Hallo, Buenas Dias, Hello!

It has always amazed me how there are those people for whom speaking another language just seems to roll off the tongue so effortlessly. Where ever we have gone a large proportion of people have been bi-ligual and those here in Bonaire are no exception; well except that most are tri-lingual!

The strangers in bars, homeless in the street, shop attendants all have this ability. The waitresses at the bars casually flip between Dutch and English giving their formalities over the drinks specials or the food and then, mid-sentence, lean over their shoulder and rattle off another half a dozen sentences in Spanish! It's astounding; their fluidity, clarity of speech and absolute lack of hesitation.

I myself get knots in my stomach if I am called upon to speak French or Spanish on our travels – not because I am awful at it (rusty for sure and by no mean fluent, but not awful) but more for fear of making a mistake or of being confronted with something that I do not understand.

I always used to think I would end up working in languages in some form or another and studied Spanish as part of a degree at Uni. Yet somewhere down the line that ambition and ability slipped away and was replaced by fear and so it was left only for the elite that I knew to go on and speak with the world. I guess doing this trip has made me somewhat ashamed at not being able to communicate fully with the people I meet in their own language and needing them to make the effort for me – not good.

Back home I have found that speaking multiple languages is normally reserved for those in that type of work, those highly educated or those with a lot of free time – not your average Joe. Being here I realise that that is just an excuse – there is no 'class' of person whom multiple languages is reserved for and it's not seen as something amazing to be able to do, just the norm. Why?

Maybe it's culture. If everyone speaks 3 languages around you, I guess you soon learn.

Maybe it's attitude. When you have a desire to know people and connect with them – a common language is a good place to start.

Or maybe it's really just down to the person. Not thinking “I cant” or “I’ll fail” and worrying about mistakes – just going with the flow and enjoying life.

This gives me a solid lesson of the day – try hard, do not fear failure and definitely pick up my Spanish books again.

Tia and Jarvis, Over and Out!