We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary in Rome. It was a fabulous trip filled with history and awe, dirt and shopping.  The best part about it was the shopping! ... I've never been much of a shopper. I could never really get into blowing all my hard earned money on something. ... although I have to admit that when you don't have a job sometimes the window shopping becomes a happy pastime.
But this is NOT about shopping. Nope this is about Language! Yes!
Now while I have been learning Norwegian as a new language, old habits die hard. I have been struggling to have the muscle memory switch from Spanish to Norwegian.  I would be making sentences and the first thing that comes to my head is a spanish word. "Maybe" was one ... the spanish word kept coming into mind. I have been struggling to make that go away.
So I 'm very impressed when people can speak more than 2 languages .... and keep them separate to!
Heck I'm pretty impressed with kids learning these languages!

Can you imagine the language callallo my poor brain went through this past few days?..... I have been learning Norwegian, I go to a new country with a new language and I have the HARDEST time just saying No or Si .... Gratsi .... or Buongiorno! Buona sera!  For the Life of me, it took me until the very last hour (it felt like it) before I was saying the right thing!.
I kept starting in Norwegian .... going to english or spanish and hardly ever to Italian!!
My husby was having a fun time while I was wondering how he knew so much Italian! lol .
Now its always been a dream of mine to be Bilingual .. in fact  I think it was 2 days before we left Norway for Rome, we had our first full length conversation at Dinner in Norwegian. Yes yes yes ... i was very proud of myself and of him too .. for being so good at pronounciating (think a Trini dialects ... its like learning the Queen's English and someone is talking to you like they from Penal.... u get my point (not that his dialect is bad .. its just not what I'm learning)).
So now I come to Italy ... and I keep saying Nei Takk to people ... how on earth they would know what I am saying .... I'm not even saying it in English!! hahahah ... So that is how my entire trip went ... Nei .. I mean No Grazi .. or Ja .. I mean Si Grazi.
Language confused, Language dyslexia Call it what ever you want ... i was a confused little kitten ...
But it was fun, and I am even more determined now to learn this language.

I start my first introduction to the work place soon and I'm excited to see what I do. I will be working in a kindergarden. The best place really to learn a language, since the kids INSIST upon talking to you and they will ONLY talk to you in Norwegian and not kick into English if you don't understand.

Let's see how fast I learn this language now!! :)

First day of school jitters, blues and shoes

Ever since I've reached to Norway, there has been talk about me learning the language.  I'm anxious to be part of conversations .. or at least be able to respond to people... especially the jokes- since there seem to be so many!.
to be ready for 8:30 am  seems like a Port of Spain run to me now.... After I have been waking up at 8 am .... and more recently a bit earlier... but this time I have to be ready, belly filled, hair and make-up, drive and arrive .. by 8:30 am.
Needless to say, I was late. But only by a little bit. Had I chosen to eat something before I left, maybe I would have reached at the break and no one would have noticed me sneak in. I reached, parked and then I couldn't find the actual door to get into! Alas. I was not the only one that that had happened to.  The girl I sat next to (from Poland) told me that the reason she didn't come last week was because she could not find it either. Poor chile, she drove 40 km to reach here and turn right back around.

Its getting colder these days.. it was 11 C this morning.. I thought that it would stay that cold all day .... so I put on my trusty boots ... something that I hung onto since my Aussie days, 6 years ago! :) .. I knew it would come in handy SOMEday!

The class was taught in Norwegian. yes ... Its a norwegian class, taught in Norwegian.  There were 17 people in the class, 3 men and almost all the other girls were wives brought to the lovely cold by their husbands, be it for their jobs, or that they were from Norway. Note to self.  Norwegian guys sure do like their Thai girls!! :) There were 5 of them there!

Of course no one had ever HEARD about Trinidad and Tobago .. but that's besides the fact.... The 2 polish girls I sat next to were in the back .... an easy seat to get to when you would like to sit after interrupting the class for coming late.

Really it was not that bad.  Although I MUST remember that I need something to eat ... I totally forgot about this school thing .... recess.... meeting new people etc ... its so alarmingly difficult.  I think everytime I've started a new school I knew at least one person.  Oh no wait .. I lie.... that Event Management course ... I didn't know honky dory.

There were many times in the class I was totally bermused ... bewildered and confused ... what was she talking about?... I would put my face in the most questionably confused contortion that I could to make her say whatever she said in English.  Thanks fuh dat eh....  Talk about throwing us to the sharks???whhheeeeyy sahhh!

I've grown fond of studying people a little bit, making up stories of their life.  There was a lady to the back who was making jokes with her seat mate alot.  I could tell that she was going to be the class comic relief ever so often... She must have been in her 50s .... Good on her to learn a new language now!

There were 3 or 4 from Poland, 1 from Canada, Latvia, 1 Girl From El Salvador, 1 guy from ... gorsh .. I have no idea where .. somewhere in Africa and they speak Arabic, 6 from Thailand - 5 girls 1 boy. And me

The class was over early. The teacher is young.  She could be my age I suppose. But her manner was very cold and stand offish... Does she smile? I wonder ..... funny that.
Jaw and I had just come back from a little road trip. We needed some groceries.  When I walked outside, even though the class had been dismissed early, there were tons of young people all around.... the kind that would perhaps be cruel to you I imagined.   They were talking loudly, incessantly and were everywhere .... like germs...

Groceries in hand almost bursting in the bag, there was no space for the bread so I was  holding that in my hand, back pack on my back I started walking towards the car.

What is that noise? And what is .....
You gots to be kidding me.....
My boot sole was coming off. Starting at the heel.  It was making a loud slapping noise everytime I walked.
I had about 10 huge stairs to walk down past all these young girls sitting on it... at a perfect angle to hear and see it.
I think Murphy must be following me around or something .... How does this happen to me? I started almost dragging my feet as the flapping of the shoes increased. I could feel it coming off more and more, faster and faster. How far is the car??? Oh gorm man.... why dis hadda happen now?

I taking deep breaths hoping that it would not fall apart on me then and there leaving behind an un wanted sole.

I was almost to the car .... I tried to drag my feet even closer to the ground to help the noise....
hmmm . opps....  now one foot was higher than the other ...
A lady and her daughter were walking past and pretended not to see my poor embarrassing plight.
Thanks lady .. I really appreciate that ....
I walked back to pick up the sad and sorry sole from off the ground and dumped everything into the trunk. On tiptoe with one foot I humbly got into the car and drove away.

In the car I was shaking my head ... what is going on with my shoes.. that's the second one to do that to me!

I love a reason to shop ...but good grief ... this is ridiculous!
The end? I wish.... Driving home ... the other sole was feeling a bit left out and started to come out more and more with each press of the clutch.
Sure why not ....
This is why people, we Trini women LOVE to have a million shoes in our car .... for days like these!

Right sole had had enough of people walking on it.

Whey yuh Say?