¿Cómo se dice? . . . May 5, 2016
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Travel & Leisure.comments closed
At the library book sale, I picked up some colorful books on Mexico.
As I flipped through the warm and vibrant photos, I wondered what life might be like in Mexico.
Here, it is easy to fill my days. I have more than enough to do without juggling languages.
I enjoy being near a supermarket that speaks English (even if I can’t always pronounce all the ingredients). Shopping for groceries that are yakking at me in French, Spanish, Chinese, or Russian would be a challenge, to say the least.
Food is far too important to our health and well-being to take any chances on mixing up essential ingredients. Imagine requesting a bar of chocolate and getting stuck with a head of cauliflower.
Quelle Horreur!
Just in case I get caught on the other side of the looking glass . . .
¿Cómo se dice? . . . chocolate cake?
¿Cómo se dice? . . . bagels?
¿Cómo se dice? . . . quesadilla con salsa?
Oh, right. Quesadilla con salsa.
Well . . . one out of three ain’t bad. Good to know I won’t starve, but what about intellectual stimulation?
I enjoy lectures at the library, but if speakers spoke any language other than English, their thoughts would fly right over my head. I would miss all the lovely nuances.
And, speaking of talking, I enjoy chatting with people I meet on the street, in stores, and around town without peppering every other sentence with ¿Cómo se dice? . . .
I expect I would feel cut off and disconnected from reality if every conversation around me took place in a language foreign to my ears.
¿Cómo se dice? . . . mad as a hatter?
Even flipping through channels to find something to watch on TV would be far different.
Of course, watching TV is one way to learn a foreign language.
A contestant on Jeopardy this season moved to the U.S. from Russia as a child. He learned impeccable English watching MacGyver.
He also learned how to make a bomb out of vinegar, baking soda, and duct tape.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 