02.09.06
Language Lesson
Last night the family and I and our teammate Josh took a rare excursion out to dinner. We went to one of our favorites, Etrusca. The people are very friendly, and it’s a good place to take kids.
Pause for a language lesson. Italian, like other Latin-languages, has a plural form of “you.” It’s like when we say “you all” except the verb changes. It’s something that takes some getting used to for English speakers. We would say, “Look!” to one person or to a group of people. Italians would say, “Guarda!” to one person, and “Guardate!” to more than one. End of language lesson!
So last night, the first amazing thing is when the kids’ ordered ice cream for dessert. In Italian, the waitress says, “Come with me! Pick it out.” The kids didn’t hesitate, and got right up from their chairs to the freezer where the ice cream was stored. I was kind of amazed - I didn’t have to translate for them.
Then, Trey comes back from the freezer. He proudly shows Josh and I his ice cream, and says, “Guardate!” Somehow his little three-year-old brain had already picked up on the difference in singular and plural “you.” Heidi and I looked at each other and got a little emotional. Our kids really are learning the language.
Eric&Amy said,
02.10.06 at 6:02 am
Hello Roterts!
We have been reading your newsletter and we checked out this link in your email. It’s very cool to see what you guys are up to from day to day. It helps us to feel more connected to you guys and keep you in our prayers. We will be praying for your financial situation. We have been praying for you guys regularly, for the kids, for your marriage, everything. We’ve also been talking to congregation members about you to raise awareness and encourage more giving and prayers. We’re excited about what you’re doing in Italy! Keep up the work!
Amy Browning & Eric Malone
Emily said,
02.10.06 at 2:46 pm
Hey Brian…I already posted it on Heidi’s blog, but wanted to put it on here too that I am super proud of Trey and all of your kids. They have done such a remarkable thing with the language. It’s been great to hear about it from you and see it when I was there in the fall! Much love to you all!!