Sundar Pichai Google CEO.

Sundar Pichai on David McCullough

David McCullough’s “The Wright Brothers” is a story about two brothers and one incredible moment in American history. But it’s also a story that resonates with anyone who believes deeply in the power of technology to change lives—and the resistance some have to new innovations. In their time, people were excited about bicycles but also scared, among other things, that they would take kids too far from their parents. That fear paled in comparison to something as crazy as human flight. But the Wright Brothers were determined to do whatever it took to fly, even building their own cabin at remote Kitty Hawk, known for its winds and soft sand surfaces. The whole world celebrated once they showed the power of their invention. Today, there are so many other important innovations facing doubt and skepticism: Can technologies that reduce the levels of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere help us to reverse climate change? Can machine learning and artificial intelligence improve the ways we interact with the world around us? I strongly believe technology has a unique ability to do many things most people can’t even imagine right now.

Mr. Pichai is the CEO of Google.

Let’s not let fear defeat our values

I came to the US from India 22 years ago. I was fortunate enough to gain entry to a university here, and time after time, I saw that hard work opened other doors. I have built a career and a family and a life here. And I’ve felt as much a part of this country, as I felt growing up in India.

My experience is obviously not unique. It’s been said a million times that America is the “land of opportunity” — for millions of immigrants, it’s not an abstract notion, but a concrete description of what we find here. America provided access to opportunities that simply didn’t exist for many of us before we arrived.

And it’s not just about opportunity. The open-mindedness, tolerance, and acceptance of new Americans is one of the country’s greatest strengths and most defining characteristics. And that is no coincidence — America, after all, was and is a country of immigrants.

That is why it’s so disheartening to see the intolerant discourse playing out in the news these days — statements that our country would be a better place without the voices, ideas and the contributions of certain groups of people, based solely on where they come from, or their religion.

I walk around the campus where I work and see a vibrant mix of races and cultures. Every one of those people has a different voice … a different perspective … a different story to tell. All of that makes our company an exciting and special place to be, and allows us to do great things together. We are urgently working to become much more diverse, because it’s so important to our future success. I firmly believe that whether you’re building a company or leading a country, a diverse mix of voices and backgrounds and experiences leads to better discussions, better decisions, and better outcomes for everyone.

I debated whether to post this, because lately it seems that criticism of intolerance just gives more oxygen to this debate. But I feel we must speak out — particularly those of us who are not under attack. Everyone has the right to their views, but it’s also important that those who are less represented know that those are not the views of all.

Let’s not let fear defeat our values. We must support Muslim and other minority communities in the US and around the world.

http://youtube-global.blogspot.com.es/2015/11/youtube-presses-play-on-virtual-reality.html

http://drone.onscreengroup.com/baby-steps-of-drone-delivery-courtesy-of-google-x-zg15/

Watching baby steps of drone delivery, courtesy of Google X (5 miles in 5 mins is the promise)

What motivated you to switch from metallergy, mathematics to computer science and the

2nd question: Did you ever feel incompetent or even bit insecure while working with people who were even more qualified than you were?

Answers by Google CEO:

I was always interested in technology. Actually I would encourage all of you in some point of your life have to work with people where you feel a bit insecure. That is essential because you are working with people who are better than you and who were pushing you right and always encourage you if you actually feel secure in what you do, what you know , it means you are doing something comfortable if you are not pushing yourself. So many times working with people or in a group am I doing enough, are these people much better than me and I think that is the inherent part of the learning.

Let yourself get insecure from time to time. Look for opportunities to re-invent yourself. Important to follow your dreams. Do something that excites you. This generation is less afraid of taking risks. Do things, not just learn them. You have to push yourself enough. Need education to have a hands on approach. You have to work with people who make you feel insecure. Because you are working with people better than you. If you are comfortable in what you do, then you are not pushing yourself, it is an inherent part of learning.

I remember when i started working, people discussing ideas, they would build on it. It a part of the culture.

Dark Ages.

After the fall of ancient Rome. Before the rebirth of Renaissance. Centuries of European history were swept under the rug. These are the dark ages.

