As we study the various systems of the body this year, we are also learning more Hebrew. Two or three times a week, we get together in small groups and practice interviewing and examining patients. We go to the internal medicine ward and our tutor picks out different patients for us to interview. This past week, I interviewed Anat Cohen (this is the Israeli equivalent of Jane Doe). We went thru the basic questions, "What's your name, where do you live, etc." Then I got to the crux of the interview: "So, tell me what brought you to the hospital?" At this point, Anat gave me a pretty long explanation of which I caught only one word - bathroom. I looked at my partner Amber, "Did you get that?" She didn't either. So, I asked Mrs. Cohen to say it again only more slowly. This time, I caught the word pressure and again toilet/bathroom but the rest were unfamiliar. So, I stopped and thought for a minute. Being on the internal medicine ward means these patients could be here for any number of reasons, so I really had no clue what was wrong with Mrs. Cohen. Finally, I decided she must be having some kind of intestinal problems - I mean, pressure....toilet......that makes sense right? So, I asked her if she was having problems with constipation. The look I got in response gave me my first clue that I was on the wrong trail, so I quickly said, or maybe diarrhea. At this point, Mrs. Cohen asked me if I spoke French. Hmmm.......not a good sign. So, I stopped and thought some more. Now I know that often people have dizzy spells or can have a syncopal episode (faint) after using the toilet so I decided to ask her about that. Were you dizzy or did you faint? At this point, Mrs. Cohen, who until now had shown incredible patience with my stumbling Hebrew looked around the room, and called to another patient asking if her visitor spoke English. Thankfully she did. Turns out Mrs. Cohen's toilet overflowed and she got really nervous/anxious, and went to her doctors office. While there, they found that she had some changes on her EKG so they admitted her to have a cardiac procedure done. We were off and running.
On my way home, I was replaying the interview, shaking my head and wondering if I am ever going to feel confident with my Hebrew abilities and wondering how I'm going to get thru next year if I can't understand what's wrong with people. It was a discouraging moment. When I got home, one of my classmates was BBQing chicken. As I recounted the story, he started grinning, then out right laughing. This lady tells you her toilet overflowed and you asked her if she was constipated?" Okay, I guess it is pretty funny. :) The whole incident made me remember some of my other adventures in learning new languages - like the time in Tanzania I tried to tell my teacher I understood what she was saying and instead told her I was drunk. Or the time I tried to tell a male friend I would see him later and instead told him I wanted to marry him. Yes, languages are interesting, and the incident with Mrs. Cohen and her toilet was a good reminder of something I've always told myself when studying a language, "The most important tool to have when studying a language is a sense of humor - be willing to laugh at yourself." It was a good reminder and thankfully, Mrs. Cohen was gracious.
So, what are some words that sound a like in various languages?
Swahili: nimeelewa - I understand vs. nimelewa - I'm drunk
tutawonana - see you tomorrow vs. tutaowana - lets get married tomorrow
chupa - bottle vs. chupi - underwear
Hebrew: tsrikah - I need vs. tzrikah - injection
leleket - I'm going vs holeket - I'm eating
English: wound - past tense of wind vs wound - as in a lesion/sore
through vs threw
their, there, they're........
Yes, languages can be complicated. Hebrew is definitely not as easy for me as Swahili was but I'm still thankful that I was born in an English speaking country - I think it's the most difficult language to learn as a second language. But then again - with a sense of humor, learning languages, even English, can be fun. :)
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Heehee-reminds me of another story. A coworker, Cheryl, had just started in the Peace Corp in a Central American Spanish speaking country. She was sent to live with a family to learn Spanish. At one point they were doing a mock conversation in which she was asked how long she would be in the country. I don't have a tilde on my keyboard (the little squiggly thing over the n that adds a y sound after the n-like in canyon) but the correct answer was pronounced "dos anyos." Instead, Cheryl said "dos anos," or two anuses.
-Kevyn
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