I just don’t seem to be getting better. I still miss as much as I get on the telenovela, I still get those 30 second delays when I suddenly realize what someone said. I still am not really relaxed in a conversation because either I am too busy processing what they are saying to respond naturally or I decide not to say something because I don’t know a word I’d need. I think I am very dry and boring in Spanish.

I could blame age but truthfully I think the problem has to do with my study habits, or lack of them. I resolve to spend an hour a day learning vocabulary or studying new verbs and somehow, the day slides by and it doesn’t happen. I’m retired, is there anything that I do in a day that is more important? Probably not. I do drag myself to class 2 days a week and I do learn there but at that rate I’d better plan on being functionally fluent at age 100.

All caught up in this is my reluctance to go and get involved in things that are primarily in Spanish, which is precisely what I need to do to get over this plateau. A few months ago I read about a Cactus and Succulent club that met once a month at CICY, a university in town. I tried to find it last month and couldn’t. My friend Werner took me out there later to look at their nursery and showed me how to get there. So, last night was the next monthly meeting and I made myself go.   I also made myself not call anyone to go with me.  I particularly wanted to call Theresa because I know she is interested in succulents but I also knew that her fluency would be a crutch for me.   Also Debi, she had said she would go but again, I felt like I was being a chicken to not at least go to the first meeting on my own.

Once on campus and pointed at the right building, I couldn’t find the room. I went up the stairs and all was dark and then back down and was wandering around the back. A security guard told me it was at the top of the stairs in the back. I almost left and went home then, but back I went. At the end of a dark hallway I heard voices in a room. The door was locked but I could see people inside and a powerpoint slide show on the screen. I knocked and they let me in. I can’t tell you how much resolve it took for me to keep going.

I was pointed to a chair and sat there for half an hour before I could breathe easily (all the stairs) and stop sweating in the AC. They were planning a judged exposition of succulents, cactus and bonzai. I got most of that but that’s because of the powerpoint. I can read Spanish pretty well, so I could follow the points on the screen and put them with what he was saying. When they went off into banter and side talk, I was only getting about half of it.

When the meeting was over I got a huge attack of the shy and headed out the door. A guy followed me and told me he was the president of the club and they would very much welcome me as a member, would I like to be on the email list? So, back inside I went with the very nice young man, signed up, was greeted by several other members and even recognized someone I’d met before. The man who had been giving the powerpoint presentation even came over and introduced himself, he is a doctor and instructor at the school. Also, some people came up and spoke to me in English. Jeez, I put myself through all this to go and then I end up speaking English.

There were at least 20 people at the meeting and they were all very welcoming.  The club president told me they were very happy to see a foreigner attend and that they would love to have more of us at the meetings, he said he knows many of us are interested in these plants.  So, then I felt bad for not calling Debi and Theresa to come too.  Next month I will see if I can persuade them to come.

I had a good time, it turns out that the plants on a table at the side of the room were for sale. Hubba Hubba! When I went to look at them, the girl selling them spoke to me in absolutely perfect English. I complimented her and she said ‘I grew up in the US’. I kind of felt stupid for even saying anything.

The person I recognized is also a doctor and professor at the school and I had attended a lecture he gave several years ago on orchids. He invited me to come out next week and see his lab with all of the dendrobians in bloom. I’m really excited about that.

So, I’m glad I went. I will go back next month and I will go to the exposition in November. They actually tried to talk me into being a judge! I was very emphatic about not being up for that but the professor kept saying that they would train all of us. Um, no. thank you. but no…  maybe next year.

the plants I bought

© Jonna for blah...blah...blah... Ginger!, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Post tags: learning Spanish, succulents