belgianwaffle

Archives for 29 January, 2009

A possible explanation for the low numbers in Danish classes


Posted in: Reading etc.

A lot of people speak English as a second language.  As a consequence, native English speakers are tolerant of error and capable of understanding an extraordinarily wide range of accents.  This is less true for people whose languages are not spoken by as many non-native speakers.

An American who has worked in Denmark recently reported to me the following conversation.

Dane: My mother was a migrant, you know.

American: Really?

Dane: Oh yes, she came from Germany though she lived here almost all her adult life.

American: I see.

Dane: She never learnt to speak Danish.

American (surprised): She didn’t?  But how did she manage her day to day life? Schools, shopping, socialising?

Dane (surprised): Oh she could write Danish and speak it but she always had an accent.

People, those are high standards.

Sodden Oxen


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Twins

Daniel and I explored the customs surrounding Chinese new year on Saturday.  We went to a hairdresser in the north inner city where all the customers and all the hairdressers were Chinese.  Ni hao to you too.  Daniel made friends with a little Chinese girl and she filled us in on what happens.  “People will throw money at me,” she informed us gleefully in her Dublin accent.   There are about 11,000 Chinese people in Ireland according to the last census figures.  The barber whom Mr. Waffle patronises dismisses this.  He says that there are 11,000 on Parnell Street alone.  He is clearly bitter about the competition.

Continuing our authentic Chinese theme, Mr. Waffle and I went for dinner to a Chinese restaurant in Parnell Street on Saturday night.  It was not very nice, alas.  We parked nearby and while Mr. Waffle went to get a parking ticket, I went and peered into a large somewhat delapidated Georgian house where a big van parked outside, bright lights and a wide open door in the pouring rain indicated that they might be making a film.  I hoved up to the three lads standing in the doorway and asked.  In fact, no, they were making a music video for Emmett Scanlon.  “Who’s he?” I asked.  “Me,” said the one in a shirt with ruffles.  “Don’t you recognise him?” asked one of the others.  “He’s going to be famous.”  Not famous yet though.  He directed me to his website and as an act of human charity, I am going to put in a link to it because Emmet and his mates seemed to be quite a nice bunch.

Finally, we went to inspect the Chinese new year celebrations in the city on Sunday.   We brought my sister too because bonding with her niece and nephews is very good for her.  The kids made kites.  The driving rain made it difficult to get them to fly.  The children would have been happy to watch the Silk and Bamboo trio all afternoon but the adults were getting wet and dragged them away.  They did get to shake hands with a person dressed as an ox, so this softened the blow of not being able to see the dragon over the top of the Chinese ambassador’s umbrella.

Apparently the ox is known for fortitude.  Well, I’d say that he’ll need it this year.