Broken English

Is it just me or does second language immersion f*** with your head? I say this because something strange is happening to my mother tongue. Words over two syllables are not so easily retrieved and you end up thinking in a British-slowed-down-simplified-for-non-native-speakers, patois.

Sacrificing my reasonably extensive use of English vocabulary to make room in my little brain for "I want a swimming hat, please" or "I really like ginger" in Spanish. Managed to squeeze out a comprehensible "We have no hot water" today - living in this flat becomes more like some kind of permanent campsite everyday.

We sampled some Tango again last night - as Sare so eloquently puts it in her blog "Everybody tango's here. Everybody. Including people you wouldn't expect. 'Cool' guys with beany hats, uncool guys in football shirts, men who look about ninety"

Everybody, that is, except me. I´m sure you can guess what I was doing.

It was pretty cool despite my lack of participation. A young guy caressed an accordion, another pounded a battered piano with such passion and mastery, you could feel the air quake. All the while, the dancefloor was full of embracing couples performing what on Discovery Channel would only be described as an elaborate mating ritual - but oh, so damn sexy.