La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Today is the 13th anniversary of our arrival in Spain. For me, there are absolutely no regrets. A few people in our lives were outspoken in their opinions that we would very quickly return to the States. Others whispered behind our backs and we found out. I wonder how many others felt the same but never told anyone. Admittedly, it’s unusual for us to settle someplace for long but it seemed to us from the start that we’d never return to the States. Gaily forward always.
We lasted 1-1/2 years in Sevilla. We loved it there and had planned to stay longer although we had decided our next move would be to the coast. We simply moved up the date when we had bursting water pipes, with no resolution, in our apartment.
February was our 11th anniversary in Fuengirola. In the same apartment. A residency record in both our lives (by several years). San Geraldo’s Spanish still needs work, but he tries and can manage. He did great with classes but has had other things occupying his mind and time since then. He almost signed up with a private tutor recently, but decided to dedicate his time to his research and writing. My Spanish does improve weekly but it’s still a long way from where I’d like it to be. I would like to speak Spanish as well as I speak English, which will never happen. And unless I work with a private tutor daily, I will simply continue with my slow and steady improvement. My grammar is shoddy and my vocabulary limited. But I’m told my pronunciation and accent are very good. Sometimes, I surprise people with fine grammar and advanced vocabulary (but not often, I’m sure). When I speak Spanish no one knows I’m originally from the United States or even that English is my native language. And I like it like that.
The image above is from a local restaurant (our view while we had ice cream across the alley). Cocktails in Spanish are cócteles. That’s a common incorrect spelling. Then there’s the common Indian-Italian-Mexican restaurants around town. I don’t get the combination and I tend to avoid these places. I think it’s all pre-cooked by a supplier and then frozen. The combined cooking (reheating) aromas just don’t work together for me. Also, these combo restaurants often add English breakfast and Steak House to their signage. If your car needs a lube job, I’m sure they’ll do that while you eat.
I didn’t know what a “Stick House” was until San Geraldo asked me if they meant Steak. Jeez! I would at least make sure I had it correct before I paid for a sign.
Hoy se cumple 13º aniversario de nuestra llegada a España. Para mí, no hay absolutamente ningún arrepentimiento. Algunas personas en nuestras vidas expresaron abiertamente sus opiniones de que regresaríamos muy rápidamente a los Estados Unidos. Otros susurraron a nuestras espaldas y nos enteramos. Me pregunto cuántos otros sintieron lo mismo pero nunca se lo dijeron a nadie. Es cierto que no es habitual que nos quedemos mucho tiempo en un lugar, pero desde el principio nos pareció que nunca regresaríamos a Estados Unidos. Siempre adelante alegremente.
Duramos 1 año y medio en Sevilla. Nos encantó estar allí y habíamos planeado quedarnos más tiempo. Habíamos decidido que nuestro próximo traslado sería a la costa y simplemente adelantamos la fecha cuando teníamos tuberías de agua reventadas, sin resolución, en nuestro departamento.
En febrero fue nuestro 11º aniversario en Fuengirola. En el mismo apartamento. Un récord de residencia en nuestras vidas (por varios años). El español de San Geraldo todavía necesita mejorar, pero lo intenta y puede lograrlo. Le fue muy bien en las clases, pero desde entonces ha tenido otras cosas ocupando su mente y su tiempo. Estuvo a punto de contratar un tutor privado recientemente, pero decidió dedicar su tiempo a la investigación y la escritura. Mi español mejora semanalmente, pero todavía está muy lejos de donde me gustaría que estuviera. Me gustaría hablar español tan bien como hablo inglés, lo cual nunca sucederá. Y a menos que trabaje diariamente con un tutor privado, simplemente continuaré con mi mejora lenta y constante. Mi gramática es mala y mi vocabulario es limitado. Pero me han dicho que mi pronunciación y mi acento son muy buenos. A veces sorprendo a la gente con buena gramática y vocabulario avanzado (pero no a menudo, estoy seguro). Cuando hablo español nadie sabe que soy originario de Estados Unidos ni que el inglés es mi lengua materna. Y me gusta así.
