Speaking The Same Language?

I’m getting used to the people’s accent and manner of speaking, which is very soft and quick.  Their sense of hearing is very good.  At the office, I often hear our secretary speaking in a low volume and then hear the accountant at the opposite end of the office respond to him.  It is amazing, really.  I am slowly adjusting to their accent, speed and low volume with which folks speak here. 

And though I am fluent in Spanish, some of the local colloquialisms leave me feeling like I am listening to a foreign language.  For example:  A trash can I know as “basurero” in Spanish, but here it is commonly called a “tacho.”  A “partida” which to me means “a leaving” here means “a certificate.”  There are many such instances where I listen and then have to ask someone what a word means in the context of our conversation.  Following, I share with you a funny lost-in-translation instance that happened to me recently at the office. 

One day, our receptionist/office clerk was standing by my desk waiting to talk with Anna, our office manager and financial officer, and said, “I need to speak with Anna because I have to go to the Banco de la Nacion (Bank of the Nation).  I have to send Domi menudo.” FYI, Domi is a missionary in a very small town located in one of the most remote areas of the jungle.  It takes 2 days travel via the Amazon and Napo rivers.  So, when I heard the word “menudo” my mind went all over the place.  First, I started craving menudo, a Mexican soup commonly eaten at breakfast.  Second, I thought, where do they sell menudo here, (Peruvian cuisine is very different than the Mexican one.) and why is she saying she is going to the BANK to get MENUDO? Lastly, my thought was how would she package menudo so it doesn’t spill and spoil?  Of course, all these thoughts ran through my mind in a matter of seconds and then she added, “because Domi has a hard time getting change in that town.  AHA! Then the light bulb went on in my head, and I realized that when she said “menudo” she meant CHANGE!  Now that made sense as to why she needed to go to the bank. I am always amazed at how we can speak the same language and yet not understand each other. 

There is much more to share from here, but I will save it for my next blog.  I continue to pray for you and humbly ask for your prayerful support for all missionaries.  Thank you.  God bless you. 

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