr resources #langblr #spanish langblr #karen responds #study #studying #language studying #dark academia #dark academia aesthetic

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Hello!

I am finally done with most of my assignments (I think? I don’t trust my professors to not ask me to make changes) and I am back to making content for this blog! If you have any requests of what I should write about, please let me know!

I am planning on spending the time we have left on 2021 planning and painting, and language wise, I’m planning a two-week challenge. I am still planning it but I’ll really glad to be back and I’m really excited to continue with my studies and hearing how everyone’s doing!

Also, thank you so much to the person who bought me a couple of ko-fis! That is so nice of you! The website didn’t let me contact you but if you need a specific post or plan, please let me know via DM! <3

#Karen talks #personal #not langblr

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If anyone wants to attend the concert, there’s still time to can get your ticket at @apoyo-pueblos-nahuas on Venmo! 

Support Mexican Indigenous Communities and Music!

One of my favorite organizations is organizing a charity live digital concert of an amazing musician who performs in náhuatl, and the entrance fee is 15 dollars. I’ve had the chance to attend physical concerts of Crismar in the past and he’s amazing! Here’s a link to one of my favorite songs of his. 

The pandemic has taken quite a toll on Indigenous communities in México,  especially because most of the information given by the government is in Spanish, and also protective equipment is difficult to obtain far away from cities! Initiatives like these are incredibly helpful. 

If you can’t attend, reblogging this post would also really help! Or even donate a dollar or two! Thank you! 

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Support Mexican Indigenous Communities and Music!

One of my favorite organizations is organizing a charity live digital concert of an amazing musician who performs in náhuatl, and the entrance fee is 15 dollars. I’ve had the chance to attend physical concerts of Crismar in the past and he’s amazing! Here’s a link to one of my favorite songs of his. 

The pandemic has taken quite a toll on Indigenous communities in México,  especially because most of the information given by the government is in Spanish, and also protective equipment is difficult to obtain far away from cities! Initiatives like these are incredibly helpful. 

If you can’t attend, reblogging this post would also really help! Or even donate a dollar or two! Thank you! 

#indigenous languages #indigenous #mexican #mexico #please reblog #náhuatl #indigenous art #signal boost #support indigenous people

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I’d like to propose something… Mexican women in dark academia. 

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Books Recs Written by Mexican Women

Here’s a continuation to this post about Hispanic Dark Academia Book Recs because I have to produce the content I want to see, I guess, and if I don’t talk about Mexican literature who the hell will. With PDFs included in both languages that took me so long to find. 

The Houseguest by Amparo Dávila: Amparo Dávila was one of Mexico’s best writers of the 20th century, and won the Xavier Villaurrutia, one of the countries biggest and most important literature annual prizes. Her writing style can be compared to Shirley Jackson’s, whom I also love. I personally recommend reading The Houseguest/El huésped, which is one of my favorite stories ever and is a horror story. The version in Spanish can be found here. 

The Body Where I Was Born by Guadalupe Nettel: Tells the intimate story about a girl who was born with vision defect and how she navigates living in Latin America in the 70s. A very acclaimed novel about identity. 

Historia de Mariquita by Guadalupe Dueñas: I couldn’t find a translation of this one, but most people that follow this blog know or are studying Spanish, so here’s the link for the short story in Spanish. 

Hurricane Season or Temporada de Huracanes by Fernanda Melchor: Also considered one of the country’s best book from the last decade, that explores violence and sexism in México centered around a supernatural event from a female perspective. Here’s the PDF in Spanish. 

Recollections of Things to Come or Los recuerdos del porvenir by Elena Garro: There was a controversy a few years back when a book about Elena Garro was re-edited and published and she was introduced as “Octavio Paz’s wife”, who was also another very important Mexican writer (as a personal note, I think his literature should be read and is very significant to Mexican identity, but it also very sexist, so be prepared for that). The outrage caused by the diminishment of this woman’s accomplishments caused a resurgence of Mexican books written by women. I really really recommend her. Here’s the PDF in Spanish. 

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I never made an official post about my absence and even though it feels a bit self-important, I just wanted to put it out there that I will be on semi-hiatus until the end of November, which is when I finish my semester. I will have all of December free so I’m thinking of taking a few days to recover from this month (and 2020 as a whole, damn) and then starting a language challenge! Good luck to everyone and see you then <3 

#Karen talks #not langblr

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What is Día de Muertos?

(If you’re white, especially if you’re from the US, you’re obligated to reblog this post. I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules)

Día de Muertos is the most important and well-known tradition of indigenous origin in México celebrated on November first and second. It is a world heritage tradition. That is why so important that we are careful to portray it respectfully. 

For us Mexicans, making altares is a way to cope with death, it is something that brings us closer to our loved ones who have passed way. I’ve discussed with my mother and my father in a very intimate way what they would like me to put in her altar when they pass away and I intend to learn how to make my mother’s favorite dishes so she’ll like them when she comes back to visit and she can be proud of me. That takes some of the fear out of things, to know that for one night every year I’ll have a chance to honor my loved ones and remember them fondly.

What does an altar usually have?

A figurine of a dog, usually a xoloitzcuintle, the sacred dog of the Aztecs, who will help the deceased person make their way to the land of the living and back to the land of the dead.

A photo of the deceased person

Copal (ancient incense that was offered to the gods in indigenous traditions, it clenses the space and helps guide the spirits to the altar).

Cempaxóchitl or Mexican marigold. This means “twenty flowers” or “flower of twenty petals” in náhuatl, Mexico’s most spoken indigenous language. Its bright yellow color and scent helps spirits return to the land of the living.  

Multiple candles

In ancient times, real skulls were used, but they have since been replaced with sugar skulls that have the name of the deceased person written on the forehead.

Pan de muerto (Bread of the Dead), which is a representation of the mortal body (supposed to represent the skeleton, more specifically the hand)

Papel picado (tissue paper with cut-out shapes) that represent that this is a party and shows how happy we are to have them with us once more.

The deceased person’s favorite foods and beverages, and any objects that they might have used a lot while they were alive (musical instruments, their glasses, a typewriter, their favorite books, etc).

Calaveritas, which narrate in a comical or endearing, even a bit tongue-in-cheek way a person’s encounter with death.

Now, some common questions under the “read more”. 

Seguir leyendo

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put in the tags the reason why you would have been arrested by the Spanish Inquisition in the sixteenth century 

#last post about this i swear #im just reading about people getting arrested in the 16th century for doing shit im doing rn and the thrill is out of this world #dark academia #studyblr #langblr #and by shit that im doing i mean contrasting erasmism theory and teological biblical interpretations of the new testament #boring shit #dark academic aesthetic

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Me, a woman, ferally making notes about Biblical interpretations contrasted with the erasmian/humanist theory: Three centuries ago I would have been arrested for this :) 

#thinking about sor juana ines de la cruz <3 #this is the VIBE #the true #study mood #thinking im in 16th century mexican territory that was a spanish colony at the time and i know how to read #the THRILL of that #wow #i will be making more posts about that #try to stop me #studyblr #studyspo #dark academia #dark academia aesthetic