Pitfall: “Easy” German Lessons

Ich Spreche Aleman a Real Good-a One

I speak German Really Well. 🤣

In the forest between Trin and Flims, Switzerland. Author’s Photo.

The words I most easily remember in German came through mistakes I made. In sending a card to my in-laws to thank them for the gift of a necklace, I wrote “halsband” (dog collar) instead of “halskette”.

By the way, “gift” means “poison.”

Oops. Hoppla.

In my defense, this was before the internet and Google Translate. Yes. I’m that old. Ich bin so alt.

In Trin, last summer, we passed a young woman with an old dog in a stroller. He was so comfortable. Peter and her talked for a while. The dog, like our own Ziggy, had about a two-minute limit for human conversation during a stroll and let us know.

A week later, we saw her husband in the forest with the dog and the stroller. This time the dog was walking.

I tried to say in Swiss-German, “We met your wife and the dog was in the stroller.” Apparently, I mangled it.

He answered in English, “The stroller is not for my wife.”

Oops. Hoppla.

So much easier and much more fun to study Spanish. “Maná Unplugged” is one of my favorite CD’s, and their music videos are excellente. Also…