My Accent

A few times now people have mentioned to me how well I speak Spanish... so well in fact that they (these native Costa Ricans) thought I was a fellow Tica. How cool is that.

I am happy I blend in because I would hate to be treated differently, like a Gringa, which can be both good and bad.

The fact that I am barely fluent (maybe 50%) makes this compliment all the more sweeter. I have a looooooong way to go with my Spanish, but in the last 4 years I have also come a loooooooong way. Ticos praise the fact that I actually make an effort with my pronunciation of Spanish words, trying my bestest to get the accent right. I learned this by living with Ticos for so many years, but I also learned it in school too. My teachers would compliment me on my 'skills' on speaking the Spanish language, not being a native speaker myself.

I feel great. Now I know that as long as I don't open my mouth, I will be looked upon as just another Costa Rica. On a recent trip, the bus driver who chauffeured our tour group mentioned that when he saw me, he initially thought I was Tica but as soon as he heard me speaking to my kids he knew I wasn't. According to him, my English was too perfect to be a native Costa Rican (I know what he meant, or what he was trying to say... not like there aren't any native Ticos out there who don't speak flawless English... I've met a few). But him saying that to me made me beam from ear to ear. And like I said, he was not the first to comment on my accent. I had heard that comment before.

I guess the effort pays off. I just need to work on my fluency. I am getting there though, one year at a time.