There, that got your attention, didn't it? We don't really have a transvestite in the Spanish class - it just seems that way sometimes. One of our teacher Alan's favourite ways of drumming vocabulary into our aging brains is to give us 'shopping lists' of things we want to buy. He's the shopkeeper, and we have to ask him for what we want in Spanish, then he'll tell us what it costs.
The Spanish government could do with him in the Hacienda to be honest - they'd soon be out of recession. A simple list like a pair of socks, a cotton skirt, a cookery book and five kilos of oranges can cost as much as 2,536.87 Euro. Alan says it's just to give us plenty of practice with numbers, but if he ever gives up the Spanish teaching and goes into retail, I for one will be steering well clear of his tienda.
Occasionally, even Alan makes a mistake, and a couple of us are brave enough - or foolish enough - to point that out. Yesterday, Tony - not husband Tony, he's trying his hardest not to learn Spanish, although the odd word is finding its way through - called Alan to task. He saw the red mist descend, and trembled. We all knew Alan would get his own back, but how would he do it? We soon found out when it came to vocabulary practice.
Tony's a pretty well-built guy with more than his share of body hair and an impressive moustache, so he blushed a bit as he read out his 'shopping list' in Spanish. 'Una blusa rosa de raso, una falda amarilla, medias moradas de seda, y sandales naranjas de cuero.' We all fell about laughing at the thought of Tony - or anybody for that matter - in a pink satin blouse, a yellow skirt, purple silk stockings, and orange leather sandals.
Then I remembered that last time we had a 'shopping list,' Tony had to ask for a green dress and silver earrings, and wondered aloud if he was trying to share his secret life with us. Cue more hilarity and Alan, with an evil grin, asking, 'Who made the biggest mistake today, me or Tony?' I just love Tuesday evenings!
