Month: June 2009

Unreasonable

You walk into the Cine Café because you’re hungry—really hungry. You’ve been in class all morning and just walked 35 minutes in thick crowds, and you see empty tables, so you jump on it. Huge, unframed posters of Laurel and Hardy line the walls. Everything else is yellow, soothing, almost gold, and the place smells […]

Up, in H5

When learning a new language, and practicing it outside of your small, chilly classroom with your thoughtfully slow-speaking teachers, success comes down to expectations. I expect certain statements, certain phrases and questions, during specific interactions. For instance, at the grocery store, I expect a few pleasantries when I reach the register. I expect to be […]