Necesito Hablar Espanol!

Since we moved into more of a city/urban area of our state I've realized some key things about living here.

#1: Don't ever leave your car or house doors unlocked, unlit, or un-alarmed, ever!

#2: Don't leave things in your yard that you don't mind someone taking in broad daylight while you watch and scream not to.

#3: I need to learn Spanish.

Correction: I need to re-learn Spanish.

I took Spanish for five years in high school and college and got good enough to basically understand and be understood when I spent a month in Mexico. Unfortunately, that was many years ago and I haven't kept up with it. And learning a foreign language is not like riding a bicycle. At least, not for me. Although I know I will pick it up quickly once I start practicing, I have lost a lot of vocabulary I once knew.

The reason I've suddenly become inspired to speak Spanish is because....well....no one around me speaks English. And I want to make friends with the neighbors. Especially seeing how vulnerable we are to theft and burglary, it would be nice to have friends watching out for us.

Yesterday, a flock of children from the apartment building next door descended upon our outdoor toys like seagulls to a peice of bread. I don't blame them, we do have a lot of cool stuff
(most of which was given to us I might add). I'm sure to them we look muy rico. But by the rest of the country's standards, we're pretty average.

But what I realized after asking a little girl her name and how old she was and being answered "que?" over and over is that these kids don't speak any English. And the older ones, who speak a little bit, don't really understand much. How were my kids to make friends? How am I to make friends (or at least be cordial) with their parents?

The city I live in is 80% Hispanic. Which is great for my kids, since they are Hispanic. And great for us because we love the culture. BUT, we certainly don't fit in. Even in trying to learn Spanish, cooking rice and beans, even with my children who look Hispanic, we will never really be one of them.

But I do think it's important for my kids to have some basic Spanish, to make friends, and because eventually people will assume they speak it because they look like they should.

So...hablas un idioma diferente?