I'm so dangerous with this language!

i've always said that there are a couple key factors in a person learning a new language. obviously hard work, and studying, a good memory sure helps...but as far as i can tell the most important one is a willingness to make a fool out of yourself...I seem to have that ingredient a plenty! as you begin speaking (you just have to dive in) you're bound to make mistakes, and sometimes they're pretty funny. (although, i have so many gracious friends willing to help me learn, and they show such patience as i stumble along!)

Since i've been in Kolkata i've been bravely attempting to use the rusty bangla banging around in my head. It cracks me up when my friends tell me that i've forgotten all my bangla, while we're having a conversations (albeit limited) in Bangla!

Anyway, so far i've managed to tell some of my friends that "in my country all the people are covered in ice/snow" what i meant to say was that everyTHING is covered in snow...but one small change in a vowel makes all the difference in the world.

I was talking with the neighbors downstairs in Kolkata and they asked if i'd eaten. i told them i had, and they asked what i'd eaten...and i told them that i ate "a peanut house" i meant peanut butter...that was thanks to my confusion between hindi and bengali...and the rusty bengali to begin with! i wouldn't have figured it out, but the kids were laughing and saying "badam makhan" over and over as i walked upstairs!

i'm sure these are just the first of many language blunders that are lying in my not so distant future!

class starts tomorrow. i'm looking forward to beginning the long journey of learning a new language....

we're feeling a bit more settled here. we were staying some place temporarily until this morning, and now we're in a room in the language school (a guest room) we can stay there as long as we'd like, so we're just playing it by ear, trying to figure out cost/convenience/availability/of other places to stay.