My friend Jessica wrote a post about making language mistakes & feeling embarrassed that is speaking to me in so many ways today. To be sure, Jess’ Spanish is leaps and bounds beyond mine, but it shows that we all hit a wall of frustration at certain points, no matter how advanced our language skills. We’re not native speakers, and we can’t change that.
I went to Istanbul for the weekend (I loved Istanbul and will write about it soon), and upon returning, it’s as if I’ve completely forgotten how to string together a sentence in Spanish.
This morning, I ran into the yoga instructor that teaches at the little studio next door to my apartment (the studio where I paid for a month of classes). I’ve decided not to renew for December because I’ll be traveling and having a visitor from the states and moving to a new apartment (yet again, more on that later). (And I didn’t really enjoy the style of yoga, but that’s beside the point.)
The instructor said she’d been wondering where I’ve been and asked if I’d be returning to take classes. I meant to say that I’ve been busy and out of town, but might consider it in January.
Instead, I completely fumbled.
I couldn’t get a sentence out. I couldn’t conjugate a verb. I basically spouted a few disconnected words, and she tried to fill in the rest, and I just nodded at what she was guessing, even though it had no bearing on the truth.
By the end of the conversation (if we can even call it that), it’d been determined that I’m leaving Barcelona next week because of money and I’m going back to my home in the states and ending my visit here.
Um, yeah. None of that is true.
I was just so flustered and frustrated that I couldn’t even attempt to get the conversation back on track.
She gave me dos besos and wished me a wonderful Christmas in the states and a good life!
Sheesh.
Inevitably, I’m going to run into her next week – or next month (though I’m moving to a new apartment, it’s just around the corner) – and she’ll be perplexed why the stupid American girl who can’t speak a lick of Spanish is still wandering around the streets and not headed home.
+++
A little preview of my 3-day trip to Istanbul …
see molly run (away) 
Your hair is SO LONG. And I love your awkward yoga lady encounter.
That is what happens when you can’t speak the language and are too frightened to visit a hair stylist!!
Molly, the best way to learn a language is to speak it, altohugh you might not say exactly what you have in mind, just don’t be ashamed… it happens everyday to millions of people who speak in a not-native language.
Yes, I need to get over my verguenza!
Of course Molly it’s not necessary to have a perfect vocabulary or pronunciation, what is really important is to communicate what you want, no matter if it’s “perfect” as we’re not trying to pass an exam!
Cheers!