!Yo Diggity!

So I’m trying to learn Hungarian. I know, most people say, “Why learn Hungarian?! You’ll only be there a couple/few years - what good will it be once you go home?” Well, the way I see it, if I can learn Hungarian, I can learn anything! Plus two other facts: (1) I feel a little stupid because I am not fluent in any other language than English (and I can’t even spell very well in that one, right Luke?). Everyone here IS fluent in something else and I really do feel a bit inadequate. (2) It really is helpful to know a little bit of the language of the country you are living in. Trips to the grocery store, shopping, talking to the post-man and just general living. People are just much nicer to you when you try to speak to them in their own language. So it’s been valuable. I have been taking a class since about a month after I got here. I just passed the ‘Level 1′ course so now I can go on to the next phase. Just to let you know - this language is NOT easy. In fact, some may say it’s the hardest. This site, for example thinks so. I agree (of course, I like to make myself look better. heehee). I will say my pronounciation is awful (’cause they have sounds we just don’t have, ok?!) but practice makes perfect. It’s hard to step out and make those sounds that feel totally akward to you. But… you have to - it’s the language!

I have to give the folks I work with a lot of credit. English and Hungarian are structurally SO different. It’s another way of thinking. Good job them - and hey - good job me for tryin’, right?