improve my spanish

I don’t want to call this goal done because I’m hardly bilingual, but even just hearing the language a couple times of day, listening to a song, and reading a newspaper article here and there seems to be keeping Spanish in my brain.

once I jump into it more deeply, will help me with this goal, I’m sure.

this is doing me…

Wandering around a working-class neighborhood in search of fish tacos, a group of friendly people standing by a garage stopped me and, in Spanish, asked me why I was wandering around (not in a suspicious way). Not sure why they assumed I spoke Spanish except maybe why would I be in that neighborhood if I didn’t? But it was actually fine, and we conversed for a good 10 or 15 min (I was waiting for a trolley) before English crept in. Though they did ask me where I learned Spanish (I mean, I’m still obviously a gringa, I know that).

Last night on my way out of the building (about 8 pm), I saw one of our assistants at the security desk with the security person and a stranger in a suit. She asked me if I spoke Spanish and waved me over; apparently she had figured out that the guy was looking for a South American ambassador’s residence, but he didn’t speak a word of English. So I asked a bunch of questions and we started searching the web and looking over the paperwork he had with him and calling different numbers. I don’t know how much I helped him in the end (we still couldn’t find the address, and he was just going to go back and wander around in the vicinity of the embassy) but I accomplished the whole interaction fluently and without tripping over my tongue and brain, and I understood everything he said. Fun!

I actually credit endlessly singing Jorge Drexler’s songs with helping my pronunciation fluency, and probably comprehension as well. Highly recommended; gracias Jorgito!

My reading and aural understanding are much better. I still don’t have many opportunities to speak.

This summer, however – Argentina!

is Argentinian-American, and perfectly bilingual, so it’s a little weird to speak Spanish with him (plus I’m shy). Still, he could be helpful.

• foster my obsession with Jorge Drexler and listen to his music until I go crazy
• drag my high-school review textbook with me wherever I go
• stereotype possible Latinos on the street and start speaking to them (ok, usually I’m too shy to do this)
• IM with seres imaginarios from the Internet
• rent every movie Gael Garcia Bernal ever made (it was accidental, at first…)
• read the free Spanish-language newspapers at the bus stop

• read 100 Years of Solitude in English – and then in Spanish