Why Learn Another Language?
Language is such an amazing thing. Without it, people can so easily never get to really know each other. I met Maxi in Montañita, Ecuador a few years ago. He owns an amazing restaurant there called Jaja En Balsa. He spoke no English. I spoke no Spanish. But just through smiles, we both could sense there was definitely a connection between us. A year later, I messaged him (using a translation app) saying that I was visiting again. Knowing that we would show up for yoga in the morning at the yoga school, Maxi shows up. My Spanish was a tiny bit better by now. He said that although he has never done yoga before, he just wanted to be with us and practice yoga together and share the good vibes. At his restaurant we tried more broken conversation. We understood each other just a little bit more this time, but barely enough for me to think - “ I know almost nothing about Maxi, There’s so much that I want to ask but I don’t know how, there’s so much that he wants to tell me, but I don’t know what it is!” It was time to leave again. In February 2024, I visited him again! My Spanish vocabulary is better than before by now. Reached out to him via text. The restaurant was closed that day and it was his day off. But he opened the restaurant just for me and treated me to the best dinner! This time there was no time pressure. And this time I decided not to use the translation app as a crutch. This forced both of us to work extremely hard to communicate in each other’s language. We talked nonstop for FOUR hours!! Only then I came to know just what an amazing person he is. So wise, talented, a relentless perfectionist, caring, and knowledgeable about so many things in the world. We talked about everything from our families, hardships in life, surfing, cooking, our dreams, philosophy… here in this photo he is describing to me in Spanish, using a tape measure, the incredibly short time humans have been on this earth compared to the planetary timescale. Yet again, this experience reminded me of just how important it is to learn the languages and lives of others. Without it, he might have been just yet another guy who owns a restaurant where I are dinner once.
Balsa Surf, Montanĩta, Ecuador. February 2024