today marks one of the highlights of my stay in madrid when i was able to converse with an old man who owns a shoe shop - in spanish. my friend and i were walking around when we happened by a shop with so many people. curious, we went in and saw that this old man was selling shoes that are like espadrilles, but at a cheaper price. the pair of plain shoes cost 5euros while the ones with "bandera" cost 8 euros. the shoes were nice (and they have cool colors) so we decided to order one ourselves. the pair of shoes that caught my eye was this plain lavander one -- i just love the pastel color of it -- but i was also looking at the red shoes with the band on it. after much thought, i decided on the lavander.
so i paid and checked my shoes before leaving... and then, i suddenly changed my mind -- i wanted the red shoes with the bandera on it! so how to change my shoes when the guy only speaks spanish?!
"senor, por favor... uhmmm... puedes cambiar mi sapatos -- este con este ? numero siete." i asked, pointing from the one i bought to the new style that i want. numero siete, because i don't know what "size" is in spanish!
"un momento..." so i waited, and waited, and waited...
i thought he didn't understand me at first but then realized that there were just too many people that he didn't know where to start. finally, i was given my shoes and paid the additional 3euros.
great, right? what a feeling, even though i really, really, know very little spanish. but that is not where my story ends.
there's this asian, more likely chinese, guy who was at a lost and the propietor wasn't really minding him because even the english of this guy wasn't really good. when he noticed that i was able to converse with the old man (and saw that i'm also asian), he approached me and asked if i could talk to the old man for him. he wanted to buy the three kings on display but was not sure if the old man understood him since he didn't get all that he ordered.
so i waited patiently for the owner to come back to the counter and i asked him,
"senor, este hombre, quieres comprar los tres reyes alla."
and the man looked at me and said something like --
"si, pero el hombre quieres comprar muy pequeno reyes.... i don't have them, only the large ones."
so alright... i understood him, he understood me. i was able to buy my shoes and even helped somebody else!
i'm glad i can at least speak and understand it while i was at madrid. i think it's time for me to hit my spanish books again! :)
*****
another phrase that i learned, which i think is really appropriate for me...
"he olvidado algo."
after i asked javier and maite "como se dice 'i forgot something' en espanol?"
:) still, even in madrid, i'm forgetful!