                                         August 24, 410 A.D,

The Roman Empire falls...Dark Ages... Fall of Roman Empire. Rome has ever been conquered by a foreign enemy in the imperial period and was absolutely crushed. In Rome, power and glory were rapidly being replaced like corpses and cannibalism after so much sufferings. As early as 3rd century A.D. the empire had fallen into the hands of Syriza inept emperors. Diseases such as Small Pox and Measles entered. They selled Dog Meats to Goths who entered as refugees in Rome. Alleric the rebellion of that time died of fever in 410 shortly after his historic sacking of Rome. The glory of Rome gone forever and the Dark Ages have begun. There was no longer any emperor and the world was a smaller place.

The term dark ages has been used by lots of people. Famous italian stoller (Pete Rock) was comparing this period to the earlier classical period which he saw as leterally brilliant. He said by comparison the people at this period, the worst thing in darkness clean gloom you get up in the morning when you were hungry it looks pretty dark. It was just a notion that it was gloom or people were gloomy or so. For them the emperor of the dark ages was "Jesus Christ".

Chirstmas day 496 A.D. local bishops ends the prayer of thanks giving. This is the red letter day for the catholic church. France seen this as a beginning of france becoming a christian nation. It was a very strategic move. After the fall of the empire for the average man/citizen the life was very very difficult but christianity offered some hope was very attractive. Clovis (emperor) came. He converted to catholiscism and started ruling.Clovis died for unknown cause. Thereafter Justinian emperor also ruled for sometime.

Plague arrived in Constantinople via cargo ship. It was carried by infected flees which hit on the rats. It was a purulent pandamics in history.Justinian was among them who was infected. 15 million people died of these spreaded disease. There was no place to bury the people. In 542 A.D. the autumn chill brought still to plague in constantinople. In 548 A.D. the empress Theodora died of cancer. She was the wife of emperor Justinian. Justinian outlived her by 17 years. His dream of reuniting Rome died with him. After Justinian's death Byzantine empire fallen. Western europe started getting darker. Last vestiges of roman control has become a faded history as disease and warfare claimed countless thousands.

Monasteries became the wealthiest institution among  europe during the dark ages. Monks were the guardians of the literary culture during the dark ages. Many people who were going to these monasteries came from a wealthy family. The Monks poisoned the benedict's drinks. They were making a plot to kill the benedict. Benedict left Abby and set a new monastry in the south east of Rome. He escaped the death twice. The monks who stayed in the monasteries were told to follow the rules of benedict. The nuns who were staying in the monasteries were trying to escape from the walls because they were unhappy there. 600 years after christ crucification his church has become dominant cultural force in europe. Then came Morrish (Moors) armies crossed France and came General Abdul-Rehman another army man but was stuck down by another infantry. Overnight the Moors withdrew and made a beeline self respect.

It was the stunning victory of the Martel, the nick name was "Charles Hammer". When the empire was falling down charles became the saviour of christianity. Over decades charles martel's descendents transform his christian kingdom into an empire and one of them would even become powerful enought to assume the title Emperor abroad. That grandson of charles hammer would be remembered as the father of europe. His name was charlemagne and he was the greatest king of the dark ages. The most powerful emperor of the ancient rome was the king "Charlemagne" would be remembered as one of the most illuminating figures. He gave birth again to the education, he gave the economic importance of the empire. When charlemagne's father died the frankish property was divided among charlemagne and his brother carloman. Charlemagne was more passionate about women. He started to read and learn when he was grown up. He never learned to write. He ruled about 14 years.

By the middle of 19th century the people with north western europe heading towards the scene, more bad fortunes, those families torn apart by the aggression, ruthless conquerers were confronted with severe economic depression, religious persecution and the devastation of rampant disease. After the last irking attacks europe was teeming with unemployed soldiers, trained killers and found it hard to hang up their source.

Starting from 1000 years we see the growth in population in the western europe. If you look at the archeology of the medieval town turned eleven to twelth  centuries, the 13th century it was exactly the opposite of what happened during that last message into their own empire. Europe was one of the productive and creative periods of its entire history, things like the great gothic cathedrels the universities, the law courts and legal systems all those were created in the 12th and 13th centuries. So long period of this darkness there came a tremendous explosion really brilliant cultural achievements. There were political chaos, there were injustices. But what's most admirable and human about the people left during the so called dark ages is the efforts they made sometime successful and sometimes not to terminate themselves in the way that mattered most to them before god. 

Jon O’Brien: “The Catholic Church has an obsession with sexuality”

US-based Catholics for Choice chief criticizes the Vatican’s position on women and gays

Jon O’Brien believes that the Catholic Church’s hierarchy is drawing further away from its followers and social reality – above all when it comes to sexual and reproductive rights.

