SIGN LANGUAGE CAN SOMETIMES WORK IN ANOTHER CULTURE!
Cooking (and buying groceries for that matter) in another culture with different products can be a challenge.... but I thought - surely I can make Taco Salad.....
So after finding all my normal ingredients - I still needed one thing. Thousand Island salad dressing. I personally don't usually like Thousand Island - but mixed in Taco Salad it is REALLY the secret special ingredient.
So I wondered....can I find Thousand Island or something comparable here in Spain? After searching the store for salad dressings and finding nothing.... I decided to ask a worker for help....
Now remember - I don't speak Spanish.... yet.... :)
So I approached a black gentleman that worked there ( for some reason I thought I had a better chance of him knowing English since he didn't look Spanish!).... I asked him if he spoke English....
He replied... "no....français?" in a totally french accent... letting me know he speaks French. He went on to motion that he also spoke a little "espanol"....
So.... me.... knowing a FEW Spanish words.....and being clever (at least I thought) with motions - pretended I was holding a big salad bowl and said, "ensalada" (to communicate - ok here is the big salad).... then I pretended I was taking the lid off of a bottle of dressing and pouring it on the salad....
:)
He said "oh!".....and took me the 3 aisles over to a little jar of chopped carrots and something......the jar said "ensalada"
I said, "ummm.....no"
He then took me to the next aisle and showed me another jar of something strange looking....which also said "ensalada"
I said "ummmm....no"
Then he asked me, "salsa?" To which I just shrugged..... (I am thinking - no way - not salsa! ...but thought it best to just act like I had no idea)....
And.... VICTORY!!!!! Apparently the Spanish word for Dressing is SALSA!!!!! As soon as we entered the correct aisle - I said, "Si, si!" "Gracias"!
I think I may have entertained him for a bit. I was just happy to learn a new word and how to find dresssing....I mean....."salsa!"
And yes - there is something here "similar" to Thousand Island!
2 comments:
I am a woman who happened to be in Kingstowne,VA when you were at the theater church, and have been praying for you. Thank you for your blogs and making it real for everyone! I do continue to pray. My church is now the Washington Community Church in Alexandria, VA.
Glenda,
I'm LOVING all your stories about getting adjusted. We moved to Japan when the kids were 6, 3 & 18 months, so I remember VIVIDLY trying to learn all the quirks of living in a foreign land and trying to function when you don't speak the language. Nothing is simple!!!!!
You're doing great, and keeping your sense of humor will keep you from crying, I know that for a fact! :)
Keep the posts coming! Love ya,
Tanya
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