Communicating with Locals

Walking along the strip as I am looking for a light dinner, an older man starts speaking to me. Holá, como estás? I respond in kind, holá, bien, ¿y tu? Of course, I should have said, ¿y usted? (formal), but at this point, anything goes. 

So far, any time I spoke with a local, they immediately started speaking English with me in the touristy area where I live. Usually, when someone starts talking with me, they want to sell me something. So, I am on guard as this older gentleman is trying to draw me into a conversation. 

He is speaking very slowly with me and in simple words and sentences. I am grateful for his patience as this gives me an opportunity to practice the little Spanish I have learned so far. The usual fare, where am I from, how long have I been here, how long will I stay…

He tells me he has a small tienda right there, so we walk there and he shows it to me. He is selling handcrafted sculls and T-shirts and other souvenirs, but a little more tasteful than most of the other shops along the strip. 

I tell him in extremely slow and broken Spanish that I am going to Guadalajara for a month to learn better Spanish. He says that it’s important that I learn Spanish, and I agree. I tell him that most people here just speak English with me, so I don’t get a chance to practice.

All the while, he is extremely patient and is helping me to express what I mean to say. It turns out that he actually speaks English very well himself. He says he enjoys talking with me and finds me very interesting. At the end of the conversation, he knows my entire family situation and background. 

Here is a HURRAY for Juán – thank you, Juán, for allowing me to practice speaking Spanish!