Former Marine, studied aikido for several years. Have travelled in Latin America without a tour, a guide or even a phrasebook. Able to leap over tall translations in a single pass (with a little dictionary help when I hit a new word, which happens only infrequently).

I read Spanish newspapers regularly: ABC, El Pais, El Tiempo, La Nacion of CR, are some of the regulars. Watch TV. Watch movies. Of course, all in Spanish. Usually without subtitles. When I use subtitles I prefer Spanish ones.

My best friend from college days lives half the year in Baja. We communicate in writing and verbally several times a week, half of it in Spanish, even though both of us born in the EEUU. (He spent summers growing up in Cuba, before his grandfather lost his business due to “modernization” of Cuba.)

My accent, my vocab and my grammar are good enough that people often think I might have been born in a Spanish speaking country, and moved here when I was younger. Wrong, but thanks for the compliment.

Don’t think I mentioned that I too am a CS major, and also studied my *** off in a grad Acctg. program. I have a systematic and algebraically organized mind, which makes both the memorization and use of tenses fairly easy for me. I even use the future perfect subjunctive once in a while, just to be a p***ant.

I am determined to move to a Spanish speaking country to live, while I am still young enough to enjoy it. I don’t know what criteria you use for selection for the Neutrino program, but I believe it would be a good thing for me, and I believe I can make the cut, whatever criteria you use.

Will you give me a chance, please? ¿Me ayuda, por favor? Vd. no lo lamentaró sí Vd. lo hace. Hablo sin pelos y de mi corazón. Soy un estudiante ideal para su programa.

再见哥！

I’ll go back to my flashcards! Yoz!

Take care and have a good day bro!