Spanish for Idiots

When we booked this trip in January, I dusted off the Spanish books purchased after a frustrating and silent week in Spain a few years ago. After attending a not very helpful commuty education class in which the instructor spoke more English than Spanish, I began to eavesdrop on conversations at the West St. Paul McDonald's. Catching only a word here and there, I entrusted myself to Univision, where I fared better, especially with children's programs and commercials.

I can read quite well now, and I'm borderline fluent if I can restrict the conversation to the blue sky, pet dogs and cats and formal conversations involving great courtesy and lots of le gustas and phrases like la puerta está abierta, learned from The Busboy, a Seinfeld episode. Oh, and the conversation is best if I can take on all the speaking parts myself.

My knowledge of numbers is pretty good, but it may not be so great when I have to count unfamiliar currency. More than once in Turkey last year, I put coins on a counter, expecting the merchant to count out the correct change for me.

Still, I'm excited about the trip and looking forward to practicing my Spanish, even if everyone does speak English at a hotel like Las Brisas in touristy Ixtapa!