The Business of Language

I'm out at a popular downtown bar around 11 o'clock on Friday night, doing a little work, sitting at a sidewalk table. The city's light rail trains glide by.

Right behind me are four men of about my age or a little older. A few are smoking cigars. They are clearly native Spanish-speakers and I am not. Still, just by living in a metropolis in the early 21st century, you pick up a little. These fellows are speaking primarily in Spanish, but dropping in English words from time to time. And even though I don't speak Spanish, I can kind of guess what they're talking about -- business, like everyone in Houston. The four-party conversation goes something like this:

"(SpanishSpanishSpanish) micromanage (SpanishSpanishSpanish) delegate (SpanishSpanishSpanish) Martha Stewart..."

Huh?

"(SpanishSpanishSpanish) P and L (SpanishSpanishSpanish) 2,000-megawatt plant (SpanishSpanishSpanish)..."

Ah-ha! They're in the energy business. Makes sense.

"(SpanishSpanishSpanish) pension (SpanishSpanishSpanish) vesting..."

Then, just as easily, they all (as if by some non-verbal clue) begin conversing in English.

"Doing business in Europe is a headache for a start-up. First, you've got the high voltage..."

It truly is a global economy.

By Frank Ahrens |  April 15, 2006; 3:54 PM ET  | Category:  Houstoniana
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