Integration of Knowledge
When I was in Spain during the summer of 2014, a friend and I were walking down the street during our free time when we stumbled upon a music store. I was really interested in guitars, so when I looked into the window, I found myself in love. In the center of a display of instruments was a very slim, curvy bass guitar. It's body was stained a rich, dark purple and the twisting, winding pattern of the wood was entrancing. I stood motionless for a few seconds, absorbing the sight of the beautiful instrument. I had to get inside the building. I had the overwhelming urge to reach out to the bass guitar, pick it up, and pluck a few of its thick strings. I sprung into action, looking frantically for a way inside.
I was totally baffled. I couldn't see a door, but when I peeked in through the window, I could see people walking around inside. I had been growing really frustrated, so I walked around the corner and into the little street running between the music store and the building across from it. People were walking around, so I thought I would ask for help.
"Compermiso," I asked, trying to wave down people who could help me. My frustration grew when everybody who I tried to talk to left a wide berth around me. Fed up, and on the brink of crying, my friend and I knocked on the door of a neighboring building, which seemed to be a bed and breakfast. A terrier inside started barking madly, and a woman who was sitting behind a desk got up, shushed the dog, and opened up the door to us. I was a little nervous, since I hadn't really spoken Spanish aside from ordering gelato for lunch. Taking a deep breath, I asked her, "Usted hablas Ingles?"
My heart sunk. She shook her head, indicating that she did not speak English. I remained silent for a second, trying to string words together in my head so I could make a meaningful sentence out of them. When I finally came up with a meaningful sentence, I just kind of spewed it out. It made very little sense, and the lady had to stop and think about what I was trying to say for a second.
Finally, she told me that the entrance to the guitar store was on the corner, but they pull down a metal "garage door" over it during the siesta hour, and that if I came back at 4:30 it would be open/
Obviously I chose this one for my integration of knowledge because I used the Spanish I had learned in Spanish class to have a meaningful conversation with somebody in another language.
I was totally baffled. I couldn't see a door, but when I peeked in through the window, I could see people walking around inside. I had been growing really frustrated, so I walked around the corner and into the little street running between the music store and the building across from it. People were walking around, so I thought I would ask for help.
"Compermiso," I asked, trying to wave down people who could help me. My frustration grew when everybody who I tried to talk to left a wide berth around me. Fed up, and on the brink of crying, my friend and I knocked on the door of a neighboring building, which seemed to be a bed and breakfast. A terrier inside started barking madly, and a woman who was sitting behind a desk got up, shushed the dog, and opened up the door to us. I was a little nervous, since I hadn't really spoken Spanish aside from ordering gelato for lunch. Taking a deep breath, I asked her, "Usted hablas Ingles?"
My heart sunk. She shook her head, indicating that she did not speak English. I remained silent for a second, trying to string words together in my head so I could make a meaningful sentence out of them. When I finally came up with a meaningful sentence, I just kind of spewed it out. It made very little sense, and the lady had to stop and think about what I was trying to say for a second.
Finally, she told me that the entrance to the guitar store was on the corner, but they pull down a metal "garage door" over it during the siesta hour, and that if I came back at 4:30 it would be open/
Obviously I chose this one for my integration of knowledge because I used the Spanish I had learned in Spanish class to have a meaningful conversation with somebody in another language.