some stories and experiences

Learning a new language can be really funny at times. I knew some Portugese before I came here and a lot of the words are similar to Spanish. So I have this thing, "when in doubt throw in a portugese word and see if it works!" On my homework the other night I had to do an excersice of completing the sentence. So it said "Tomorrow I will......" and I put "ligar mi madre." Which I thought meant "call my mom" because in portugese the verb "to call" is "ligar"... but here it means "to flirt" hahaha so on my homework I said "Tomorrow i will flirt with my mom." hahaha....haahhaahha

One day I was walking down the street and saw some guys I met last week when I was playing volleyball at the university. The guys were all about to go get coffee and invited me. So I went thinking it would be a great time to practice my Spanish. We were having so much fun and then out of no where one of the guys asked what religion I am. He told me he didn't believe there was a God. He said he needs to believe something, but not God. Everyone at the table started talking about if God exists. He asked me me why I believe. So I really got to share the Gospel in that time. It was so cool! Even though my Spanish very lacking in vocabulary, verb tenses and congegations, it really made me say the Gospel in its purest/ bluntest/simplest form (with out trying to say it in a socially acceptable way like I would in English).

The other day I was sitting on a park bench looking at my map trying to figure out where I was going and these 2 old women came up to me and they were like, "Do you understand Spanish? (in Spanish)" and I told them "a little." So they said, "We think Dios (God)".. while pointing to the sky... "i love you (then pointing to me)... Dios, I love you...Dios, I love you." Which I'm pretty sure meant "God loves you" and I said, "awwwwwwww I love you too!" Which I meant to say "he loves you too"...haha.. but I think we all got our points across. Then they said, "think about that... that's all" and walked away.

One day I was at Hipercor (kind of a Spain version of Target) and the casheir looked at my recipt and was like "ooh!!... and started telling me something she seemed very excited about in Spanish. I told her I didn't understand Spanish. So the woman behind me in line thought she could explain it better by telling me in louder Spanish. Then they thought I'd surely get it if they both spoke louder, faster, AND at the same time. And I was just laughing and like, "guys I don't understand no matter what volume level you speak at." So they took me over to a counter and basically I won like 5 euros off my next purchase at Hipercor. So after all this she gave me my bags and I went home. In all the confusion she ended up giving me my bags and someone elses. hahha so I got like 3 bags of free fruit!

To say I'm hungry you say "I have hunger". The word for hungry is hambre... The word for man is hombre. SO for about the first week whenever I was trying to tell someone I was hungry... I was basically telling them "I have a man". hahaha

The first night I moved into my apt. my roommates took me out with them to meet their friends and go dancing. I really got a taste of the culture through the music and dance that night/morning.... We got home at 7:00 and i went to bed at 7:30 that morning. That was by far the latest I've ever stayed out...but its all part of soaking in the culture and involving myself in these people's lives.

Two weekends ago I got to go on an incredibly beautiful hike in the sierra nevada mountains with some people I met at church. We walked along the mountain ridges and over looked the city and other mountain ranges. The whole time I was thinking "I can't believe I am here now! doing this!" I was definetly sore the next few days. I started walking at 10:00 that morning and stopped at 5:00 when I got home.

Yesterday on the elevator the man asked me where I was from. I told him "Carolina de Norte" and l drew big circle with my finger on the elevator wall and said, "ok this is the United States... here is North Carolina." He asked how long I have been speaking Spanish and I said only for three weeks. I told him that I think all Spaniards are very intelligent because they know Spanish!" haha I think he appreciated my compliment!

Today I was doing laundry out on our terrace and the door shut behind me and locked. There is absolutly no other way in besides that door... and my roommates are conviently out of town. So I leaned over the balcony and was like, "hola?? hello? someone? ayudar! (to help!)" I kept banging on my door trying to get it open and woman across from me and up leaned out her window and saw me. I was like, "por favor!!" I started explaining to her that i was locked out. She was so kind (even though we could barely communicate) and started throwing all kinds of things from her window (on the 7th floor across to me on the 6th). She threw a knife wrapped up in bags, with a rope attached so I could pry it open. Then we decided that the only way in was for me to break the glass. Next she threw me a hammer and chisle. This whole time, I am barely understanding what she is instructing me to do (bc of spanish). Finally I shattered the glass and got back inside and didn't even get cut!