05/05/2025
May 5, 2025 - Monday Musings
You never know what you’re going to find when you open a box of mementos from the past.
What did I find, you ask? I found the following essay that I wrote in my first year living in Bulgaria (over 20 years ago) to introduce myself to the faculty.
My theme was the idea of languages and how they can unite people.
“‘I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. … Here I am, where I ought to be.’
Thus begins Isak Denison’s book Out of Africa. And although I didn’t have a farm in Africa, I did have a life that began in Africa (at least in my formative memories).
At the age of 5, I uprooted to Switzerland for language training. ‘Tout ce que je savais à le temps est-ce que je parlais un langage à l’école… (all I knew at the time was that I spoke one language at school)
…and a whole different language at home.
We lived eight years in la Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa as missionaries, and then returned to Portland, OR, for the start of my freshman year of HS.
My claim to fame in HS: a groovy swirl on a DQ ice cream cone.
University claim to fame: I joined AXO and learned a whole new language…that of singing. ‘A-L-P-H-A C-H-I Omega!’
I studied Russian for two years (я плохо говорю по-русски - ya ploho govoryu po-russki - I don’t speak Russian well) but konichiwa was all I could say, having worked at a Japanese university for 4 years.
I met my husband on a blind date (he wanted to date my roommate but she already had a date so she pawned him off on me).
But…nine years of marriage later, we still get along ‘cause we speak the language of love.
Two years ago, we moved to Bogotá, Colombia, donde yo hablo una lengua nueva. We also visited my parents in Texas and learned to say, ‘Howdy, ya’ll!’
Now, in Bulgaria, I have four languages (plus a new one) teeming through my brain, so please forgive me if I sound like this: ‘Dobray dia! Kák allez y'all?’”
