This is an incredible thread. Fifty-five pages. WOW. Bajo_Cero2 I add my thanks to others for your generosity in posting here. We are privileged. I posted before that I had applied for citizenship. I was recently in the office of the judge to check my file (with my attorney's assistant who cannot see the file unless I show up to ask for it). I am told we are at the end and my hearing should come up in one month--maybe two.
However, when I started this I had to be able to read a paragraph in Spanish. That's a piece of cake for me. I know enough Spanish to get whatever I need here and I am comfortable . . . BUT . . . I am not conversational. When locals talk to me in Spanish I can get the gist of the subject (much of the time) but that's it. Now I was told at the judge's office that I have to speak Spanish now and will have to demonstrate that I do by a "simple conversation" with the judge. I said that my problem is understanding spanish speakers and they said if I don't understand the judge, I wont get it. The theory is how can I take the oath if I don't understand Spanish and know what it says.
Panic has set in. I am killing myself working on Spanish. Today I am taking off because I have not cleaned house in two weeks plus my brain is numb. I don't know if I can do it. However, I really want to be conversational anyway and it sure is a great motivation. But it appears that the language requirement has changed--unless it's just this judge. I don't know but that is the current status. I have a friend in another part of Argentina who is at exactly the same stage that I am in the process and he wrote me yesterday there is no way he can be conversational by his hearing and he is just "leaving it in God's hands" rather than try to do the impossible. So there you have it. I'll keep you guys posted.