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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Adventures in Deutsch

These three events all happened at Globus earlier this week.  Apparently having two sweet babies with me all the time makes me a target for conversation... especially with the cute old folk.  I need to keep working on my Rosetta Stone!

(And a note to anyone who can actually speak German... I'm going to type things out the way they sound in my head, not necessarily the way the are supposed to be written!)

Adventure 1

Sweet little old German lady:  Gobbldy gobbldy gobbldy?
Me:  Er... ich spreche aine bischen Deutch?  (I only speak a little German?)
Sweet little old German lady:  (smiling) Gobbldy gobbldy schoon gobbldy... jungen gobbldy madchen? (At this point I recognize schoon with means pretty and I know jungen and madchen are boy and girl)
Me:  Madchen.  (Motioning to Sam on my back)  Svie Madchen (motioning to Lily in the cart... svie = two)

Success!  I just told a sweet little old German lady that I had two girls.  Yahtzee!

Adventure 2

Me:  (getting nervous as I wait in line to order some chinese food)  Sprechen zee English?  (Do you speak English, to the lady behind the counter)
Her:  Nine.  (No.  Dangit.)
Me:  One plate bitte.  (Kicking myself for not knowing the word for plate... or remembering that the word for one is ainse or eine or something like that!)
Her:  (Looking confused... then points to the meat selections one at a time... I pick shrimp)
Her:  Gobbldy gobbldy reis gobbldy gobbldy?  (By her gestures and the fact I know reis is rice, I knew she was asking if I wanted noodles or rice... and rice is easier to feed the girls)
Me:  Reis.
Her:  Gobbldy gobbldy gobbldy?
Me:  Er...?
Kind German gentleman next to me leans over:  She wants to know if you want it with spicy sauce or sweet sauce.
Me:  Sweet!  (And many danke shoons to the kind German gentleman)

Not so much of a success.  If that guy hadn't helped out, I could have ended up with spicy food, which if it was too hot would have been difficult to feed the girls.  Thank goodness for kind strangers!

Adventure 3

Cute little German couple sitting at the table next to us:  Gobbldy gobbldy gobbldy?
Me:  Er...

They were gesturing to the girls, but I didn't have any clue what they were asking cause I didn't recognize any of the words!  And they didn't speak English and didn't really ask many more questions... but they smiled at the girls through the whole meal and Lily made up for my lack of communication skills by waving sweetly at them.  Made their day :o) 

2 comments:

  1. If only German were as easy as "Gobbidy"! - Cassie

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  2. good job! i still can't get beyone "es regnet" which i think is 'it's raining'. which now seems appropriate to learn in a first (only) semester German class, after reading some of your weather oriented blog posts!!!

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