"Paruparo, Palaka, Baka, Isda."

Those are the very first Tagalog words I learned on Tuesday as part of my training to become an English and Spanish instructor at a language center in the Wall St. area. That's right- I'm giving the teaching thing another try but with a twist.

At first I was nervous about it. My English is awesome but my Spanish, wellllllll, let's just say I speak an "ebonics" version of Spanish, and it's fast and at times, incomprehensible. But the ad asked for native speakers and that's me- a native Spanish speaker.

It was my first language, and even though I spent most of my life perfecting my "White" voice and my English grammar, it has never left me. Sometimes I doubt my ability to communicate with another Spanish speaker but as soon as the situation arises the words formulate in my brain and roll off my tongue the way they're supposed to.

Not to say that I can't use some help with my spelling, grammar and pronunciation; that's a given. I've already contacted Mari for tips on improving all that stuff before I get a student, and being the awesome little sister that she is, I received in my gmail a wealth of information that will help me along.

So I'm excited about this new opportunity, not only because it will improve my teaching AND language skills, but because I will be at a place where languages and cultures are revered. You don't even understand how the NERD GIRL in me woke up and paid attention during all of the demo lessons the other potential instructors gave. I now have some French, Czech, Arabic, Portuguese, Albanian and Tagalog in my arsenal and I can't even quiet the little butterflies tingling all over my body at the prospect of being back in an institution of learning.

And the bonus? I heard them playing some Gypsy Kings in the lounge the other day.



I'm totally going to LOVE this place!

*smooches...con un poquito de español*
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yeah, so, if we're talking and all of a sudden I bust out with some Albanian on your ass don't be alarmed...it's just The Voices digesting all this new information.