Simple Cuban Spanish on the Go: Convenient Travel Size

Dear Readers: Marlene and I would like to sincerely thank all who have bought our book, and we hope that it has been helpful to you in some way. We are in the process of making improvements to the book, taking in mind the feedback and suggestions made by readers. We have tried to make the book as accurate as possible reflecting Marlene's experience living in Havana. Even so, sometimes things get "lost in the translation" so to speak, regarding our collaboration as co-authors. For example, according to Marlene, Cubans don't typically use the word "marrón" to refer to the color brown as in many Spanish-speaking countries (they prefer to say "carmelita" or perhaps "pardo". According to her, the word "marrón" often meant purple or perhaps maroon or something similar, especially in older literature. I misinterpreted this information to understand that "marrón" is the word that Cubans use to express the color purple. However, she clarified that the aforementioned term has become archaic, and the common way to express purple would be with the word "morado" or perhaps "violeta", the same as in other Spanish-speaking countries like Spain and Mexico. We apologize for any mistakes that may have occurred in the book, and we will try to correct them soon and also make other improvements. If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to write to me at daves.luton@yahoo.es This book can be useful to anyone who plans to travel to Cuba or who needs to speak Spanish with Cubans in other places. This book can also be useful to anyone who simply wants to learn Spanish, as Cuban Spanish only differs from standard Latin American Spanish in terms of some vocabulary. This book is a collaborative effort by a native of Havana, Cuba (Marlene Herrera) and an experienced Spanish teacher (Dave Luton) and covers the following topics: 1. Pronunciation, Accents and Stress 2. Pronouns 3. In the Classroom 4. Greetings, Farewells, Polite Expressions 5. People and Introductions 6. Other Phrases and Asking for Help 7. Place of Origin and Residence 8. Telling Age 9. Describing People and Clothing 10. Numbers, Days and Dates 11. Telling Time in Spanish 12. Activities and Places 13. Asking for Directions 14. The Weather 15. The Human Body 16. Food, Drinks and the Kitchen 17. Family, the Home, Animals and Nature 18. Asking and Answering Questions 19. Basic Grammar 20. Important Words/Tricky Words 21. Glossary Cuban Terms (English/Spanish) 22. Glossary Cuban Terms (Spanish/English)