YOU SAID:

My Spanish isn’t good enough. I remember how I’d smile listening to my little ones, understanding every word they’d say, their jokes, their songs, their plots. Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. Vamos. But that was in Mexico. Now my children go to American high schools. They speak English. At night they sit around the kitchen table, laugh with one another. I stand at the stove and feel dumb, alone. I bought a book to learn English. My husband frowned, drank more beer. My oldest said, “Mamá, he doesn’t want you to be smarter than he is.” I’m forty, embarrassed at mispronouncing words, embarrassed at the laughter of my children, the grocer, the mailman. Sometimes I take my English book and lock myself in the bathroom, say the thick words softly, for if I stop trying, I will be deaf when my children need my help.

INTO JAPANESE

私のスペイン語は十分ではありません。幼い子供たちの話を聞いて、子供たちが言うすべての言葉、ジョーク、歌、陰謀を理解して、どのように微笑んだかを覚えています。 Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá.バモス。しかし、それはメキシコでした。今、私の子供たちはアメリカの高校に通っています。彼らは英語を話します。夜、彼らは台所のテーブルの周りに座って、o と笑います

BACK INTO ENGLISH

My Spanish is not good enough. I remember how I smiled when I listened to young children and understood every word they said, jokes, songs, plots. Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. But it was Mexico. now my kids

INTO JAPANESE

私のスペイン語は十分ではありません。幼い子供たちの話を聞いて、冗談、歌、陰謀など、子供たちの言葉をすべて理解したときの笑顔を覚えています。 Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá.でもメキシコでした。今私の子供たち

BACK INTO ENGLISH

My Spanish is not good enough. I remember listening to young children and smiling when I understood all their words: jokes, songs, plots. Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. But it was Mexico. my kids now

INTO JAPANESE

私のスペイン語は十分ではありません。幼い子供たちの話を聞いて、ジョーク、歌、陰謀など、彼らの言葉をすべて理解したときに微笑んだことを覚えています。 Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá.でもメキシコでした。私の子供たちは今

BACK INTO ENGLISH

My Spanish is not good enough. I remember listening to young children and smiling when I understood all their words: jokes, songs, plots. Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. But it was Mexico. my kids are now

INTO JAPANESE

私のスペイン語は十分ではありません。幼い子供たちの話を聞いて、ジョーク、歌、陰謀など、彼らの言葉をすべて理解したときに微笑んだことを覚えています。 Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá.でもメキシコでした。私の子供たちは今

BACK INTO ENGLISH

My Spanish is not good enough. I remember listening to young children and smiling when I understood all their words: jokes, songs, plots. Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. But it was Mexico. my kids are now