My mom will be with us again this weekend.
And aside from thinking of some fabulous Cuban food to cook, I also inevitably start thinking primarily in Spanish.
(And no, that doesn’t mean I put an "o" at the end of every word!)
It’s not like I plan it or anything. It just happens. I just put English on the back burner because I’ll be speaking in Spanish all weekend. (this is why I think Carrie is amazing)
My sisters and I speak Spanglish. We weave in and out of both languages effortlessly. And when my mom is here, my Cuban accent returns. I use my hands more. I laugh louder. I am funnier. I revert to my role as the baby – the family entertainment unit.
There are still words and idioms that I fumble with that I attempt to translate from English to Spanish and they really do lose everything in translation. She doesn’t care. She is proud that I don’t have an accent in either language. And she loves that I listen intently to all her stories (for the hundredth time) and laugh in all the right places.
The last time I was attempting to explain blogging and that I try to write every day, she asked me why I didn’t pursue writing. She remembers me writing since I was very young. I trip over my answer and finally ask if she understands the English word, "encouragement."
"No," she answers, but she understands: " en-bai-ron-ment."
Ay, Dios mio!
Funny , I was just reading an essay by Amy Tan. She wrote the Joy Luck Club, she talks about the language she speaks with her mother. You’ll relate to it.Lys
oh god bless our Luz – enbaironment! Close enough….
Lucky for me You know the word “encouragement.” And with any luck I’ll have my very own blog by February. 😉
You are too kind. Do you think saying: “Maria portate bien” 10 times a day count as inspiring bilingualism? xo