Learning Spanish

Two members of my family are in the throes of learning Spanish. Diana is continuing to study and refine her Spanish, though she speaks so quickly I can't understand her. So I am not sure learning Spanish is exactly what she is doing . . . but close.

My brother, on the other hand, decided to take a Monday night class at the community center with University of New Mexico. Although he has been exposed to Spanish all of his life, he decided to take a conversation class, just to get to a point that he can speak it.

For his first class he was 45 minutes late, due to a meeting that went way over. Of course the only seat available was in the front row, dead center. He hadn't read the confirmation to know that he was to bring a book, a paper and pencil. After all, it was a conversation class. Needless to say, he did not make the greatest impression and the class did not get off to a great start. In order to get out of the room at the end of the class, each person had to answer a question. If they got it right, they were allowed to leave. Bart said if the teacher hadn't given him the answer, he would still be sitting there.

Last night, they were working on personal characteristics, and the way he describes it, he was frequently the object of description. Although some people were probably nice, he only recalls those who said he had gray hair (he doesn't - it's red), he is bald (he isn't), and he is short (5' 11" or so . . . not short in my book.) But the worst was when the teacher said he was "poco gordo," . . . a bit fat. Mind you, he has lost over 30 pounds and looks really good. Some teacher.

Good thing he has a sense of humor. I can imagine some in the class would not have appreciated the comments. It could have gotten ugly.

Let it be known that we look forward to hearing from Bart on Tuesdays. I hope next Monday they are nicer to him!