my spanish sucks!

---

Yesterday my family picked me up and took me to where I will be staying. The family is a grandmother, her daughter, her grandson from another daughter and his wife and two sons. The house is very cuteand the family is very nice. I have my own room and bathroom in a little garden. There is another bed in my room, but right now I don´t have a roommate. I heard them talking about more people coming today, but I don´t know if one will be in my room.
I really like the buildings here - well the three I have been in. I don´t know how to describe them. They don´t have very efficient use of space, but there are lots of patios and areas to just kind of hang out and enjoy the sunshine. And all three of the buildings you go inside the main door, but then you´re outside again in a courtyard kind of thing. It´s very weird, but I really like it because it has a lot of character.
I´m also really glad to be out of the hostel I was in the first night. There was a big spot on one of the bedspreads, the "shower" was just a corner of the bathroom with a drain and faucet - no tiles or tub or anything. There was no soap or towel for washing your hands and it was difficult to lock the door with the padlock they gave me. Living with the family is MUCH better. Plus, they cook authentic food that is so delicious. The salsa is the best I have had EVER. But. . . I ate meat. The first day the food was already cooked when I got there and I didn´t want to be difficult. I never want anyone to go out of their way for me, and I don´t expect them to not eat meat just because I´m there (I reread the email - he didn´t say they were vegetarian, but that they cooked vegetarian meals). It´s not going to kill me to eat some . . . I think it was chicken. But I WILL be vegetarian when I get back. Don´t worry!

I´m learning a lot at the spanish school, but my conversation skills are HORRIBLE! The words that I want just don´t come to my mind when I want them. I´m going to start keeping a spanish diary kind of thing and hopefully it will help me think of words better. And then I won´t be able to read it in 20 years because I will have forgotten everything I learned! But I need to do something because I feel stupid. The family mostly talks around me because they have found that I can´t keep up with them. It makes me feel stupid! I don´t know why I can´t understand them. Maybe they just talk too fast? They´ll be talking and I´ll look at the appropriate person as if I know what´s going on. Then sometimes they´ll ask me questions and they´ll say it very slow and with small words and loud! And I still either can´t understand or don´t have the words to respond! Today they asked me what I believe in! How do you answer that when you know about 5 words? Well, I guess if I was being honest all I would need is "nada", but I felt bad when the first question she asked me was if I was Catholic so I said I was "agnostico". I made that word up, but she seemed to understand it!
I don´t know. I AM learning a lot, like I said, so maybe in a week or two I will be able to carry on an actual conversation.
I think that´s all for now. Things are going very well. I really like it here. It´s so colorful and different. I´m really glad I came. Well, my friend Lisa offered to let me stay in her closet for five weeks. This is almost as exciting as that would have been! Just joking.

---

Comments

[Lisa]

I could have made my closet colorful...and you would have had your own sleeping bag... It sounds exciting! Hope you are taking lots of great photos...then when you get back we can all sit around and watch your vacation slide show...which will hopefully be much more exciting than watching slides of family reunions and trips to Florida...or something. I would be all types of freaked out by not really being able to communicate with people. I'm sure in no time you will be yappin' up a storm in spanish, then maybe you can teach me something besides una mas cerveza por favor, haha!

[billy]

it's ok to eat meat. for now. who am i kidding, you're going to come back all carnivorous. i'll get over it.

[Ashley]

You stayed at a hostle!? Good thing you have those Derby fightin skills to fight off those crazies.

[David]

Can't everybody see you?
Bathroom in a garden? Probably relaxing but not very private. I enjoyed reading this. It reminded me of my first morning in Vienna. Have you broken down and begged anybody to speak English yet?

[Nevada]

I never realized how much I love to hear english! And talking and listening without having to think so much! This morning I walked by someone talking about his carburator (?) in English and it felt refreshing and nice! Isn´t that retarded? It´s weird how you can feel so isolated even though you´re surrounded by people!

[Nevada]

I smell a rat
Yeah, and I forgot to mention that there is apparently a rat living in the hostel kitchen. No thanks. I miss derby! I brought my skates, but I haven´t seen one smooth sidewalk or street. I can barely walk on these sidewalks, much less skate on them.

[Skip (Shane)]

Languages
I spent a couple of months with the French Navy, and felt just as you do regarding my language skills. After 4 years of classroom teaching and two months of immersion, I still couldn't understand their radio or TV. But it'll come to you in time. As for the comfort of hearing your native language, anyone who has travelled abroad can sympathize. Right now I'm hosting a ship with a Dutch and Filipino crew. Everyday I download some files from internet news sites in their native languages just so they have something comforting to read. If you need a care package of English language paperbacks or newspapers, just say the word! :)

[Sheridon]

You're not alone with loving to hear English. When I was overseas back in '01, it was tough to not hear not even one phrase in English. Depending on others to translate for you is no fun either. After a few days in Spain (our first stop...then France, then Italy) I got the hang of it, and Spanish became my first language (I did take several years of it in school though, so it was came kinda easy). Don't feel stupid because you aren't fluent, just the fact that you're attempting the language is good enough. People like effort and my only advice is to just give it a shot. So what if you butcher it, they'll appreciate the effort. It's better to try than to just sit there in silence. I hope you're having a fantastic time and that the margaritas are delicious. Funny about the meat eating, I've kinda stopped eating meat, I thought that'd NEVER happen...stupid healthy eating, Boca Burger, juice drinking fools! I'm one of them now...aaahhh! We miss you terribly and are looking forward to many more entries and pictures! You better be wearing a sombrero in at least one picture!

[billy]

i was gonna use your journal for something, but i just noticed that everything is copyright'd. nevermind.