Not that I've ever personally had issue with foreigners in the US, but now I have even more sympathy for the people in front of you in line at Walmart giving the clerk a blank stare when she asks them debit or credit.
My Portuguese is a cobbled together mess of vocabulary and verbs (in the wrong tense, I'm sure) that sometimes come across in an intelligible manner, enough to get what I need anyway. Usually, at the grocery store I don't talk. I smile and nod. I know how to ask where something is, but I don't understand the answer. I found the handy bar code reader machine so I can check prices without words, and when they ask if I want a carry out (at least I think that's what they are asking...) I just smile and the boy usually follows me out with my groceries. I can ask the butcher for a half kilo of 1st grade ground beef, but if he says anything other than "anything else?" I just smile. I know what they are thinking. I've heard it many times in the US. It turns out,even though I don't speak Portuguese very well, I'm actually not an idiot, and I am really trying to learn it. Hopefully, next month I'll be better, and by winter (remember, it's spring here) I'll be able to communicate whatever I need.
Today I registered at the church. My end of the conversation went like this:
"I want join church."
"I come one month ago. I live Brazil 2 years."
"I have husband, 3 kids."
" We are Catholic, Baptism, yes."
"I want envelope for tithe."
"I want paper with Our Father and The Creed in Portuguese."
"Thank you. Bye."
They were so nice though. Well, I was holding H too, and Brazilians love babies. I'm sure that helped my case a lot. :)
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