Oh yes, I hear you!! I am German and my husband is Canadian. Coming from two different backgrounds and speaking two different languages brings about many arguments as well as laughs. One time we had a huge fight about saran wrap as I called it foil not knowing that foil in English only refers to aluminium foil whereas in German, foil is the umbrella term for anything that wraps around something, no matter if it's plastic or aluminium. Or one time, when we were buying wine, my husband wanted to say "I am cheap" letting me know he would opt for a cheaper wine that night but instead of saying "Ich bin billig" he said "Ich bin hässlich", which translates to "I am ugly". We had the best laugh.
This was lovely to read—and interesting because I’ve known my husband since we were 11, so we have so many shared cultural references. But you’re right: that doesn’t guarantee that we’re always *getting* each other.
I love Mexico City! I’ve visited twice and the little scrap metal girl definitely haunts my dreams. On my first trip I practiced until I could sing her whole spiel verbatim. 🤪
LOVE that you are also haunted by the little girl!! Impossible to forget that sound once it’s drilled into your brain here 😂. And wow that you’ve known you’re husband since you were 11- I love that kind of love story 💗
Even when you speak the same language, but come from different countries, the missteps can be confronting and not easily navigated as somehow that common language means an expectation of reciprocal understanding … so trying to weave the subtleties in different languages within vastly differing cultures confounds me. Go Tessa!
Oh yes, I hear you!! I am German and my husband is Canadian. Coming from two different backgrounds and speaking two different languages brings about many arguments as well as laughs. One time we had a huge fight about saran wrap as I called it foil not knowing that foil in English only refers to aluminium foil whereas in German, foil is the umbrella term for anything that wraps around something, no matter if it's plastic or aluminium. Or one time, when we were buying wine, my husband wanted to say "I am cheap" letting me know he would opt for a cheaper wine that night but instead of saying "Ich bin billig" he said "Ich bin hässlich", which translates to "I am ugly". We had the best laugh.
The language mishaps never get old !! And always stay cute 🥰
This was lovely to read—and interesting because I’ve known my husband since we were 11, so we have so many shared cultural references. But you’re right: that doesn’t guarantee that we’re always *getting* each other.
I love Mexico City! I’ve visited twice and the little scrap metal girl definitely haunts my dreams. On my first trip I practiced until I could sing her whole spiel verbatim. 🤪
LOVE that you are also haunted by the little girl!! Impossible to forget that sound once it’s drilled into your brain here 😂. And wow that you’ve known you’re husband since you were 11- I love that kind of love story 💗
Even when you speak the same language, but come from different countries, the missteps can be confronting and not easily navigated as somehow that common language means an expectation of reciprocal understanding … so trying to weave the subtleties in different languages within vastly differing cultures confounds me. Go Tessa!
it for sure is a wild ride hahaha
“You don’t speak languages. Languages speak you.” - Roland Barthes
Amen!!!
What a lovely piece. And photos. I laughed and teared up in different places. Keep writing.
Thank you! Your comment means a lot to me. 🥹