You’re in Quebec City and welcome to speak Spanish.
The house musician at Paillard, an artisan bakery here in Quebec City, completes José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” and then launches into “Cielito Lindo” on his red accordion.
The couple at the table next to my wife and me sing along to Quirino Mendoza y Cortés’s Mexican folk tune that you may know as the ay ay ay ay song.
I heard them speaking French earlier so I’m wondering how they know the words to the song.
“Vous parlez espagnol?” I ask the woman.
“Soy chilena,” (soy chee-LEN-ah) she says, smiling.
Hablo español.
She asks where I learned Spanish.
Spain, I say, without telling her the whole story.
The woman’s partner has learned Spanish, too.
The three of us chat for a bit about how wonderful it is to learn another language.
“Es una riqueza,” he concludes.
Perfecto. Learning another language leads to cultural enrichment and offers a wealth of opportunities—and serendipitous encounters like this in La belle province.
My wife has since left the table, and I’m looking for my hat and gloves. It’s chilly outdoors and still Chile indoors.
The Chilean woman says my wife has my accoutrements.
La esposa siempre tiene todo que necessito,” I say before I scoot past her and her partner. They laugh because it’s true that my wife always has everything I need.
Ever wanted to undersand what you’re singing in Spanish and pronounce it correctly? Unsure of your goals, approach or time commitment? Are you wondering what multicultural marketing is all about?
I’m “hear” to listen. Let’s get started.