English Problems

One of the interesting things about becoming bilingual is language interference.  Some people, and by some people I mean Liz, told me that when I studied abroad 3 years ago my English was awful.  I spent so much time speaking in Spanish that my syntax and grammar in English paid the price.  I think (and hope!) that now my written English isn't as problematic because I still write analytically in English at work and use English in a professional setting.  Needless to say I still have times when I say something like "the names of the children" which isn't wrong, but not as common as "the children's names," because in Spanish it's always "los nombres de los niños" and your brain becomes so accustomed to saying it that you have a hard time switching back out.

The other type of English problem is when you forget that someone you're speaking to doesn't speak English as a first language.  In Madrid you rarely think someone is fluent in English because few people are.  Lara's fiancée and one of her roommates speak English so well that I do forget they're not completely fluent.  Sometimes it means explaining a word.  Sometimes it means correcting pronunciation.  Sometimes it means we know what they're trying to say but we can't think of the word in English.  But sometimes things just go wrong.  And sometimes we pronounce a word in the other language because it's just funnier that way...but then no one knows if you're being silly or really don't know how to pronounce it.

Yesterday I was talking to one of Lara's roommates in Spanish and I said something about missing my perrita (I do miss Ginger Lee Rogers a whole lot!).
Me: y le dejé a mi perrita!
Roommate: You miss your poopy?
Me: *laugh* puppy?
Roommate: ... puppy.
Me: *laugh* did you mean to say poopy as a joke?  Because it's really funny.  Or did you mispronounce puppy?
Roommate: I'M NOT A NATIVE SPEAKER!  I meant puppy.
And then there were a lot of puppy/poopy jokes.

Or sometimes you see other people make a mistake in their own language and you're glad it's not you...
Coworker1: o tomo vino o me ando por Serrano [either I have a glass of wine or I'll walk myself down Serrano street]
Coworker2: pero por qué meas por la calle? [why are you going to pee on the street?]
1: Cómo?  O me tomo vino o me ando por Serrano.[huh?  Either I have a class of wine or I'll walk myself down Serrano]
2: Pero por qué meas??? [But why are you peeing?]
1: Me ando ... ooooh!  meando! no no no me voy caminando!!!! [I walk myself ... ohhhhhh peeing!  no no no I'll go walking!]
Apparently my coworker was misusing the verb andar which means to walk which is always, I walk, not I walk myself.  But she said I walk myself which sound the same as the Spanish word for peeing.

In other news, today was Taco Monday which was apparently very exciting.  Every now and then the embassy has a special food day, and while the tacos certainly weren't Mexican they were delicious.  And a valiente attempt at Mexican food in a country where spicy food doesn't exist and tortilla means omelette.