So along the way in our language learning we have definitely learned to laugh at ourselves :) and this past week was no exception.
Sonia came to the house one morning last week and she and I were working in the kitchen. I was trying to tell her that there was a huge dead bee (aveja) on the front sidewalk. And I'm not talking little honey bee, I'm talking huge killer bee. So it was definitely worth talking about, only I didn't tell her we had a dead bee... I told her we had a dead sheep (oveja). You should have seen her face. It was as if she was thinking, I just walked past there not 10 minutes ago, and I sure would have thought I would have noticed a dead sheep :) So after trying to explain, no the animal that flies and makes honey, she understood what I was trying to say. So we had a good laugh and moved on, but oh the difference one vowel can make huh?
Then New Year's Eve we were over at the Sandoval's house playing cards. Mind you it was late, like 2 in the morning and Nathan was tucked snug in his pack and play while his parents enjoyed a quick game of spades (which by the way we won!). But as we were playing we smelled something burning, which is not all together an abnormal thing here in Cbba. See the Cochabambinos enjoy doing fireworks, and it was New Year's Eve after all, and they burn a small little thing that kind of looks like a little grill to offer sacrifice to Pachamama. Gary was trying to say that maybe someone was burning one of these sacrifices, but instead said, I bet someone's burning their "chola" which in fact is one of the words in Quechua for a woman. So we all got a good laugh at the idea of flaming women running through the streets of Cochabamba in celebration of the New Year.
And after all they say laughter is the best medicine right? So after language learning we should be some of the healthiest people alive. Let's just hope the people of Cochabamba can survive all our blunders :)
How funny! I remember making a lot of mistakes in high school while taking Spanish 1 & 2. Of course, I would really mess it up now, since I really don't remember much at all.
ReplyDeleteYou really will be healthy, not just in the laughter but really learning to be okay with mistakes. Something I could take some lessons in...
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you're able to laugh at yourselves ... even share your funny blunders with others!
ReplyDeleteI have a story that rivals those:
ReplyDeleteWe had a house church in Memphis where one of the couples had met on a medical mission trip. He was American and she was Guatemalan. They got married and he is in medical school in Memphis and they are going to to back to do medical missions in Guatemala when he is done. She speaks almost no English and so I would do my best to translate to her (hey, I studied abroad in Costa Rica for a semester so I am pretty decent) when we were doing our girl's prayer time.
SOOO, a girl has a prayer request about her grandfather and is talking about how she is dying and how hard it is on her and she is trying not to show it all day at work, etc. For some reason, I was saying "novio" instead of "abuelo." This is not as close as oveja and avega, I know, but for some reason my little mind blipped on this. Well, Josefina, the girl, is looking at me so confused and I kept asking her if she was understanding me and she would say "Ruth tiene un novio?" And I would say, "si" and keep going. This was very confusing as Ruth and her husband are in our house church. And she thought I was telling her that Ruth was so sad because her boyfriend was dying and she was trying not to show how upset she was to her husband. She kept asking me if Robert knew and I was like, of course Robert knows! Then in the middle of one of my sentences it hit me. I stopped and said "le dijo la palabra novio or abuelo? And when we both realized we laughed until we cried because she had been giving Ruth the dirtiest looks! From then on I would purposefully use novio instead of any other word for family members and we would laugh everytime!
Oh...the smiles on my face! I am proud of you all for being able to laugh off your mistakes. Like Dee I remember butchering my Spanish class in HS, I am sure that if I were there, everyone would think I was a crazy person!
ReplyDeleteHey Laura,
ReplyDeleteI had lunch today with Daryl H. in Brownwood. I told him that he and I had a mutual acquaintence in Bolivia.
He had such great things to say about you and Gary. He said that Austin Ave was sad to see you leave even though you were living for the mission field.
What a crazy small world, ey?
W
Hey guys. We want you to know we are praying for y'all while the conflicts are going on there. I am sure God will work it out to His glory. Take care.
ReplyDeleteScott
Where are you!?!?! Are you coming out to play anytime soon-b/c I miss you sweet friend! :)
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a great January-
Your gift is still in my car, I found it last night while cleaning it out. YOu see the day I went to mail it the line was quite long since it was a few weeks until CHristmas-I am putting that on my to do list this week, I swear I will send it-I know you will love it-I just am a horrible friend! It's not lost in customs-it's lost in my car! :)
Friends, thank you to you all for your gentle encouragement (although I know you're all at home laughing "with" us :) You guys would all be amazed at how being around a language 24 hours a day, and allowing the Lord to loose your tongue can do wonders for your Spanish :)
ReplyDeleteJulie - I have to say, my bee/sheep story has nothing on yours... although I have a friend that had quite a mishap with "molest" and "molestar"... but we'll leave that for another day :)
Wade - I forget that you make your way through Brownwood occasionally. We love Daryl and Marilyn, they are precious people. But I get confused, do you guys do business together? Did he take you out for a good lunch? Please don't tell me Underwood's :) Contrary to popular Bwd belief... there are other places to eat (and good ones at that :)
And Susan... thank you for reminding me that I hadn't let everyone at home in on the happenings here this week. I think I was in survival mode. And don't even worry about the package, it's just special to me to know that I'll have one to look forward too!
Laura
Hey Laura,
ReplyDeleteI drive to Brownwood nearly every week to call on doctors like Dr's Martin, Skinner and Hubbard.
Kelly and I are very close with the H's family b/c we went to ACU with their kids.
Stephen (their oldest son) and I are very close friends - he and his wife and Kelly & I usually take a vacation together each year. They just recently moved back to BW from Grapevine - he's now a partner in Daryl's law firm.
Did you read my post about breaking Melissa's chair? Melissa is their daughter. Melissa and her husband are in our small group at church.
The H's have adopted Kelly and I as thier own and Stephen keeps sending me flyers for homes that are for sell to intice Kelly and I to move to BW.
We've spent July 4th at their lakehouse for the last 3 or 4 years. Which means that we were there when you were still in town! Bummer that we had no idea then - it would have been great to see you!
No Underwood's! We ate at Prima Pasta (they have a new location close to the mall). You may have already heard from the group visiting right now but Mi Familia & Taco Bell both burnt down.
Mi Familia was an accident but the manager of Taco Bell stole all the cash out of the safe and set the building on fire. Too bad the Fire Dept showed up and put the fire out before it burnt the security camera showing footage of him pouring gasoline everywhere! What a nincompoop!
When you go back to Brownwood, insist that you eat at The Turtle (I'm not sure if it was open when you were there) - my favorite restaurant by far, even over those in the Metroplex!
Sorry for the long comments but it's great to find something that we have in common.
Brownwood holds a special place in both of our hearts!
W