16 Common Mistakes Non-Native English Speakers Make

I am more than 100% sure I've said some things completely wrong in Spanish (and French), mostly because I can see the people I'm talking to crying from laughter after I say it. Some mistakes we just can't seem to stop making, even though we know they are wrong before we say them!

Well, since I am here teaching English and practicing it with those who want to, I also get to hear funny things, like butchered expressions and grammar errors. Now that I've lived in Europe for almost a decade (wow, that makes me feel old) I put together a list of mistakes that I hear A LOT. Some of them so much, that I don't even recognize them as mistakes half of the time. The majority are latin-based mistakes (speakers of Spanish, French, Italian, etc.), but a few are universal to all non-native English speakers that I've met.

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Santander, Spain: (El Fin de) Semana Grande

Synopsis: Before my amazing Asturias trip, I was planning to go to Santander, but upon further research, I saw they were having a semana grande (it's like a week-long festival with food, music, art, and activities) the last weekend of July, and I postponed my trip until then. I invited some friends, and Suzana, one of my Pintxo Pals, took me up on my offer. However, because I was in Asturias, I did not do any planning, and the weekend is turning out to be a bigger event than I thought. So, we will go there for the weekend, with no plans and no place to sleep...

Two days of fun, sun, and beach-un (it has to rhyme)

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Oviedo & Gijón, Spain: Asturias, A Hidden Jewel

Synopsis: So I want to see the northern coast of Spain and I found a pretty sweet deal on Airbnb in the city of Oviedo. I know absolutely nothing about this city or the region, but I reached out to a bunch of couchsurfers, so hopefully someone responds and shows me around.

Cider is serious business here - they have an entire street dedicated to it

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How This American Stays Fit While Traveling

The best way to stay in shape is to run with the bulls!

Click for more info!

Aside from hours of walking, I like to do a bit of exercise while traveling, mainly to keep my muscles active so I won't be sore next time I do a heavy workout. So the idea of these workouts are not to build strength or speed, but rather maintain my progress from my workouts at home. While traveling, I have a small box of tricks I use to stay fit on the go. I own a TRX. I own a jump rope. Gravity is free. Check out the video below, and some sample workouts below that.

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¿Sabes qué me saca de mis casillas? pt.2

¡Ostras! La vida puede ser tan mucho más simple si las cosas fueron la manera que preferimos. Pero, la vida no es así. No voy hablar de nuevo de cosas del gobierno y cinta roja y lentitud y estar castigado cuando intentas seguir las leyes y hacer un ciudadano bueno. Tengo muchos más otros opciones! (Lee pt.1 aquí)

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Pamplona, Spain: El Encierro y San Fermin 2015 - I Ran With The Bulls

Synopsis: Since I've arrived here in Spain everyone has told me "wait until San Fermin" whenever I told them I did, saw, or experienced something cool here in Spain. So, I have super lofty expectations for this event. It goes from the 6th until the 14th of July (always same dates every year), with many different events each day, but the main event that starts each day the same way is running with the bulls, aka el encierro.

*Note: My bull running experience actually started the 2nd of July, as I traveled to Ronda, just outside of Málaga, to train with bull runner Julen Madina and matador Rafael Tejada. I practiced running with, dodging, and even feeding bulls.

Wikipedia does a fairly good job of explaining what San Fermin is, so I'll just share my experiences with less detailed explanations of the event and more details about me and my humble awesomeness during the event.

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Ronda, Spain: Running with Legends

Synopsis: I first decided I wanted to run with the bulls when I found out I was moving to Pamplona back in November 2014. Of course, everyone I meet in Spain mentions how great San Fermin is and then asks me if I will run. 

Via some friends of friends, I have been extended the opportunity to train with bull-running professional, Julen Madina, at matador Rafael Tejada's finca (ranch), Reservatauro Ronda, in Ronda, Spain. The training will be filmed for a promotional video for San Fermin.

Alright Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up

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