The 50-year-old Irish Catholic, who is president of the US organizationCatholics for Choice, believes in a secular state, and has severely criticized the Vatican for its treatment of women andhomosexuals.

Question. Do you think Catholic Church officials are successfully taking on the challenge of adapting to the diversity of their believers in today’s society?

Answer. There was a great theologian who once said: “Catholicism is defined by unity and diversity.” In other words, this is not a monolithic Church. When I go to Mass on Sunday and I look around me, I see over there two gay men who’ve been in a relationship for a long time. Over on my right hand side I see two gay women who’ve adopted a child. There is also a couple who have divorced and been remarried. All of us are using birth-control methods, and many women have had abortions. This is the reality of the Catholic Church today. The Church is not a building somewhere in Rome; it’s not a building in Madrid. The Church is all of the people and the people as we are manifesting ourselves today have a very different sexual aspect than what the hierarchy has emphasized.

Q. Do its doctrines correspond to reality?

A. It seemed as though the last two papacies, John Paul II and Pope Benedict, were very focused on the pelvic zone, very focused on our genitalia, and very focused on adherence to a rule. No matter where you go, if you ask Catholics what they believe, if you ask Catholics what they do, it’s very different than what they do in the hierarchy. I think that’s the reality of the Church. My biggest problem is that they have failed us as Catholics to follow them. And they do not represent, I would argue, we Catholic people – they represent themselves. The Bishops now go to Congress in the United States, they go to the UN, and they go to the government in Spain, and they try to convince them to turn their theology into law that doesn’t represent us.

Q. Has the Catholic hierarchy grown further from the flock?

A. I think they are representing a failed way of thinking. There are various reasons why the Catholic hierarchy ended up with many failures in sexual ethics. Sometimes it was good intention that they wanted to be closer to God, so the idea was that those who are celibate are closer to God. They had, I think, good intentions. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think that reality today is that if you stop women from having access to safe abortions, they would have unsafe abortions. And if you stop people from gaining access to contraceptives, they can’t avoid an unplanned pregnancy. These are the realities: the reality is that marriages break down, the reality is that people are gay that are Catholic. So we have to deal with the real world. The real world tells us that there’s something that has very much failed the bishops’ view, and certainly the bishops are entitled to hold their view.

Q. Despite the social advances and more voices like yours among the flock that are speaking out, the Catholic Church has not changed its position on abortion, birth control or homosexuality.

A. I think that most Catholics have moved on in our ordinary lives. I still go to Mass on Sunday, so do women who have had abortions and used contraceptives. We don’t feel guilty, we know that as good Catholics we can make a decision based on our conscience because this is not just about feeling good. At the very center of Catholic teaching is that not only should you follow your conscience, but you “must” actually follow your conscience. And I think that the people who use contraceptives, the people who have abortions, people who are gay and lesbian, are following their conscience. It’s between them and God.

Q. What should be the relationship between Church and State?

A. Maybe our bishops in Spain and Portugal and Ireland should stop going to politicians and saying that this is the law I want you to enact. It’s inappropriate. Religious actors can have their view but I think that a truly secular state – and that I believe the secular state is not anti-religion – is neutral and balanced. I think it gives great protection to religious people because I don’t get someone else’s religion being imposed upon me as a Catholic and I don’t get to impose my religion on other people of a different faith or on non-believers. I think that those are the type of laws that are most just and most fair.

Q. Do you believe the Catholic hierarchy has intervened too much in politics of state?

A. Yes, I think there’s no doubt about it. These men go on to lobby politicians to turn their beliefs into law when they don’t even have Catholic followers. You see this around the world, you see it time and time again – the fight against gay marriage, the fight against the legal right to abortion. If you look at Poland, if you look at Spain, if you look at Ireland, the fight against the equal rights of citizens sadly is very often led like hierarchy in my Church. And I think that’s why Catholics really have to do something, though it is not easy. If you see someone doing something wrong you have to say something. And I think we see the hierarchy in our Church doing different things – trying to pressure politicians to legislate for themselves – and I think we have to stand up and say that this is the wrong way for the hierarchy and the Church to behave. And tell people that when they speak, they don’t speak for all of us.

