Thursday, May 28, 2009

Eu entendo...mais ou menos!

So, it's been 2 weeks since I've started Portuguese lessons and I am slowly but surely gaining more confidence in speaking with the locals. One of the guys at the Front Desk at the hotel (going on week 4 here!) speaks perfect English and he is kind enough not to interrupt me in English once he pieces together what I'm asking for and lets me finish stumbling around before he corrects me. Very sweet guy. (Though he did think that Bond and I were brother and sister (after staying in the same room for 2 weeks...?) and gave us 2 separate rooms when we came back from a weekend at the beach. I literally burst out laughing when he realized we were, in fact, married. He was so embarrassed and I felt even worse not being able to control my outburst, so maybe that's why he's so patient with me now?)

 

At any rate, I've told Bond that I need to be able to be function better out on my own, so at dinner last night, I told him, "não Inglês!" just to test myself. Well, in hindsight, maybe I should have added a disclaimer such as, "não Inglês...unless I am about to embarrass myself!"

 

It all started innocently enough. We found an amazing Thai restaurant on Saturday night and it was one of the best meals I've had in Brasil and a close second to the Thai restaurant we found in South Africa on our honeymoon. So, last night, we decided to go back again. Well, since it was only 8PM, the place was totally empty and when we walked in, the waiter that had helped us on Saturday night welcomed us back like old friends and told us to pick any table. When we went on Saturday night, the place was packed and we were given a table up in the front, so I hadn't had a chance to check out the back of the restaurant and Bond and I picked a table near the bar. Close to our table, there was a big green space that looked like a little Amazon forest with a ton of vegetation and exotic flowers. The floor looked like clear, shiny marble and was all lit up. It was really pretty and around the corner, I could tell there was a private dining area back there that I wanted to get a closer look at because all I could see was a bunch of big lounge chairs and comfy looking couches with pillows. "Perhaps a fun place to have a small party someday...when I can enjoy caiprinhas again, that is!" I thought. 

 

Well, as I got closer and was standing next to the bar peeking around the corner, I heard the bartender say something really loud in Portuguese, but I didn't think he was speaking to me. And so, after I stepped in 6 inches of water surrounding the gorgeous Amazon-like vegetation, instead of the clear, shiny marble I thought I saw from afar, I understood perfectly what he was desperately trying to tell me. "Hey! You crazy, American woman! Don't step there! It's a fountain!" 

 

I think I'm making great progress, don't you?

 

(We had gotten there so early, that they had yet to turn on the waterfall fountain that only added to the "Amazoness" of it all when they turned it on...5 minutes later. I noticed then that there was another walkway leading to the cool, lounge area in the back, which yes, they do rent out for parties!)

1 comment:

  1. So what you're trying to tell us is that you are getting your feet wet, huh? hehehe

    (Oooh, I know, terrible . . . but I couldn't resist. ;)

    You'll do great with the Portuguese. Just remember that pronunciation is of supreme importance. Pau isn't Pão and Cocô isn't Coco. Those two alone can really make you embarrass yourself (or um, me embarrass myself.)

    ReplyDelete