Importance of being bilingual

Right now my mom is in Honduras learning how to speak Spanish. She was a Pediatrics Nurse Practitioner, but decided that she wanted to go back to school to get her Family Nurse Practitioner license instead. While she was completing her schooling, she worked at a clinic called SeaMar (I'm not sure how to spell it...it means from Seattle to Marysville). A high percentage of this clinic's patients are Spanish speakers, and my mom does NOT speak Spanish. Other than burrito, margarita, enchilada and taco, that is. While she was there, though, she fell in love with the clinic, and applied for a job. She was hired. Now, in addition to studying for her licensing test, she needs to learn some Spanish, too.



So she decided to go the immersion route, and hopped a plane to Honduras. Well, it wasn't quite that simple, but almost. She is living with a host family and going to school to learn how to speak. She'll be there for three weeks total. She's already been there for a week and a half or so.



It sounds like she is having a good time so far. And, I think she is learning some Spanish! She texted me on the Fourth of July and told me (in Spanish) to have a good Fourth, and that it was very early in Honduras and the rooster was confused because he was crowing at 12:30 in the afternoon.



Pretty soon she'll speak more Spanish than me! One of my goals is to be bilingual. I'll get there eventually, but for now, I'll live vicariously through my mom.



Here's a cute video my sister sent me a few years ago that goes well with this topic. It is pretty grainy, but you can see it well enough to understand.