The Language Barrier

Just to reinforce what a prized idiot I can be and of course to make you guys back home chuckle I will tell you about a few mis interpretations should I say over the past two weeks.

Of course there is the constant ongoing problem of trying to talk to the cleaner, who is lovely, I’ve already told you about our progressing relationship. The fact that I know Frío (cold) has helped with all types of situations. Just think about it at home. If you are standing at a bus stop and you feel like you have to say something what is the first thing you would comment on, the weather of course, (and the fact that it is winter helps with the fact that I know cold and not hot, ha). So instead of saying absolutely nothing during the four or five hours she is here either one of us will shiver, rub our arms and say frío. It’s a classic ice breaker I’m telling you, only when it is actually cold though, otherwise they might think that you are ill then you have to deal with all sorts of communication. This is exactly the problem I am facing at the moment, as soon as you know one thing they think you know it all and start talking to you at such a rapid pace that its everyman for himself.

In the end I said Si and that seemed to be sufficient, thinking of what I should tell Felipe why they came around.

Alright so I am exaggerating a little bit, but I am far from being able to make conversation or completely understanding what someone is saying. Sometimes I surprise myself and Felipe and sometimes I totally get the wrong picture. So many times have I responded with Si then a laugh only to be looked at by a very confused face as if to say ‘what on earth are you laughing at’ or a look of anticipation waiting for an actually answer other than yes.

I experienced a classic example the other day of somebody trying to explain something to me by saying each word slowly as if they are talking to a deaf person, thinking that this is the key to understanding what they are saying. We’ve all done it but I don’t think I have experienced it myself. This is what happened. The door bell rang. Normally I don’t answer the door having learnt my lesson the first time where I answered the door to the mail man who was explaining to me god knows what, after a couple of nods he went away, I still to this day don’t know what he said, I mean what could he possibly wanted to say to me all he was doing was delivering a letter! Anyway from that day on I stopped answering the door unless they are persistent, and this time they were persistent so I answered it. It was the genitor, another lovely man but where the only words that we exchanged was Buenos Dias or Buenas Tardes. This time it was obviously something different as he brought a friend with him, who was dressed in overalls so I knew that it had something to do with the boiler or something like that. The genitor knows I don’t speak Spanish so he started to explain, after a while of me not saying anything and conveying a very confused look he explained again but this time in slow motion, I just wanted to say ‘Que’ like manuel in Faulty Towers, but I couldn’t they would have thought I was crackers. They obviously had to come in and sort something out otherwise they would have gone away but they in the end pointed in the direction of the kitchen and said ‘Permiso’. Of course I said, come in. I sat down to my work while they got on with it, and after a while they called me. Being the gentlemen they are they wouldn’t come far into the flat so I had to go to them and once again they started to explain about the boiler. Oh my life, bless them but if I couldn’t understand them the first time how could I possibly understand anything about the boiler! In the end I said Si and that seemed to be sufficient, thinking of what I should tell Felipe why they came around.

So I have ups and downs in my understanding, but I get some things a women asked me the other day where I got my brown coat from, ‘Inglaterre’ I said, ‘Ah’ she said in disappointment. As you can see it’s not all bad, if you want me to translate, moon, sun, cold, morning, tomorrow, up, down and so on then I’m your girl, boilers on the other hand I’m afraid not.