A while back, we tried something different as far as advertising. We sponsored "Jordan, Jesse, GO!", a comedy podcast.

Click here to hear one of the hilarious promotional spots they did for Español Interactivo.

This spot is from Jordan, Jesse, GO! Episode #67: you can download the whole show here for free from the iTunes Music Store.

If any of you have been to Oaxaca, and done even the slightest bit of street food sampling, you're probably familiar with the tlayuda. If so, skip this next paragraph...

Tlayuda, here in Oaxaca, refers to a large, toasted corn tortilla (as differentiated from the blanda, which is soft). It also refers to a tasty treat made with such a tortilla: something like a pizza, with various toppings but, always including asiento (a type of lard), beans (prepared in a sauce-like consistency), and cheese, either quesillo or queso fresco. Usually, these tlayudas will come with one of Oaxaca's traditional meats: tasajo (a cut of beef), cecina (a spicy pork cut), or chorizo (spicy sausage), although you can get a meatless one too.

As is the case with all Mexican antojitos, each person prepares their tlayuda differently. Probably the most famous tlayudas are at Tlayudas Libres, in Oaxaca's centro. The Libres establishment is featured in Lonely Planet, and they now have various locations throughout the city. Now, let me be clear: they make a fine tlayuda at Libres but, personally, I prefer the Cenaduría Lupita, better known to locals as Las Tlayudas del Atoyac.

At Libres, the focus is on the topping: your tlayuda comes with a mountain of cheese, shredded cabbage, brimming over with beans and the sauce of your choice and, of course, plenty of your favorite meat. The result is a filling meal but, the tortilla is almost lost in the explosion of tastes. At Atoyac, the tlayuda -- the tortilla itself -- is the focus: toasted to perfection and coated with just the right amount of beans and cheese. Instead of sauce, slices of deliciously spicy chiles de agua are provided and you can add as many or as few as you like. They also bring you chepiche, a flavorful herb, and radishes, as optional garnish. In addition to the "traditional" meats I mentioned above, you can also get falda de costilla: delicious pork ribs.

Another advantage of the Tlayudas del Atoyac: they open at 3 p.m., whereas Libres doesn't open until 9:30 p.m. Whereas Oaxacans generally eat tlayudas for dinner, or as a late-night snack, we know our foreign students are often hungry enough for a filling dinner long before 9:30! The big disadvantage of Atoyac is its location: prohibitively far from the centro for visitors without their own transportation. Taxi is the best bet (any taxi driver will know "las tlayudas del Atoyac").

Hi everybody. You'll notice we added links on the right to Español Interactivo's Flickr and our Facebook page.

We've used Flickr for some time now but, for the last few months, the students have been asking us about Facebook, and Why we don't have a Facebook page? Frankly, it's a bit confusing because, Facebook asks you to add photos to your page, which we thought was the idea of Flickr! Plus, Facebook also has space for your videos, which we thought was the idea of YouTube! Then other people have MySpace, Hi5, even Twitter!

Maybe someone can explain this whole "Web 2.0" thing: are Flickr and Facebook enough? Or, maybe we don't need both because Facebook does everything Flickr can? Or maybe we need more of these "networking" sites?

Well, in any case, please have a look at our Flickr: there are some great photos of Oaxaca. And, if you have any photos from your time at the school on your Facebook, please let us know so we can have a look. And add us as friends!

Travelers who have been to other parts of the world are sometimes surprised at how little bargaining goes on Mexico. Or, if there is bargaining, how small a discount is offered. Bargaining goes on here, but it's subtle, and you shouldn't expect to bring prices down 50% or 75%, as happens in places like Southeast Asia.

Here in Oaxaca, people use the phrase "¿Me da precio?" when trying to get a (slightly) better deal. Literally, it means "will you give me a price?", probably a close English translation would be "What's your best price?" Naturally, you won't want to try this at a supermarket, or chain department store but, at a public market, such as Benito Juárez, or Mercado de Abastos -- especially if you're buying a number of items, such as crafts, or souvenirs -- you can bring the total price down a bit.

Plus you'll sound like a real oaxaqueño!

Here's a great short video made by our friend Karina Ruiz exploring the delicious phenomenon of Oaxacan street food. Warning: may cause hunger pains!

The song "Oaxaca, Oaxaca" in the video is sung by local legend Rey Oh Beybi. It's from a compilation CD called "Canto Callejero de Oaxaca."

iTunes Music Store link for "Oaxaca, Oaxaca"