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Thread: Taking Spanish

  1. #11
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    Mexico has a lot of enclaves of retired Yanks, and it wouldn't surprise me if other Latin American countries (including Costa Rica) didn't have them also. Costa Rica is lovely, and has a low crime rate. Puerto Rico is likely to be a bit more expensive. So, either way, you don't have to speak Spanish fluently to get by. Most Latinos are patient, and appreciate the fact that you're willing to make the effort. Respect and courtesy will get you a long way. But still, you might want to explore some different learning options.
    Last edited by slgrieb; 09-15-2014 at 05:32 AM.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

  2. #12
    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slgrieb View Post
    But still, you might want to explore some different learning options.
    I agree. While there are plenty of expats in both countries, I want to be fluent in the local language. I want to be fully integrated in the community not just some fat old American that lies on a beach chair waiting for a local to refill my drink.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Webhead's Avatar
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    Hola! Como estes! Bien bien bien bien. Habla espanol muy poquito. How do I type that upside down exclamation point?

  4. #14
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project View Post
    I agree. While there are plenty of expats in both countries, I want to be fluent in the local language. I want to be fully integrated in the community not just some fat old American that lies on a beach chair waiting for a local to refill my drink.
    I think that's a great idea. I'm just suggesting that even if you speak Spanish at a basic level, you'll learn a lot more using it daily. Sorry, but I suppose my earlier post wasn't really all that clear. Latinos aren't French or Germans, and won't automatically get pissed off if you don't speak their language perfectly.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

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    Senior Member CeeBee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project View Post
    I want to be fluent in the local language. I want to be fully integrated in the community not just some fat old American that lies on a beach chair waiting for a local to refill my drink.
    You'll NEVER be. Speaking the language well is extremely beneficial, but you will never lose the accent. If you did the transition before high school it would have been a different story.

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    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CeeBee View Post
    You'll NEVER be. Speaking the language well is extremely beneficial, but you will never lose the accent. If you did the transition before high school it would have been a different story.
    You're splitting hairs. Yes, I will have a Midwest American accent but eventually, my fluency (vocabulary, grammar) will be as good as a local. When I go to Canada, am I not fluent because I do not share the same accent? Better yet, when I go to other parts of America am I no longer fluent because I do not share their accent?

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    Senior Member Mobile PC's Avatar
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    Y'all ain't from around here. Your soda will run ya seventy five cents.

  8. #18
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pinnacle-Project View Post
    You're splitting hairs. Yes, I will have a Midwest American accent but eventually, my fluency (vocabulary, grammar) will be as good as a local. When I go to Canada, am I not fluent because I do not share the same accent? Better yet, when I go to other parts of America am I no longer fluent because I do not share their accent?
    Actually, you might even want to consider Belize. The official language is English, even though other languages such as Spanish and English Kriol, which is a mix of English, several African languages, and a Native American dialect in the pot as well, are spoken extensively. If you dive, Belize is really prime territory. I've done a couple of dives around Cozumel, and one in Belize, which was by far the prettiest. Just like the Yucatan region of Mexico, Belize has a large Maya population. Maya are easy people to like. Mexico tends to discriminate against them, though not to the extent of Guatemala, but they still remain pretty laid back and friendly.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

  9. #19
    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
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    Belize does interest me. The trouble with most Central American countries is their stability. They have good years and bad years (economy, corruption, etc.) but they are not consistent. Costa Rica is the exception in Central America. Being attached to America helps Puerto Rico but that does not necessarily make them a good choice. No matter where we go though, there will be good and bad. No place is perfect.

  10. #20
    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    Of course, one of the problems with making a choice is that the media today is incredibly shallow and inaccurate in their reporting. Look at the reporting on Mexico. To read the popular press, you'd think the country is a war zone. In fact, cartel violence has declined, the Mexican economy is doing well, and the middle class is expanding.

    With the exception of the one time I was thrown in jail and beaten by Federales, all my experiences in Mexico have been very pleasant. Had I had a little more cash on hand, I could have avoided the beating, but I just didn't have a suitable bribe to offer. For that matter, as a student at U.T. Austin, during the early '70s when I was a hippie activist, the Austin PD tear gassed me and beat me pretty often, though not as thoroughly as the Federales. So, you have to keep things in perspective.

    However, during the same Monterrey-Saltillo race, I was on a bus between stages, and my friends and I had laid in a generous supply of Bacardi rum. Well, it just wasn't right to drink and not share, so pretty soon, most of the people on the bus were drunk. The driver was feeling left out, so, at a certain level of intoxication, it seemed reasonable to cut him in as well. In the end we had a pretty plastered bus driver negotiating some narrow, winding roads through the Sierra Madre Oriental. I would describe the experience as very exhilarating.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
    WIFFLEBALL!

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