From The Meaning Of Words To Not Understanding Any Words.

An interesting morning in Hungary.

Words have such import, subtle nuances and of course many meanings. That is premised on our understanding the language in the first place. Well, yesterday I got a taste of what it might be like to understand no words at all.

Our chariot had first draw in the level of importance once again and we were at a car-spa in Hungary. Part and parcel of being a car owner. Well, we set off, unsuitably attired as both of us still thought we were on the edge of summer. No, it was bitterly cold and the Hungarian Pusztas tend to be a touch colder. Bob was in his usual long and short T-shirt combo and I had a T-shirt plus jacket. Not enough to keep the cold morning wind out of our hair.

Bob and I tried to stand in the early mornings sun's rays and at the same time avoid the strong winds blowing. Eh, rather fun! Anyway, we had to wait an hour before a cafeteria, adjacent to the garage opened up and while we were doing this sun-spot dance, a teenage cat ( we can't really call it a kitten ) befriended us. I think she was intrigead by our hopping about and joined in the fun.

At last, the coffee place opened and we were able to sip a cup of coffee and sit inside. Warm and cozy. They didn't have food, but a big screen TV, which we watched. All morning. The shop manager must have felt sorry for us, because two hours in he came and gave me the TV remote.

A jolly nice gesture, but little did he know that we were merely watching the pictures and actions. Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages to learn ( even the written words look extremely complicated ) and I have the utmost respect for the young children in our village who are bi-lingual. German and Hungarian.

One young lass, who comes to us for English, is in fact tri-lingual. Can you imagine that? She uses a Hungarian-English dictionary and at nine years old, can speak and read Hungarian even though she goes to an Austrian school. Wow. Triple wow!

We watched a lot of TV yesterday morning and even though it was in Hungarian, we both recognized a soap-opera straight away. In those dramas, the language tends to be implicitly understood by the actors' expressions. The diva, the protagonist, the hero, the damsel and the evil one.

For me personally, it is so amazing to see how words can form a language and of course a tool to communicate with. Different countries defend their individuality with insular words and spelling. I also gained even more respect for Bob because when he came here to Austria, most words were foreign to him too.

...Never make fun of a foreigner speaking your language in a funny way, because he can speak one language more than you...

Biggi

Bob has found a new friend. A neck massage has this little cat almost fall asleep.

Isn't it the cutest? If only you knew how much we enjoyed having a cat come up and cuddle...our Tigger only gives us a distant nod.