Art Goddess Angela Hayden created this "Spanish Brainstorming Poster" which has inspired me to start working on one of my own, using the words I get online everyday via email. Of course, I have to also use each new word. "Use it or lose it," they say...
I do a lot of mental translating, whether it has a purpose, like talking to Jorge, or just playing around in my mind. It's good for the little gray cells, and has become such a habit after five years I couldn't stop if I wanted to. Sometimes I dream in Spanish! The payoff is that I'm finding it easier to make myself understood, and make small talk, which sometimes leads to in-depth conversations with really patient amigos. When I'm on a roll I just open my mouth and out it comes, más o menos. But it doesn't take long to get stuck, and then I'm left tongue-tied.
My favorite Spanish-language blogger, Alejandra, has stopped posting for the past few months (I miss you, Ale!) But today someone I'd never encountered before commented on my Facebook page and when I followed back to his blog I found that Josepipino62 is bilingual and apparently, like me, appreciates a good cup of coffee. His blog is brand new and I'm only his second follower. Being an hombre muy guapo, I'm sure he'll collect more very soon, mostly female. Reading Spanish blogs is a great exercise in comprehension, plus a chance to write comments that I can only hope will be understood and not be too misleading in their meaning. I don't mind providing a good laugh, but it would be helpful if they set me straight, once they recover from their hilarity. I'd like to learn something from it.
This afternoon our friend the Mexican guitarist, D, is coming over to play with the Capt and me, and I'm hoping to persuade the guys to help me record a backing track for a Spanish song I'm learning, called "Vivir Sin Aire." The chords are simple and they can make it sound a lot better than I do with my wooden fingers. Once I have it on a disk, I can play rhythm and sing with it. Learning Spanish lyrics is challenge enough without trying to play fancy licks at the same time.
So the Capt is going to bake a batch of cookies and I'll a pitcher of jamaica tea for our guest. But now I've got to go find Jorge and ask him to bring over his carretilla (wheelbarrow) to cart away all these oleander clippings. My yard is looking bigger already!
4 comments:
My goal this summer is to get back into my Spanish. I've not used it much this school year (with dos chicas in the office) and I've lost so much of it. I used to dream in Spanish too, my teacher had told me that's when you know you are really ready to start speaking in public. If only it would just pour out of my mouth during the waking hours like it does in my sleep.
I speak Spanish all day, rarely English, yet I almost never read or write Spanish. I consider it too much effort due to the occasional word I do not know. Very lazy.
And I find myself occasionally at a loss for an English word. I´m starting to forget English a bit.
But it´s interesting, all of it.
I need to live where I'm totally immersed.
jomamma - I'm discovering a lot of fun ways to communicate in Spanish. This morning, for instance, I wrote an email to a newspaper reporter to compliment her on an article she wrote. If I can make it fun, maybe I can make it a habit. But it's too easy, in this gringo enclave I live in, to miss out on opportunities.
Could you immerse yourself by getting involved in some group that works with hispanics?
Felipe - You'd better not forget your English, you write too well for that. I'd be interested in knowing what you did to learn Spanish, other than of course marrying La Guapa Señora.
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