Friday, March 27, 2009

So She's Gone?

Tigger, my oldest, went on her very first trip outside of the country by herself. Well, not by herself. I'm not one to send my 14 year old off on a plane all alone.

She's on a school sponsored trip to London.

When you don't fixate on it, you don't realize what a milestone it is.

And it's easy to not fixate on the fact that your "little girl" has grown up, when you're busy fixating on the fact that you have never been to London.

And when she brought home the permission slip I said, "OOH, ooh, ME ME ME! I want to go to London!"

She kept dancing around the house saying "They speak English there!" While I glared at her from the corner.

Yeah, whatever. You go off and see the Old Globe theatre and speak English to all those nice people.

I'll be fine. I'll stay here and creep out the only English speaking people I know by being all weird and silent. And by mentioning my blog in every conversation.

It's probably better that I hang out in a country where I don't speak the language natively. Or fluently.

I can have my conversations with the deli clerk.

"Please Miss. Please 1/2 kilo meat. Turkey. Slicing. Please Miss."

13 comments:

  1. Well if you ever come to London get a train down to Brighton and let me know.

    Turkey. Slicing.

    That's how I order my Subway.

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  2. Found you over at Pseudonymous HST. So how is that you have lived all sorts of places and never been to London??

    I like your blog and I'll be back (I promise that is not as threatening as it sounds).

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  3. How have I been coming here for years and not "following" you..ok fixed that..awwwww...don't fixate...stay in denial....it's ok you could always go out and hang out with the prostitutes...

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  4. No out of the country trips for mine yet, although mine went to New York City last summer at 14. So far, his foreign travel has all been with me. But London - that sounds pretty mamageable.

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  5. Kylie, how does that work for you? You don't speak Polish? They don't speak English? P.S the word in Polish for turkey is EEEN DICK. hehehe

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  6. Almost as odd: I grew up in Chicago - a city in an English-speaking country - among native Polish speakers. Their English was bad and my Polish was/is much worse. When I go back every year and visit my favorite Polish deli, it takes the counter girl and somebody's young daughter from the back to figure out what I'm trying to say!

    I'm convinced that as long as you can say "please" and "thank you" in someone's native language, and you smile, they'll forgive almost anything. :o)

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  7. you make me giggle and snort.

    this is yolanda. and i can't always figure out how to leave a comment. i'm not anonymous. I'M NOT!! :D

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  8. Pol kilo indyka, prosze. That always worked for me. London, Warsaw - all the same - they just sound more intelligent in London. And I'm sorry but unless you are around British English all the time, you are bound to do a double take on some words. I hope Tigger has a memorable trip - are there enough chaparones (you don't want her to have too good a time)?

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  9. Well, I can't hear the sound of you screaming, so Tigger must be okay so far--and you must have your worries under control.

    With this post, a wee dream has been born in me: that my family and I one day meet you and your family at the Tower of London for an afternoon of exploration. Then the parents go drink that night.

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  10. Isn't it just great when kids can do that? I'm sure you'e happy for her!

    If you don't mind, I still don't quite get it - where do yo live and what is your mother tongue?

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  11. Good thing you're not fixating on Tigger's growing up and soon ... moving away (to somewhere they speak English).

    Hope she brings you back a nice present.

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  12. Ok, K. Dlyan, you, and I never went on ANY frield trips at Klein Intermediate OR Klein Forest and she gets to go to LONDON!! I want to go to her school!

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  13. Heehee!! Loved the deli-clerk conversation...get thee to an English-speaking land, post-haste!!

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