It is my first day in my new home for the month of July. By no means did I want to make anyone go out of their way for me, but I arrived to a beautiful cabin - that I have to say is much nicer than my own apartment back in Winnipeg. Really.
It's all about atmosphere and expectations I suppose. In my city apartment: neighbor's fence door banging repeatedly outside my window = irritating. In my cabin: waves hitting rocks repeatedly = not irritating. I'll report back on the irritation level these loons reach, though.
Upon arrival, though, I didn't want to make a lot of noise. I did not want to be the disruptive city-dweller making a "grand" entrance into a small community. As it turns out, though, I am THAT girl. You know, the girl with the car alarm that goes off at midnight because she forgot her keys in her pocket? I'm always that girl. Trying hard not to be a bother, but probably alerting the entire town of Camperville to my arrival.
Michif is most definitely a "laughing language" as my teachers tell me. So I'm sure stories of my first couple of days will provide them with a start to the arsenal of material they will use to laugh at me in Michif - especially during this "beginner" period when I really don't know what they're saying!!!
So, even though I grew up in the "country," I have this feeling I have been slightly tainted by the city lifestyle. It is possible that, in the last 10 years, I've forgotten what a bear's #2 looks like? Is it necessary for me to cringe and gasp in shock every time my Corolla bottoms out on a mud hole or pot hole? The only difference between these off-road craters and the ones in my back lane in Winnipeg is the amount of wildlife residing in them.
There are some small adjustments in the first days, but without a doubt, I am in constant awe of the knowledge that my teachers, Rita and Grace, have not only of their language but of the history of this community. I feel extremely fortunate not only to learn the language, but to learn the stories they are telling in my Michif lessons. The stories and the language are clearly indivisible from one another. For all the school learnin' I have completed, there is nothing that can compare to this!
It's all about atmosphere and expectations I suppose. In my city apartment: neighbor's fence door banging repeatedly outside my window = irritating. In my cabin: waves hitting rocks repeatedly = not irritating. I'll report back on the irritation level these loons reach, though.
Upon arrival, though, I didn't want to make a lot of noise. I did not want to be the disruptive city-dweller making a "grand" entrance into a small community. As it turns out, though, I am THAT girl. You know, the girl with the car alarm that goes off at midnight because she forgot her keys in her pocket? I'm always that girl. Trying hard not to be a bother, but probably alerting the entire town of Camperville to my arrival.
Michif is most definitely a "laughing language" as my teachers tell me. So I'm sure stories of my first couple of days will provide them with a start to the arsenal of material they will use to laugh at me in Michif - especially during this "beginner" period when I really don't know what they're saying!!!
So, even though I grew up in the "country," I have this feeling I have been slightly tainted by the city lifestyle. It is possible that, in the last 10 years, I've forgotten what a bear's #2 looks like? Is it necessary for me to cringe and gasp in shock every time my Corolla bottoms out on a mud hole or pot hole? The only difference between these off-road craters and the ones in my back lane in Winnipeg is the amount of wildlife residing in them.
There are some small adjustments in the first days, but without a doubt, I am in constant awe of the knowledge that my teachers, Rita and Grace, have not only of their language but of the history of this community. I feel extremely fortunate not only to learn the language, but to learn the stories they are telling in my Michif lessons. The stories and the language are clearly indivisible from one another. For all the school learnin' I have completed, there is nothing that can compare to this!
7/06/2007
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