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As I approach the end of my time here in Ireland, I am both shocked and thrilled by how far I have progressed. I have become much more proficient speaking and listening, especially to the Ulster dialect. Perhaps even more importantly, my confidence in my own abilities has skyrocketed. I have felt much more comfortable slipping into Irish while talking with someone, a skill I tried at the pub a few nights ago. As I explained that I was majoring in Irish and taking a course at Oideas Gael, the man asked if I spoke any. I responded simply in Irish, stating “Tá Gaeilge agam; níl sé an-mhaith, ach tá Gaeilge agam” (I have Irish; it isn’t very good, but I have Irish). He was shocked. He then complimented me, laughingly saying that I had more than him but he’d moved back from Switzerland to learn and to make sure his kids learned it while they were young. It was fun to use my Irish with someone new, and to feel confident enough to initiate the interaction in Irish. I have also been taking advantage of the bilingual signage throughout the area. It provides a fantastic opportunity to practice reading and translating, something we haven’t focused on very much in classes. Both An Trá Ban (the Silver Strand) and Sliabh League have great signs that are both interesting to read and fun to try and understand as Gaeilge. It’s been fascinating to see the historical and cultural aspects of the area, and I hope to keep exploring and better my Irish at the same time!

An Trá Ban, a beach about 10km from Oideas Gael, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland, and Sliabh League, a mountain with the highest sea cliffs in Europe.

I have been spending eight hours a day every day in the classroom. We do a lot of talking. Which is great. I am hearing the language much more clearly and I am even able to pick up dialectical variants. My vocab and confidence are making huge leaps forward. But it is exhausting. During my lunch break I need silence. So, I go down to the river. I brought my fly rod with me this year, and I am glad I did. Hearing the river murmur as I eat my lunch is a great way to hit reset and get ready for another sustained push towards fluency. Here is a little guy I caught and promptly let go. Of course, I caught a much bigger brown trout (bréac donn) but I didn’t get a photo. Sure, if you believe that…

As a person who grew up in Turkey, Armenia had always been a distant country to me since the political problems between Turkey and Armenia are abysmal. However, I figure out in short that the cultural and social correspondences between the people of these two countries are quite visible even in daily life. After three hours of delay, I was finally able to land on Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan on the sixth of July. After a short drive from the airport to the city centre, my landlord welcomed me in the outside of the house and offered me some local drinks as I began settling in the house. At this point, I began understanding how big is the Armenian hospitality even towards the people who were not always supposed as “friendly” by some quarters.

My stay in Armenia during the first week of the Persian summer school was fascinating. The courses had taken place in the centre of Yerevan around the place called “Republican Square”. As I was able to gather some information about the area, the square was designed by an Armenian architecture in 1924 during the Soviet era. Among the main landmarks in the city, I could find an opportunity to visit Yerevan TV Tower, Opera Theatre, Yerevan Cascade. In my opinion, more than twenty years after the independence of the Armenian Republic, one could still feel the strong socio-cultural influence of the Soviet Union.

Our program will arrange several trips outside of Yerevan in the following weeks. Therefore, I will be able to write about rural Armenia soon, focusing on Medieval and Ancient architectural heritage of the Armenian people.

We’ve continued our practice of both Classical and Medieval Latin, with visits to St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, the Villa d’Este, and Hadrian’s Villa. We’ve also been practicing memorizing sections of Cicero’s third Catilinarian oration in preparation for performing it in the Forum later this week. In addition to all of that, we’ve also moved into reading some Medieval Latin in connection with our visits to the Knights of Malta and San Clemente.

As usual our visits have included periods where our teachers explain different aspects of the site solely in Latin, and we’ve stopped to read inscriptions that we find along our way. Reading passages about a place before going there and hearing our teachers use the same vocabulary to give us tours has really helped my vocabulary learning lately, since I get to hear the same words used about the same subjects within several days of each other, but in different contexts.

They also brought a speaker (the founder of SALVI – a spoken Latin organization in the U.S.) in last week to give a talk on the history of the modern spoken Latin movement and resources and programs that are available to us if we’re interested in continuing with similar approaches for learning Latin.

We also had dinner in the excavated theater of Pompey last week which was amazing. The Italian food has been fantastic the entire time. The heat has remained pretty brutal, however, with the continued heat wave in Europe.

