I've made a set of 150 flash cards to learn German terms for cooking. I probably will need another 150 more. There are a lot of words involved in the selection, preparation, cooking and presentation of food. I never realized how large my culinary vocabulary in English was until I realized that I needed to back up to elementary cooking: breaking yolks, whisking/scrambling/beating to get the scrambled eggs made. I was 5!!!!!!!!!
My young brain trying to study German very happily lapped up all the information. No sooner had I put a finished card in the stack and it was in my head. Not really indelible, since I don't remember some of the stuff from 10th grade, but it was there for as long as I needed it and would use it in class. It is not so easy now. The words are all swirling around in my head and refuse to come to the front when I need them. It is a little depressing to think that at 45 I might not be able to speak German any better than I do now. I still have hope. My brain might not be as elastic or limber as it once was, and while the argument that a younger brain is a better brain makes headway in curriculum debates, I will get it down eventually. It's not like I am going to cooking school when I get there. Though I would like to meet Harry Ulrich in person... It would be nice to have a conversation with a German and not have anyone who over hears it peg me for an American. It isn't safe for us to travel that much right now. I would rather be mistaken for a German than easily targeted as an American for simple self-preservative reasons.
But I also think it would be cool to be mistaken for a specific kind of German.... one of my Aunt Martha's kids.
Oh well. I guess the best I can do for the moment in enjoy all the imports that ALDI has to offer and save my money for that plane ticket.
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