My Colleague, Colleen Geary, loaned me the Rosetta Stone program in Swedish. I didn’t have a lot of time to put into it before we left, and no time since we arrived here. Too, I am very bad with languages anyway. But, of all the languages I have attempted (English, Spanish, French, and a few words in Arabic, Farsi, Dari (almost same as Farsi), Japanese, Chinese, and Russian), Swedish is the hardest.
I have been trying to say, “trevligt att traffas” (Nice to meet you), ever since I got here. Only once did someone clearly understand and respond. I have listened carefully. I have done my best to mimic the extra sounds for the “e” and the missing duplicated letters (3 t’s in a row sounds like one t). The rolled “r’s” in some words and names sound like Spanish, so I kinda have that.
A colleague, Uber, from Denmark.
Dr. Torgny and his daughter, Sarah, from Church.
Mr. Herbert S, from Church
John, and Louise and their granddaughter, Olivia, from church.
I’ll keep trying to master “Hur mar du?” (How are you?) and I think I have “Tack sa mycket” (Thanks a lot!) down pretty well. Watching the subtitles on English-speaking t.v. helps a little.
I really don’t have much hope, but there’s no virtue in not trying.
Kinda like living the Christian life. After over 50 years of trying, I still don’t speak the language or live the life very well.
But there’s certainly no virtue in not trying.
buenas suerte...
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