It’s custom to get a quick pep talk from the UCSD study abroad office employee prior to departure — a general overview of the kinds of “cultural differences” to be “highly aware of” on your trip, lest someone disgrace our school’s good name by demanding free water while donning a college sweatshirt. Or, worse, a Pocahontas costume (hearing you loud and clear on this side of the Atlantic too, Penny Rue!).

In the interests of both helpless international students and ambitious natives, there’s a language exchange program at my university in Barcelona. The premise is simple: Indicate your name, phone number, e-mail address, perceived Spanish ability and first language on the sign-up form, and wait for the call to meet for coffee. Or, you know, talk about Lady Gaga over a beer or two — whatever comes naturally. I learned, however, that “natural” isn’t easily feigned, and the road to fluency is frequently littered with uncomfortable encounters with locals.