Some estimate 700 hours of study as a line of demarcation in mastery in language learning. I am approaching 400 hours. This trip Dana began his studies. I am able to carry on a simple conversation with our instructors and other students at Calle 55, our school in Merida. Dana is able to meet and greet.
At Calle 55 we are not allowed to speak our native language for any reason. All communication is in Spanish. You can mime but anything other than Spanish is not recognized. Being restricted to the Spanish words you know leads to some very strange and entertaining substitutions. “I am married.” vs “I am tired.” or “I am pregnant.” vs “I am embarrassed.” I made that mistake in my class in Guanajuato and earned the nickname, “Santa Jilita.”
So poco a poco the journey continues. Two steps forward, one step back and eventually you are talking and laughing with the cab driver or the electrician who comes to fix the sockets. You converse without knowing the words for “fix” or “socket” and she gives you a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she leaves.
MedFlies 