Imagine a city that isn't particularly attractive, nor especially clean; a
city where the people are no more friendly - and perhaps even considerably
less friendly than those in your home town. Doesn't sound very
appealing, does it? Ah, but if this city just happens to be one in a country
whose language you are learning, it is a different matter altogether. For in
that case, everything about it may well seem magically attractive to
you. You will overlook its defects, and only focus on the many things that
you find fascinating about it. In short, you will view it through
rose-colored glasses.
I distinctly remember my first months in Germany way back
when, and also the first time I came to Spain. During my first weeks here in
Spain, I made it a point to meet people, always an advisable procedure when
you want to perfect your skills in a foreign language. Looking back at that time, I
realize that some of the people I associated with were not the kind I would
like to take home to introduce to my family in the U.S.
For instance, I occasionally visited a small group of young
people who were to the extreme left politically. No, by that I don't mean
the "Ted-Kennedy/John Kerry" left; those two venerable politicians would
definitely seem decidedly right-of-center in comparison with those folks I
hung around with, who were more the "somewhere between Fidel Castro and Joe
Stalin" kind of extreme left. Their days were spent mainly sitting around
smoking dope and talking about when the world revolution would finally come
to Spain so that they would be able to live the sorts of lives they
knew they deserved. What in the world was I doing eating an
occasional lunch with them in their home, and listening to all that
nonsensical propaganda? Well, for me, it was actually interesting.
Not their naïve beliefs, of course, but the fact that they were saying it
all in Spanish, and I had the chance to expand my knowledge of that language
by listening to them. (And I might add that though I disagreed with them, I
did get a chance to see that some of them were indeed nice people - even if
their views had more than a bit of extremism.)
Before living in Spain, I spent 13 years in Germany, in the
city of Kassel. Kassel, like practically all the cities in Germany, is neat
and clean. However, if you walk through the center, you will certailny not
be impressed with its beauty, for Kassel is not a beautiful city. At least
not since Oct 22, 1943. On the night of the 22/23 of that year, over 560
British bombers rained destruction and death over the city, killing about
10,000 people, and destroying more than 75% of the city (some figures put
this as high as 90%). You won't see many signs of this today, since Kassel
was rebuilt in the post-war years. However, the new buildings completely
lack the charm of the pre-war ones, and almost all of the edifices you see
in the center have that stark, modernistic, "functional" look that often
predominated in the 50's and 60's. Neat and clean, to be sure, but boring as
well.
Nonetheless, during my first months in Kassel, it was the
most interesting place on earth. After all, I was living in Germany,
something I had always wanted to do. When I walked through the center then,
the uninteresting style of the buildings didn't bother me one bit. I hardly
noticed it, since all my attention was focused on myriads of fascinating
details. Like signs in store windows: "Sonderangebot" (special offer),
"Buchhandlung" (Bookshop), "Apotheke" ("Chemist's" to you Brits, "Drug
Store" for us Americans), and the like. "Parken verboten" (No parking
allowed"), "Strassenbahn" (Street car -something I had only known as a wee
child back in Baltimore).
Wherever I looked, there were words that I had either learned
during my German studies, and was now seeing in a practical context for the
first time, or words that I had never seen before, and whose meaning I had
to divine - or else jot down in my little notebook so that I could look them
up later.
And the people! I made it a point to ask directions often,
just to have the chance to talk to people, and maybe make the acquaintance
of a few. I didn't always understand the answers they gave me, but so what?
I was forced to think, to try to figure out what the devil they were saying.
It was a wonderful learning experience. When I had made a few friends, they
informed me that people in Kassel were not known for their friendliness, but
rather had the reputation of being "etwas verschlossen und misstraurisch"
(somewhat closed and mistrustful). I was a trifle surprised, for I thought
they were great, simply because they were German, and I was there as an
American trying to master their laguage. I was viewing both the people as
well as the city through rose-colored glasses, and I loved every minute of
it!
(An aside: my conscience will not permit me to criticize Kassel's post-war
apearance without commenting as well on its most remarkable feature: Park
Wilhelmshöhe. This forest-like park, located on the westen outskirts of the
city, a few kilometers from the center, is perhaps the most beautiful
park in Europe. It is one of my favorite places on earth, and is definitely
worth going out of your way to visit. One of its most notable features is
Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, -Wilhelmshöhe Palace - , which is now the seat of a
fantastic art gallery, housing some 15 Rembrandts, as well as hundreds of
other masterpieces. Also, let me say that the people in Kassel, though not
naturally extraverted, are really fine folks and excellent friends once you
get to know them. (Ich grüsse Dich, Rolf-Peter!)
Being in a foreign city while learning the local language is
one of the most wonderful, memorable and enriching experiences you can ever
have, and I almost pity those who have never done so. If mastering Spanish
is one of your goals, and you ever get the chance to visit a city like
Granada, Spain (where I now live), by all means, do so! Elsewhere in this
site, you will find a picture gallery of Granada, which will give you some
idea of why I love this place so much. But no matter what language you are
learning, or what foreign city you choose to visit, you will find your stay
there to be a treasure that you will always hold fondly in memory, and on
which you will frequently look back with nostalgia in the future.
A few weeks or months
wearing rose-colored glasses - recommendable to anyone who wants to add a
touch of magic to life!
Next article:
14)
Inertia - how it can help you... or ruin you
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