18 March 2010
04 March 2010
little braveries
There are little things that you never pay attention to in daily life. They are walking to work, or to the store or into wonderous nature. We wander all the time and rarely to we take note of what we are doing.
We begin to pay attention to the little things when the little things become a big task that requires a trace amount of bravery. When does buying milk or going for a walk in the woods require bravery you ask?
The simple things become huge when you are in a foreign country, when you do not speak the language, when you have no idea which way is East, West, up, down, home.
I am in Denmark, in Odense to be specific. Denmark is completely flat with a few hills, there are no landmarks in which to mark your starting or ending point of wanderings. Danish is not a language an American can just pick up and decipher. I would wager a large sum of money on the fact that:
1) most Americans have never heard a Danish word in their life.
2) Most Americans don’t really know where Denmark is.
So here I am, visiting my man, and trying to fit in, which I don’t think will ever happen so I am actually trying more not to stand out like a beacon of foreignness flashing insecurity and timidness.
It takes a little bravery, and acting “as if”. I went to the grocery store called Bilka the other day. I have been here a few times, with Niels, but yesterday I went alone. I can’t stand being totally dependent upon him for every little thing, so I sucked it up and went alone.
I acted as if I knew exactly what I was doing, where I was going and pretended that I too, like any normal Danish person, could read the ingredients on the labels of food. It was awesome! In my mind I kept practicing : undskyld Jeg tale ikke Dansk, which aptly means, sorry I can’t speak Danish.
I didn’t even need to say those words. For 80% of communication is body language, and I found myself surrounded by a people I could actually understand. Moms, friends, lovers, buying milk, bread, not really noting what they were doing.
On my walk home I felt proud, and yes…a little more brave than I did when I woke up that morning.
Today’s adventure…to be decided.
We begin to pay attention to the little things when the little things become a big task that requires a trace amount of bravery. When does buying milk or going for a walk in the woods require bravery you ask?
The simple things become huge when you are in a foreign country, when you do not speak the language, when you have no idea which way is East, West, up, down, home.
I am in Denmark, in Odense to be specific. Denmark is completely flat with a few hills, there are no landmarks in which to mark your starting or ending point of wanderings. Danish is not a language an American can just pick up and decipher. I would wager a large sum of money on the fact that:
1) most Americans have never heard a Danish word in their life.
2) Most Americans don’t really know where Denmark is.
So here I am, visiting my man, and trying to fit in, which I don’t think will ever happen so I am actually trying more not to stand out like a beacon of foreignness flashing insecurity and timidness.
It takes a little bravery, and acting “as if”. I went to the grocery store called Bilka the other day. I have been here a few times, with Niels, but yesterday I went alone. I can’t stand being totally dependent upon him for every little thing, so I sucked it up and went alone.
I acted as if I knew exactly what I was doing, where I was going and pretended that I too, like any normal Danish person, could read the ingredients on the labels of food. It was awesome! In my mind I kept practicing : undskyld Jeg tale ikke Dansk, which aptly means, sorry I can’t speak Danish.
I didn’t even need to say those words. For 80% of communication is body language, and I found myself surrounded by a people I could actually understand. Moms, friends, lovers, buying milk, bread, not really noting what they were doing.
On my walk home I felt proud, and yes…a little more brave than I did when I woke up that morning.
Today’s adventure…to be decided.
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