last night i had my first taste of how a recent immigrant might feel while in the company of those speaking a foreign language. my roommate, maria, is from colombia. the country, not the city or town (which is still spelled differently yet most people are clueless. i'm just sayin', is all.) in honor of her birthday & another friend's birthday, we had about 16 women over to our house for a girl's night. of those 16 women, about 75% were of latino descent, bilingual & quite interesting.
after most of the english speakers left, there were three of us who were native enlish-speakers compared with eight bi/trilingual spanish speakers. it enthralled me to listen to the convobuzz of english & spanish, the transitions effortless & seamless as they spoke. after all the english speakers left (but me, because i live there ....), i spent about 30 minutes cleaning the dishes & kitchen while listening to spanish conversations in the other room. i imagine that's how an immigrant maid feels while working in a home in a strange & foreign country with a strange & foreign language. given the fact that i know more german & french than spanish, i was quite outnumbered & often had delayed laughter to the jokes (until some poor soul took pity & translated for the non-spanish speaking girl). & the convos they had about men? hot tamales.
*fans self*
i could get on board with some tango, salsa & flamenco dancing. that'll be on the calendar in the near future as these women were quite endearing.
in other news, i now have exactly a week to do calligraphy on some wedding invites. my first real calligraphy job. for cash. she's a friend of a friend & a nervous bride. i think i have calmed her nerves with my professional demeanor, not to mention she's already seen my work. i might consider advertising my services.
& today is friday. TGIF. my body is weary & my brain is on overload. a weekend of oR&R with a trip to the lake is on the agenda. you can find me dabbling my toes in the water off the pier. be sure to bring a tropical beverage with a tiny umbrella. those make them taste oh-so-much better.
after most of the english speakers left, there were three of us who were native enlish-speakers compared with eight bi/trilingual spanish speakers. it enthralled me to listen to the convobuzz of english & spanish, the transitions effortless & seamless as they spoke. after all the english speakers left (but me, because i live there ....), i spent about 30 minutes cleaning the dishes & kitchen while listening to spanish conversations in the other room. i imagine that's how an immigrant maid feels while working in a home in a strange & foreign country with a strange & foreign language. given the fact that i know more german & french than spanish, i was quite outnumbered & often had delayed laughter to the jokes (until some poor soul took pity & translated for the non-spanish speaking girl). & the convos they had about men? hot tamales.
*fans self*
i could get on board with some tango, salsa & flamenco dancing. that'll be on the calendar in the near future as these women were quite endearing.
in other news, i now have exactly a week to do calligraphy on some wedding invites. my first real calligraphy job. for cash. she's a friend of a friend & a nervous bride. i think i have calmed her nerves with my professional demeanor, not to mention she's already seen my work. i might consider advertising my services.
& today is friday. TGIF. my body is weary & my brain is on overload. a weekend of oR&R with a trip to the lake is on the agenda. you can find me dabbling my toes in the water off the pier. be sure to bring a tropical beverage with a tiny umbrella. those make them taste oh-so-much better.
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on 30 July 2004 at 7/30/2004 10:58:00 AM.
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