I love hearing about phrases in languages that mean something in the most unique of ways. The phrase is almost a story and it means something in an obvious, but also profound way, and everyone knows what it means by context. If you were to look at these by "fact" a person might be at a loss. There's so much cool historical lineage in language. I'm sure for modern day topics it makes for some interesting juxtapositions. Language is cool and with some I'm sure you're halfway to becoming a poet with just a few turns of phrase.
I chuckled when I read your opener because ironing is the center of everything for my ethnically German family that hailed from Hungary. Thankfully, I have been able to break the generational curse! Excellent piece, Tanya. It's so important for us to learn as much as we can, particularly when it involves communication. We homeschool, so I'm having both of our sons learn Spanish and another language of their choice. Right now they're both focusing on Russian, which is quite the departure from our native tongue, that's for certain.
Amy, I'm so glad you have been able to break the generational curse. I did too although it happened much later than that trip to the summer camp. When I got married and moved with my new husband to a new apartment in a new city in a new country far away from my parents, the first thing I bought (before any furniture) was an ironing board. 🤦♀️ I was 22. To my defense, I never used it.
Your stories are so disarmingly personal that I find that even I - a notoriously private extrovert - feel the urge to respond or comment, like most here, with pieces of my own history (hitherto undisclosed). My first utterance in a foreign language (for communication purposes) was also in Hungary :). It was the Russian sentence that I constructed all by myself: "Вы русский?" (vy russkiy) - "are you Russian?" at age 10, directed at the obviously Russian officer who was supervising the practice, in the street, of a Hungarian military brass band preparing for some Liberation Day parade. (I was into military ranks a bit, as well, and I recall that he was at least a major :). ) Russian was taught in the schools and I had had a bit of a head start as my parents engaged a distant relative to come and give me Russian (and German) lessons as a way of both giving me a leg up, and trying to contribute to the relative's livelihood. In retrospect I believe that, while she had extensive German knowledge, Russian had been a recent addition and that she was just a few lessons ahead of me :).
The episode illustrates, for me, an additional reason some of us have for learning another language: the need, or urge, to meet others on their own ground, and (at least later, not with this attempt at Russian) to be accepted into a group.
Thank you for sharing, Michael 💜 I'm impressed both with the bravery of a 10 year old who starts a conversation with a Russian officer with a self-constructed sentence, and at the audacity of your distant relative who started teaching Russian when she was just a few lesson ahead of her student :)
I would definitely prefer climbing the Everest, you know me:)
And the association is great: while I certainly need a goal while hiking, the reason I am there is to walk the hike, to enjoy the scenery, or the hardships or the solitude. Otherwise it does not make any sense.
Now I'm imagining a young girl who takes ironing very, very seriously. But I guess, in reality, you probably had an item of clothing that desperately needed a press. And that reminds me of an old joke I only half-remember, about a child who had never spoken a word until he was about five when he asked at dinner, "Where's the juice?" The parents were astounded: "We didn't know you could speak. We'd given up hope. Why didn't you say anything sooner?" "There was always juice." It's a silly joke but it makes you wonder what kind of needs motivate us, and how idiosyncratic they can be.
I would love to agree on the point to learn a language to read in its original.... but now I know German and I haven't pick up the German philosophies that I say I would read someday! :)
I don't mind if there's a pill to pick up a language immediately though, I think I enjoy the interaction with people more than the brain wrecking. Like the time I was traveling in Myanmar and had to communicate desperately with the man at the train station to know if the next one will get to the city despite the collapsed bridge because I have a plane to catch! (I ended up drawing on a paper with my "amazing" artistic ability)
Though I must say learning a foreign language did alter my brain somewhat and I got insight into the people who use it, even if it's in the past.
