Those who know me know that I have been rather content in my mono-linguistic state. I have lived in three foreign countries and have had opportunity to travel to several more…and unbelievably just about everyone in service industries speaks English (after all it is the international language of business).
In those rare instances when I encounter someone who doesn’t speak English, after a few moments of me standing there dumbfounded, the person figures out that I am an Americano bobo and finds someone to translate.
~~An aside: Americo bobo is translated stupid American, and I first heard the term while hiking in Costa Rica. During this particular hike, I became stranded on a 15 foot cliff. A scrawny—approximately 5’1” and 110 pounds—yet extremely chivalrous Costa Rican man saw my dilemma and ran over to rescue me. He held up his arms coaxing me to jump from the cliff, into his arms, back to the main road. Okay, I am a big girl—5’7”—and at the time I was pushing 150 pounds. Thus it took me a moment or two to consider whether or not to jump. In the meantime, a group of about 15 Costa Rican kids gathered to watch and began dancing around, pointing at me, singing at the top of their lungs “Americano bobo! Americano bobo!” Of course all my friends, who had brilliantly decided to stay on the main road rather than follow what I perceived to be a shorter footpath, joined in the singing and pointing. The chorus of 20 made the decision for me—I had to stop the singing, so yes, I did jump…and yes, he “caught” me—though we both landed on our bottoms. And thus I earned the nickname BoBo for the remainder of the trip!~~
Sorry to digress—so why Spanish?—and why now?
No, it is not because of the influx of Mexican immigrants into the US. (Though I am sure that if I do learn to speak Spanish somewhat fluently it will benefit me greatly when I return to the US.)
Nor is it so I am able to communicate with the friend Lisa and I made while in Cozumel (he’s mute).
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But rather, it is for the love of a child (actually two children)—to simply remove as many barriers as possible when I visit them. (I will be conversing with a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old, so hopefully they will not critique my Spanish speaking skills too harshly. *GRIN*)Today, I purchased Rocket Spanish from the internet, this evening I will load it to my iPod—and we’ll see how much I am able to learn in 7 weeks.
I would appreciate your prayers that I will be able to learn this language without too much trouble.
