Every conversation that I have with Mamatica usually follows the same format when she is helping me plan something. It starts with me asking about it and her telling me all about it and then usually telling me what she would suggest doing instead. When I tell her that is too hard to do, she tells me "No, no para ti. Tu puedes hablar espanol muy bien" (No, not for you. You speak Spanish really well). When I talk to my friend Manuel, it is the same. I'll mess something up and he'll correct me. I'll make a joke that I don't speak Spanish and he will tell me that is a lie because how else would we be friends if I didn't speak Spanish well enough. While I know for a fact that they are overlooking the mounds of mistakes that I am make when I speak, they do have a good point. Communicating with someone in their own language is more than just speaking words.
Speaking a language with someone is the best way to make a connection. Its the way that I can not just translate what someone is specifically saying but also the context behind it. Like when I am talking to Manuel and I can tell the change in subject and tone when he switches between calling me Tu or calling me Usted. Like when I can tell the deeper meaning behind "He became a doctor", or "Se hizo medico", that implies that he worked very hard to get there. Like when I can tell a little bit more of the culture from a simple saying such as, "I forgot".
I guess what I want to say is that I love this language and how it lets me connect with the people here I have met. I love talking and getting to know everyone. I love seeing their shock when they learn that I speak the language and am more than willing to chat. While I still mess up a lot, or don't always understand, or make up words, I love talking. Yes, soy la hija de mi madre.
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