Sunday, January 1, 2012

En Español, por favor!

Happy New Year to all! It is almost a year since I started BPM and I would like to thank each person who encouraged me to continue to write. There were days when I did not feel like typing away yet remembering each person who likes to read my musings has kept me engaged. Therefore, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart on this first morning of the new year.

As the kids and Diva Dog sleep soundly, a new phenomenon occurred yesterday....there were no parties, no celebrations, no late nights....It was a perfect end to the year.

Today, I am not going to look backward 'cause I think that I have already learned from my mistakes. I really want to look ahead and not make the same mistakes but perhaps a few new ones. A tennis coach of mine once said: "Don't worry about double faults, it means that you are going for it..." What does that mean? Well, if we want to be successful, we are going to trip up and make a few errors along the way, but at least we are not content with the status quo. We are moving toward being better athletes or individuals. So, when you err, just remember, you are living life to the fullest and therefore when there are screw ups, they were an effort to try new things or move ahead. As we try new things, there are growing pains and learning curves. No one is flawless and therefore we can learn from trial and error.

OK, is this enough philosophy for you? Yeah, me too....my brain is starting to hurt.

And so, as I look toward 2012, I do have a few goals. These are not resolutions, since I make them every day and pretty much break them as soon as I make them. But, I signed up to learn a new skill, paddle tennis. Further, I would like to learn a new language, perhaps Italian. I had dos anos of Espanol en escuela and do not remember much. But Italian sounds intriguing. I love Italy and being part Italian, it sounds like I can try out my new skill in the city's section of Little Italy.

However, I do need to pay my Slovak heritage a tribute, but there are no adult classes to learn Slovak and no Little Slovakia in the city....so, I have narrowed my selection down to a language in which I can locally order my dinner. For example, one night we ate at an authentic Mexican restaurant and dad boldly ordered our dinners in Spanish. Consequently, we did not get what we wanted. He used the wrong words and ordered something that I did not want to eat. In his mind, he really thinks that he knows Spanish, so much so that when we were in Mexico he thought he told the cab driver that he had a "nice car." Instead he said the cab driver had a "nice knife." We laughed at that one, but dad still thinks that he is bilingual. Hmmmm.....moving on....

Yesterday I watched House Hunters International on HGTV and find this show fascinating since travel shows take me all over the world without a passport or going through customs. The episode focused on a young couple from Minnesota who was moving to Kenya for a few years and the search was on to find a reasonably price house. As they walked through Nairobi, they conversed with the people in Swahili. Imagine! Therefore, if this young couple can learn Swahili and speak in cogent sentences, why can't I learn more Spanish or Italian beyond 'ciao', 'por favor', and '¿dónde está el baño?'

With that said, have a wonderful day!

¡Felíz año nuevo!

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