frustration & google translate

I’ve been in Maputo for two weeks now. I’ve had an incredibly warm welcome to the office, a very thorough orientation of the organization and different programs, started writing grant proposals, made some new friends, and began to explore the city. Today I opened my work email and was overwhelmed with the fact that I couldn’t read any of my 50+ messages that were awaiting me. They are all in Portuguese.

Each morning the bartender at the hotel makes my espresso with my breakfast. He greets me with a big smile and asks how my sleep was and we share short phrases in Portuguese that he taught me the night before (as I await for my dinner). There’s a friendly routine we have. I’m grateful for the time and patience the staff at the hotel have with me. But this morning he wouldn’t give me my cup of espresso as I was in a hurry and my mind was racing too fast to remember how to ask for it in Portuguese. I try Spanish (as sometimes that will work) and he gets frustrated with me. He made me go and ask someone else to teach me the phrase and ask properly before I was able to receive my coffee.

The organization I work with is Christian affiliated in their various ministries and core values. Friday mornings all staff meet together to have a time of devotions and worship. I attended this morning. My supervisor spoke. The service was in Portuguese and again, I wished I could have understood what was being said.

I discovered Google translate to read my emails. I will continue to practice asking for my morning coffee and ordering my dinner. I will venture out this weekend in a taxi and use my dictionary and a map. I will keep practicing and learning. But I must admit the frustration has set in and I really wish I could understand this language. Not only for my job and communications, ordering my meals and getting around town, but for new relationships with my colleagues and friends. I have this whole new world I’m immersed in and its exciting and challenging, but also a tad bit frustrating without being fluent in their language. I’m missing so much.