so whenever i was alone, walking in the netherlands, i would obsessively try to say "ik spreek geen nederlants" (i don't speak Dutch). not to ward off unseen dutchmen, but because i just couldn't get the frickin' "geen" to come out right, with the throat-clearing noise that i can't possibly illustrate with a spelling. i felt like such a tool that no matter how hard i tried (and that was very hard indeed), i couldn't make that noise.
so i still do this, again not to scare off unseen Dutch-speaking americans but for the same reason. i just got used to it.
somehow yesterday i realized that if i would just relax my throat the noise is much easier, much much easier, to make. such a perfect metaphor for traveling alone in a foreign country. live and learn and learn to relax.
it still feels a little funny to throw it in the middle of sentences, but i'm pretty sure that I can say i don't speak dutch and pronounce the airport. finally. ~Doeg~
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4 comments:
mooi zo.
happy 2007!
dank U wel!
and happy new year to you, too, and to you two, but not to U2.
when are you moving to new york? :)
didn't apply to ny. [but i can rhyme]
what do you have against U2 that you don't wish them a happy 2007.
oh, and, je mag "je" tegen mij zeggen hoor ... or were you thanking god?
I still want to say bedankt instead of thank you.
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