I learned Spanish in high school. I never really got to utilize my Spanish. I did keep practicing. I kept the Spanish I knew stored in my brain, so I would be ready for the opportunity to use my Spanish.
Between 1982 and 2009, I never really got to utilize my Spanish.
While I was unemployed 2009 to 2012, I tried to find ways to improve my Spanish.
I found SpanishDict, it's a website that translates and educates. I get Spanish word of the day emailed to me daily. I explore a lesson, or brush up on pronunciations and meanings of the words I do know.
I got this crazy idea to go to a Spanish speaking chatroom, to learn every day Spanish, and chat or text in Spanish. That's where I learned some dirty words that you wouldn't in elementary school.That helped me learn to joke around in Spanish.
I learned some shortcuts for some Spanish words:
ace = hace
pork = porque
Took me awhile to get what pork was until I sounded it out over and over. It hit me, oh yeah, porque!
Then I attended fundraisers for the Hispanic Education Center in my town. I also attended Hispanic community events at my church. I was able to practice Spanish. I learned I know lots of words, phrases, questions and answers, better than I thought.
I had the hopes to volunteer to read to children at the learning center to improve my Spanish. That never happened because I found a full-time job.
2014, I became a full-time employee of Kohler Company. My trainer was a Hispanic girl. I took a big , let my trainer know I understand some Spanish. We hit it off. We become good friends. She's still my friend.
During the 6 years at Kohler Company other Spanish speaking people came. Most of them girls. They knew each other, some related to each other. I called these girls, Diablas. My word for divas, or troublemakers. (Diabla is devil in Spanish) It was my pet name for these girls. I knew when these girls get together and start talking, they are talking naughty things. (None of your business things.)
This is how I called my friends Diabla Numero Uno, dos, tres, and so on, the order I met each person. This is how I earned my nickname Diabla.
One lady was protesting against the Spanish speaking workers for speaking Spanish. I protested back. I said if they're speaking Spanish it's a private conversation, none of your business.
I get to practice Spanish at my current job. I recently started working with a guy that speaks Spanish. I took a stab at speaking Spanish to him. He liked that. We become good friends since.
He liked it when I learned the word for "lazy" in Spanish is "vago". Some days my friend would call out to me, to call me vaga (lazy). Some days we exchange "vago" all day. Until the team leader stopped us. "No yelling across the room!" (Team leader don't like funny or fun😠)
It's fun speaking Spanish at work. Some people don't like us, they think we're talking about them.
I am not fluent and I'm not good in conversation. I do know lots of words, phrases, questions and answers. I know how to be friendly, flirt, funny, and cause trouble in Spanish.
