Commence Smile and Nod

Eu falo Portugues. I mean it, I speak Portuguese. Slowly, stuttering, with a Spanish accent and Thai interjections.

But mostly I smile and nod. We´re spending a few days in Porter´s mission- an hour or two outside Sao Paulo - and I´m convinced that if we scheduled the meet and greet at the end of our 7 weeks in Brazil I really  could have decent interactions with indivuals who do not speak my language, without the help of a willing and able translator husband. I´m counting on it for when Porter goes cyclismo for 4 days and his mom and I will be navigating the countryside sans fluency.

But for now is smiling and nodding, stumbling through 5 years of Spanish with one of those stereotypical overly generous and wonderful women. The kind that are patient with the stumbling and try to make discreet eye contact with Porter to let him know what I´m saying makes no sense.

Eu entendo. For realz. I get it. Just give me another few weeks.