Vegan Spanish - Part I

One of my other loves is learning different languages. One of the languages which I have excelled at is Spanish. My journey in Spanish started in late 2004 as I prepared for my first ever all-inclusive vacation in Mexico.

In March 2005 for a week in Rincón de Guayabitos, Mexicó, I was able to at least read signs and understand some of what was being said around the bars. By November 2008, shortly after going vegan, I was able to converse with staff at an AI resort in Cuba. This was important because much of the staff at the 3 and 3+ star resorts that are at the upper limit of my budget cannot speak English. Having to explain that I no longer eat meat was much easier when I was able to explain it in their language.

The added bonus is that the bar staff treat you so much better!

So - in order to enhance your next visit to the sunny south (my next visit is Panama in November...), I'm starting a series of simple Spanish lessons geared to the vegan tourist. The lessons will be simple, consisting of 10 vocabulary words and 3 phrases.

Lesson I

Vocabulary:

piña = pineapple
calabaza = pumpkin (common at the buffet in Cuba)
uva = grape
seta = mushroom
limón = lemon
naranja = orange
manzana = apple
maíz = corn
ajo = garlic
judías = beans

Phrases:

No como la carne. = I don't eat meat.
Soy un vegano. = I'm a vegan.
También, no como queso. = Also, I don't eat cheese.

I hope this comes in handy and starts you on your way to understanding a little more when eating in the Caribbean, Mexico, or any Latin American locale. Lesson II will cover the dark side - meat. It's probably more important to know the words for the things you don't want to eat than those you do!

If you are interested in learning Spanish, or any language, try Lingo Zone. Lingo Zone is a great site to meet and chat with people around the world. You can easily be matched up with someone who's native tongue is the language you're trying to learn and who is trying to learn your language. As with all social sites, there are spammers - be aware!