Q. Some people have described Pope Francis as too political.

A. I think that there is a part of this pope that is very genuine. I think he really is genuinely trying to be more pastoral than political as to when other popes were trying to get the government to do this, do that. I think he cares about the human condition. I think that is a really welcoming thing because we too often have had a political Catholic Church and not a pastoral Church. I am not trying to say that he agrees with me on these things but he is being much more loving and caring, and not lecturing as much as his predecessors. The pope is Argentinean but I don’t think he is a Che Guevara – he is not Che Guevara, but maybe more like Gorbachev when he had something to say.

Q. Has he opened a channel of communication and changes in the Church?

A. He presented the idea that people should be able to have a conversation about what type of society they want. Who knows whether the bishops under Pope Francis will be braver and if they will actually admit that there are many things in our Church that are unfair and unjust. One of them being the way that women are treated in the Church. They are not treated with the real respect and dignity that comes with women being equal to men.

Q. Do you think gender inequality is one of the major problems in the Church?

A. The idea that you have a corporation, for example Apple, saying tomorrow, we’re not going to have any woman in senior management. It would be crazy for a business to do that or for any other institution. I think it’s crazy for the Church, too. We exclude women at the cost of the Church not being as smart as it could be and should be. So I think when the bishops meet together [they should discuss] maybe the issues of women, about women’s health, women’s lives, women’s meaningful position within the Church – a position that is rightfully theirs and which is half of the church.

Q. What do you think about a priest coming out in public as gay and at the same time admitting to having a boyfriend?

A. One of the worst-kept secrets in the Catholic Church is that a lot of the clergy are gay. Certainly, I would welcome a more enlightened view of gay people in my Church, but we, the Catholic faithful, would also welcome more truth about divorce and remarriage, about women who have abortions, and about couples that use contraceptives. There are a myriad of issues queuing up to be addressed. With its failure to talk about the real world, the Catholic hierarchy’s sins of omission extend way beyond a gay priest in the Vatican who could no longer live in hypocrisy and lies. The list goes to the very heart of Catholic teaching on issues connected with the pelvic zone. We need a complete overhaul if social justice is to be done – not just gay priests talking about gay priests.

Article from "El Pais" IN ENGLISH

MARÍA R. SAHUQUILLO Brussels 2 NOV 2015 - 10:10 CET

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"INSIDE OUT" Pixar Animation Released by Walt Disney Pictures

As said by my son Ravi self watched the movie "Inside Out" , an American 3D computer animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by " Pixar" Animation studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

The film is set in the mind of a young girl, Riley Andersen where five personified emotions -  Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust try to lead her through life as she moves with her parents to a new city.

After premiering at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in May, Inside Out was released on June 19th, 2015. As a child director Pete Docter relocated with his family to Denmark when his father moved to study the music of Carl Nielsen. While his sisters had an easy time adjusting to the new surroundings. Docter felt he was judged constantly by peers. While other kids were interested in sports, docter sat alone drawing, a hobby that eventually led him to animation. His social anxiety ended by high school.

In late 2009, Docter noticed his pre-teen daughter, Elie, exhibiting similar shyness. She started getting more quiet and reserved, and that, frankly, triggered a lot of my own insecurities and fears, he said. He imagined what happens in the human mind when emotion set in. The idea to depict it through animation excited Docter, who felt it the ideal form to portray "strong" opinionated, caricatured personalities. He began researching information about the mind. Docter found surprise and fear to be too similar, which left him with five emotions to build charecters around. Keltner (A Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley) focused on sadness being an emotion that strengthens relationships.

The choice to focus the film as a girl come from research that claimed that females age 11 to 17 are more attuned to expressions and emotions than others. The idea to have Riley play hockey came from "Del Carmen", who noted that the sport is big in "Minnesota" ( is the second northern most  U.S. State after Alaska) (Midwestern United States).

"Kevin Nolting", editor of the film, estimated there were seven versions 0f "Inside Out" created before it even went into production.

"Docter" feels the emotions are meant to connect people together and that relationships are the most important things in life. He decided to replace fear with sadness, which he felt crucial to renewal. "John Lasseter" calls "Inside Out" cast "One of the most talented" in "Pixar history".

Look at idol of Goddess Durga, many identities co-exist: President Pranab Mukherjee

This combination of “asangatir shakti” (disparate forces), he said, “means that society has to admit to itself the reality of living together.”

Written by Aniruddha Ghosal | Mirati (birbhum) | Updated: October 22, 2015 9:28 am

President Pranab Mukherjee at his home in Birbhum Wednesday. (Express Photo by: Subham Dutta)

Using the metaphor of the carriers of Goddess Durga and her children, President Pranab Mukherjee once again underlined Wednesday the need for tolerance in the country saying “different, seemingly disparate forces can be seen co-existing” in the idols.

