Around 3 a.m. at a nightclub in Morelia, Mexico, as my host sister and I were about to leave, her 28-year-old male friend told me: "Behave badly."
To a female on-guard for male predators, this type of phrase should raise a red flag when heard from this particular species, especially after his consumption of alcohol.
Add to is that the nightlife scene has never been my specialty, nor is alcohol - I prefer calmer environments such as cafes, movies, bowling or dinner and late-night chatting with my girlfriends.
But on this particular occasion, I decided to go to the nightclub for three reasons. For one, this would've probably been my only chance to see the new, classy nightclub called EGO. It sits on top of a mountain and has an all-glass front wall, so club-goers have a spectacular view of Morelia at night. Secondly, it's a different, more challenging environment in which to practice my Spanish. In Mexico, "las discotecas" and salsa clubs seem to be the most popular weekend hot spots. Lastly, clubbing offered me a chance to get to know my host sister outside of meals and daily living interactions.
Here's where I hit myself upside the head: Communication is hard enough in a crowded room with floor-rattling music and spastic lights, but filter that difficulty through the need to speak a foreign language, and what do you have? In my case, a giant mix-up.
The phrase in Spanish this particular gentleman said to me was "p+â-â-¦rtate mal," but I failed to hear or understand what he was saying, so he translated it in English. And voil+â-â-á, we have "behave badly."
I left feeling confused as to why this friend of my sister, with whom I had danced the entire evening, would change from the older-brother type, wanting to know about my trip, to the type you'd rather punch in the face, wanting to take me home.
The next day, my sister kindly explained to me the popularity of the phrase and that it is used in countless occasions without any sort of negative connotation. Spanish speakers also commonly say "p+â-â-¦rtate bien," or behave well. Needless to say, her friend felt terrible for the misunderstanding.
But it's a misunderstanding I can add to my list of lessons learned in Mexico. It can be summed up in the idea that when speaking a foreign language, it is nearly impossible to think in English - a lesson I believe no professor can truly teach in the classroom.
In other words, when speaking in Spanish, I must also think in Spanish. And for this, I many times feel as though I am talking or writing at a second- or third-grade level. In the majority of cases, it is impossible to express yourself in the same manner directly translating from English to Spanish.
For example, the idiom "raising a red flag," according to any Mexican I have asked, does not have a direct translation.
This presents a challenge when I sit down to analyze a poem, write about the differences between family in the United States and family in Mexico or discuss the observations I have made about the indigenous population in Mexico for my class compositions.
If you are studying a different language, I challenge you to attempt thinking in that language instead of thinking in English and trying to translate - if you aren't studying a language, I challenge you to jump on the bandwagon and begin to learn.
On that note, whether or not you're studying a language, you really ought to think about studying abroad. When they say it's the experience of a lifetime, they don't lie.
With studying abroad, I stepped out of my realm of confidence into an unknown city that I have now come to love. And for one night, I jumped even further when I chose to go to the nightclub and even try brandy for the first time. (And for all those wondering, yes, I have tried tequila, and no, I didn't like it. But after all, it's a cultural custom here.)
My challenge stands.
Write to Michelle at
mllong2@bsu.edu
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