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My first week of spanish was really fun. I did better than I expected. I thought this would be a breeze, until we started to conjugate verbs. It has been so long since I studied any language I thought conjugation only happen on prison visits.
My teacher, Amabilla, is tiny, jolly and patient. She does not correct my every mistake, as does my son. She speaks to me in spanish of her life. I understand about 4 in 10 words. She uses her arms and sometimes her whole body to explain things. Non-verbal communication has new meaning now.
Each day she walks me through the city and shows me the mercado y banco and other useful sites. She is a least a foot shorter than I am, so I have to bend down to hear her. The diesel spouting chicken buses make it impossible. So I just keep saying Si Gracias, Si Gracias and smiling. Never trust that a smiling person understands your meaning!
Then I try to speak a few words. No sentences. My tense is all goofed up. Spanish has 7 different tenses and a different ending for each pronoun. But she understands. She saves
The Casa
This is the entry hall into the house me by speaking a little english. I notice I immediately get more comfortable. Like when someone turns up the heat in a cold room.
I got a little cocky on Friday and in my best spanish I told another teacher we were going to the bank. Unfortunately, I used the word bano! When everyone broke into laughter, I realized I told her we were going to take a walk outside to the bathroom!
On Thursday we had a fiesta. Delicious Bar-B-Q and handmade tortillas. Made by me! I think that is the first time I have played with dough in years. It felt wonderfully childlike.
In fact, I feel like a very nurtured child here. Meals are on the table and eaten with family. I don’t have to plan, shop, chop, cook or clean up. After a day, I broke the protocol and insisted on helping Araminta, the 84-year-old owner, do the dinner dishes. 86-year-old Paulina only works till 2:00. She responded as a delighted grandmother and gave me a big, warm hugged. I loved it.
Like a child, I did what I was told not to do. The travel medicine books say if you
The Garden
This garden is in the center of the house. The rooms all open into it! It's beautiful can’t peel it, or cook the fruits and vegetables don’t eat them. And never eat strawberries.
Friday morning, I boldly ate strawberries thinking food served by the family was okay. By Friday night, I had lost everything I had eaten all week. Served me right.
When I turned down the evening meal, the concerned and sweet Araminta, insisted on bringing me tea and toast. No adult has offered me such comfort when I was sick since my own mother died 13 years ago. I really miss not being part of a family. Living alone sucks. I’ll have to think about fixing that when I get home.
Today is Mother’s day, and I am feeling better. The clouds cleared so I decided to walk up to the beautiful Church Merced. It is a huge, yellow and white Cathedral that was once a convent.
A Catholic procession for the Blessed Mother was taking place in the square. First came the priests dressed in full black and carrying an ornate Cross. Followed by three, black-robed men with incense that put out more smoke than a chicken bus.
I could hear the full band with brass and
The suspect strawberries
The thick skinned fruit is okay, but the strawberries! drums, but I couldn’t see them. They were following a float of the Blessed Mother. This was not a motorized Rose Parade float. It had a wooden base and was swaying down the cobblestone road. As it got closer, I could see that it was being carried only by women, dressed in black, and most over 50. They all had black lace on their heads and marched in perfect step.
As they rounded the corner, a group of men took the float from them. It was perfectly choregraphed. I’m not sure what the symbolism of the black dress was. But it made the little children marching behind the band in their colorful Sunday best seem especially cheerful.
With the sun starting to set, and the volcano Aqua in full view in the background, it was an inspiring event.
And I left my camera in my room! Lo ciento!
You’ll have to forgive me if my postings become unitelligible. I am focusing on speaking only spanish. Now when I write, my english comes out as broken as my spanish. Last night, I was conjugating verbs in my dreams. I’m not sure what that says about me! ;-)
I hope you all are well. I appreciate your comments and emails.
Adios Amigos!
Cynthia
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Karen Kuiken
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Thanks for the updates and pictures!
Hi Cindy, I enjoy reading about your trip and your "espanol" progress. It looks like you are in the right place at the right time to gain the most from this experience. What a fun time! Keep up the good work and stay away from bad fruit! "Who ate my pop-tart?"