Spanish language learning can be challenging and fun—or should I say FUNNY!?
Driving four hours from Barcelona to Madrid, we decided to make a pit stop in Zaragoza. It was about half-way on the journey, and we all needed some time to stretch our legs, go to the potty, and grab something cold to drink for the road.
What we thought would be a quick pit stop turned into the most amazing cultural pit stop of my life! Little did we know the Spanish spectacle that we were about to stumble upon. (More on that in another story!)
After visiting the town for 20-30 minutes, we found a small tapas bar where we could go to the restroom—for free—and get something to drink.
The Strange Order
Vincent and I ordered Cokes, and Pierre chose his favorite orange Fanta.
The lady placed our cold cans of soda on the bar counter. She asked us if we wanted plastic glasses to take with us.
“No Gracias,” Vincent said in Spanish. (“No, thank you.”)
“Si, si” I replied. “basso con helado.” (“Yes, yes, a cup with ice cream.”)
The lady looked at me strangely, and I wasn’t sure why.
“Helado?” she asked.
When I heard her say it out loud, I immediately recognized my language error.
Funny Spanish Language Learning—That’s Not What I Meant!
“No helado,” I restated. “Con hielo.” (“No ice cream, with ice.”)
We all laughed together. I quickly grabbed my plastic cup with ice cubes and my can of Coke, and walked as fast as I could out of the tapas bar.
Why Not??
As I stepped outside, I thought about my language mistake and my request for ice cream instead of ice in my cup. Actually, it wasn’t such a crazy request. I come from the land of “Root Beer Floats”! For those who don’t know this sweet American treat, it consists of vanilla ice cream and root beer soda. Why couldn’t I have a “Coke Float”—vanilla ice cream with Coke?
Curiously, I looked it up. Although I’ve never had a Coke Float, people drink them all the time. You can make an ice cream float with any type of ice cream and soda you want. And, what I thought to be an exclusively American dessert is actually known in many countries around the world!
Here’s what I discovered when I put on my cultural awareness lenses and became a “Cultural Learner.”
Did You Know?
An ice cream float or ice cream soda (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and East Asia), coke float (United States, United Kingdom, and Southeast Asia), or spider (Australia and New Zealand), is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. When root beer and ice cream are used together to make the beverage, it is typically referred to as a root beer float (United States and Canada).
Wikipedia
Maybe I’ll run back inside the tapas bar and introduce this American speciality to the Spanish world! 🙂
In the meantime, I better keep working on my Spanish language learning. After learning Spanish in Zumba class, I obviously have a long way to go!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
What funny language mistakes and bloopers have you made when learning a foreign language? How did you handle it?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