La imagen de arriba es de un restaurante local (nuestra vista mientras tomábamos un helado al otro lado del callejón). Los cócteles en español son cócteles. Esa es una ortografía incorrecta común. Luego están los restaurantes indios, italianos y mexicanos comunes en la ciudad. No entiendo la combinación y tiendo a evitar estos lugares. Creo que un proveedor lo precocina todo y luego lo congela. Los aromas combinados de cocción (recalentamiento) simplemente no funcionan juntos para mí. Además, estos restaurantes combinados suelen añadir desayuno inglés y Steak House a sus carteles. Si tu auto necesita un trabajo de lubricación, estoy seguro de que lo harán mientras comes.
No sabía qué era una “Stick House” hasta que San Geraldo me preguntó si se referían a Steak. ¡Dios! Al menos me aseguraría de tenerlo correcto antes de pagar por una señal.
Happy Anniversary! I am one of many, who with we had figured out how to do, what you have done. Celebrate with a stick.
David:
I’m so happy we did this! Thanks.
I can’t believe that this means, for me, that I’ve been reading and commenting on your blog for over 11 years, since I “met” you when you were still in Seville… I remember the whole drama that came with the burst pipes (the lack of care and proper repairs).
I’m sure you are being humble about your language skills in Spanish 🙂 But, I understand that feeling of knowing that you’re not as comfortable and able in this other language, as in English. I sometimes think, about my French, that I can communicate about most daily life situations in one way, but the reality is that (at least in English), native speakers usually have about two or three ways to express everything… I’m just glad to have one 🙂 And, it is satisfying when native speakers can’t tell right off the bat that your native language is American English… that can’t help but bring out a smile (In my case, French people often think that I’m maybe German or Northern European).
Ewww… the stick house and all of those “exotic” frozen, re-heated cuisines… no thanks. (Good on Jerry figuring out that it was meant to be steak ! I can.not.believe that they would not just ask someone to look ONCE at their proposed sign to check for spelling…. geeeeeeze).
(End of longest comment ever 😉 )
Judy C:
Walt was one of the first blogs I found when I knew nothing about blogging and commenting (and replying). So you, Seine Judeet, were one of my first blogging friends! I’m appalled by the signage people pay for without having it proofread. Then again, I remember my shock at signage in the United States, too. I do pride myself on my pronunciation (although not perfect). I know an American, fluent in Spanish, who opens his mouth and is immediately recognized as American and I wish he would work on that.
Hi Mitch & SG, we share this experience completely, being now for 12,5 years in Australia. Our (r)emigration turned out to be the best decision we ever took ;-)!!
Anonymous is Jan (& Dean) from Perth
Jan & Dean:
Always a pleasure to hear from you. So glad you’re happy with your decision, too. Would love to know some of your stories. (Hope the language didn’t give you too much of a problem…)
Yes. I believe you probably could get a lube job done on your car while you ate your stick and drank your coctails. Now if one could only get an eye exam with new glasses arriving with dessert.
Congratulations on making a dream come true and working hard at being able to speak the language. So many Americans think that everyone in the world speaks English or at least SHOULD speak English so why bother to learn a different one?
May you and SG have many more years in your beautiful adopted home-city.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
Ooh, an eye exam… and a pedicure! We’re often shocked by the visitors (and expats) who walk into restaurants and businesses and begin to chatter away in their own language as if anyone would understand them. There’s an English woman who natters away (in a hard to understand dialect) at the bar when she’s paying. The woman she natters to speaks almost no English. The first time she looked shock. Now she smiles and smiles and when the customer leaves, she laughs.
You proved the naysayers wrong! I hope your anniversary dinner will be at a good stick house!
