Como se Disse?

Como se Disse has become my new favorite phrase in Portuguese. It is just how do you say?... and then I either point, or when all else fails try and say the english word and hope they know what I mean. Isabelle who is 6 thinks it all very funny, because most of the time, I am pointing at random things and asking her to say them, and when I repeat the word I cannot say it correctly. I think I am really the one who is 6 when it comes to talking anyway. Isabelle is shy but she is just starting to get used to me, and we share a smile every now and then, I try to ask her questions sometimes but usually looks at me like I am crazy. I think my host mom is the only person who understands what I am trying to say, even though I don't say it right.

Last night my host mom and I were trying to have a conversation, try being the key word here. There was a lot of motion, trying to act out what we were saying and a lot of confusion on my part. And then Isabelle just walks over and hands her mom the portuguese english dictionary! haha She knew we were not going to be able to figure it out. That book has helped a lot and is always kept handy in the house.


Now that Portuguese class has started more things are starting to make sense. My vocabulary is growing, but I do not know many verbs or how to conjugate them, so I do not know what I sound like to them, I just say broken words that I know and try and put them in an order that makes sense. Lots of acting out like I said, its amazing how well people can communicate even when they don't speak the same language.