What's in a Word?

I've been thinking alot about the English Language lately. Now we first must make a distinction between "British" English, and American English. I speak the latter. In Europe, you must be clear on this distinction. Everyone here is taught the British method in school, however they watch American TV and movies, thus usually preferring to speak like me. I am currently at The Vocal Jazz and Pop Days in Soesterberg, The Netherlands (pronounces "Suess-ster-bergch"), where American English is envogue. All day long, conductors (Dutch by birth) comment on how something is pronounced the American way, how we must sing more like Americans, and how in American English, the word is actually spoken thusly... Apparently, this is the international impression of our English:

1. No final consonants, unless they can be sounded upon (such as "n" or "m"). This means "d's"and "t's" are out.
2. Should one happen upon at "t" in the middle of the words, this is pronounced as a "d", like "bottle".
3. All vowels must be bright and light.
4. There must be and extraordinary amount of vocal inflection (non-monotone) in every phrase.
5. Each spoken vowel contains a multitude of pronouncable dipthongs (such as our word "how"-prounced "ha-oh-oow" ). You must slide around between these to a great degree.

Now, here is a list of common requests by American choral directors:
1. More final consonants, no one can understand what you are saying, "lie" or "light". Don't hang onto sounded consonants...no extra humming, please.
2. Make your articulations crisp, even in the midst of the words. We must have good diction.
3. All vowels should be pure and rounded, like......of course the British!
4. Try not to constantly change the timbre of your voice, a good, even sound is preferred.
5. Do not sing the dipthong, make each vowel sound seperatley, putting emphasis on the first vowel and less on the following.

What's really happening here is cross-Atlantic flattery. We want to sound like them, and they like us. How bizarre. It's in the same vein by which marketing companies fool consumers by saying how something has been popular in Europe for years as a selling point. In Europe, however, (and this is true because I heard it with my own ears) things have been popular in The U.S. for years. I suppose there is a kind sentiment in this, mutual admiration, or slight geographic envy (grass is greener sort of thing), but why?

Vocally, both sides of the Atlantic end up with a hybrid version of what English actually is, some sort of sloppy, fake middle ground. In other facets of life, we have a romanticized view of a place containing people, who are, in fact, just like us...minus the obvious cultural difference (of course).

So, during my last week in Europe, I am constantly contemplating what it is to sounds "like and American". I find myself secretly re-pronouncing everything just to listen to myself talk...I think I will develop a complex from this. It is an odd thing to be "the foreign guy", "the native speaker". I have an accent, an American one...weird. Do European girls think it's sexy?

Picture: http://www.sturgeonbayschools.org/ELL/English%20Language%20Learner%20Resources_files/image002.gif

Hints and Tips

I will be leaving Estonia soon, one week to be exact. As is such, I thought that it would be smart to impart my wisdom on all of you who are now thinking of visiting this wonderful country someday, or perhaps evening moving here! The following are a few observations, bits of information, that you may do with as you choose. Enjoy.

1. Bring your own movie collection, or be without the exceptional joy of Movie Night. There are no "Blockbusters" here; no "Family Video". What Estonians have is "Videoplanet". Hardly more than a mom-and-pop shop, it carries about 200 titles (total), 75 of which you can watch in english, about 100 that are on DVD. You have 2 options when using "Videoplanet". One, pay 150 EEK to become a member, renewing your membership every year or half year for 100 EEK, plus the price of rental. Now mind you, that the average person carries between 75-200 EEK on them at anytime (6-18 dollars); most people usually prefer to pay by debit card. Two, offer up a 300 EEK or more deposit, plus price of rental each time you plan on visiting. They only accept cash. I've only seen one branch with an ATM nearby. Four hours later you "may" begin to watch a movie similar to the one you set out for. I believe "Videoplanet" is the reason internet-movie pirating is rampant throughout Estonia.2. There are no KINKOs in Estonia. We have Printcoopia(s), but they offer a very very tiny selection of jobs. Basically they will duplicate anything...sometimes on colored paper. Unfortunatley, unlike the rest of the country, the workers at Printcoopia(s) do not speak English. This makes words like "collate", "double-sided", and "spiral-bound" sound like gobbledy-gook. Your best bet is to bring a previously prepared example of EXACTLY what you want. Then, cross your fingers and simply smile and be happy with what you recieve. At least it's cheap. My best advice is to make a friends with someone who knows how to say what you want. Oh, and if you must do it alone, be prepared to make several return trips. This one is at least a 2 day ordeal.

