No Sé

Since returning from winter break, I have been trying to seriously rev up my Spanish studying so that I can stop sounding kind of like an idiot in my day to day interactions with non-English speakers.  I have started one-on-one Spanish lessons for an hour every week, 1.5 hours with  group at school (I actually skipped today, oops). in addition to my random studying of flashcards online and reading Spanish subtitles on movies and while David watches Mad Men.  I do have to say that I feel like I am improving past and future tense conversations no longer scare the bejeezus out of me (well, not as much) and my end of a conversation has a little more substance to it.  Unfortunately, I still have a very serious weak point: random conversation.  Understanding conversations in Spanish is a piece of cake when you have context; most science department meetings are a breeze because I have at least an idea of what conversations are going to be about.  Today I had one of those terrifying interactions with a stranger that leaves me feeling like well, a complete idiot. 

I was in Carrefour shopping for some goodies for David's birthday pool party this weekend when a man walking past me asks me a question.  I did happen to catch the word "donde" so he's obviously asking the location of something, but what?   My mind suddenly starts reeling with possible conversation topics in a grocery store.  Where are the apples? Where can I pay my bills?  I politely respond "como?" asking him to repeat it (as is still the norm with me) hoping that I can catch what he said the second time.  Dammit.  Nothing.  I have a rule about asking "como?" more than once:  I don't do it.  It's embarrassing and I want to at least feign comprehension (poor decision).  I try to work with what I got.  I think I caught a "crucero", but I have no idea how that will help me.  Well, we are in the mall, maybe he wants to know where another store is?  If that is the case I have no idea anyway.  After some awkward silence, I give up on trying to be helpful and revert to my "no sé" - "I don't know".  If someone told me they didn't know something, I'd say thanks anyway and walk away.  Not this guy.  He follows up with asking if the place is close - cerca - to where we are; at least I was right he was looking for a place.  Now I'm even more nervous and sweating, and still have no response but "no estoy seguro" - "I'm not sure".  I awkwardly start to walk away, having not even an inkling as to how to properly continue or end this conversation.  As I turn, the man smiles with a light laugh and points to his forehead, where on my own, I have a cross of ashes that I got at school today.  And suddenly I realized why he was looking at me like I was a complete moron; he had asked where I got my cenizas (ashes) or my cross and I told him I didn't know...  He asked if the place was close and I said I wasn't sure.  I deserved that look and that laugh.  I quickly made my way to the checkout line as a flurry of Spanish words and sentences sailed through my mind for all the things I do know how to say and should have responded, direct object pronouns and all.  I was close to going and finding the guy to prove I in fact did speak more Spanish that just "no sé".  But the damage was done.  Looks like I'll be practicing extra hard this week.  No sé.