Venturing out...

So today I ventured out alone. I decided that I've had enough of my lovely friends, Las Cucarachas, so I walked to Hiper Lider and got some Bug spray as well as a few other things. Hiper Lider is like a Super Walmart, but not. Before I went out, some university students were going door to door educating people on health (I think). A reminder of how crappy my Spanish is. Everything I try to say comes out in Portuguese and I get flustered. I've decided it's easier to tell people that I don't speak Spanish, but that would be a cop out and then how would I learn. I got to thinking about something that I've thought about many times before when I've been in other countries, which is, how much more patient people are here of my horrible speaking and comprehension skills than Americans are in the reverse situation. How easy it is to get flustered! If only all English-speaking Americans could experience this and then perhaps have some compassion for those who don't speak English or those who pretend that they don't. No wonder they pretend that.
It's all good though b/c I start language lessons next week and I haven't even been around Chileans socially yet-that's when I'll improve. It is only my second full day.