Lost for Words

¡Estoy aquí! I am here (I think)
¡Hola a todos! Hello everyone

Mindful that the purpose of my intrepid journey is to improve my ability to speak and understand Spanish in an authentic context, I was quite excited to experience my first opportunity in the Aerolineas Argentinas check-in queue at Auckland airport when I was able to understand “cinco”, “pero” and “por ejemplo” ("five", "but" and "for example") overheard in random conversations. Yes! I was fluent in three words. This was a promising sign.

My next authentic experience was a little unnerving because, once on the plane, the safety instructions were given first in Spanish and then in English in a strong Spanish accent which still left me uncertain of what to do when "in the unlikely event of an emergency" I was finally in the water. It is always unsettling to realise that, in-the-unlikely-event-of-an-emergency, the fluent listeners will have a head start on survival.

In the spirit of the “immersion’ part of my immersion award, I listened to an Argentinian comedy channel on the in-flight entertainment, the only non-music option. Disappointingly, and disturbingly, I could only pick up one word veinti cinco (twentyfive) which sent the audience into peals of laughter. I only realised the channel had repeated itself when I heard veinticinco followed by the same peal of laughter. The third time round, with extreme focus, I picked up Japonais and a few pero. My confidence was diminishing...



As early evidence of my intercultural awareness and language immersion experience, I have discovered that:

- Jonah Lomu and the All Blacks are, indeed, New Zealand’s greatest icons, possibly followed by pavlova.
- it can be just as difficult to understand a non-English speaker’s English as it is to understand their Spanish.
- it is nigh on impossible to find Spanish slogans written on any clothing – they are all in English.
- computer keyboards in Argentina have a key specifically for ¿ ¡ and ñ , which comes as a relief but should not have come as a surprise.
- sitting in the (NZ) driver’s seat of a car, without a steering wheel, travelling on the right hand side of the road in cross traffic which does not seem to have seen you…is a real test of faith and self control.
- AFS volunteers and workers in Argentina (and I’m sure everywhere else) must be the most good-hearted people in the world. Evidence? Mariana had about one hour’s sleep over 24 hours seeing several groups of incoming arrivals to their various destinations and departure points (I was the last one at 11.55pm).And, AFS contact and host Mariela and Melisa arrived at 6.30am to pick me up from the Parana bus stop.
- long distance buses are double-decker, have capacious comfortable seats which recline to almost bed-like, (called semi-cama meaning semi-bed) all look brand-new and have a creative and colourful range of company logos.
- if you have no Spanish words to express, "Excuse me you are sitting on my blanket and pillow,¨ to the large man sleeping in the reclining seat behind you, or, "Excuse me, but that snack pack you have just picked up has slipped off my lap and under the seat to you,¨ to the man in the seat in front, reclining so far back that he is almost on your lap... then there is a good chance you will be hungry and frozen (extremely efficient air-con) for six and a half hours of bus travel.
- siestas are wonderful way to spend a few quiet hours in an air-conditioned bedroom.
- siestas have a slight side effect, in that I am writing this at 2.26am Sunday morning (6.26pm Sunday night NZ time) reasonably wide awake - but so is the rest of the household, and some visitors have only recently arrived.
- and are now departing to go disco dancing.
- it is exhausting having to think before I speak...
- I thought 2 oclock in the morning was a really late night (written at 3.15am).
- I am staying with a lovely family who are being kind and helpful beyond measure.