Lost In Translation!

After 4 days in Vienna I take a bus back to Budapest and then take another bus to Eger, Hungary. Eger is 3 hours east of Budapest and home to the famous Hungarian wine called Bull’s Blood. The story is that when the Turks invaded Hungary near Eger in the 1500’s, the citizens of Eger opened their wine cellars and gave wine to the Hungarian soldiers for strength and courage. The wine spilled over into their beards and armor staining them red. Word spread quickly that the Hungarians were drinking bulls blood to make them strong and fierce. The Turks became fearful and retreated and the region was saved, despite the fact that the Hungarians were greatly out numbered.

In Eger I stay at a funky Air B and B, part ware house, part office, part bed for rent.  I am the only one there since it is off season and there is not much demand.  The ware house/office atmosphere is a bit creepy and makes strange noises all night.

It is a beautiful old town and I visit one of the hot, mineral thermal baths so famous all over Hungary. It is exhilarating swimming outside with the temperature in the mid 40’s, raining and the steam coming off the hot water in the pools.

On my way, home I pass a chain beauty shop and decide to have my hair shampooed and a blow dry.  The sign says Shampoo and Blow Dry -1700 Forints ( about $6.00), but I am charged 1850 HUF’s –roughly another 0.75 cents.  When I ask about it, the young girl  says in very halted English that the extra charge is for “products” shampoo and mousse. “You want shampoo and mousse, right?” she asked.  Ummm, OK I say and pay the amount.   I am thinking the entire time she is shampooing my hair, that something was lost in translation. Did the price on the sign only include wetting and rubbing my hair, with no shampoo? Do people come in and say ” Yes, I would like a shampoo, oh no soap today!”

The next day in Eger I decide to visit, what the tour books says is a must see building, the old library.  I arrive about 9:45 and there is a crowd gathered outside waiting.  I assume  the building opens at 10:00.  I am looking at a motley group of folks, they all look nervous, pacing back and forth and almost everyone is chain smoking.  I am thinking, boy they must have some serious overdue books!  When the doors opens we file in, I am stopped by a guard who does not speak any English and I don’t understand a word he is saying, but I ask if this is the library and the women behind me laughs out loud and says “ Nem, this is the prison!”  Whoops, wrong building, wrong word for library. I need to learn more Hungarian.

It is said that English is the language of the world – it is the internet language. Every place I have visited I find people who want to learn English. There are about 6,000 different languages in the world and it is predicted that by the end of this century many of those languages will disappear as everyone learns English. My own grandparents learned very little English, speaking in Hungarian and Spanish. My mother spoke fluent Hungarian in her youth, as well as my father speaking fluent Spanish in his, but in their later years they had a hard time remembering their native languages. English took over.  And none of their children learned their native languages at home. I would hate to see the world diminish in languages. Language is part of your culture and I don’t relish living in a world where everyone is the same.

Here are 5 good reason to try and learn a new language:

1. It is good for the brain and keeps dementia at bay. And that is a good enough reason for me.
2. Learning a new language is humbling and I could use a little humility now and then.

I remember a humbling experience when I was sent to Honduras to teach nurses a “Prevention of Blindness” program in 1980.  After 3 months of Spanish I stood up in front of professional nurses and said  “My name Tamara. I teach eye. Eye is round. Eye is blue. Eye is brown. Eye is green.”  The nurses all gasped and looked at each other and I could tell they were asking themselves who was this idiot sent down to teach them!

I was equally frustrated and embarrassed that I could not communicate all the knowledge in my head to them. While wondering around the market place later that week I came upon the butcher shop – large pieces of meat hanging on hooks covered with flies. I noticed a jar of eyes, pig eyes and cow eyes. And then I had an idea.

I bought several dozen eyes, some paper plates, eye brow tweezers, cuticle scissors and razor blades. The next day I presented the task of dissecting eyes and pointed out all the parts of the eye. They were impressed as they had never touched an eye. That day we connected despite the language difference. With their help my Spanish improved day by day.

3. Learning languages is just plain fun. I have never laughed so hard trying to pronounce the dz in Polish. The students would instruct me to put my tongue up and behind the back of my teeth, which was hard and it made me more compassionate toward them trying to put their tongues slightly out between their teeth to say three instead of free.
4. Learning a new language is easy, well not for me but for most. At least it is easier and more accessible compared to years ago. I have google translate on my phone which has saved me numerous times. But like google map sometimes the translation is off a bit.

I have tried most language programs in my life time- Berlitz, Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, private lessons, even a language school but recently I discovered a great way to learn a new language. I call it the “cell phone” method.

When traveling in a foreign country go to any café, airport, mall, someplace you can sit and people watch. Wait for someone’s cell phone to ring, then watch them. Here is what I learned in a short time doing this.

Phone rings and the person takes out their phone and places up to their ear and says:

Szia- hello in Hungarian, Dzein Dobry – hello in Polish, Guten Tak -German,

Head moves up and down: Ogen -yes in Hungarian, Tak-Polish, Ja German,

Head moves side to side- Nem-no in Hungarian, Nai, Polish, Neine German,

See easy – I learned all that while sipping coffee!

5. But most of all learning a new language makes us better listeners. Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand or learn, we listen with the intent to reply. Learning a new language forces me to slow down, think about what I want to communicate. To become a better communicator listen more and be prepared to hear amazing things.

Listen with the ear of your heart.   Rule of St. Benedict

Grant that we may not so much seek to be understood as to understand. Saint Francis of Assisi

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts, never to heaven go. William Shakespeare, Hamlet. Act III.

 

This hat made from Mushrooms -this was also written in English so I think the translation is correct. I tried to taste one to make sure but was escorted out of the shop.

Yet another amazing beautiful church

Time out chair if you don’t know the correct Hungarian word!