I have a Puerto Rican sister in law, whom I have known long before she married my brother. I had to learn Spanish when I was around her family, otherwise I wouldn't have known if they were talking bad about me or not. Also learned a fair amount while in the US Navy and stationed in the Mediterranean Sea area, stopping in many Spanish ports of call. Learned there were dozens of different dialects, and some folks in the same country had trouble understanding those in other areas of the same country.

Now that my sister in law has long since moved to Florida, I rarely get to Speak or hear Spanish, therefore, I have lost a lot of my old ability to utilize the language. Still recall how to find the local bars and how to order a beer. Also still sing a few songs in Spanish, but mostly by phonetics - same as the songs I sing in Italian. It's a sad thing when the mind goes, and Carol told me it was the second thing to go - I don't remember what the first was.

All the best, Don,

Gary