These words are mine, some imperfect thoughts of humankind, others simply used to define a dream keeper, an adventure seeker, a lost but found, complex

and yet profound, Guyanese Spanish teacher.

~Nirmala A. Ramsaran~

When I was in sixth grade I took my first Spanish class. Unfortunately, I the only words I learned in Spanish, was "Sí, un poquito" or "Yes, a little." That summer I met an very sick elderly man in a pharmacy in my hometown. We were the only customers in the store and he approached me for help. This man was a very short and fragile Latino man who was in dire need of a translator. He began to speak to me in Spanish and I  eager to help him used the little words that I learned that year, "sí, un poquito." These words would lead me to experience a feeling of regret.

This gentlemen  revealed a two medicine bottles that he sadly analyzed with his small brown eyes. I suddenly realized, that my the words that once anxiously left my lips were useless because they could not say more.  I decided to ask the cashier for help but  she informed me that she did not speak a foreign language. That evening, I left the pharmacy with one terrible feeling of regret and helplessness. I realized that the importance of a foreign language and I decided that I would dedicate my summer to learning Spanish. 

Therefore, I listened to a variety of music such as Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, and Reggaeton. I bought El Diario and Hoy for 50 cents in the bodega and when I performed my chores I tuned into La mega. That summer my vocabulary increased and I  slowly began to communicate with native speakers in my neighborhood. 

When I was sixteen, I acquired a position at the same pharmacy where I onced timidly uttered those five syllable words. This time however, I was confident, had much better vocabulary and grammar skills, and also a better understanding of Latin American and Spanish culture. I therefore, used all the tools that I had gained to translate helping both the patients and the pharmacists to form a meaningful relationship.

Each time the sweet latin sounds escaped my lips I felt proud that they were used to help others in need. Each time I rolled my "R's"  and pretended to be Celia Cruz and Jerry Rivera, I gained a deeper appreciation for the Spanish language, Latin American and Spanish history and culture.

I managed to build a strong a cross cultural relationship with native speakers at my mother's workplace. Suddenly, the workers began to look at me with admiration and respect. I was adopted into their fiestas and family dinners learned to make tortillas, empanadas, arroz con pollo and frijoles. I would become part of a new world; a world rich in culture and a community of diverse people. It was this zealous feeling that inspired me to become a Spanish Teacher.