We're serious now

The last Flemish class we enrolled in ended with us dropping out. Only because we had visitors, we went on our anniversary trip, I accompanied Jim on a business trip, we spent Christmas away, the dog ate my homework, etc. We figured there was simply no way for us to keep up. So we made the difficult decision to stop.

Now, we've re-enrolled in the same class, but this time it's not 2 days a week, but four. Four nights a week, three hours each night. I'm a little nervous about this commitment and I hope we can keep up.

So far, so good. I will say six to nine p.m. in a wooden school desk every night can be a challenge. We've been attending class for a couple of weeks and most of it is ringing a bell again. We're even trying to speak a little more Flemish at home.

We've met some new friends and met up with some old ones from our previous class. Our new class is similar with members from Turkey, Morocco, Russia, Syria, and more. We are again the only Americans. We noted just the other day that we've not met another American who lives here in Belgium.

I know we have the unearned advantage of speaking English, but I almost feel arrogant when I do. Even 1.3 billion Chinese don't expect us all to become fluent in Mandarin. Despite everybody here speaking English, the Flemish people appreciate our effort.

Winslow commands attention from strangers and naturally if you have a dog, people assume you're not a tourist and immediately start speaking Flemish to you. I hear them out and I hope I can make out some of what they've said because it gives me that little opportunity to hear some Flemish before we both resort to English.

We were walking Winslow the other day when a couple came up to us and said something like - they also have a small dog like Winslow at home. I was listening very carefully and understood most everything. Then she asked a question. That's where it all goes to hell for me. I am forced to say - I only speak English. To which she and EVERYONE else says "I'm sorry" and immediately begin speaking perfect English. No, I'M SORRY!

Anyway, I went on to say, as I usually do, that we are trying to learn Flemish. You'd be surprised how much that means to the local people. Just think about it. As an American, say living in Texas or Arizona, you expect those Mexicans to speak English don't you? Well, they have no such expectation here. They just appreciate it when you try.

I know, and they know, Dutch isn't the most common of languages, but still. We do live here.

So I'll probably be so immersed in Flemish these next 3 months that I'll begin writing most of my posts in, at the very least, Flenglish. Ha. I should be so fluent! Who knows, perhaps by the end of April I will be.

Still one of my favorite quotes . . . "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay at home." James Michener

I couldn't agree more. And I could also insert this into that quote " . . . if you disregard their language, . . . ".