The days have been flying by in Gleann Cholm Cille. The six days of class a week have been very tiring, leaving little time for outside activities. I have gotten to be with a couple different teachers now, including one with the Munster dialect. My speaking abilities have certainly been getting better, as I was able to understand and hold a full conversation with a native speaker from just up the road in Donegal. While the accent and pronunciation differences proved tough, my previous exposure to the dialect in past weeks helped immensely, as did his willingness to slow his speech and repeat himself if I did not understand. It was a great feeling to be able to understand and respond in a natural conversation and not just one in class. After classes, we always have a nightly program, which varies ever day but essentially repeats every week. We did, however, get the chance to listen to an Irish harp concert the other night. This rare event provided an interesting point of view on my time here in Donegal. The harpist, Janet Harbison, is widely known throughout the traditional music world and has been coming to Gleann Cholm Cille since the 1980’s. She told a number of stories throughout the night, including one of her and the Belfast Harp Orchestra winning a 1993 Grammy for a collaboration with The Chieftains. The really intriguing part of the story was that the orchestra, a youth one, included both Catholics and Protestants. Her attempt to bring people together during the Troubles demonstrated an attitude many people, especially from the north, expressed when the topic arose. Because Brexit has become such a looming issue, the possibility of violence breaking out again has risen substantially. However, everyone I talked to from the north about the issue favored finding a road to peace rather than a staunch, more antagonistic approach. One friend of mine, a man from Tyrone, remarked that while he would like a united Ireland, he did not want it at the cost of more violence. He admitted that cultural differences could prove hard to overcome. Hopefully, this attitude will prevail as the seeming inevitability of Brexit approaches.

After a long journey, I made it to Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Dún na nGall. It is said here that the town is so remote, the next closest parish is Boston. And as you can see, there are more sheep than people by a wide margin. I have just started classes, and I would like to share a bit of etymology with you, dear reader. First, the name of the town. It is an Irish name comprised of three different words. Gleann is, you guessed it, a glen.  Cholm Cille, however is a bit more unusual. Colmcille was a 6th century saint associated with Scotland and Ireland. He is often referred to now as St. Columba. But his name, Colmcille, is comprised of two Irish words. Colm means dove and Cille means church. So, I am staying in the glen of the dove of the church. There you go. Secondly, Donegal or Dún na nGall means the fort of the stranger. In Irish, Gael means native and Gall means foreigner. Dún, you will have guessed, means fort. Sin é (that’s it) for now.

1. About the language acquisition process, I think I foremost learned that mistakes are the most important part of the process along with asking about things that you don’t know. There were so many times when I would be speaking with my host family, make a mistake, and then immediately be corrected by usually the mother of my host family. At first, these sorts of moments were maybe a little embarrassing (for example, a waiter once asked for my name, and I told him it was hot outside). But now I will not mistake, for example, “spannend,” “exciting,” with “entspannend,” “relaxing,” because the mother of my host family corrected me when I told her I just received “ein entspannendes Email,” really intending quite the opposite. On a similar note, when I don’t know a word or when I am unsure about what something is or where something is, I need only ask, and the asking is crucial to learning about the language and the culture. Inquiry gives an opportunity to practice speaking with locals and to learn things that only locals know. It’s rather interesting and important for getting an ear for the language. I learned quite a bit, and I certainly did meet my pre-departure goals. I am certainly more comfortable having casual conversations with other German speakers; towards the end of my stay, I became very comfortable with a German-German dictionary; I have begun reading some German theology with a good amount of success; and I am very comfortable making a fool of myself with all sorts of good German mistakes. It was quite the adventure, and I have grown much as a person and in my knowledge of the German language.
2. The SLA program has provided me an invaluable experience in shaping my view of the world. Of course, I learned much about Germany, branching out of my American bubble in that way; however, all of my classmates came from all over the world, and so many worldviews converging in such a coincidental and spectacular way was truly a gift. My friends and I often exchanged variances among our countries, things from humorous colloquialisms in our own mother tongues to serious political or moral topics. The differences were interesting, but I was surprised by how many similarities came up. In an attempt not to be so presumptuous, I had imagined that everywhere is very different from the United States, and that it is; however, people are people. Humanity is one, and so it is very important to respect others and regard others as equals in dignity and uniquity. If I were to give advice to prospective SLA applicants, I would certainly say to prepare to be amazed. The world is rather large and diverse, but the kindness and generosity of other people crosses even language barriers. To learn another language is to learn a new people and literally a new manner of thinking. It is quite the privilege, and I encourage all prospective students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
3. From here, there is much that I hope to do with my newfound knowledge of German language and culture. One of them is, naturally, to return to Germany one day, for it is a place that I have absolutely loved. Another is to read. I want to study literature in different languages professionally, and I have purchased quite a good start of German books that I will have the great pleasure to read during the remnant of my summer and again and again throughout my life. Thanks to this experience, I have opened a door to a world of new literary tradition and history that I greatly look forward to exploring. My host family has also given me an extensive list of German films that are worth my viewing, so that will also give me a good way to keep up my German while not in Germany. But more broadly, I have found a new way of understanding others and inexplicable amazement at the diversity yet the singularity of us all, and so while my time in Germany has given me tools that will help me professionally, the more important fruits of my SLA experience will inform how I am to interact with others and with what purpose and understanding I will act in bettering the world.

In my last post, I mentioned my trip to Rauris, Austria, with my host family. Again, I had an absolutely wonderful time, and I am extremely grateful to my hosts for bringing me along. We did a couple of really neat things while we were there which I’d like to say more about now.

