Culture and Language
Expat Life: The Benefit of Languages
Language and culture are very closely linked. Knowing a language gives you such insights into that culture. Liv offers this piece about how she learned Turkish and the benefits of it
Peanut Butter and Jelly – A Cultural Marker
Experiencing different cultures is one of the travelers most common goals. To see the world and experience the traditions of other people. This is fun, I like doing this too. As an expat in Germany though I end up getting to see my own home culture in a different light. The oddities from the germanic perspective as it were. This week, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.
Fun with Translation
If you spend long enough in a different language, the two begin to blend and mix in different ways in your head. I sometimes find odd connections that come up when trying to understand a new phrase. Usually if I don’t know a phrase I think about the literal translation in English and often get a laugh. Here are some of my favorites.
Language of Friendship
Friendliness is a concept that comes up a lot in travelogues. “I went there and the people were so friendly.” Or sometimes the opposite, mentioning how rude people were in a place. I was in several conversations in the past day or two about how friendly different places seemed to travelers and natives. One of these spontaneous conversations made me think of how language affects how friendly other places are.
Of Language and Beer
Last Saturday a friend of mine and I drove to France, namely Strasbourg, for lunch. I love that we can do that, though still have “go to Paris just for breakfast” on my Bucket List. My inability to say Merci in French made me start thinking about language and beer.
