culture shock.

culture shock.

First, let me say that I am very excited about this font. It very closely resembles my own handwriting, except for the f’s, and the k’s. But really, that is beside the point.

This afternoon I partook in a Spanish church service on the other side of town. My Aunt and Uncle’s church lets this Christian Spanish church use their buildings on Sunday afternoons. I met the co-pastors at my Uncle’s birthday party; they are a really cool couple who spent 25 years in Costa Rica as missionaries.

Have you ever been in Spanish culture? It’s amazing. And really weird, all at the same time. Today was so good for me, but hard as well! I tried to only speak Spanish to the Hispanic people, but I was so nervous and scared of messing up that I think it blocked my ears from understanding what people were saying to me. That, and I haven’t been in a full-blooded Spanish situation like that since last year, in Guatemala. So, even though I do read Spanish bi-weekly and hear it spoken bi-weekly in my 250 class, it’s different to be around 40-50 native speakers who are getting together to fellowship. They were so welcoming! But I felt like a doofus. Oh well, what can you do?

I understood far less than I expected, some of which my have been due to my own nervousness that, like I said above, clogged my ears from understanding. All in all, it was really cool.

There’s just something about Spanish, that now when my mind is set upon a degree in it with a possible future in translating, I get excited even when I encounter a very real glimpse of how far I have to go in Spanish skills. Even though it’s hard, I feel settled into the idea that yes, barring a door-closed from the Lord, I will spend a fair portion of the rest of my life speaking Spanish on some level. That’s a fun thought for me.

Well, this week I take the SLRPE, the Spanish Listening and Reading Placement Exam, which I must pass with an 80% or better to get into the 400 level Spanish classes at OSU. I’m a little nervous, but I’m hearing from people’s experience that it’s not all that bad, and I’ll be glad when it’s over at least.

Let’s see, what else….? Well, nothing really of more importance. And, actually, it’s almost bedtime. So I’m off for now. Have a great week!