300RUM Report post Posted March 3, 2017 Julieta, a Venezuelan immigrant, is one of the best neighbors I could ever hope for. This thanksgiving her family invited my wife and I along with my parents for dinner. A few other of their friends were also invited. Julieta’s parents had come to visit and her husband’s mother had come from the east coast as well. Julieta was the only fluently bi-lingual person present. Her parents do not speak English very well. After the table had been cleared I found myself there alone with Elsie, Julieta’s mother. Even though it may be difficult she is always willing to try and converse. Now, I don’t even speak Spanglesh, English with a little Spanish seasoning is as good as I get. We talked about her visiting her other children, before she arrived here, in a broken mix of English, Spanish and gestures. Elsie knows I am a hunter and began asking me about hunting. One question was “are you afraid ………….oso?” I replied “not afraid of donkey”. Elsie busted up laughing, she clearly understood donkey and I had apparently totally blown oso. She figured out the word she wanted in English and tried to spell it verbaly. “B E E R” is what I heard. Now I was puzzled “cerveza”? Yes, it has kicked my butt a few times but I’m not scared of it. Elsie was laughing even harder. Next, she spelled out the word on the table with her finger B E A R. I looked at her and, while rubbing my stomach, said “delicious”. Her eyes got big and she made the motion of shooting a rifle, “eat bear”? I shook my head no and replied “arquero”. She switched to the motion of an archer and I nodded and said “yes”. Elsie then excitedly asked a question that we were not able to work out. All I could tell is it was something about the oso. That would be bear, not donkey. We had to call Julieta to interpret. “She is asking if you still have it, she wants to see your bear skin”. We went next door. There I stood in my living room with a woman older my mother, from a foreign country, and who I had difficulty communicating with. She wanted me to share my success as a hunter with her. It was a pretty cool moment. 14 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buddydog Report post Posted March 3, 2017 Great story!! Great to find common ground with the most unlikely folks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saguaro Report post Posted March 3, 2017 Good story. I work around a lot of immigrants and it's neat to talk to them. I worked with an engineer off and on from Venezuela for the past 5 years. I love the guy. Both he and his wife immigrated here and are very educated. His wife has a dentist office in Goodyear and speaks three languages. Another lady friend of mine is from Iran, she has the best accent I've heard. I can sit there and listen to her talk about anything. I know exactly what you are talking about with the language barrier and it's nice you made the effort to talk anyway, most people wouldn't. One of my Girlfriends is Mexican and her English isn't the best. It's still fun trying. I get to work on my Spanish and she gets to improve her English. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TOBY Report post Posted March 3, 2017 Cool story. My wife knew no english when I met her in '93. That was a fun few years. Now she can read speak and type better than half the guys on this forum that are saleing things, stocking things...... My friend went to Mexico one time and forgot the word for bathroom, so when he motioned with his hand on his zipper the lady took him to the condoms instead of the bano. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted March 3, 2017 It still amazes me how we can communicate and relate to when we are face with a language barrier. Many years ago our company had a project manager who transferred to another office but not before transferring some construction projects into warranty to "clean his plate". Well a short time later GC's began calling into the office for us to come out and finish construction. Kinda of SHTF moment so half a dozen of us from three branches were sent to town and we each grabbed a list of projects and off we went in this small Texas border town. We worked some 12 hour days in August and some of my projects included roof work. I spent almost two weeks there with only a Sunday off. I got to know a local employee very well and on Saturday night we all crossed over into Juarez (20 years ago) and spent most of the night there in a few clubs. We hit it off pretty well and the customers loved him. About six months later he was sent here and then assigned to me to learn a new system and spent a few weeks here. Later that year we found out the company was closing his office. I asked him what he thought about relocating to here and he said he would like to. I went to bat for him with one of our PM's and the branch manager, they made him an offer and he relocated. Fast forward about 10 years and he took citizenship classes, unbeknowst to us until one day he mentioned he was going to go and take his oath. I scrambled and found a place that sold high quality american flags and then went to about five different places until I found one to do some embroidery on short notice. The day he took his oath there were about five of us there with him and about 50 other people from all different countries too. It was very emotional for all of us that day. He is like another brother to me and all though we no longer work together we are still close. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted March 3, 2017 Cool story. My wife knew no english when I met her in '93. That was a fun few years. Now she can read speak and type better than half the guys on this forum that are saleing things, stocking things...... My friend went to Mexico one time and forgot the word for bathroom, so when he motioned with his hand on his zipper the lady took him to the condoms instead of the bano. Ok I made that same motion in Honk Kong cuz I reallllly had to take a leak and someone motioned to follow them up stairs around a corner thru doors etc.. Dude they took me to a door and motioned to knock and when door opened it was like a huge orgie going on inside. 😵 You never seen couple 21 yr old white boys high tail it outta somewhere so quick. Language barriers can be tough but I gurantee I ain't ever pointing at my junk again when I gotta pee in any country. L.O.L. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted March 3, 2017 It still amazes me how we can communicate and relate to when we are face with a language barrier. Many years ago our company had a project manager who transferred to another office but not before transferring some construction projects into warranty to "clean his plate". Well a short time later GC's began calling into the office for us to come out and finish construction. Kinda of SHTF moment so half a dozen of us from three branches were sent to town and we each grabbed a list of projects and off we went in this small Texas border town. We worked some 12 hour days in August and some of my projects included roof work. I spent almost two weeks there with only a Sunday off. I got to know a local employee very well and on Saturday night we all crossed over into Juarez (20 years ago) and spent most of the night there in a few clubs. We hit it off pretty well and the customers loved him. About six months later he was sent here and then assigned to me to learn a new system and spent a few weeks here. Later that year we found out the company was closing his office. I asked him what he thought about relocating to here and he said he would like to. I went to bat for him with one of our PM's and the branch manager, they made him an offer and he relocated. Fast forward about 10 years and he took citizenship classes, unbeknowst to us until one day he mentioned he was going to go and take his oath. I scrambled and found a place that sold high quality american flags and then went to about five different places until I found one to do some embroidery on short notice. The day he took his oath there were about five of us there with him and about 50 other people from all different countries too. It was very emotional for all of us that day. He is like another brother to me and all though we no longer work together we are still close. Super cool! When I entered military I had no H.S. diploma cuz I was a bit of wild child so had to do GED while in military. Same building did esl and citizenship classes and I remember seeing a ceremony that gave me pride to be an American because of watching those who had struggled to learn English and all the necessary things just to be part of this Country. Shoot and my dumb butt was there taking a test cuz I was too lazy to go to H.S classes. :/ people earning citizenship is awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted March 3, 2017 300RUM that is cool story! My short story is ordering pizza with jalapenos for Mexican dudes that spoke zero english and watching them pick them off while I ate them.. They thought one as nutts! 2nd is same guys and I walking and saw 3' snake I recognized as a red racer possibly coachwhip (but clearly not venomous snake) I said watch me catch it cuz they knew I was hunter and I have wrangled snakes for years.. Long story short that dang snake bit me 3 times, once,in hand, once,in leg, once in foot and was around corner before I could drop 1st cuss word and those non English speaking dudes were in dirt laughing at me for 15 minutes. 😆 best and funnest day ever with some Guatamalens Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
