[SpiderKing]

Hey guys,

I've been messing around with Spanish for a long time now and skating by on good enunciation while knowing fuck all about proper conjugation. This summer I put in more consistent effort:

30 min / day Duolingo
1-2 CD's / week of Michel Thomas
30-60 min /day online chat with native speakers
E-mech daygame hack, versión chicano

Benny's TED talk helped as well. He mentioned motivations for language learning. Language acquisition had always been something to cross off the to-do list of life. But once I began viewing it in a more emotional and sexual light, Spanish stopped being a rote ambition and became a living, breathing endeavor. It stopped looking like a task and more like a key to more possibilities.

Recently I believe my Spanish has elevated from the novice level and into the intermediate. I still make numerous mistakes, but after mastering more vocab & grammar, I plow ahead with more confidence.

So last week I visited the local beautician's school for a haircut. Turns out my preferred 3 stylists were busy or away, so the receptionist asks "Is there anyone else you would like to cut your hair?" "Tell you what, find someone who speaks Spanish. I want to practice."

Turns out they sent a beautiful Mexicana to do the work. I'm impressed. It turns out she was nervous about the language request "I don't think my Spanish is as proper as it should be--my Abuela is always getting on me for that."

I would have been shit outta luck in terms of conversation, so I leaned on basilransom's classic thread on conversational rapport (I've been reviewing it at least weekly) We are 20 minutes into a full Spanish conversation, bouncing from one topic to another. People have been butting in asking about my hair and/or ethnicity. It's then that I realize no one else near us can understand Spanish, and that essentially, I have the opportunity to verbally isolate in public. Most of the topics were PG-13, but it's clear there is potential to ramp up the sexuality while people in the vicinity remain unaware.

*****

In terms of skill level, the stylist did step me through a number of unfamiliar terms. On the other hand, I was familiar enough with Latin culture to surprise her with a few phrases and responses:


Stylist: "What would you say if you met a girl in Spain somewhere?"
"Well if I were in a groceria, I would walk up to the fruit section and say: 'Quiero mucho los melones que tienen un dulce olor y sabor.' while hefting two cantaloupes or 'Yo había encontrado a mi media naranja.' while holding up an orange."

S: *something about La Raza*
"Oh yeah. All I need now is a hair net and my one-button long sleeve. You are gonna have to shave your eyebrows and pencil in some huuuuge arches, like McDonald's style ones."

S: "Wow so he was black AND could speak Portuguese?"
"What do you mean, 'so he was black,' Que raciiiiiiiista tu eres!"
S: "Nooo, no I'm not!"


While this was happening, I kept thinking about GManifesto's Salsa Swoop move, Roosh's Elderly Openers, New Guy Game by goodlookingloser, and the Foreigner in Your Own Country article on RoK. They all revolve around playing the dummy to catch a dummy. Or in a more positive light, using the Socratic Method. I did too much bragging in my ramble, so there wasn't as much rapport as I wanted when asking for the number and ended up with a twitter address. Which was a dud of course.

*****

Anyhow, the two takeaways:

1) Using other languages to escalate verbally while visually, everything looks normal. I think a lot of guys here could develop this further.

2) This is more for people who disdain small talk. I am one of them. It's true that most girls can't handle deep intellectual topics, but that doesn't make them bad. Just glance off onto a wider breath of topics to pump their emotions.

I start thinking of small talk with women in this light: If you were playing with your teen nephew, would you roughhouse with him and put him in a figure four lock? Babble at him? If that same nephew were a baby, would a full nelson be more appropriate, or perhaps a game of peek-a-boo?

In another time, I would have talked with this Mexi 8.5 and thought "Man this girl is stupid or something." and be wrapped up in egoism over my intelligence. Now it's more like, "You know what, I want to have some fun interactions and play a little bit. This person isn't at my level but I can play and still have fun at theirs."

*****

Apologies if a topic like this already exists. I'm missing the old search!

[scotian]

Well played, always use your foreign language skills to your advantage, even at home, even if you only know a few words or phrases, throw them out there. Keep studying Spanish and get your ass down to Latin America, your language skills and notch count will definitely improve.