Debra:
Our anniversary dinner was spent at home. A brick house.
Boud here, another transplant! Congratulations on your Annie! And people who’ve never done it can’t grasp the notion of changing countries and cultures forever. My Canadian relatives now mostly deceased, never stopped pressuring me about why, if I’d left the UK, I didn’t go to the obvious destination, theirs! But like you, we never looked back.
I lived in France when I was younger, my French considered fluent and I was routinely mistaken for French. But I never felt I had the depth of language to discuss serious issues as I did in English, even when I was thinking in French.
I’m guessing you’re a lot more fluent than you cop to!
Boud:
I do fine in Spanish but I have my limits and that frustrates me. I have a Canadian cousin (from Montreal) who has lived in the States for the past 50 years. She’s still treated like a foreigner (and there are those who still compliment her on her English).
Well I never thought you’d be back right away…I just didn’t like that you were going…although I understood the “why”.
And I call BS on your claim to shoddy gray and limited vocabulary! For Pete’s sake! You write your blog in Spanish. 🙄
Judyshannonstreetwhat:
So there you are!!! My Spanish has gotten better, but it’s nothing like my English. Writing is easier than speaking. I take my time. I look things up. I learn as I go.
I bet your Spanish is better than you think! Congratulations on your anniversary. Aren’t you glad you don’t live in the United States now?
Michael:
Sometimes my Spanish surprises me. Other times, my limitations frustrate me. And, yes, I am SO glad to not be living in the USA now. But the world is a scary place!
I always find those misspelt signs hilarious! It’s not just Spain; we have so many foreign shops and cafes run by distinctly dodgy types – see here – that it’s a common occurrence in London, too. There must be a whole industry of signwriters who put everything into Google Translate and hope for the best…
Congratulations on your anniversary – thirteen is lucky for some! Jx
Jon:
Oh, the misspellings, punctuation, and grammatical errors used to drive me crazy in the US, too. And they weren’t just foreign shops. The education system! Huge billboards with typos and I had to drive by them every day. Seriously, what would it take to have it proofread?
I think your Spanish is probably wonderful and you don’t give yourself enough credit! Congrats on your anniversary. You seem to be very happy in Spain, and I’m sure you’re glad to be out of the crazy that is the US these days. Can I move in with you? 😉 lol
J Barlow:
My Spanish is wonderful as long as I don’t say too much! I highly recommend Spain!
Happy Anniversary! Cheers to many more! 🥂
I’d be very leery of any place offering three different cuisines! Scary.
Bob:
It’s such a weird local thing. Indian-Italian-Mexican-Steak House (or Stick House). We give them a wide berth.
We’ve been out of the U.K. now for 25 years plus and one year in the South of France before that. If we had stayed… who knows where we’d be or what we’d be doing – watching rain and shopping. It’s still not always easy due to the language- (French) and cultural differences but life sure is a better experience than if we’d stayed. If things get bad here we just go climb a mountain/swim in the lake in summer or drive to South of France or Spain and thank our lucky stars we’re on mainland Europe. Life is what you make it! I understand where you’re coming from.
Karen:
Our friends’ daughter and son both visited Switzerland, separately, for the first time this year and they both fell in love. That kind of change is very healthy and you got to experience raising a family there.
Are there a lot of regional dialects in Spain? Do you sound like you’re from Fuengirola? I have a Costa Rican friend and she can always identify where someone is from as soon as they open their mouth. (Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, etc.) I’m not sure how she does with Spaniards or South Americans. Do you ever dream in Spanish?
I guess misspelled signage is better than a misspelled tattoo!
Kelly:
Oh, so many dialects. When we first arrived in Seville, we had a cab driver who was from up north. His wife was from Seville. He said, it took him 6 months before he understood what people were saying. A lot of smiling and nodding his head. Just like us! I can often recognize people from Argentina by their pronunciation of certain words.
