Sometimes I get into situations or learn something that I can’t believe I had no idea about before. Example; how difficult it is to be a foreigner in a country where you only know 5 words in the language. Other things that fall into this category; how and when to change the filter in the furnace…or actually the fact that you have to change it at all.
When I got the chance to go to Brazil for a few weeks I took it immediately (obviously) and didn’t think twice. I only had about a week to get ready/pack and any attempts I made at studying Portuguese ended up being failed attempts. I was going to be staying with my sister-in-law, Michelli and thanks to being one of the minority white girls in high school I’m surprisingly proficient in Spanish so I assumed that I would be fine.
The first stop we made after I touched down was the neighborhood bar in Rio. “Donde esta el baño?” I asked the bartender. I got a blank star as a response. Michelli pointed out my ignorance at thinking that all South American countries speak a form of Spanish and also for assuming that Portuguese and Spanish were at all similar. I learned that first day that Portuguese actually sounds like a mixture of Russian and German splashed with Japanese inflection and is nothing like the Puerto Rican style Spanish that I know. Still, I wasn’t worried because at least I had Michelli.
Well…let me tell you, Michelli was the only person I had. Being in a place where no one speaks the language that I do was a huge wake up call. How egotistical am I to think that the whole world speaks at least a little bit of English? Going into a store alone was a struggle, ordering at restaurants on my own got me the exact opposite of what I wanted to eat and going to parties where I had no one to talk was really lonely. It made me realize how difficult it is to be somewhere and have no idea what is going on around you.
I have a whole new understanding and respect for my friends that were thrown into American schools when they didn’t speak any English (shout out to Margaux). Being a foreigner is something we should all experience, just make sure that you are at least armed with the basics like; “Where’s the bathroom”, “I think you’re cute”, and “Gin & tonic please.”
Good one. Powerful, funny, true…