One and a half week ago we had the pleasure of entertaining two English guests in our home town Bergen op Zoom: Pete and Ross, two local - business - friends from our 'home-village' Charing, Kent. Nice couple, a little - tiny according to Pete - older than we are (we're mid and end 40).
We live and work in the UK now for already 7 years, speak, think, write, talk English most of the time. But to each other (that's me and partner Ton) we still speak Dutch (although more and more sentences are being peppered with English words and phrases). Pete and Ross speak only English.
And we had to translate various questions from waiters for them, not a problem. No, not a problem at all, we are used to switch from Dutch (among the two of us) to English every day.
Only, it seems we're effected with a Double Dutch effect when it comes to the other way around.
After having the Dutch question translated in English, hearing the answer from Pete and Ross in English.......
we answered in English to the Dutch waiter!!!!
And not just once, over five times!
The mind is a strange and wonderful thing - just so rarely does exactly what we expect.
Posted by: Kent Blumberg | June 13, 2007 at 05:31 AM
Hi Kent
Our friends were in 'double' stitches everytime that happened. "We could have said that ourselves!"
Karin H.
Posted by: Karin H. | June 13, 2007 at 09:50 AM