78) Language Barrier

Given that my class doesn't start until Monday, it's been a little tricky figuring out which residents of the well-sized Residencia Onix are also part of my program. Though I've seen and heard a handful of people in the hallways, they've all spoken Spanish muy rapido. Having chosen French over Spanish my whole life, I'm now paying the price with a serious language barrier. By day 2, I was starving for English. Sure, the people at reception speak enough to help me with all the logistics. But what I craved was conversation. The easy back and forth banter that comes from true understanding, not a "no entiendo" in sight.

Walking the streets of Barcelona, an element of my gorgeous surroundings is lost, as almost all the signs are in Spanish or Catalan. Reading is such a stimulus for me, whether it's a book, a street sign, or a clever wildposting. The lack of comprehension begins to wear me down, and at the end of the day, you can find me at computer devouring English news sites, blogs, anything and everything I can think of with a fervored interest I've never known before.

Thankfully, this tale of two tongues (well, one tongue) has a happy ending. The other day I went up to the rooftop pool of the complex. Two minutes after I sat down, a guy came over and mistook me for someone else. In English. I've never made a faster friend in my life. I've been known to be a bit reserved when I first meet people, but words were spilling out of my mouth in a constant stream of self-disclosure. Later, he introduced me to some other people in his group, undergrads from Georgia Tech doing their semester abroad.

Even better, I got to meet my suite-mate (we share a kitchen) today. Her name is Florencia, and she's from Argentina. She is part of the IED program, which means her English is very good. And as a bonus, she's been helping me with my Spanish.

Dealing with the language barrier made me think of the people who make it their business to demand that Mexicans living in the US should speak English. I understand that the situation is a bit different - I am only here for a month, not settling here for the rest of my life. And while learning English would certainly be beneficial to Hispanics living in the US, I can now see why people seek out and cling to their first language. In a sea of foreignness, to hear, read and speak it can be a life-saving gasp of air.