Language learning can be a daunting process for anyone. I think that the persistence needed to learn a language as an adult is terrifying and at the same time exciting. You feel the need to crawl up into a ball and hide when you talk and everyone around you says, 'What did you say!' Yet at other times you communicate some truth about God's word and you have it repeated back to you and as far as you can tell you communicated the truth correctly. Today, after six years of life in Loja I realise that language learning doesn't always give you everything you need. For example, I stopped on the side of the road while Karine got out to buy some ice cream and saw the sign, 'NO ESTACIONAR' (NO PARKING) and thought to myself, I really do not understand what they are trying to say here, because for me, no parking means that I can park here for two minutes whilst remaining within three meters of the car (see RTA for more info), however on the other hand there is also the 'NO STOPPING' signs that means don't stop under any circumstance.
So while I understand this in Australia, or perhaps even within NSW, there is no difference between the two here in Loja. So while I read 'no parking' I feel I need to treat it as 'no stopping'. You may have guessed that I have been booked for this as I picked up three passengers who came to visit me one day, yet I see many people since that day get out of their car and buy bread or milk, or stop to say hi to someone they have come across in their daily drive and what people do depends on where the ranger who is wearing a bright yellow jersey is in relation to the offender.
So this is my confusion, in what way should I interpret the sign? Do I culturally obey the sign, meaning that I ignore it while their are no rangers around? Or do I obey in my own mind's eye that the sign reads no parking, but treat it as no stopping. A hard decision, but I guess I will have to obey what I think is right, yet in those desperate moments of dropping things off in a no parking area I will ahead to keep my eye pealed for those bright yellow shirts.
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