Marie Gervacio   Brilliant Body Success Coach
The first language to roll off of my tongue was French. This was in a town predominately English speaking. By the time I began formal education I began to speak more English than French. By the time I reach high school I was regretting the loss of my first language and so opted to take the then available French classes. By the time I was in college I was reading Camus and Sartre in French... existentialism hard to understand in any language. I was going to French theater and seeing plays by the likes of Moliere.

Ok, so I began speaking of French and English, but Spanish has become so much a part of my life that who I am revolves around it. It is a rather romantic tale for maybe another story. Bits of it involve visiting Spanish cites... in Spain as well as cities in other lands who now are also Spanish. I spent a couple years living in the Dominican Republic which has a beautiful heritage and an old city built by Cristobal Colón. Now I am even a travel specialist for Dominican Republic and love to travel there for some fun in the sun just as the people from all over the world I see when I go there too.

I love manzanilla con anís tea which I sipped in Spain and also in Dominican Republic. I love paella done well... Spanish olive oil is no doubt wonderful... and who can top a frothy cafe con leche with fresh churros on a cold morning in Spain? Dominican Republic reminds me of even more delectables such as "pica pollo", a nice warm dish of habichuela con dulce, and un buen sancocho... mmmmm.

I learned how to cook these without a cookbook! Ahhhh tasting as you go cook is a wonderful part of the cooking experience. But then I had begun swaying away from some of the cookbook recipes which some of the french dishes my mother taught me years ago. Oh but now I am straying again.

The tango, merengue and salsa, the boleros, balladas and sons delight my auditory senses. They cause me to sway and swoon. I could list my favorite singers and songs but they are many. They remind me of places and times as really all music can do but ahhhh do love the salsa rhythm that I can somewhat dance to and watching the beauty of Flamenco dancers in action.

Spanish culture is diversified and rich. It has been infused in to my being and I have been enriched by it. I pretty much learned Spanish on my own without formal education except books I purchased. Since then I have helped those who speak Spanish to speak English. Knowing Spanish improved my position in the work field too. Even about 20 years ago marketers in the US began to realize they had to cater to an ever growing Hispanic population. A population that even though knowing English full well prefer to do business in their own language. I manned a Spanish-Speaking desk that people who knew English would still wait the extra time to speak with a short-staffed Spanish-desk rep.

The Spanish Tradition of celebrating "Los Reyes Magos", I believe,is really the most appropriate gift giving time. Now with the St Nicholas to Santa Claus tradition being so world wide it causes a bit of a mix up. I remember saving a couple gifts for each occasion for my son so he would be able to celebrate both, too.

Spanish fills my sight, hearing and senses... it enhances my life. I am off now to sip my manzanilla con anís tea and listen to a song by Jose Jose.... wait an hour before asking me any questions ;)
Sep 20th 2007 13:17