LL-L "Language attitudes" 2002.11.26 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 26.NOV.2002 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
               V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Global Moose Translations globalmoose at t-online.de
Subject: LL-L "Language attitudes" 2002.11.25 (02) [E/S]

Dear all,

in this vein, I MUST share a treasured family anecdote - something that
happened to my then-husband and me when traveling in the Netherlands ten
years ago.

I can't remember which town we were in when we got out of the car to ask for
directions. It was semi-late at night, and the only people we could find to
ask were a middle-aged man and his two teen-age sons. I don't mean to sound
arrogant, but they did not look like rocket scientists to begin with.

So I addressed the father in fluent Dutch and asked him for the way. He
immediately turned to my husband and started to explain the way to HIM. I
said, "Excuse me, but I'm the driver - you need to explain this to me." So
he turns to my husband again and starts to explain the way to him all over
again. Well, not only was my husband the world's worst navigator and a
terrible driver to boot, but he was also American and, though fluent in
German, didn't know a word of Dutch. So again, I told him: "Please, you need
to talk to ME. My husband is American, and he cannot understand a word of
what you're saying. He doesn't speak any Dutch, and anyway - I'm driving."
"So he said: "Aw, come on, EVERYBODY understands Dutch" - and kept talking
to my husband who had no idea what was going on. He got as far as "and then
you turn left at the sixth traffic light", when his sone piped in: "No,
Papa, it's the seventh light", and the other son contradicted, claiming it
was the fifth. They were still squabbling among themselves about the number
of traffic lights while we quietly tiptoed away, heading for a quiet place
where we could laugh our heads off...

They are fondly remembered to this day.

Gabriele Kahn

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