Interpreting Extraordinaire!

Holaaaa, that title is probably completely mis-spelt but I hope you get the idea! Just thought I would drop by and fill you in on my last 24hrs where I seem to have found a new role in my house. Yesterday afternoon, while stood in the shower I listened as two American accents laughed at my pet rabbits, Edith (my host) said there were four rabbits (in spanish) the american mother said to her daughter "ahh, the rabbit is four years old" (in english) I could tell then and there this evening was going to be different to those I had spent with my host family up until now. When I emerged from my shower Edith explained that a couple of americans had rocked up to stay, only thing was their Spanish was non existant. Dinner began and it was interesting listening as Edith and the americans tried to talk but couldn{t, neither could speak to the other without first turning to me. This was exciting. Quietly sat in the corner talking to the dog minding my own business they all turned to me for help. So for the next 2 hours I had to interpret between them, I had no idea my spanish was any good. Until yesterday i considered myself someone who didn{t understand or speak Spanish... however, it appears I may be a little better than I think. My brain is tired all the time with trying to live in Spanish but then when I was suddenly expected to translate for them I got extremely tired very quickly. I was suddenly very grateful for last years speaking exam, the one that I had dreaded from the first day of second year right up until the very last day of second year when i burst out of that exam room grinning the biggest grin i skipped off down the hallway. Little did I know, taking with me a new skill, the ability to interpret at least the basic meaning for two people who can{t speak each others language. And yesterday, I put this skill to good use, for the biggest range of conversation topics. I{m excited.

This morning I got up, the Americans had already headed out for the day, my host family seem to have a new level of respect for me, instead of turning to the TV and leaving me to eat on my own we all sat at the table to eat together, asking me questions and talking to me. They completmented my Spanish skills and said I was getting a lot better. Yey, progress :-). We then started searching for salsa music. This was very amusing, the three of us, old CD player dusted off, me with towel in hand cleaning the CDs that were so scratched I{m amazed any of them worked at all. Few of them did work, but some jumped into life and a loud Spanish voice came blairing through the speakers, Teo immediately leaping up and singing along and dancing around the room, Edith tapping. Together we laughed and sang, the workers outside probably wondering why on earth at 7.30 on a Saturday morning we appeared to be having a fiesta of our very own. We didn{t find any Salsa. Every type of Spanish music except the one we needed, and then Eye of the Tiger and I was able to take over the singing. Breakfast was quite an occasion today, and a lot of fun. I am now off across town to see if I can find some salsa. The reason being if i can find a salsa CD i can have my first salsa lesson today. This is very exciting and I really want to start learning so I have to find this CD. Anyway today is looking good, my host family seeming to know me a little better, my Spanish skills improving all the time, Salsa lessons on the horizon AND my host family have even offered to take me out this afternoon. I have no idea where, I can{t remember the name of the place, all I could understand is "it{s a very beautiful place" and "we will leave at 3pm if it doesn{t rain" The rain has been nonstop in the last couple of days and so I am hoping that it doesn{t stop this trip because I think it will be an important trip. The sun is shining at the moment so fingers crossed its here to stay! Where ever this trip maybe.