Subject:   [adventure!] M-m-m-my Girona! (los siento)

Date:   12/3/2003 11:00:13 AM

 

 

 

Hola senors y senoras!

 

He esta a Girona en Espana! Soy Canadian y tambien estupida y cuando arrive ayer a Girona no habla espanol, pero, con una dictionario Espana-Ingles, soy learned muchas. Hoy, a mi caminero en Girona y dize a una senora "Hola! Puedo recommendar una restaurante batino proximo para la comida typico, por favor" y la senora dize "ah, unanoweoihajdbclkjnelwruhvlkjna arriba la `Cafeteria Meno`, cuesta sixo euros". Y mi entiende un pequito! Esta una comida muy bueno! Esta mas feliz!

 

Hey folks!

 

I´m proud to say that I wrote the previous paragraph without looking at my dictionario.

 

Here´s what it´s supposed to say.

 

I´m in Girona, Spain! I am Canadian and also stupid and when I arrived in Girona yesterday I didn´t speak Spanish, but, with my English dictionary, I have learned much. Today, on my walk through Girona I said to a woman "Hello! Could you please recommend a cheap restaurant nearby for a traditional Spanish lunch?" and she said "a lot of spanish words followed by `Cafeteria Meno´and ´costs around six euros´. And I understood a little bit! It was a very good lunch! I am very happy!

 

Feel free to point out the myriad spelling and grammatical errors. I spoke to someone in a language I´ve never used before, and she understood on the first try, replied in that language (instead of trying to reply in my language) and I understood enough of what she said to get to where I wanted to be! That is the most major accomplishment of my life! At least it feels that way right now!

 

Yesterday when I arrived, I was using a phrasebook that I bought at Stansted Airport in London (aka Stansted Marble-Floored Campground) on my way here. If you are ever coming to a country where you don´t speak the language, you should take a look at a phrasebook, but don´t expect to use it while you´re talking to anyone. Basically yesterday even the simplest things (e.g., asking the hostel worker how to open the front door to go outside) became exhausting tasks. Just the thought of trying to have a conversation made me nervous. Then last night, as I was sitting in the hostel´s smoking room (the only place people didn´t seem to be smoking), I met a guy from Uzbekistan who is in Girona as a refugee after being kicked out of about 7 different countries, one after the other. He knew about the same amount of English as I did Spanish.

 

We spoke for quite a while and I eventually realized that if we can communicate using bits of English, Spanish, and Russian, and a lot of hand gestures, I should be okay here. Anyone who has played Pictionary or Cranium with me knows that I love this kind of stuff.

 

Since I last wrote you all, I´ve been on a severe ADD road trip through England and Wales (didn´t make it to Scotland, but I did get to stay at the home of a really cool Scottish guy in Bridlington), spent another night sleeping in a subcompact car (The Travelling Showerless Hostel), made my way through London to Stansted airport via Liverpool street underground station where (I swear I´m not making this up) I stood in one spot and counted 47 security cameras without moving or leaning to look around things. Forty-seven!

 

Interestingly, on my way INTO the station a woman ran past me screaming "My purse! He stole my purse! Did anyone see a guy run through here with a purse?" (not referring to me of course, as I have been having a hard time running wearing my backpack which someone seems to have recently packed full-o-rocks).

 

For those of you (er, us) who would like me to put some pictures online, I´m trying. I still haven´t found an internet cafe that will let me upload pictures. Well, I did find one place, but it was the first day I arrived in London and hadn´t taken any pictures yet, and I couldn´t find it again after our brain-destroying cross-England trek. Damn you to hell Liverpool! To hellllllll!!!!

 

Buenos dias y diez huevos!

jay