Ella no habla español: El Mundo de los Negocios

For the past several weeks, I’ve been looking for something productive to do. Not that I don’t relish reading a good novel at a tiny local cafe or wandering down dozens of unfamiliar and charming streets . . . I just feel like God made me to help people, contribute to society, use my brain, etc. (And I'm going a little loco.) The thing is, working in Spain – even for free – has proven to be quite a challenge.

This has been my “office” in Sevilla

At first, I thought I could volunteer in some way – at a community agency or for the Church. Volunteering in Europe is quite different than in the U.S. They have many more governmental social programs in place, and in Sevilla, a strong community social network. Spanish women live longer than all the women in Europe – it’s partly due to their strong social ties throughout life.

So, volunteering at a church – sounds simple, right? The thing is, I’m not Catholic, I don’t have a church home in Sevilla, I don’t know what laypeople can do, and I DON’T SPEAK SPANISH. In my education and counseling classes (in the U.S.), we talk about the “hidden script” at K-12 schools. The hidden script has all the information about a school that all the kids know – things like: Mrs. Mullins is the toughest algebra teacher; it takes half as long to go from the gym to the cafeteria if you cut through the library; never sit at the picnic table under the tree at lunch – it’s the basketball team’s turf. Students who have trouble reading social cues sometimes never know the hidden script at their school and consequently have a huge disadvantage.

I’m like one of those socially-challenged students, but in Sevilla. I don’t know the hidden script. Do people “volunteer” at churches here? Where do I look for job postings? What jobs can an americana get in Sevilla? Do I need to be completely bilingual to have any chance? Does it look dumb to tuck my jeans into my boots?

Eventually I gave up trying to read the hidden script and I posted ads online advertising that I can give English lessons and/or take care of kids. Someone contacted me this week, but she wanted me to translate the emails between her business and a company she’s negotiating with in New York. I said, “No puedo . . . mi español no es tan bueno.” (I can’t . . . my Spanish isn’t that good.) Crazy woman still wanted to try me out and, sure enough, I was translating detailed Conditions of Sale into English this Friday.

I expect to just last a week in this job (a week is my probationary period), but it will have been a great learning experience. I’m working for a family-owned and operated business that makes and sells flamenco wear. The store is on flamenco row in Sevilla. (Well, if the streets weren’t so winding, it would be an actual row.) This place is hoping to sell their merchandise in the U.S. through a company in New York. They already work with a company in Japan. And, yes, they have a Japanese girl doing their Spanish-to-Japanese translations.

This whole situation is surreal. On Friday afternoon, I was sitting at a computer in the back room of their off-site office. In the next room, I could hear the iron sighing where the Mom and one of the sisters were making dresses. The Dad was sitting a couple feet away from me at his computer – working on the accounting no doubt. At one point, he put in a CD. As soon as the music began, I knew it was Semana Santa music. The songs played during certain Holy Week processions are famous in Sevilla.

The translations? Well, I fear that I bungled this business deal that the flamenco store is trying to seal with the NY company. I took Brad’s huge dictionary to consult, but there are about 4 verb tenses that I have yet to learn. So, I had to guess if había means there was, there had been, there will be, there would be or there could be. Yikes!