3. Get an ISIC card. Despite what the lovely people at Student Travel Agency and Student Universe told me, they still use them here!!! Not only do Estonian turist spots accept these cards, but so do bookstores, some food places, some clothing chains, pharmacies, and transportation. It's good to study and be involved with academia in Estonia.4. Get used to public transportation. Despite the amount of traffic you will see about you at all times, you will not know ANYONE who has a car...maybe one if you're lucky. They have trams, buses, and trolleys here. They all cost the same (again good to be a student), however, they all ride along with the myriad of cars to their sometimes less than convinient destinations. Thus, traffic problems affect EVERYONE. It's best to walk here if you can...everyone else does.

5. City-wide construction is a free-for-all. This is most heavily done during the summer (when it is dry and warm), however random holes and scaffolding may pop up without warning throughout the year. If there are notices, us foreigners never know(see number 7). Be prepared to walk in the street, sometimes for at least a quarter of your journey. Luckily, the street is oftentimes in better shape than the side-walk anyway.

6. Back to movies. Cinema visits should be a well-coordinated affair. Discuss far in advance. Remember, you must all purchase your movie tickets together as seats are assigned, and not up for questioning or bargaining. If you think you may at all have to go to the bathroom, do it before the movie starts as you will be locked in for the duration of the film. Should you have to leave, you will then be locked out, but the "very nice" door gaurds (if you can find them) will let you back in. Oh, and I recently discovered why Estonians always show up late, or at best, as the movie is starting. Should you arrive early, you must sit through a seemlessly never-ending cycle of the same 4 previews that you must still watch again after the lights dim. These previews also plan throughout the cinema complex as you buy tickets and food. Definatley visit the candyshop.

7. All Estonians know what is going on before you do. I believe they have a collective consciousness that transmits news and gossip as it occurs. You will never have anything of surprise or shock to tell them, do not even try, they already know. They will assume you know too.

8. Be sure to study up on important moments in Estonian history like, "When did Estonia win Eurovision?", "When did Estonia host Eurovision?", "How many times has Estonia been mentioned on The Simpsons?", "What musicians or actors have Estonian roots (this can date back at least 4 generations)?", "When and who has won Olympic medals for Estonia?", "What were the big concerts held in Tallinn for the last 5 years?" , "What did Americans say in response to the question, "where is Estonia?", on some show that happened in the US?". This is a point of departure. The wealth of true-Estonian history is boundless.9. Bring pants and shoes you do not care about. This only applies to visits during early autumn, winter, and spring. For the other 2 weeks or so, disregard. Your shoes (and the part of the pants that come in contact) will inevitably get ruined as a result of the snow, rain, and muck that develops and lingers here. This is why the shoe industry is so booming in Estonia, and how they can charge such high prices (the highest in the EU). Nevertheless, the sheer volume of white pants and shoes (for both men and women) remains astonishing. They do not have Labor Day, so it's ok to wear white whenever you want.

10. Be prepared to either develope upper-body and core strength, or change your dietary plans as grocery shopping happens one of two ways here. As you will not have a car, nor will anyone you know (of course), you must bag and lug your own food. This keeps the hunter/gatherer instinct alive within you. Your first choice is to either discover exactly how much food you can fit on your person without looking too ridiculous walking back to your apartment (and repeat every 3-4 days), or visit the store everyday as hunger arises. Some places offer to deliver your purchases for you should you spend more than 1000 EEK, though you must plan on spending this amount in advance. The stares and odd-looks you will incure while trying to amass this large quantity of food is hardly worth the convinience of home-delivery.
11. Finally, come with a good sense of humor and adventure. This is a wonderful, charming, unique, and amazing place with clever, kind, and curious (though not always about what you'd think) people. Have a good time! I did :D

Belligerent Baltics

I recently concluded my travels outside of Estonia. Last on my list of "to dos" was a visit to the other two Baltic States, Latvia, and Lithuania. This 72hr trip prooved to be one of the most "interesting" journeys thus far. I believe that because I am so intimate with Estonia, I was surprised to find Latvia and Lithuania so different. As I went to Latvia first, lets start with it:

1. Having traveled with ease throughout Europe and Russia, I was shocked by the border guard at Riga Airport. My agent obviously did not want me in the country. She was very concerned that I was traveling alone, wanting to know "who I was staying with?", "what I was doing in Latvia?", "where was I staying?", "where did I plan on going while in Latvia?", and of course, "when would I be leaving?"