When we first arrived, we took a walk around the village, allowing me to get a feel for the area. The first thing that I found most striking was—naturally—the scenery. The small village is set smack in the middle of the Alps with mountains of various heights in every direction one looks. Lots of beautiful greens, greys, whites, and blues. Absolutely gorgeous. It is quite easily the most beautiful place that I have ever visited, and, thankfully, my host family said that I will always be welcome back whenever I find myself in the area. Needless to say, I will be trying very hard from now on to find myself in the area again.

After dinner that night, we had drinks and shot the breeze with some neighbors. That was quite an experience for a couple of reasons. The first was that, especially in this area of Austria, people speak a strongly accented dialect of German. The dialect is very throaty, so, for example, while someone speaking high German would ordinarily pronounce the “ch” in the German word “machen” the same way one begins the English word “huge,” someone from this area would sound as if they were seriously clearing their throat. It’s rather impressive and very interesting to me, but at first that and other dialectical differences presented a bit of a problem for my understanding them. I soon adjusted and was able to have a lovely conversation with the neighbors.

The second reason is that, taking a look around their backyard which was full of fruit trees and plants, I realized just how many people in Germany and Austria grow or make their own produce or foods. This family had lots of plants that produced fruits and vegetables, and one of the favorite things of theirs (and apparently the rest of Rauris) to make is schnapps (“Schnaps” in German). The process is relatively simple. These neighbors explained to me that one simply takes pinecones, fruits, or other plant-based things for flavoring, collects them in a jar, pours some hard alcohol over them, and then waits a couple of weeks for the concoction to ripen. And I must say, they are quite tasty. One of the neighbors handed me a small sip of his homemade schnapps, saying, “Das ist Medizin!”: “Now, this is medicine!” His meaning was double since a couple sips can be a sort of medicine for the mind but also since it is may also be used as a home remedy for headaches, stomach aches, or even fever. I cannot confirm the latter, but their schnapps were pretty tasty, and it was neat to experience this traditional beverage of the area.

Of course, Germans and Austrians grow more than schnapps materials at home. My host family grows their own fruits and makes their own jellies and jams. Many people grow their own vegetables with which they cook. In Rauris, many people own farms and raise their own cattle or livestock for meat. This was just another example of the efficient self-sufficiency of many German people.

I certainly have had more than just this one fascinating experience since my time in Germany, and I am sincerely grateful to everyone who has made my trip possible. Today is my last day in Germany, and, while I do look forward to seeing my family and friends again, I am sad to leave such a wonderful place. My German has improved significantly along with my notion of language as a whole, my view of an incredible nation, and my ability to adapt to new surroundings. Thank you all for reading my blog posts!

Prost!

It’s difficult to believe that my time in France is coming to an end. I have spent the last six weeks meeting people from all over and learning so much not only about the French culture, but also about cultures from across Europe, Asia, and South America. I am so grateful for these experiences, as well as for the improvements that I have seen in my French abilities.

I have found myself growing even closer to my friends from the Institute of Touraine, and I know that it will be very difficult to leave them.

I feel far away from home sometimes, but I am only here for six weeks. Many of my friends are studying at the institute are staying here for ten months or longer. I have realized the magnitude of certain distinct, unjust advantages because of my race and the country in which I was born.  While I have tried in the past to consider the privilege that comes with being white, I have rarely thought about how fortunate I am to have been born into a family that speaks English, in an English-speaking country. All of my friends here, regardless of whether they are from an Eastern Asian or Scandinavian country, have expressed the importance of learning English, a task that many of them have found to be very challenging. I now  know that I am so fortunate to have learned English as my first language, but I also know that I still feel a responsibility to learn as many languages as I can. There is inherent value, I have learned, in the ability to communicate with someone in his native language.

My physical traits have meant that it is immediately obvious that I do not live in Tours.  A friend of mine from India has spoken to me about the isolation that she has experienced because of her ethnical background. She has been here for four months and is staying for another two. My friend says that as there are very few Indian people in France, even in the major cities like Paris, she feels as though it is immediately obvious to locals that she is not from here. Further, as French is incredibly different phonetically from her native language of Hindi, she has difficulty with a few words, and as soon as people hear her struggling with these sounds, they immediately dismiss her, as though she cannot speak the language. Not only can my friend speak French, but she also speaks four other languages, so these attempts to communicate with the local population can be incredibly frustrating.

Another friend of mine is studying in Tours to become an engineer. He has lived with the host family of one of my friends from the Institute of Touraine since he left his home in Kuwait two years ago. Similar to my friend from India, he told me that his physical traits, like the color of his skin, serve as an immediate source of prejudices. In Tours, he has found, the locals tend to be relatively welcoming to foreigners, as there are multiple institutes for foreign study and many universities. In other cities that he has visited, however, this is rarely the case. He told me that people are quick to assume that he has fled a warzone of the Middle East, and this typically leads to a politically charged conversation.

I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to know these incredible people and to call them my friends. I have learned so much about the importance of understanding and respecting foreign cultures during my time here.