Speaking on the eve of Vijaya Dashami from his ancestral home at Mirati in Birbhum, Mukherjee said: “The main thing is tolerance, to try and understand each other and preserve different identities of each other… We can see that in the idol of Goddess Durga, different, seemingly disparate forces can be seen co-existing.”

“Shiva’s vahan is the bull, but the bull is also a source of food for the lion which is Durga’s vahan. The rat and the snake have no relationship of friendship. But the rat is the vahan of Ganesh while the snake is one of the weapons that Durga carries. The peacock and snake have a relationship of animosity, but the peacock is Kartikeya’s vahan.”

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This combination of “asangatir shakti” (disparate forces), he said, “means that society has to admit to itself the reality of living together.”

“Opposing forces, different opinions… co-existence of these increase ties within society and increase society’s capacity to move forward… We must maintain social harmony and must respect and promote tolerance and co-existence. This has happened through the years and that is why India has survived for so long.”

The President said Durga Puja was not just a “religious festival” but also a “social festival”.

“It is no more a religious festival… it becomes a social festival, resulting in universal participation from a cross-section of society. This is also an opportunity for me to meet so many different people,” he said.

Two days ago, the President, while referring to growing incidents of intolerance, expressed the “apprehension whether tolerance and acceptance of dissent are on the wane” in the country.

Underlining that “humanism and pluralism should not be abandoned under any circumstance”, he said he hoped that “Mahamaya, the combination of all positive forces, would eliminate the Asuras or divisive forces”.

‘Siesta,’ ‘fiesta’ and 17 other Spanish words that ‘guiris’* use

A look at some of the terms from Spain that have become lingua franca over the centuries

MARÍA SÁNCHEZ SÁNCHEZ 10 JUL 2015 - 12:30 CEST

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“Siesta: That pleasure of resting or sleeping for a few minutes after lunch.”

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Most Spaniards probably think their language has a trade imbalance, importing more words than it exports, but that hasn’t always been the case. The accidental arrival of Columbus in the Americas and the Golden Age of the arts that followed saw Spanish words travel around the world, taking root throughout Europe. In those days, Spain’s was a dominant culture, setting trends.

For example, the fact that Spanish words such as armada andchocolate are found in languages such as English, Hungarian and German is a reflection of two types of natural language processes. Alberto Bustos, a linguist and author of a Spanish-language blog called Blog de Lengua, explains that “anybody who invents something, invents the word that describes it” and also that “language can help a culture adapt to realities that are foreign to it.”

If the smartphone is conceived in an English-speaking area, that’s the term most of the planet will use

What’s more, says Bustos, Latin is one of the main reasons that different languages share expressions we think are our own. “In this case it wouldn’t so much be a Spanish contribution, as much as a derivation or appropriation of Latin terms.” If you have ever come across an international publication referring to a president’s agenda or the calling of a referendum, that’s why.

“When two languages come into contact,” says the expert, “they tend to influence each other, but the exchange isn’t on the same terms.” Other factors come into play, such as culture, economics, and politics. That explains why English is the language that today “lends” more words to others, and Spanish can barely manage a few now and then. If the smartphone is conceived and advertised in an English-speaking area, that’s the term that most of the planet is going to use. Similarly, if Spain is known around the world for the variety of its cuisine or its traditional culture, it should come as no surprise that words related to these travel abroad and are picked up by foreigners. Geographic proximity, migration and tourism will do the rest.

These foreign words that retain their original spelling are known as loanwords. Below is a selection that Spanish has contributed to the English lexicon.

‘Corralito’ originally referred to a public playground that has been closed off to stop children from escaping

1. Corralito. This is when a government decides to close the banks and prevent people from withdrawing money – as is currently happening in Greece. The word was first coined in 2001 in Argentina by journalist Antonio Laje to describe the country’s financial crisis. The noun’s original meaning refers to a public playground that has been closed off to stop children from escaping. In turn, it comes from ‘corral,’ a Spanish word that entered English via the United States, as a pen or enclosure for animals.

2. Mosquito. The insect that kills more people around the world than any other. In Spanish it means “little fly.” National Geographictells us that its activity increases five-hundredfold during the lunar phase.

