This sentence expresses the feeling of frustration I had as the result of a couple experiences during my time here. One time I was having a meal with the other guys on the team at our house when a lady from our phone company called about our service. Spanish is especially hard on the phone, so I was having a hard time understanding what she was saying. But after a while, she says in Spanish "why can't you understand?" and I reply in English "Because I don't speak Spanish well!" The other guys were there just hearing my end of the conversation and started busting up when they heard this, because they knew exactly what she must've said.

Another time, Lauren and I were looking for surfboards to rent out at Costa del Sol when we drove into a recreation center. I started asking one of the guards in clear Spanish where we could rent a board and got out a few sentences before he says "No hablo inglés," to which I replied "Estoy hablando Español!" Lauren thought it was really funny, and I guess I did too. To sum up, it's humbling trying to speak someone else's language, and I so appreciate the people that are patient and encouraging in the process of me learning it.