Chances are that by the title of this blog, your blood pressure is increasing and you’re becoming short of breath. But not to worry, not to worry. Your girl here is not actually expecting and it’ll be a while, Mom and Dad, before you have the privilege of becoming grandparents.
The real fact of the matter, is that I slipped up and said something in Spanish that probably would have been better left unsaid……
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The setting is Christmas Eve at none other than the Pastor’s house. She invited us over to join in on their exciting holiday festivities. As dinner was being prepared we all sat around the table talking to her extended family and enjoying each other’s company. Well my friends Hannah and Brittany had recently made some sort of inside joke about being pregnant (don’t ask. I literally don’t know.) and wanted to know how to say it in Spanish to add another layer of humor on top of their already humorous joke.
Dinner was served, the food was blessed, and we all began eating. My teammates were asking me right and left to translate things so they could carry on a conversation with the Tico’s (this is what Costa Rican’s call themselves) and we were having a jolly ‘ol time. A couple minutes later, Hannah grabs my attention and asks, “hey, how do you say ‘I’m pregnant’ in Spanish?”
Initial response: estoy embarazada.
Hannah: wait, whaaaat?
A little louder, with greater enunciation: e-s-t-o-y e-m-b-a-r-a-z-a-d-a.
Hannah: whaaaat??? Sam you’re saying it so fast I can’t understand! Say it again, but this time more clearly.
Me, in a voice slightly louder than anticipated: E-S-T-O-Y E-M-B-A-R-A-Z-A-D-A!!!!!
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Forks hit the table.
Jaws drop.
Silence fills the room.
Eyes widen.
Heads turn towards me.
Well that was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life! And you better believe that an explanation was offered just as soon as the damage had been done.
Moral of the story: watch what you say when you’re trying to learn (or, in my case, teach someone) another language, especially when you’re at the pastor’s house!!!
