This is a report on my personal use of the Spanish language.

I guess technically it came

about as I was preparing to take the OPI, but I still do it so I am counting it. What am I talking
about? I really enjoy listening to Spanish podcasts. My favorite one is Radio Ambulante.
Unfortunately, they havent released any new podcasts recently, but I have been going through their
old episodes, as well as going through their website. These podcasts have been great because they
are made for Latinos and cover stories that are new and exciting. Ill give a quick summary of some
of my favorite podcasts.
One podcast was titled Flor del diablo. This sad podcast told the story of Rosa Leyva, I
woman who was from a small town in Mexico. Nothing really happened in her town until drug
traffickers showed up and started harvesting el flor del diablo, or marijuana. Rosa fell in love with
one of these men, but he wanted nothing to do with her. She later unknowingly became a drug
mule and spent years in jail. Rosa was an innocent girl who suffered greatly because of the drug
trade in Mexico.
Another sad story came in a two-part series titled, Doctor, Esto es normal? This story
takes place in Colombia, a country where plastic surgery is extremely common, so common in fact
that black market surgeries regularly take place. This podcast told the story of a young woman who
went to an illegal spa that offered these surgeries. This health spa didnt use the legal and safe
materials for the surgery, so the young woman ended up dying a very painful death.
These articles have been great for me because they shared stories with me that show more
than just the academic side of Latin America. Sure, Neruda is great and I love his poetry, but what
about Rosa Leyva, who suffered years in prison? What about Franklin Masacre, a criminal who
turned a jail into his own private palace? These are stories and experiences that I would know
nothing about, but now I do and my appreciation for and understanding of latin culture has only
increased.