Language, language, language!
I so terribly miss being able to speak to people in their native tongue! I was spoiled in Morocco. By the end of my time there, I could converse fluently in a random dialect of Tamazight, and make myself understood in Moroccan Arabic. It was heavenly, being able to ask questions, overhear people talking about me, and just not feel adrift and idiotic. Here, everyone speaks English, except when they don't want me to understand. Then they use Shona, Zulu, Ndebele, Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaaner...
I still know when people are talking about me though. A nod of the head, a certain tone of voice. I miss the days when I could play dumb and then hop into a conversation with the knowledge of what people really thought of me already in place. Now I just have to guess.
On the other hand, my body language skills are vastly improved since I came from teh US. I can speak without language.
And, if I don't want them to understand me, all I have to do is pick a Moroccan language, and they haven't a clue. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment