Results from our last poll are in!

Seems readers of this blog would choose to study in a major city in Spain (37%),  a small town in Spain (21%) or a major city in Latin America.

The full results are below. (If you'd like to explore the cities and towns in Spain and Latin America, by the way, don Quijte's destinations page is a good place to start.)

Where would you study?

If you won a free course today, where would you study Spanish?

 

Latin America, in a major city

 30 (20%)

Latin American, in a small town

 21 (14%)

Spain, in a major city

 53 (37%)

Spain, in a small town

 31 (21%)

Nowhere. I'd keep studying in my home country.

 8 (5%)

Total votes: 143

Results are in from our latest poll and passion for Hispanic language, culture and literature is far and above the primary reason our readers are studying Spanish.

Darn good reason, too. Thanks for your participation! A new poll is up.

Here are the full results:

What brings you here?

What's your primary motivation for studying Spanish?

Other reason. Why didn't you include it?

 15 (12%)

Work/business

 13 (11%)

Travel

 12 (10%)

Family reasons

 8 (6%)

I plan to live in a Spanish speaking country.

 9 (7%)

I am living in a Spanish speaking country now.

 8 (6%)

Passion for Hispanic language, culture or literature.

 52 (44%)

Total votes: 117

Way back in September we presented this poll question to you:

Out for tapas lately? Honestly, how comfortable are you tossing your napkins on the floor in a Spanish bar?

Luckily the Spanish have yet to give up the habit of tossing their napkins to the floor while eating pinchos (tapas), usually standing and closely surrounded by dozens of other enthusiastic bar patrons. The custom makes sense to you from the moment you take your first bite of pincho moruno or lomo a la plancha while desperately trying to juggle a glass of Rioja or reach for a place to temporarily store it. Pinchos are eaten standing for the vast majority of clients in a small Spanish bar at tapas hour, and it's just easier and if you ask me, a whole lot more fun, to drop your napkin right where you are as you head for the next pincho.

From this tradition comes, usually, a period of discomfort for extranjeros who envision their mothers scowling in disapproval.

It also leads me to the best advice I can give you for picking out a bar in a strange Spanish town. If you've hit prime pincho hour and the bars are full, by all means pick an establishment packed with locals. But when you find yourself facing two bars empty enough for you to see the floor, perhaps because most folks have already headed home for the comida or cena, your best pick is always the bar with that incredible mess of napkins on the floor.

With sincere apologies for the delay then, here's how you answered that question:

 Honestly, how comfortable are you tossing those napkins on the floor in a Spanish bar?

Are you kidding? I even throw the clean ones down there. What's your hang-up?

  20 (18%)

I do it, but I'll admit I look both ways first.

 13 (11%)

Takes everything I have to do it, still, but I do it. When in Spain...

 19 (17%)

No way. What if my mother sees me?

 13 (11%)

Throw the what? where? I need a trip to Spain, don't I?

 46 (41%)

Total votes: 111

Here are the results of the last poll, about the running of the bulls:

Speaking of the Sanfermines ("the running of the bulls") in Pamplona:

 

I've always wanted to run, but I'd never actually do it

 11 (23%)

You've got to be nuts to participate in that

 13 (27%)

I think the whole thing is insane, people get hurt!

 5 (10%)

It's a common tradition in Spain, during fiestas, but tourists and publicity have ruined it in Pamplona

 12 (25%)

Running of the what? Where?

 0 (0%)

I swear I am going to go run some year

 6 (12%)

Total votes: 47