A good gin & tonic – A Spanglish institution!

By Tony Higgins

As some of you know I spend a lot of time working in London and when I return to Caravaca, at the weekend, Teresa and I like nothing more than to have a few drinks around the town.

Last Saturday night we ended up in the pub Calle Mayor, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a couple of Guinness’. Anyone who has drunk Guinness will know that after a couple (2) of pints it can become quite heavy, so it wasn’t long before we were onto our favourite, gin & tonic. There is nothing quite like a Spanish gin & tonic and I remember a few years ago reading an article by Michael Robinson, the Spanish TV football commentator, in which he said the same.

One of the waiters in the Calle Mayor did a great job upselling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upselling) special types of gin & tonics infused with herbal tea and strawberries, which were very nice. The mixer (the tonic) was quite a new brand of premium tonic water called Fever Tree (http://www.fever-tree.com/) which is also very nice. On the flight back to London, this afternoon, I was surprised to see an article, in the in-flight magazine, devoted to Fever Tree and the two London entrepreneurs Tim Warrillow and Charles Rolls who are the brains behind the brand that has apparently become the most sought-after accompaniment to gin in Spain. The article also referred to bars in Barcelona (http://www.bobbygin.com/) dedicated solely to gin and it is in these types of joints (bars) that Fever Tree has taken hold. Incidentally Tim Warrillow, 36, first showed entrepreneurial nous (knowledge) at Newcastle University, where he started a company hiring out his friends as waiters while taking his management and marketing degree. Newcastle of course being the home city of Teresa and I, so another small link.

See below a good Spanglish video which can be used as a listening exercise, the video is in Spanish and English.

“Hard Cheese” – Caravaca Volleyball Team

Hard cheese (hard Luck) Caravaca Volleyball team and well done too! Caravaca hosted a volleyball championship last week and our team did very well to get to the final. Unfortunately we lost, but still a great achievement to finish 2nd.

In the photo you will see our son, Bradley, (number 9) and our advertising banner in the background (centre of photo)

As a business El Centro de Ingles is a big believer and supporter in children’s and youth sport. Sport keeps kids off the streets and gives them focus and discipline, very important factors in today’s society.

In the future we hope to offer bilingual sports sessions for youngsters, keep an eye on our blog and Facebook page for details.

NB: Hard Cheese, it is a slang term for 'bad luck!' it is British in origin and is now becoming rather archaic  (old speak), although it is still used. It dates from the early 19th century and was used then just as a general indication of un-satisfactoriness.

The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

Ever wondered where some English words come from? A recently released book The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by  Mark Forsyth  delves into the labyrinth of the English language, with some funny stories relating to its development. We will be posting some of the more interesting snippets in the coming weeks.

The author Mark Forsth also has a blog: http://blog.inkyfool.com/

Inauguration of El Centro de Ingles, Calle Mayor, Caravaca

Thank you to all our friends and students who attended the inauguration of our new centre, on the calle Mayor,  last Saturday.  Our new centre has 3 classrooms and a audio visual room to enhance your learning experience.With your support we hope to go from strength to strength providing all your English needs in Caravaca. Classes, exam preparation,  conversation groups, bilingual excursions, business English and lots more will be on offer.

More than just an academy - your one stop shop for English in Caravaca de la Cruz!! 

Must / Have to

We can use 'must' to show that we are certain something is true. We are making a logical deduction based upon some clear evidence or reason.

    * There's no heating on. You must be freezing.
    * You must be worried that she is so late coming home.
    * I can't remember what I did with it. I must be getting old.
    * It must be nice to live in Florida.

We also use 'must' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'must' this usually means that some personal circumstance makes the obligation necessary (and the speaker almost certainly agrees with the obligation.)

    * I must go to bed earlier.
    * They must do something about it.
    * You must come and see us some time.
    * I must say, I don't think you were very nice to him.

We can also use 'have to' to express a strong obligation. When we use 'have to' this usually means that some external circumstance makes the obligation necessary.

    * I have to arrive at work at 9 sharp. My boss is very strict.
    * We have to give him our answer today or lose out on the contract.
    * You have to pass your exams or the university will not accept you.
    * I have to send a report to Head Office every week.

In British English, we often use 'have got to' to mean the same as 'have to'.

    * I've got to take this book back to the library or I'll get a fine.
    * We've got to finish now as somebody else needs this room.

We can also use ' will have to' to talk about strong obligations. Like 'must' this usually means that that some personal circumstance makes the obligation necessary. (Remember that 'will' is often used to show 'willingness'.)

    * I'll have to speak to him.
    * We'll have to have lunch and catch up on all the gossip.
    * They'll have to do something about it.
    * I'll have to get back to you on that.

As you can see, the differences between the present forms are sometimes very small and very subtle. However, there is a huge difference in the negative forms.

We use 'mustn't' to express strong obligations NOT to do something.

    * We mustn't talk about it. It's confidential.
    * I mustn't eat chocolate. It's bad for me.
    * You mustn't phone me at work. We aren't allowed personal calls.
    * They mustn't see us talking or they'll suspect something.

We use 'don't have to' (or 'haven't got to' in British English) to state that there is NO obligation or necessity.

    * We don't have to get there on time. The boss is away today.
    * I don't have to listen to this. I'm leaving.
    * You don't have to come if you don't want to.
    * He doesn't have to sign anything if he doesn't want to at this stage.
    * I haven't got to go. Only if I want to.

Suggestions

Suggestions:

The following English phrases and expressions are all used to make suggestions and give advice to people.

Making suggestions:

• Let’s revise our lessons.
• What about going to the cinema tonight?
• How about playing cards?
• Why don't we do our homework?
• Couldn't we invite your grandmother to our party?
• Shall we have a walk along the river?
• What would you say to a cup of coffee?
• Don't you think it is a good idea to watch TV?
• Does it matter if we use your car?

Accepting suggestions:

• Ok. Yes, let's.
• Yes, I'd like to.
• Yes, I'd love to.
• What a good idea!
• Why not?
• Yes, with pleasure.
• Yes, I feel like taking a walk.
• That sounds like a good idea.  

Refusing suggestions:

• No, let's not.
• No, I'd rather not.
• I don't feel like it.
• I dislike going for a walk.
• What an awful / bad idea!

Things to remember about suggestions:

1.The verb "suggest" can be followed by either:

• should + verb = I suggest (that) we should go to the theatre.
• a verb (in the subjunctive form)= I suggest (that) we go to the theatre.

2."That" is optional:

• "I suggest that we should go to the theatre."
• "I suggest we should go to the theatre."

Dialogue:

Two friends talking about where to go this evening:

Alice:	You know Alan, why don't we go to the cinema to watch Titanic?
Alan:	No, let's not. We've seen the film many times before. What about going to the library? We have to finish our school project!
Alice:	That sounds like a good idea. But when we finish let's go to the cafè.
Alan:	Yes, I'd love to.

Summer Madness.....

Hope you all had a great summer!! We ended our summer with a tour of the Balearic Islands to see the ultimate British band Madness.

So back to work and school now, remember we are here for all your English learning needs in Caravaca de la Cruz.