2.Coins actually are worth something here. Unlike Estonia, you can buy things with them, not just create little coin forts and money towers. Unfortunatley, you cannot exchange coins for other currency. Therefore, I had an obssessive desire to spend all of my coins before leaving. This was made nearly impossible by retailers who insisted on giving me five 20-cent coins rather than 1 Lat, or five 10-cent coins rather than a 50-cent piece. I had a very manic 36 hrs there.

3. My hostel had a bug infestation. Though advertised as having air-conditioning, the oweners decided that 78 and humid was perfect weather to leave the windows open for the night. The other 11 bodies (3 of which snored, and 5 of which decided bed time was between 3am and 5am) made it the perfect evening. I decided to sleep shirtless, only to find 12 hrs into the following day that my body was covered in small red, itchy bites.

4. Riga is not designed for pedestrians. I spent at least a quarter of my time back-tracking to crosswalks, or journeying far beyond my destination only to back-track after the crosswalk was found. Apparently in Riga, cars have the right-of-way. The rest of us should simply "walk around". I have to admit, though, that a few times I just closed my eyes and ran for it. I don't really recommend this...

After 36hrs in Riga, I hopped a plan to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, the southernmost Baltic State. Now the simple thing to remember here is that everything is exactly the opposite from Latvia. Coins mean absolutely nothing, and you can walk anywhere, the middle of the street is the most preferred spot for both turists and locals alike. Here are a few observations during my 36hrs in Lithuania.

1. The border guard is even less friendly than in Latvia. My agent wanted to know, beyond the same questions from the kind woman in Riga, if I had medical insurance. "Welcome to Lithuania...we don't want you to be a burden to our economy and medical facilities". After saying, "yes", he wanted to see proof. Luckily, I was carrying old cards of my American health insurance. This, of course, was useless outside of the US, but a piece of plastic that said "Health Insurance" seemed to placate the gentleman.

2. Lithuanians are not quite sold yet on this whole "flying" thing. I think their major reservation is that with planes, you have to aquire a recent model every once in awhile. This is unlike their bus system where you're likely to find yourself in a vehicle of the Flinstones variety. It's hard to get the pedaling down when you don't know numbers in Lithuanian ;)

3. Floorplans for hostel-design is of no importance. My 6 person room (with only 2 snorers this time...and still no A.C., though it was advertised) was situated just between the common area (popular with late night parties and drunkery), and the girls shower area. We consequently got a lot of "through traffic" during the evening. The boys shower area was conveniently located in the basement, and you weren't allowed to flush anything except liquids down the toilet. This made for a very comfortable stay in Vilnius.


4. Everything you want to see is uphill in this city. One would think that eventually you must travel back downhill, but no...you just keep climbing all of the time. Also, my guide to Vilnius was very kind in printing a public transportation map of the city. I never could figure out, however, where the buses and trolleys actually stopped...or if they ever did. They were probably too busy dodging pedestrians to consider stopping, or even slowing down.

5. You must visit Trakai if you go to Vilnius. It's only 30minutes outside the city by bus, and well worth it. Take a morning off from the city, and spend 3 or 4 hours on this beautiful peninsular town. The scenery is world-class, and the atmosphere is extremely peaceful. If you go in the morning, however, bring your own breakfast. The local donuts were less than tasty.



Thus concluded my tour of the Baltics. There were only 5 people on the return flight, yet somehow I ended up seated next to a fat-hairy man. I moved. Latvia and Lithuania strike again! I got the message, and went home. After staying awake through the entire evening before my 6.55am flight, I was very happy to fall into my bed. The previous 72 hrs. were "interesting" to say the least. Luckily, I escaped relitavley unscathed, and wiser about the world. What doesn't kill you only leaves tiny red welts all over your body that you can itch. Though this only causes skin irritation, it physically reminds you that you're still alive.