The reflexiveness of the language learning process is endlessly fascinating. Today at Chickfila, i sort of muttered that i wanted tap water, and i think all the girl heard was "tap water"--it was a simple reminder that even in our native language, even with years and years of experience, we still do not understand everything everyone says. It is good to remember this when i get discouraged because im not understanding what i hear in portuguese. I certainly have much room to improve, but its good to remember that sometimes you only need a few key words and some context (i was at a restaurant, so if my key words are tap water, im probably asking for it)