Can We Talk?

Sadly, the answer to that question is, "No, not much."

Let me explain. Yesterday was a normal day. I took care of some business, ran errands and walked the dog. It was a normal day with one disturbing exception--people wanted to talk to me. This is odd because I can sometimes go several days at a time without engaging in so much as simple pleasantries with other people, but yesterday was quite different. People actually wanted to converse, much to my dismay.

I am not anti-social. I love to talk to people. But I have a horrible secret to share with you...my Spanish sucks.

If I do happen to have an involved conversation with someone, it generally requires they speak a modicum of English. Not yesterday. Not one person could summon up a word of my native language. What did I do to deserve this? And it didn't seem to matter to anyone that all I could offer up were a few awkwardly chosen words and phrases--it must have been excruciating to hear. But it didn't seem to matter. They just kept talking.

Luckily my comprehension level has advanced well beyond my language skills. I found myself nodding a great deal and threw out what I hoped was an appropriate word or two when it was my turn to speak.

My favorite exchange came about while I was taking the dog for her afternoon walk. In the distance, I spotted an impeccably dressed older woman walking her strange looking terrier. I have seen her a number of times in the park and we recently started waving greetings to each other from afar. But yesterday, I caught her out of the corner of my eye moving slowly towards me. Before I knew it, we were toe to toe, dog to dog and face to face.

It just so happens this was one of the coldest days so far this winter and I was dressed like I had just set out on the Iditarod. She was dressed, as always, in a fashionable coat, sweater, skirt and a really nifty little pair of shoes.

She started speaking and I immediately broke into my patented apology for my lousy Spanish, which didn't seem to deter her. Standing in the bitter cold wind, we established where I lived, where she lived and for how long, what floors we live on, where I was from, where she was from, our dog's names and ages, how she was looking forward to spring and that California must be a wonderful place as she had seen it in movies. In my broken Spanish I asked if we could possibly take coffee together sometime soon.

I don't know if it was the bone chilling cold or the ten minute conversation in Spanish, but by the end of our chat, I had a screaming headache. Learning Spanish hurts.

All in all, I enjoyed the day. And I think we may be taking coffee soon.