Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Sentir & Sentar - worlds apart

I drove one team up on Saturday, spent the night in San Diego and drove another team down on Sunday. This is quite exhausting! The days can be long and the nights short, with hard work in between. It's fun and I love it, but I also get tired.

After driving the team back down on Sunday, we stopped at Papa Ruben's for an "all-you-can-eat" taco dinner. Everyone LOVES Papa Ruben, and his awesome food at Pollo Loco. I helped him with getting the orders and the food out for 60 people. Afterward, as people milled about visiting outside and looking at the little ladies' stuff, I sank down into a chair and said to Papa Ruben:

"Oh Papa Ruben, tengo mucho sueno - que bueno sentirme. Muy bien a sentir, no? Puedes sentir tambien."

On and on I rambled...all the while Papa Ruben looked at me quizzically. Finally, Mama Lupita leaned over and whispered "sentarse!" I saw the light of understanding go on in Papa Ruben's eyes.

Suddenly, it all became clear - while I thought I had been saying:

"Oh my Papa Ruben, I am so tired. It feels so good to sit down. You ought to sit down too, we've worked hard! Doesn't it feel good to sit down and rest?"

When in fact I had been saying:

"Oh my Papa Ruben, I am so tired. It feels so good to feel. You ought to feel, too. Doesn't it feel good to feel?"

Yes, I did. Sentir is to feel, while Sentar is to sit. So close - and yet so very far away. We all got a good laugh and I was humbled and reminded how much further I have yet to go with my Spanish...

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