Thursday, December 01, 2005
Short Takes
On our second or third day here in Bishkek, I was asked my name by a student at AUCA. His English was only slightly better than my Russian (well, not that bad, but close), so it took me a few seconds to understand what he was asking. Before I gave him my name, while still computing what he'd asked, I said or uttered or whatever it is that comes out, "Uh." A few minutes later another student came up to us and the first student introduced me as Uhdan. I have been very careful with every sound I make since then.
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There is a man who walks by our apartment everyday, at random times, yelling. As he is yelling in Russian, we have no idea what it is that he's yelling. We have taken to calling him Yelling Guy, as in, "Yelling Guy's back." "I know, I'm not deaf."
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We live directly next door to the Japanese Embassy. We walk past it more or less every time we leave our apartment, as it is on the way to both the university and downtown. I have never, not once, seen anyone enter, leave, or otherwise exist within the tall, imposing fence of the Japanese Embassy. I have concerns regarding its operation.
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The only channels we get in English on our television are BBC World News, CNN World News (for about four hours a day), random sporting events (the 1997 NBA playoffs were on this morning), and Fashion Television. While we both enjoy watching random American films from the 80s dubbed in Russian (Crocodile Dundee, Mad Max 2, Major League, and Batman so far), it is sometimes nice just to have something in English in the background. And sometimes it's nice not to have that something be reports of the world's approaching explosion delivered in a posh British accent. So, Fashion TV. I have learned much (an astounding number of Ukrainian models) and been utterly baffled with an alarming frequency.
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There is a building somewhere near our apartment that rings a bell every morning at 7:30. The bell ring 37 times. I have no idea why.
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Hanging against the wall on the first landing of the university's central staircase are three flags: The Kyrgyz flag on the right, the US flag on the left, and in between an IU flag in crimson and cream. It makes me giggle a little bit every time I see it. As though it is a nation or world power or somehow as important as the two places/ideas symbolized by the flags flanking it. So many reasons to laugh. Too many to list.
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About four days ago I put up a picture of our two dogs as the wallpaper on the laptop. It is a great picture, taken sometime over the summer, with the two of them peeking out at the driveway of our house in Bloomington through the slats in the porch railings, looking off to the right with their mouths open and their tongues just barely poking out, like a smile. I put it up because I was missing them and thought seeing them more often would tamp that down a bit. Not so. Seeing them every day only increased the missing of the mutts. There is a new picture on the desktop now.
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Why, after five years of miserable basketball (even the year of the NCAA finals was miserable, considering the victory over Duke that got them there; and, when you live with E., the day Duke leaves the tournament is miserable, trust me) does IU finally have a team this year?
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There is, as I assume is the case in most places where English is not the first language, a certain type of English spoken by even the best English speakers here, one that is buffered with subtle, awkward pauses and a syntax both formal and, at times, convoluted. I find myself thinking in this new English when in conversation with an English speaker here. I have even found myself composing emails that way. I recognize it as it is happening, but can do nothing to stop it.
Comments:
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Grandpa says, "It's very interesting, but it's beyond me!!"
Aunt Teetee
Aunt Teetee
# posted by 
: 12/02/2005 06:00:00 AM
: 12/02/2005 06:00:00 AM
Dear UhDan Mancheese,
First off, do you really think Mr. Stern has any friends, let alone a BFF? Secondly, thought you'd like to know that while you were PussyCat Dollin' I was (almost) simultaneously rendering the world's worst version of "Blue Bayou" at a karaoke bar... again. Third, love the blog name pun.
Besides that, the pictures look awesome, & I'm quit fond of hearing how many ways you can bilingually embarass yourself. Well done, sir!
PS: dude from Napolean Dynomite along with Will Ferrell, Gob, & his SNL wife are doing a movie about figure skating. Didn't know if you hear that, but the premise sounds magic.
Love,
Dougal
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First off, do you really think Mr. Stern has any friends, let alone a BFF? Secondly, thought you'd like to know that while you were PussyCat Dollin' I was (almost) simultaneously rendering the world's worst version of "Blue Bayou" at a karaoke bar... again. Third, love the blog name pun.
Besides that, the pictures look awesome, & I'm quit fond of hearing how many ways you can bilingually embarass yourself. Well done, sir!
PS: dude from Napolean Dynomite along with Will Ferrell, Gob, & his SNL wife are doing a movie about figure skating. Didn't know if you hear that, but the premise sounds magic.
Love,
Dougal
# posted by : 12/02/2005 07:40:00 AM
: 12/02/2005 07:40:00 AM << Home
