Spanglish

Otherwise known as... Just Part of the Process...

Just over a week ago, I went looking for Julio (Jessica's boyfriend and the Puerto Rican son my father never had) on campus after I was finished with my main task of the day... course registration for incoming seniors.  Julio is a custodian at My Small Town High School, and joined our staff in December after one of our custodians retired.  He has been complaining that he never sees me at work.  It's true-- we don't.  I usually work at least an hour past contract time, and then I walk out to the parking lot and go home.  Last Friday, though, I had been selected as Secondary Counselor of the Year for My Ever-Growing School District, and I wanted to share my good news with Julio.  Plus, the weekend before, he and Jessica had come over to GDA's for an intimate paella gathering with my mother and one of GDA's Argentinian friends, and I was dying to know what Julio thought of my new boyfriend.  (I already had an idea though; when Julio arrived he and GDA went off and started talking cars together.  It is always a good sign when men feel manly with one another and talk cars and such.)

I walked into the building where Julio works and was greeted by a hallway with a bunch of closed doors... hmmmm... which door would be opened to reveal my friend?  Overwhelmed, I walked outside to find someone with a radio and immediately met one of our deans.  Can you radio Julio and find out his location?  I'm trying to find him... he's my friend.  Oh dear... the LAST thing I needed was any sort of rumor started on campus that I had a thing going with a staff member.  (Particularly when that staff member is the boyfriend of one of my closest friends!)  She radioed Julio, who responded, but wasn't quite sure of what she meant when she asked What's your location?

Ummmm... I'm in Building 8. 

Someone is trying to find you.  She didn't want to say my name over the radio, and I appreciated that.  After going back and forth, a few minutes later I walked back into the building and Julio was (thankfully) waiting for me in the hallway.  We greeted each other with a kiss, talked about the award... and then I went in for the information I really wanted to know.  What do you think of GDA?

Oh!  He's cool!  I like him a lot.  But you know... the culture is different.  Sometimes you're gonna have a fight, because you're not going to understand each other.  But it will be okay.

Julio speaks from experience.  Jess is a blonde girl from Kansas. 

Yesterday GDA asked me where I wanted my bag.  Ummmm... como se dice "closet" en Espanol? (How do you say "closet" in Spanish?)

I don't know... we don't have closets in my country.  We have these pieces of furniture where we keep our clothes.  He gestured with his hands...

You mean a wardrobe?

That's it!  So maybe... wardroba?

It's okay, GDA... I'll Google it.

While we are committed to our relationship, the cross-cultural communication definitely presents a challenge.  This morning GDA put reggaeton videos on the television to educate me on how to dance when we go to prom.  I was assaulted by images of scantily clad women gyrating at every turn, rubbing up against overweight men with every inch of their body covered with clothes and gold chains. Ick.  Not.  My.  Thing.

How to be a lady (a teacher nonetheless!) and participate in reggaeton dances will be a challenge I am sure. 

We then discussed the towel situation.  GDA likes to hang his towels to dry after putting them in the washer.  In his words... I like  crunchy towels. 

Two words that I never thought would be used together-- crunchy and towel.  I then had to explain why I needed my towels to go into the dryer so that I could have lovely, soft towels when I get out of the shower during my weekends at GDA's.  Baby, we're gonna be in my country for a week.  What are you going to do?  (We are supposed go to Argentina in a few months for his father's 80th birthday.)

There's a difference between going somewhere and understanding the customs and the way of life, and having to live that way everyday when you are at home! 

I think I'm going to get my soft towels.  It's just part of the process.