Colombian Tattoo Shop Spanish: Design Descriptions & After-Care
Inked Beginnings: Island Curiosity Meets Andean Needles I still remember the sticky Santo Domingo heat the day I decided a simple palm-tree outline would mark my tenth year abroad. After a decade juggling merengue nights in the Dominican Republic and weekend escapes to Medellín, my Spanish felt pretty solid—until the artist asked whether I preferred […]
Dominican “Agua de Coco” Stand Etiquette: Sizes, Sugar, and Straws
A Coconut Crashes my Morning Run I was halfway through my usual dawn jog on the Malecón in Santo Domingo when a coconut the size of a small bowling ball rolled into my path. A laughing vendor yelled, “¡Eh, hermano, casi desayuno gratis!”—Hey, brother, almost a free breakfast! Ten years in the Dominican Republic have […]
Colombian Apartment “Póliza de Arrendamiento”: What to Ask in Spanish
Ten years ago I was sweating through my first July in Santo Domingo, wrestling with ceiling-fan screws and the subjunctive mood at the same time. Last month, on yet another getaway to Medellín, I found myself in a different kind of twist: the realtor slid a thick folder across the desk and said, “Entonces, firmamos […]
Dominican Public-Library Membership: Overdue-Fee Spanish for the Wandering Expat
El recibo que me delató como extranjero Una tarde de julio, a las tres y pico, entré en la Biblioteca Pedro Henríquez Ureña de Santo Domingo con la seguridad de quien lleva diez años viviendo en la isla. Pedí unas colecciones de cuentos de Hilma Contreras, firmé mi nombre “James R.” en el registro y […]
How a Simple “Marchamo” Chat Turned Into a Masterclass on Real-World Spanish
From a Bogotano Parking Lot to My Laptop in Santo Domingo I thought I had outgrown rookie surprises after a decade abroad, yet last December proved me wrong. I was in Bogotá, squeezing my rental into a downtown parking bay, when the attendant winked and asked if I had already “sacado el marchamo.” My mind […]
Negotiating Dominican Boat Tours to Saona Island: Crew Chat Spanish
My First Sail to Saona: A Lesson I Didn’t Know I Needed The morning sun over Bayahibe looked harmless, but the glint on the water told a different story. Ten years ago, fresh off the plane and convinced my beginner phrases were enough, I strolled toward the pier with a tourist grin and the naïve […]
Cracked Screens & Cracked Codes: Mastering Tech-Repair Spanish in Colombia
The Day My Phone Met the Bogotá Pavement I had been in Bogotá for less than forty-eight hours when my phone pulled a kamikaze dive from my jacket pocket, landed face-down on Calle 93, and splintered like sugar glass in a telenovela stunt. Ten years in the Dominican Republic had taught me to shrug off […]
Dominican Solar-Heater Maintenance: Descaling and Warranty Spanish
Por James — a Brit abroad who has spent a decade getting sunburned, sipping chinola juice, and hunting down stray limes for Sunday sancocho. That Morning When My Shower Turned Into a Cafetera I was half awake, ready to rinse off a night of merengue and mojitos, when the solar water heater on my Santo […]
Donating to Colombia’s Rain Forest: Mastering Tax-Receipt Spanish While Living the Expat Life
How a Runaway Monkey Receipt Changed My Week in Leticia I was sipping a lukewarm tinto on the malecón in Leticia, that steamy border town where Colombia kisses Brazil and Peru, when an adventure began with a single, smudged receipt. A Flemish backpacker sprinted past me, a baby woolly monkey clinging to his dreadlocks, and […]
Dominican Kite-Surf Lingo: Renting Gear and Catching Wind Like a Local
Last August, while the midday sun melted ice in my morir soñando, I watched a Canadian newbie attempt to rent a kite in Cabarete. He pointed, barked out a fragmented “¿Cuánto por… eh… the big one?” and the rental guy just grinned, answering in rapid-fire Dominican slang. Within seconds the poor soul looked more tangled […]