Language Barrier

To say that not speaking Portuguese while living in Brazil has been the biggest challenge is really to say that all challenges have stemmed from not speaking Portuguese while living in Brazil. Before moving here, we made a weak effort to get going on Rosetta Stone, but quite honestly, the practical vocabulary of a first timer wasn't on the agenda until much further into the program. Time ran out before I got that far. I can say "black dog, blue fish, and slacks". Who uses the word slacks in any language? Needless to say, other than the zoo and the dry cleaners, my Rosetta Stone hasn't been the biggest help.

What I kept myself from thinking about in all the chaos of moving, was just how oppressive a language barrier can be. It has caused tension between David and I, made the kids bored, caused us to break condo rules, and to spend more money than we had to.

First off, the tension between David and I. He goes to work everyday where he speaks English to all English speaking coworkers. When encountering a problem that needs Portuguese, he has a staff of bi-lingual helpers to work out the details. Great for him. In the mean time, I'm home all day with the kids, restricted to drive on Monday and Tuesday due to Sao Paulo traffic control logs, and unable to answer the Portiere when he calls. I should say, I answer, but he speaks less English than I do Portuguese so he usually just hangs up. Do I have a package waiting, a guest at the gate, or is the building on fire?

If it's really important, a Visteon HR person usually calls with the interpretation. Thank goodness for Elaine. She may save my marriage yet.

Visteon has been great at taking care of a lot of business for us since we've been here. They've arranged for all our services to be set up, took David shopping for appliances, helped call a plumber, and dealt with the doorman at the apartment. The fact that I can't do any of that without help is driving me crazy. Which brings me to my big stress of the week-SCHOOL.

We are so excited to get the kids back in school and can't wait for Monday the 31st when it finally resumes. The stress - they do not have a way to get there and they do not have anything to wear. We ordered their uniforms, but have yet to hear from the store. In the US, I would just call the store and check on the status. Here, I can only ask David to ask Elaine to call and check on the status. It's like a grown-up game of "telephone". By the time the answer gets back to me, it's riddled with misinterpretation and vagueness. Same with the bus. The kids will take a bus to school that is contracted through their school, but we have to call and set it up. Fortunately, while I've been writing this, David called to tell me that the bus was set -up. They'll call me Thursday to let me what time the kids will be picked up. I hope they don't hang up when I say hello. At least David has one thing off his "need an Portuguese translator" list.

The boredom of the kids is a subject that stems from circumstances as well as our illiteracy in Brazil. We've been out of school since December 17, living in a hotel for 18 days, and now our Sao Paulo apartment with sparse furnishings to say the least. In the US, we could go to a movie, visit with friends, go shopping, take some excursions. None of those are options here. The only recreation we have during the week is the pool and the unusually wet season has limited that option. To take away from the options, the movies here are in Portuguese, we haven't made friends yet, David has put a freeze on shopping for fun, and it's too dangerous for the kids and I to cruise around town until we get more familiar. Some days just need a good fight to give us something to do. And there's plenty of arguing in English going on.

On a more light note, our inability to read and communicate has allowed us to use the pool when it's closed for cleaning and several times I have ordered a beer and got two instead. We did have big problems at Sam's Club on Sunday, but the little Portuguese I did understand and the little more I spoke enabled us to leave with our huge purchase.

Another funny note about the Brazilians, they always speak to me while we are out and about. David will say something, the person will look confused, look to me, I'll say the same thing, and we'll get what we want. It's really pretty funny. Maybe my Brazilian looks overshadow my bad Portuguese. I just don't think they can see David through all his "blondness", a very rare trait here in Sao Paulo.

So today we start our last vacation week with a lot on the "loose ends" list, most needing to be tied up by someone other than me. If that's not motivation to learn this language, nothing else is.

Now if i can just get someone to call the Portuguese teacher for me, oh yeah and the bus driver, the Ballet school, the Ecofit Club, the bank, tell me which melons to buy, what Tylenol is in Portuguese, and take me for a haircut ( just a trim, por favor).