Sevilla I remember like it was yesterday, Mitch! Moving to Fuengirola seemed like a perfect choice. 13 sips of vino would definitely make a statement! Cheers!
Ron:
13 sips of vino would have been fun … until I likely ended up back in the hospital.
I think it’s great you left the US!!! Your better off for it. And if the Dump wins….will you need a houseboy??? I will wear whatever you want me too, or what you don’t want me to wear!! I cook , clean, garden, laundry, massage, interior design, entertain, take dictation, party plan, and love pets.
Mistress Borghese:
If the Dump wins, will we still have our pensions??? But, if we do, yes we need a houseboy! I told SG last night, it would be nice to be able to phone Isabel when dishes need to be washed! Then I suggested we hire a cook.
Warm anniversary greetings to you both!
Walt the Fourth:
Thanks to you, one of the very first bloggers I found.
Happy anniversary, and sorry I’m so late. Indian-Italian-Mexican-Steak House? I guess Indian and steak surprises me more than Mexican and Italian. Aren’t cows supposed to be sacred in India, or are the other nationalities canceling that prohibition out?
Kirk:
LOL. I hadn’t thought about the combination of Indian traditions and a steak house. But Beef Vindaloo is awfully popular in the UK. I guess it’s not authentic.
Many congrats! I admire people like you that can make this type of move. We’ve almost decided to move back to southern California and I’ve gotten similar comments/pushback. “It’s so expensive there!” or “You’re going to rent for the rest of your lives?!?!?!” or “aren’t you worried about the weather there?” or “what about the fires and earthquakes?” Yea….not terribly supportive but all signs point to this move. And truly, there is no perfect place to live. As for Spanish learning – have you considered a language exchange? Before our last trip to Spain in May I had two intercambios so that I could practice my Spanish and even though we didn’t chat for very long before the trip, I still think it was beneficial. I only chat with one now and she tells me the same as you’ve heard, that I speak very well. Vocabulary comes with more exposure and I’ve learned so many new words since starting these intercambios. You likely could find an in-person one but you can also do them online which is what I do. I chat with a woman in Barcelona for an hour, 30 minutes in Spanish and 30 minutes in English. And I’d say we’re at about the same level, her English is at about the same level as my Spanish and it works well!
Tobyo:
I prefer in-person. I had a friend in Sevilla who had the time and we enjoyed meeting, she for English and me for Spanish. Had a friend here who wanted to do it; it was wonderful (he didn’t need any help with English) but his wife, not Spanish, was not happy about it. Have another friend who was wonderful but she’s constantly traveling for work. I’ll keep looking. I also did try doing the intercambio on video cam, but I didn’t enjoy it. We had the same reactions when we moved from Connecticut to California. People!
There are times I envy you. Being by the ocean and all. Our move 9 years ago wasn’t nearly as exciting. Enjoy your “new” home (it’s obvious you guys love it).
Frank:
And it’s definitely home.
Congratulations to both of you. After all these years abroad am sure you would find it very hard to return to the USA
Laurent:
I can’t imagine living in the USA again. I enjoy seeing my brother once a year, but have no desire to go back other than that.
And this month is the 13th anniversary of our move to London! I guess 2011 was a year of big changes. Sunspots or something. At least here we don’t have the language challenge (well, not usually!) which would be both a blessing and a curse.
Steve:
How could I forget?!? Happy anniversary to you, too. I suppose your EnglishEnglish is about as good as my Spanish.
one of the five spokes in the wheel of wellness is you like where you live; good for you !
Urspo:
I guess I’m riding on one spoke!
I no longer have any tolerance for “friends” that have an opinion about my life or life choices. You can not like or not agree with the choices I make, but keep it to yourself. two strikes, and your out. One strike, if the comments are sever enough.
Sassybear:
Oh, my extended family had lots of suggestions for my mother to make to us. But I think she was being passive-aggressive, pretending to support us and then complaining to others about us leaving the country.