I'm typing this sitting in a room with 10 Spaniards all talking very fast and passionately. I've managed to pick up the occasional word but with their speed and accents it's something of a challenge...
I've had a wonderful few days with Jaz, hanging out, getting to know each other a little better and talking about 24-7 Spain. It's been a bit of a relief because secretly I've wondered whether I'm actually any good at my role of supporting base and office leaders around the world. Jaz has been a fun and gracious place to start the journey; with impecable english she really does make it easy for me.
The longer I've been here the more I've realised that the challenge of language is only going to increase as 24-7 grows. English will probably always remain our link language but it's becoming increasingly likely that some day soon we'll have a national leader who doesn't speak English.
I'm feeling pretty challenged that I only speak one language. If for no other reason I think I need to take language classes to at least attempt to respect those I'm visiting. As 24-7 grows I do think the leadership in every nation are probably going to have to work to become bi-lingual. It's an interesting challenge for a sunny Saturday morning in Madrid. xc