Expat Mums Blog

Becoming Bosnian, Staying English

Signs we have been in Bosnia for a loooong time and there may be some readjustment required before entry back into the UK:

1. When the traffic lights go green, my first instinct is now to hoot the horn, then to put the car in gear.

2. Pedestrians, what are they? (in my defence, if you take the definition of safe driving to be driving in a way that people expect you to, then stopping to let pedestrians cross the road does constitute dangerous driving as people will go into the back of you).

3. When I look out of the window and see some metal poles in the garden opposite, my first thought isn't ooo, look, football goalposts, it is oooo, look, a place to bash carpets.

Pardon?

I first came to the UK in 1990 for a study abroad programme in Bath. I was a journalism student and had never been outside the US except for a trip to Niagara Falls when I was a kid and the obligatory Tijuana bar hopping over the border in college.  I thought living in the UK would be an adventure.

I was placed with a family with two girls; an 18-month-old named Marie and a four-year-old named Emma.

Immediately I was fascinated with the language differences.  I was quickly comparing the American version of British words with Emma – jumpers are sweaters, trousers are pants, pants are knickers. Hee hee hee, isn't this fun.

The frog curses

I had not planned on teaching my 21-month old daughter how to curse. What kind of role model would I be? I don't even curse! Blame the frog, it only wanted to be heard. REE-BIT.

Yesterday was like any other morning, I woke up early and made coffee while Beli and my husband slept. Caught up on some reading, blogs, etc. Then Beli woke up and wanted to draw, one of her favorite activities, so I sat next to her and drew a frog and said, "See, this is zaba (frog in Croatian) and it says , ree-bit-ree-bit. She looked at me and smiled. A few minutes later my husband woke up and walked into the living room just as Beli screamed, "JEBE, JEBE."

He looked at me and said, "You know she just cursed?" Surprised, I asked, "Why do you say that?" I mean, all I taught her was the sound a frog makes. Right? "Beli, tell daddy how a frog goes ree-bit-ree-bit, and she repeated, "Jebe, jebe." Here's the thing, she's only 21 months old and can't pronounce the R sound just yet.