Learning a new language is exciting,
isn't it? Just seems to me that it doesn't matter how good you get at speaking any foreign language, it will just never be your mother tongue. Yes, I know, you can learn it very well, so that you sound like a native and you can
write books in your new language.
But it won't be your native language.
My Swedish is pretty good these days. I can read the newspapers, watch TV without subtitles, go to a party and strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, and on a good day, I can even make one of those language puns I so love - in Swedish.
Sometimes, though, my Swedish completely fails me. I can say something and not have the
feel for it. I think I do, but I don't.
Case in point:
Jessica and I were talking about the last name again last night. How will we ever be able to make a decision? Then we thought that maybe we were too locked on "Hilda" and that maybe if we tried some other names, we'd know which last name would fit those best.
Hasse. (
Never).
Oliver. (
Maybe.)
Emil. (
If only it didn't top all the Top 20 lists)
Gunvald.(
Anybody know the Beck movies?)
Saara. (
Show-off name with two a's, Jessi said. Like spelling it with a z.)
Börje, Bosse, Birgit (
Next!)
And we went on and on, and on, and on... until I - in this feelgood mode - yelled yet another good "Swedish" name.
Tabbe.
There was a complete silence for about 0.07 seconds that seemed like 30 seconds. And then we both (luckily I also realized what I had said) burst out laughing.
I can guarantee you that our baby will not be called Tabbe.
Tabbe is Swedish for "mistake."
