When preparing to travel to Lima, I didn't have much time to brush up on my Spanish. I'd taken 3 years of high school Spanish, I live in California and read bilingual signs all the time, so I thought I'd be OK. I practiced a few phrases with my daughter like Yo quiero Taco Bell, Donde estan los banos, Mi espanol is muy mal and Hablo espanol un poco solamente, which she promptly transformed into Hablo espanol un puerco solamente, to the amusement of all.
However, hard reality struck when I tried to dial the taxi from the airport. I found that hearing people speak a foreign language is very different from reading it. And outside of the hotel staff, very few people spoke English in Lima. I quickly memorized another phrase: Despacio, por favor, or Slowly, please.
The most important phrase (other than Donde esta mi taxi?) that I wish I had learned is Como se deletrea? or Can you spell that please?
