An architect, a lawyer and a travel agent walk into a bar…
how language brings us together.
The class is offered by the resort Activities department.
Sporting a head full of corn rows mirrored shades my instructor ‘J’ leads us
from the hot pool edge to the shaded dimness of the pool’s wet bar. We grab
seats at one of the tables and begin. Clad in t-shirt with the resort logo and
matching shorts, ‘J’ appears to be about 25.
My fellow student, ‘D’ about the same. I am definitely the senior of the
group. ‘J’ informs me ‘D’ attended the
previous day’s class.
The lesson begins with the normal ‘good morning’ and ‘thank
you’. After a few minutes it becomes apparent that both ‘D’ and I are way past
remedial Spanish. ‘J’ is now speaking in
Spanish to both of us and with some stops and starts we are following and able
to contribute. This leads inevitably to ‘how many languages do you speak’. In
this group I am the beginner with my conversational Spanish and very basic
Italian, both leave me in the language dust.
‘D’ and ‘J’ both speak at least six languages, they have a lively
exchange in Russian. ‘J’ explains that with the recent influx of Russian
guests, the resort needed someone to speak the language, so management sent him
to an intensive 3 month Russian course. That’s when the class shifts to
something different and so much deeper. ‘J’ who at first glance is seems to be
a 25 year old beach bum, is a 30 year old university graduate and practicing architect, speaking no less than six languages. ‘D’s’ blonde side swept locks and baby face,
masks a 33 year old corporate lawyer from Kiev, Ukraine. Switching back to
English, ‘D’ remarks that Russian language, in fact Russian culture, is based in
arrogance, and the Russian hotel guests that ‘J’ is now converses with must be the same. I am mentally
absorbing these amazing facts (and giving myself an internal lecture about
judging a book by the cover) when J’ begins to explain how an architect is
running fitness classes, kicking soccer balls with 10 year- olds and teaching
Spanish in a pool bar.
“I was bored”. Pushing
up the aviator sunglasses, ‘J’s brown eyes are thoughtful. “My uncle owns a firm here in the Dominican
Republic, the plan was always for me to work for him. After I graduated, I sat
in a cubicle, designing mansions and large resorts like this one…60 hours a
week plus inside, while life when on outside. All I have ever wanted to do is
dance. During the day I run activity
programs, but at night, I dance! I perform in all the shows. My uncle only
speaks Spanish, so I still am responsible for English and French clients, but
this is my passion”. This amazing
statement is followed by “Law is incredibly boring, that is why I am not
practicing right now. I need to find what I too have a passion for”, ‘D’ chimes
in.
‘J’ checks his watch and immediately stands up, says goodbye and is gone, class is over. To boogie at night, ‘J’ runs Activities
programs by day. The spell broken, ‘D’ and I gather our class notes and drift
back to our respective families and loungers on the beach. I find my mother
asleep on the opposite lounger, so I reapply my 70 sunscreen. As I do, I start
to think about my own circumstances. How just five years ago if you would have
told the lumber company marketing representative in the beige cubicle that I
would not only break free of that cubicle just 15 miles from my home, but I
would make my living as travel professional. Plying my craft not in a cubicle
in Michigan, but all over the world… including a Punta Cana pool bar.
