Compresas en el Carnaval de Sitges — Speaking Spanish When You Have No Words

Imagine this.

A world where there are no rules for a few days. No labels. No “this is correct.” No “I don’t speak well.”

That world exists. It’s called Carnival.

And if you’ve never been to one, you’re missing more than a party. You’re missing what happens when your brain finally relaxes. Because when rules disappear, something magical happens: You speak.

Not perfectly. Not correctly. But freely. Libremente.

Sitges Carnival: Where Languages Go to Get Real

The carnival I know best is Sitges, in Spain. People from everywhere — Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Latin America. You talk to strangers you’ll never see again. Conversations are surreal. Ridiculous. Human.

One year, my friends and I dressed up as sanitary pads.

Sí. Compresas en español.

A German guy came up to us and asked, in confused Spanglish: “What… are you?”

And there I was, explaining in Spanglish something I couldn’t even name properly in English:

“It’s something mujeres use… en uno de esos días…”

“One of those days?” he said.

“Yes… when we have the… ruler? No. Wrong word. Shit.”

I panicked. Then I threw the word into the air, hoping it would work:

“Menstruation.”

His face lit up. “Ahhhhhh!”

We all laughed.

The Most Important Language Lesson

Was it correct English? No. Was it real communication? Absolutely.

That’s the point.

Life doesn’t wait for you to speak perfectly. People don’t arrive with subtitles. You don’t get time to prepare. You just… speak. However you can.

And honestly? That’s the meaning of life — connecting with random people who appear in your world. Even German strangers at Sitges Carnival.

The brain learns in stories. In moments. In embarrassing situations that you’ll be telling for years.

La vida es un carnaval. You have to live it.

Mañana más. Besos y amor, Mónica.

— Monica Bernabe Perez