3 years ago
I Speak Colombian
I Speak Colombian
Spanish in Colombia is pretty easy to pick up, due to the fact that every Colombian who sees you wants to talk to you. Colombian people are naturally drawn to foreign people. In some cases they treat the foreigner as if they were the smartest most trustworthy people they have met. So much goodwill can be downright unnerving sometimes.
Probably the best thing about speaking Spanish in Colombia is that you don t have to really learn the names of any Colombian men. Instead, you can just refer to any man you have met on the street as maestro. In English, maestro is reserved for an artist who has their work displayed in many different museums around the globe or for someone who has been paid to conduct a symphony. Here in Colombia, you can call someone a maestro just because you like the quality of chips he is selling out of a shopping cart near the mini stop.
An everyday phrase here in Colombia is, Hay un inconveniente. In English, this phrase would be used if maybe the meal you ordered at a restaurant is going to take 5 or 10 minutes longer than expected to arrive to your table. The waiter would tell you, Sorry sir, there is an inconvenience, the pork sandwich you ordered is going to take an extra 10 minutes before it will be ready.
Good luck if you are in a hospital in Colombia and the doctor tells you, Hay un inconveniente. This no doubt means that what they thought was just a little routine acid reflux really means that your kidneys have exploded and you have 3 minutes to live.
You thank the clerk for such a warm welcome and try to explain to her that really you aren t anyone important. You actually just came in to buy $1,500 pesos ($0.75USD) worth of that good Bocatto ice cream and are not worthy of being called Your mercy. To this, the clerk will promptly respond, Para servirle (another common way to say at your service ).
Even the older gentleman, with the fleet of dogs by the bus station is always asking...
Please view/share the book "48,000,000 Colombians Can't Be Wrong," by Brian Ward on Amazon.
#colombia #bogota #venezuela #90dayfiance