Listening exercises

The Bicentennial is rocking my North American socks off. Chileans really know how to celebrate a birthday.

Yesterday I went to Jess's house for a family bar-b-que. There were thirty red, white, and blue balloons festooning/exploding on the patio and, of course, lots of great food (including the legendary "choripan," which is sausage in bread, imbued with the power to convert vegetarians to voracious meat-a-tarians).

I then accompanied Jess and the far-reaching branches of her host family to a "fonda," which is kind of like a community fair. We had doughnut-esque things as soon as we walked through the gate, and after that, I just tagged along with the family, slack-jawed at all the dancing and food and music.

Jess and I rounded out the night by visiting with some friends of her host brother. We talked until the wee hours of the morning and played round after round of cards. So much practice in Spanish!

And somewhere along the way yesterday, I suddenly felt very lucid about all I am learning. I am completely immersed. This is the Chilean bicentennial, and I am here! And I can almost speak the language!
I can understand most conversations, song lyrics, and news reports, although the words of metro attendants and mumbling grandmas still escape me.

I feel like a baby, processing new words and appropiating them into my own speech.
And I think I may be to the point where I can make a joke in another language - intentionally. Quantum leap, eh?

So my brain is fit to burst.
My whole world is one long listening exercise.
And I love it.