Role Reversal

By Donna B. McNicol -
Celeritas Cart clip artSupermaxi is our local grocery store, although we sometimes go to Coral (sort of a super Walmart on steroids) when we need gallon jugs of vinegar, cases of water, etc.

When we first moved here, over a year ago, when I would hear someone speaking English in either store, I would walk up and introduce myself. (Stu says my internal extrovert went on high alert...) It was a great way to meet new folks as well as ask questions about products, what to use and where to find things. Now the expats I encounter are typically friends and although we stop to chat, at times we just wave and move on down the aisle.

Yesterday I was doing some last minute shopping before the holiday weekend. I had just finished in the produce department and had moved to the dairy aisle when an Ecuadorian lady stopped me. She had a recipe written in English and wanted to know what an "apple" was. In Spanish the word is "manzana". She pointed towards the apples while she spoke, in English.

She wasn't sure if the apples were what she needed and I told her, "Si." She then said "large" and I nodded repeating "grande". As we walked towards the apples I told her, "No mas grande. Mediano." She laughed and agreed.

It wasn't till late that I realized how different this was from my visits a year ago. Today I helped a local with her English. A true role reversal.
 
Ciao for now!

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