What a delight to hear from far off countries today! My father is currently in the wilds of Quito, Ecuador which seems to be more vast and hilly than he ever imagined. I love getting letters from him, as they're filled with rich stories, wit and even some wisdom, at least for his daughter. But his latest “email” letter wove vivid while still familial anecdotes about his viaje al sur del America. I laughed at the mix of Spanish and English sentences, a good help for all of those needing to learn or review our 2nd language skills.
Oddly enough, my reading of said letter was surprisingly interrupted by a friend in Sweden. Another hemisphere altogether. Ironically, she can speak five or six different languages, but due to a few technical/internet(al) issues with SKYPE, I couldn’t hear a word of what she said, regardless of language. Sign language was our best bet for awhile except that my excitement deemed anything I did with my hands incomprehensible and uninterpretable. Thankfully, all of the computer hindrances disappeared so we could catch up. Her daughter is studying German in Munich and then French in France while the rest of the family continues to make efforts to learn and perfect Swedish back at their new home.. It’s been almost 7 months, plenty of time! Oh, but to connect with her after so many weeks of wanting to and not being able made my day for sure. It was wonderful to see and hear her and laugh with her. We do that well together. More than anything, I appreciated the encouragement that seems to ooze from her, covering the recipient with affirming words- not flippant or generic but sincere and profound to the moment and person. I wish I could reciprocate in like, but she knows I cherish her without glossing her with words.
And this little report is from its own little world up- or should I say THE U.P. That’s right, MI at it’s highest, and probably coldest. The Yooper language is pretty unique- you can read it in the air as the words freeze in place. The thermostat read a whopping -10 degrees F which is -23 degrees for the rest of the world. Jami and I decided it’s more for the boost of self-esteem that we use Fahrenheit in America where it actually gets this cold. Having to deal with Celsius on days such as these would make me want to stay in bed even more than normal on cold days. We arrived at the theater, layered up, only to pull all the things out the truck, practically frozen. I stuck the spike tape in the microwave so it would defrost. The Mac computers couldn’t be turned on until the screen defrosted. Calvin, the crocodile puppet, looked even more cold-blooded and still this morning. But alas, everything thawed and the warmth of the lights and children’s smiles brought UP my temperature as high as if I were working out with Richard Simmons. The local stage hands of Michigan Tech U informed us their school VP had to remind students that booze was not an appropriate way to stay warm. Yikes! Who knows what will freeze tomorrow, perhaps my nostril hairs as I go for a walk or just the bottles of water trapped in the van. Regardless, the venture to this other world is sure to leave its mark in the story books.
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