A Year and Five Months Later…

We have been in Costa Rica a year and five months now {woohoo!}  and yes, I am still trying to learn Spanish.  If you “Google” the top 10 hardest languages in the world, you will find that Spanish is not on that list.  In fact, you will find it on the opposite list, the list of the top easiest languages to learn, as (you guessed it!) the #1 easiest language to learn (for an English speaker, that is).  I tell you all this so you understand that I know I have it easy.  But I still have good days with the language (understanding what is being said, for the most part, and being able to respond back with fairly coherent sentences) and bad days with the language (not understanding a word that is being said and not able to make a coherent sentence.)  It seems every day is different with the language thing.

This week is the perfect examples of this!  Thursday, Brian was spraying for bugs and we needed to be out of the house. So, Emma and I walked down our mountain into town.  It took us 15 minutes to make it down into town {Yay!} and we still needed to kill some time till Brian was done and would pick us up.  I decided I wanted to go back to a used clothing store (Ropa Americana stores are stores that get clothing from the USA, mostly from the used clothing stores there.)  The lady in the store, I found out later that her name is Marie, loved Emma and gushed all over her.  She even went so far to go get the the vegetable guy (Randal, remember him?) and bring him over to see her.  (It’s the combination of blue eyes and light skin that makes her a magnate…)  After Randal politely said we knew each other, bid us hello, and gave courtesy look at Emma, he left.  After that Marie talk to me for a while!  And the best part is I was able to understand almost all of what she said.  We actually had a conversation for about 10 minutes, until she found out that we are missionaries.  She then just walked away.  I have no idea what happened.  I’m really hoping I didn’t say something wrong.  That is my biggest fear!

Ok so, that was one day, the next day on the other hand I felt like I just arrived in the country!  Friday morning our neighbor came over to ask if she could borrow something.  Only I couldn’t understand any of the important words, including the part where she said she wanted to borrow “something”, whatever that “something” was!  So I asked her to slow down and she did and then I only got a few more words.  So she repeated it again and through explaining the words I didn’t understand and a little acting out, I got that she wanted to borrow something to wash the floors with (at least that’s what I thought).  But I still couldn’t figure out what “it” was!  A mop? Cleaner? A broom?  What??  Instead of bringing multiple items out to her, I just brought her through the house to the pila room and hoped I had what she needed.  As I was rummaging around trying to find the different items for her to take her pick, she said “manguera” and pointed to the washing machine (I thought).  I was still baffled.  The things that were by the washing machine were an empty vinegar bottle (that I can’t throw away because it’s a nice container and I just might need that someday, you understand, right?), Emma’s diaper laundry detergent and a garden hose.  I was still thinking of washing floors and nothing there fit that description to me.  Finally she went over and pointed to the hose…  Oh boy! {Insert eye roll here.}  All at once it made since, and I felt a little dense.

Of course there are those fun times when I think I understand what is being said and then make a comment and get a strange look in return.  Like the time I got the words camino (way, pathway) and caminando (walking) mixed up… There is a big difference, by the way.  And yes, I received a strange look and didn’t know why until I realized what was really asked much later.  And I could go on and on and on with the word mix-ups, but I think you get the idea.

Yes, this is just the normal process of learning a language and I will just take each day as it comes!  I know I say this a lot, but your prayers are greatly appreciated!