There is something refreshing about walking in a sea of faces of people who you can't understand . It's refreshing if I think about it the right way, I am physically there, but none of the weight of people's idiotic conversations is on me. I just float through the crowds without having to listen to anybody talk. I breathe in the pollution of the city but the bantering and yammering doesn't pollute my mind, I can't process it yet.
One morning when I was in New Zealand, a German friend told me about the same experience. "You're lucky sometimes you can't understand German, those people over there kept talking about some bird that woke them up." I remember New Zealand's german travellers well, particularly those who spoke little English. I would ask them something about the where they had been or what type of food they liked. Whenever you got an answer like "yes" with a smile, you knew they had missed it. I am starting to master that here in Bogota: the art of pretending to understand. I thank my predecessers for my technique. I am putting finishing touches on the subtle nod, the pressed lips, the long "Si" or "que bien"!(Great!)
In reality, the language barrier is rarely liberating. Why would one ask a question if they aren't going to understand the answer? That's the comedy of foreign language phrase books.
¿Adónde puedo comprar un cellular de movistar? Where can I buy a movistar cellphone ? The answer would be mixture of "sigas, dereches, alla, al lado" likely mixed with various articles, prepositions, and places that make up sentences. Ok...subtle, appreciative smile, pressed lips, "que bien" and try to walk towards where the person first pointed.
Today, when I was walking in the sea of people downtown I passed a fellow gringo. The anglo features and the skateboard suddenly set off my radar. He's not from here either. We caught eachothers glances, and exchanged an understanding nod. I thought his nod said to me "Ah, you're not supposed to be here either," or at least that's what I wanted my nod to say.