Measuring Progress with Cheese

February 8, 2008

A breakthrough occurred on my daily market trip today. I arrived at my cheese counter, Botique del Queso, at the usual time and was happily surprised at the lack of customers. Instead of the usual throngs of cheese loving Spaniards, there was only a cluster of charming old ladies. As soon as I ordered a savory hunk of cheese I knew this trip was different.

The cheese lady now recognizes me. She was telling one of the old ladies how she can pick me out since I am so tall and purchase giant slices of cheese every week. The old ladies were instantly intrigued.

I paid for my cheese and tried to make a joke about not having the correct change. After attempting to tell my cheese lady I’d see her next week, we began chatting. I asked her a few questions about the cheese I bought (“es mas suave!”) she asked me where I was from.

I’ve never seen old ladies so happy as when I answered Nueva York. One did a little dance with her bag of fruit.

From that point on I was the golden boy. The old ladies loved me and I could do no wrong. “I’ve been in Valencia three weeks. I study here for four months,” I said in bad Spanish. The old ladies threw up their hands and cheered! After discovering that the cheese I bought came from Galicia, I informed them I would be going to a city in that province soon. “I go to Santiago after I finish school,” I told them. One of the woman feigned passing out due to the beauty of the lands I would soon venture. Although I’ve never met them before, the old ladies said that my Spanish has improved a lot. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion, but they kept insisting it was true.

All of this unfolded under the watchful eye of my cheese lady. After saying our goodbyes, she handed me my cheese and waved me off. As I walked away, I look back to see five old ladies smiling from ear to ear, happily waving to me amidst their bags of produce and cheeses.