Lesson Seven: Jorge Chan!

David is frustrated. He comes to class a little depressed today—he really, really wants to tell Jimena about what happened to him last night, but he doesn’t know how to conjugate verbs into the past tense. Jimena reminds him that he has only been learning Spanish for a week now, and that it is a bit early to start on past tense, but that if he puts it into context, people will understand. Yet another reason why Jimena is a great teacher--no one learns Spanish overnight, and if we take on too much at once, we beat ourselves up for making mistakes. Jimena obviously understands this and knows that the best way to learn Spanish is by mastering each level before moving on. Aw shucks, Jimena, you're the best darndest Spanish teacher ever.

Anyway, David tries this context thing. He had a terrible night. He had a date with the Latin woman in Lycra, and they went to dinner together. David asks the waiter for food, but his Spanish is really terrible. Another guy comes up to the table (Jorge) and starts making fun of him. Chan! Then, apparently those two (Lycra and Jorge) have dinner AND go to a hotel, leaving our poor David all alone. Chan!

I think David is kind of a bullshitter, and that probably didn’t happen, but I am stoked that I learned a term that I had never heard before. Chan! When something is surprising, people say Chan! I was telling my dad about Chan! this morning during our walk through Palermo parks, and he hadn’t heard of it either. Chan! I attempted to do the cool sound effect that accompanies Chan! in the lesson, but mine sounded pretty awful. I don’t have a clip of it to share here, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Chan!

The clip I do have is of AWESOME, AWESOME REFLEXIVE VERBS. Mmm negative. At least David is as confused as I am. Check it out—I laugh myself. I wet myself. I become a river.