3. Guerrilla. Che Guevara was arguably the best-known exponent of this military strategy, which in Spanish means “little war.” The idea is that small, dispersed groups attack and harass the enemy. The word entered the language during the Peninsular War against Napoleon. The success of the campaign against the French led to the term being applied to fighters, as well as the form of combat itself.

4. Macho. The qualities traditionally associated with masculinity. The term was famously used by US disco group Village People on their hit record Macho Man.

Leaving siestas and fiestas aside, ‘tapas’ has arguably most come to identify Spain in the minds (and stomachs) of foreigners

5. Daiquiri. A cocktail made with lemon juice, white rum and sugar. The name comes from a neighborhood in the Cuban town of El Caney where a US-owned iron mine was located. Visiting Americans picked up on the delicious drink, making it world famous.

6. Peón. This Spanish word is used in English and other languages to refer to a day laborer. To a lesser extent, it is also used to describe low-ranking infantry soldiers. It originally comes from the Latin word pedo, which has nothing to do with the modern Spanish significance of the term, which means ‘fart.’

7. Siesta. Spain is still sometimes disparagingly referred to as the land of the afternoon nap, but the tradition is also popular in many other countries. Winston Churchill adopted the habit after visiting Cuba during the country’s fight for independence from Spain.

8. Cafetería. Used throughout the world to describe anything from a coffee room to a restaurant, and now, of course, also a place to find a free WiFi connection.

9. Fiesta. That magical moment when a group of friends gets together to celebrate. The reasons can be many and varied. Foreigners love to say the word, and like siesta, it has become inextricably linked to Spain, thanks in large part to fiestas such asSan Fermín and the Tomatina in Buñol.

about verne

In past times, explorers, adventurers and writers scoured the Earth seeking out the wonders of the world. Today, we have the internet. VERNE: a thousand marvels a minute. Click here for more verne stories in English, and here for the Spanish page.

10. Cilantro. A sweet-smelling herb used in cooking, which supposedly also has medicinal properties. In some English-speaking countries it is also known as coriander, but in the United States particularly, cilantro is what you want in your guacamole, for example.

11. Embargo. Rooted in Latin, this term refers to ban on trade with another country. The United States has famously imposed one on Cuba for more than half a century.

12. Aficionado. An expert in or exponent of a sport or art form. Ernest Hemingway was a great bullfighting aficionado, for example.

13. Adobe. One of the many words to enter Spanish from Arabic, it refers to a crude mud and straw mix used to make bricks, and has long been a commonly used building material in Latin America. Today it may be more familiar as a brand of software, and was apparently chosen because one of the founders of the company lived near a place in California called Adobe.

14. Loco. All languages have their word to describe somebody or something that is mad or crazy, but this Spanish word has captured people’s imaginations around the world. Spain even has its mad queen, Juana la Loca. Argentinean soccer coach Marcelo Bielsa was dubbed “El Loco,” and there is also a town in Oklahoma of the same name.

15. El Dorado. Countless Spanish explorers disappeared while searching for the legendary city of gold hidden in the jungles of South America, among them Francisco de Orellana, who in the process became the first European to navigate the Amazon river. Several centuries later, Indiana Jones set off in pursuit of it, while Cadillac decided it was a great name for a car. As the place was never found, the term often has negative connotations.

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16. Patio. In Spanish it means courtyard, while in English it has come to denote a small, paved garden, typical of suburban houses.Game of Thrones character Jaime Lannister was recently seen in the legendary Patio of the Maidens in Seville’s Alcázar palace.

17. Bodega. Originally a place where wine was stored, the term has also come to refer to mom-and-pop stores, particularly in the southwestern United States, as a result of the area’s proximity to Spanish-speaking countries and large migrant population.

18. Tapas. Leaving siestas and fiestas aside, this word has arguably most come to identify Spain in the minds (and stomachs) of foreigners. The origin is disputed, with some linguists saying it comes from the practice of serving a drink with a piece of bread or plate on top of it to cover, or tapar, the glass. Granada’s bars have established a reputation as being among Spain’s most generous in providing tapas with their drinks.

19. Matador. The romantic, or macho Spanish male par excellence, and a figure that has long captured the imagination of foreigners. Ernest Hemingway, that bullfighting aficionado, immortalized two of Spain’s best-known matadors, Luis Miguel Dominguín and Antonio Ordóñez, in his posthumously published book The Dangerous Summer.

* If you don’t know what the word ‘guiri’ means, chances are you are one...