I've always liked talking with the boys. Must have started young when I grew up with all boys on my street. We played games, built things, and screamed bloody murder. Every spring I found someway to end up with a black eye or major bruise to go with my dainty Easter dress. Always made a pretty picture and all because I was hangin' with the boys. Even here. It makes sense cause when you're outside climbing things you're bound to run into a lot of dudes. It's a nice perk.
Over here every chance I get to further my Spanish happens to be with the men. Something I started thinking about when I was perusing the fall issue of Vogue on the rock lounge and a nice gentleman came up and asked me the time. When he asked I paused and had to think about the response. He immediately knew I wasn't from here and asked if I spoke English. I smiled and said yes in Spanish and we continued our conversation.
He spoke in English and I responded to everything in Spanish. Even though I don't know it as well as I like, I refuse to give into using English. "What are you doing over here? How long is your visit?" The two different languages were volleying back and forth. It was a cool conversation. I notice when I don't think about it, it just comes out naturally.
I have to admit it, sometimes it's just easier for me to understand the boys. Don't know if it's the way they speak or that I meet up with them in places that we both enjoy.
There are so many dialects over here. The one spoken in this region is Castillian and at times one sentence can sound like one word. Lots of THs and when it flies I wonder if I'm going to get a loogie along with the question. Depending on who you're talking to it can be a clear constant conversation or a bewildered whipped up storm. Either way, you always learn something.
We talk a bit more and introduce ourselves. I get the standard greeting which is a handshake accompanied by two air kisses on either cheek. I feel very cosmopolitan each time I do it and who knew you could feel cosmo on a rock. He tells me he hopes he runs into me again so we can discuss things. I tell him in Spanish I hope we do too.
The older men are always up for a conversation and there are the brave young ones too. They are very considerate and inquisitive which I like. Started with Nacchio on the bus ride up and has continued on. It helps.
At dinner, Tio and I discuss what's going on in America right now. It's the topic du jour at the house. Making a point in Spanish is very dramatic and you can spot a political conversation from a mile away. I race down to hear them. It helps cause I love politics and I really want to know what they think so I'm straining to understand the quick conversation.
After the evening news is finished, the movie Fearless comes on complete with some Karate action. Tio loves movies and has over 700 of them. He brought one down the other day and told me we'll watch it sometime. It's an Errol Flynn movie and at first glance I thought it was Johnny Depp. That Errol Flynn was pretty hot.
Tio and I are entranced by the movement and he keeps saying how incredible it is. I just nod in agreement as I watch this guy fly through the air and take out his opponent. Consuelo huffs and shakes her head, she prefers telenovela love stories.
I start cleaning up and Tio says to me in English how funny it is. I say in Spanish "Funny? but it's so pretty. It is like dancing."
Tio just shakes his head and laughs.
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