In January, when I went to work for a local Latino nonprofit, I found myself confronted with the shocking truth that my Spanish is less-than fluent. I forgot words, I had to think before I said something or ask for the proper translation. Professionally, one cannot get away with saying “esa cosa” for everything one does not know. It was a serious blow to my self-image as a bilingual Spanish and English speaker. I recalled all those times I visited family in Miami and they would say things like “¿Que te pasa, se te esta olvidando el español?” It always took a few days to get back into the swing of the fast-talking Cuban Spanish I grew up with.