I love hearing about phrases in languages that mean something in the most unique of ways. The phrase is almost a story and it means something in an obvious, but also profound way, and everyone knows what it means by context. If you were to look at these by "fact" a person might be at a loss. There's so much cool historical lineage in language. I'm sure for modern day topics it makes for some interesting juxtapositions. Language is cool and with some I'm sure you're halfway to becoming a poet with just a few turns of phrase.
I chuckled when I read your opener because ironing is the center of everything for my ethnically German family that hailed from Hungary. Thankfully, I have been able to break the generational curse! Excellent piece, Tanya. It's so important for us to learn as much as we can, particularly when it involves communication. We homeschool, so I'm having both of our sons learn Spanish and another language of their choice. Right now they're both focusing on Russian, which is quite the departure from our native tongue, that's for certain.
Amy, I'm so glad you have been able to break the generational curse. I did too although it happened much later than that trip to the summer camp. When I got married and moved with my new husband to a new apartment in a new city in a new country far away from my parents, the first thing I bought (before any furniture) was an ironing board. 🤦♀️ I was 22. To my defense, I never used it.
Oh, that is hilarious!
Your stories are so disarmingly personal that I find that even I - a notoriously private extrovert - feel the urge to respond or comment, like most here, with pieces of my own history (hitherto undisclosed). My first utterance in a foreign language (for communication purposes) was also in Hungary :). It was the Russian sentence that I constructed all by myself: "Вы русский?" (vy russkiy) - "are you Russian?" at age 10, directed at the obviously Russian officer who was supervising the practice, in the street, of a Hungarian military brass band preparing for some Liberation Day parade. (I was into military ranks a bit, as well, and I recall that he was at least a major :). ) Russian was taught in the schools and I had had a bit of a head start as my parents engaged a distant relative to come and give me Russian (and German) lessons as a way of both giving me a leg up, and trying to contribute to the relative's livelihood. In retrospect I believe that, while she had extensive German knowledge, Russian had been a recent addition and that she was just a few lessons ahead of me :).
The episode illustrates, for me, an additional reason some of us have for learning another language: the need, or urge, to meet others on their own ground, and (at least later, not with this attempt at Russian) to be accepted into a group.
Keep'em coming!!
Thank you for sharing, Michael 💜 I'm impressed both with the bravery of a 10 year old who starts a conversation with a Russian officer with a self-constructed sentence, and at the audacity of your distant relative who started teaching Russian when she was just a few lesson ahead of her student :)
I would definitely prefer climbing the Everest, you know me:)
And the association is great: while I certainly need a goal while hiking, the reason I am there is to walk the hike, to enjoy the scenery, or the hardships or the solitude. Otherwise it does not make any sense.
Now I'm imagining a young girl who takes ironing very, very seriously. But I guess, in reality, you probably had an item of clothing that desperately needed a press. And that reminds me of an old joke I only half-remember, about a child who had never spoken a word until he was about five when he asked at dinner, "Where's the juice?" The parents were astounded: "We didn't know you could speak. We'd given up hope. Why didn't you say anything sooner?" "There was always juice." It's a silly joke but it makes you wonder what kind of needs motivate us, and how idiosyncratic they can be.
Ha :) ! True. If it was me now, I'd never learn the Hungarian word for 'iron' because I stopped ironing at the age of 11 :)
Love this! (... and that you went to Szarvas! How did I not know this?)
I have very fond memories of Szarvas. It's the only time in my life I got to use an iron.
How?? You were that guy fixing the washing machine at the laundry station 🤔 ?
I would love to agree on the point to learn a language to read in its original.... but now I know German and I haven't pick up the German philosophies that I say I would read someday! :)
I don't mind if there's a pill to pick up a language immediately though, I think I enjoy the interaction with people more than the brain wrecking. Like the time I was traveling in Myanmar and had to communicate desperately with the man at the train station to know if the next one will get to the city despite the collapsed bridge because I have a plane to catch! (I ended up drawing on a paper with my "amazing" artistic ability)
Though I must say learning a foreign language did alter my brain somewhat and I got insight into the people who use it, even if it's in the past.