Posts Tagged ‘language’

No I am not talking about the mood we are in or our lifes over here. It’s actually the weather that doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood. This week it sadly changed from sunny, blue skys and hot to rainy, grey and cold. On Sunday we actually were walking on the beach with our shoes off and sweating and now we are kind of floating away here in our little pool house.

Contrary to the weather everything else is kind of going upwards. I had my third job interview this week. Nothing actually happened so far, but before moving out here I actually worried that I won’t be able to get an interview at all. It still is a totally strange feeling to just walk in an american company and do a job interview as if it was nothing unfamiliar. In those moments it really hits me that I now life in a foreign country, where people speak another language and that I am about to stay!

Flo and I didn’t really feel homesick, yet, but that might be due to everything being so new and exciting. I actually am more and more impressed by people who move out here without speaking the language very good every day. I would totally have been too scared to do it and probably would have already left by now. As for us I don’t really feel that we are living in a new world right now. The only thing that really changed so far is the language. And with that I do not have big problems. With the weather on the other hand i do!

One of the most annoying things of being an Alien in America (most likely being in alien in every other country with a different language, too) is that you have to say just one word and people ask you “Hey, where are you from?”. I know that this is a common problem amongst immigrants, but it really drives me nuts.

I know that my english is pretty good, but my accent sucks a lot. Everytime I form a sentence in my head during a conversation it sounds so good. But when it comes out, it sounds amateurish. If people just would be able to hear how I speak in my mind, I think they would never recognize that I am an Alien in America. But sadly this is no option.

I really wonder how long it will take me to be able to speak some sentences without people wondering where I am from. Since our last visit to the US in May I actually made some tiny little steps in the right direction. I now can order water in the restaurant without being ask “Excuse me, what do you want?” You want to know my little, easy secret? Do not say water with a “t” like british people would do, just say it with a “d”.

Some days ago I told you about Flo and me wanting to try out our new american names Nina and Rian. I did the first day we arrived in California and it worked. Flo tried it on our last day at the airport and besides them spelling Rian with a “y” it worked.

When I complained about the one word thing to my american colleague this week he asked me why I am complaining and not simply be proud of my accent. I guess it is just me trying to lose some of my now still pretty obvious green alien-look to the people in my future hometown.

Dear America,

last time I told you, what I love about you. Today I tell you, what I would love to change about you!

1. I hate that you are so far away and that flying to Germany from you not only takes loooooooooong, but that it gives me hell!

2. I hate that you will seperate me from my friends and family and that you are in another time zone.

3. I hate that your food will make me fat sooner or later and that I will have to begin doing sports very soon, because of that!

4. I hate that your language sometimes gives me a hard time and will make the job hunt harder than it already is!

5. I hate that your people can’t spell my name when they just hear it. I am not called Jenin, Jamie, Jennie or Jemin!

6. I hate that you gave me a chance, that I can not reject!

7. I hate that you have so nice beaches and landscapes, because I will not see much of them when I am not still coming to you for vacation.

8. I hate that you are my dream, because me moving will hurt a lot people including myself!

9. I hate that you are my biggest challenge in life so far and maybe will be the challenge of my lifetime! You are supposed to be my dream and dreams are nice!

10. I hate that I love you so much and can’t resist you!

XOXO
Janina