What made us giggle today

What we thought we said vs. what we really said

Alex made a self-deprecating comment about something that was driving me crazy.
What I thought I was saying: I agree!/ Estoy de acuerda!
What I really said: Me acuesto!/ I'm going to bed!

Anna needed to use the facilities before we left the restaurant.
What Jack thought he was saying: Esperamos afuera. / We'll wait outside.
What Jack really said: Esperamos afuego. / We'll wait in the fire.

We headed off to Retiro to collect more conkers.
What Anna thought she was saying: Let's go collect more chestnuts.
What Anna really said: Let's go collect more coconuts.
She was speaking in English, so it wasn't a translation problem.
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Aside: Which reminds me of last week when Jack and I were late for Spanish class so we jumped in a cab instead of walking. I started talking to Jack about something or other when Jack wispered to me, "We should be practicing our Spanish with the driver!" Jack, the master of small talk with strangers, says to the cabby, "Donde estas?" Which means, Where are you? I chuckled knowing that what he was really trying to say was, Where are you from? (De donde eres?) The cabby was a little perplexed. So I jumped in and made the correction for Jack. Once the driver understood what had happened he started kidding Jack. "I'm in the taxi. Where are you?"
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How many times does the man have to say no?

We tried three times to ask the docent at the train museum if he had an explanation of how a steam engine worked to accompany the most excellent cut away engine on display. It was such a fantastic and elaborate exhibit that it was hard to believe they hadn't provided documentation.


I think the guy was about to kill us by the time Jack wandered over and used his bad Spanish. He must have been thinking: "It was no the first time when the woman asked. It was no the second time when the kid asked. And it's still no! And it's really painful to listen to you guys asking. Go away!" Maybe he even said that. We probably couldn't have understood him.
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What's that guy having?


Between the train museum and the Retiro, we had a great Ecuadorean dinner. Everything on the tables around us looked great, so we just asked "what is that guy having, and how about that woman over there, and how about him?" When it all arrived, I was the one with tripe this time. Two bites. That's all I could do. And only because I was egged on by Jack who knows I can't stand looking like a wimp.

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To celebrate finding the humor in it all, we decided to visit our favorite gelato shop. It's hard to beat that gelato.

Really, we're trying with the Spanish! It's just coming along slowly.