Yesterday started off as a really nice and easy day. We hav our classes to prepare for. We were under the impression that we had the entire day off, something about the conversation last night being “nada mass por un antes dia.” I think we misheard and it was more along the line “you are not going to have time to do anything more tomorrow.” These translations are sometimes difficult.
We started the day off well. I worked on some Spanish flash cards and Jake read a book. We listened to some Musica Americana, (Jason Mraz), and were getting ready to do some work for school. Suddenly Rosalinda’s son and daughter-in-law show up, drop off a fan, grab a couple of things, give a quick hola and chao and they were of again. 30 minutes later Rosalinda shows up with her son and daughter-in-law again, and we are told that we are going. Going were? Who knows?
As we walk to the bus stop we are told that we are going to her sisters house. When we get there, a medium sized Chilean apartment which is five flights up rusted stairs, we find that it’s not just her sister(Elya) that is there, but her mother, her sister’s 3 kids (Nino, Miguel and Maria), her other sister (susana), her other son and her sister’s boyfriend. By the end of the day, we would have met another one of her sisters, her sisters 3 daughters, (one who had 2 children in tow) and I think some other people who may or may not be related to the family. At one time we had over 19 people stuffed into a small 5th floor un air-conditioned apartment. AND Jake and I were the center of attention and conversation for a large part of the day. I didn’t even get to do much studying for this pop quiz.
I guess I should describe it as “our family” instead of “the family.” Rosalinda has said a number of times that she wants all of her family to be like ours. At first it seemed to be just to be a nice thing to say, but the more and more that I hear it and experience her family, the more I’m starting to believe it. It’s kind of freaking me out.
Jake has been identified by the family as the smart one of the two of us. When we get into a conversation with a group, Rosalinda kindly suggests that they direct the difficult questions to Jake, because he speaks better Spanish. In reality, she’s right. Jake has had more Spanish, or at least the last Spanish class that he took wasn’t over 13 years ago. He’s also better at conjugating the verbs, something that I was never really good at, but I’m trying harder. But, like most things in life, there is more to it than that. For one thing, I just need some time to process my vocabulary. I am very much a global processor. I think in global concepts much more than sequential parts. Jake is a math major and is much better than me at hearing a word and committing it to memory. I, on the other hand, can read an entire book, be able to repeat the entire story a year or more later and have entire discussions over the minute details of the plot and the interrelations of the characters, but I will not be able to tell you the name of the main character as soon as I finished the book. The second reason that I’m the “slow child”, is that I just have trouble focusing after about an hour of intense conversations centered around questions that have been asked of me five times already. My brain just shuts off and starts thinking of old Teletubby episodes. Jake, on the other hand, seems to have the heart of a champion and is more than willing to once again pantomime the act of swimming and running for the question number 5 of the Americana South American tour “Que desportes nosotros jugamos?” This question is commonly asked in the second hour of conversations, somewhere around the 4th to 6th period of awkward silence. I believe that during these silences everyone frantically searches their brain to think of questions that can be asked or answered in simple Spanish and will keep the other person talking long enough that you can actually figure out another question to ask. Think of hot potato played with Spanish words instead of an actual tuber. Then keep that tuber blazing hot for an entire evening.
So I’m not bitter about being the Corky in our little group, I actually enjoy it. It allows me to listen intently to Spanish, speak only when I wish and when it all becomes to much and Blinky and Winky start dancing in front of my vision, Jake gets to play 20 questions with the guest.
We started the day off well. I worked on some Spanish flash cards and Jake read a book. We listened to some Musica Americana, (Jason Mraz), and were getting ready to do some work for school. Suddenly Rosalinda’s son and daughter-in-law show up, drop off a fan, grab a couple of things, give a quick hola and chao and they were of again. 30 minutes later Rosalinda shows up with her son and daughter-in-law again, and we are told that we are going. Going were? Who knows?
As we walk to the bus stop we are told that we are going to her sisters house. When we get there, a medium sized Chilean apartment which is five flights up rusted stairs, we find that it’s not just her sister(Elya) that is there, but her mother, her sister’s 3 kids (Nino, Miguel and Maria), her other sister (susana), her other son and her sister’s boyfriend. By the end of the day, we would have met another one of her sisters, her sisters 3 daughters, (one who had 2 children in tow) and I think some other people who may or may not be related to the family. At one time we had over 19 people stuffed into a small 5th floor un air-conditioned apartment. AND Jake and I were the center of attention and conversation for a large part of the day. I didn’t even get to do much studying for this pop quiz.
I guess I should describe it as “our family” instead of “the family.” Rosalinda has said a number of times that she wants all of her family to be like ours. At first it seemed to be just to be a nice thing to say, but the more and more that I hear it and experience her family, the more I’m starting to believe it. It’s kind of freaking me out.
Jake has been identified by the family as the smart one of the two of us. When we get into a conversation with a group, Rosalinda kindly suggests that they direct the difficult questions to Jake, because he speaks better Spanish. In reality, she’s right. Jake has had more Spanish, or at least the last Spanish class that he took wasn’t over 13 years ago. He’s also better at conjugating the verbs, something that I was never really good at, but I’m trying harder. But, like most things in life, there is more to it than that. For one thing, I just need some time to process my vocabulary. I am very much a global processor. I think in global concepts much more than sequential parts. Jake is a math major and is much better than me at hearing a word and committing it to memory. I, on the other hand, can read an entire book, be able to repeat the entire story a year or more later and have entire discussions over the minute details of the plot and the interrelations of the characters, but I will not be able to tell you the name of the main character as soon as I finished the book. The second reason that I’m the “slow child”, is that I just have trouble focusing after about an hour of intense conversations centered around questions that have been asked of me five times already. My brain just shuts off and starts thinking of old Teletubby episodes. Jake, on the other hand, seems to have the heart of a champion and is more than willing to once again pantomime the act of swimming and running for the question number 5 of the Americana South American tour “Que desportes nosotros jugamos?” This question is commonly asked in the second hour of conversations, somewhere around the 4th to 6th period of awkward silence. I believe that during these silences everyone frantically searches their brain to think of questions that can be asked or answered in simple Spanish and will keep the other person talking long enough that you can actually figure out another question to ask. Think of hot potato played with Spanish words instead of an actual tuber. Then keep that tuber blazing hot for an entire evening.
So I’m not bitter about being the Corky in our little group, I actually enjoy it. It allows me to listen intently to Spanish, speak only when I wish and when it all becomes to much and Blinky and Winky start dancing in front of my vision, Jake gets to play 20 questions with the guest.
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