GMC in Europe 2008

Just a quick note I thought would be of interest: Today I saw a patient, a lovely lady of 60, who hails originally from Romania.  I relayed tales of my recent travels with the GMC and she in turn proceeded with an amazing tale of communist-era defection. 

The tale goes that about 40 years ago she was a 20-something member of a Romanian choir touring Austria.  She had purposely packed light all the while planning to defect.  At a moment when herr director’s eyes were elsewhere, she ran off to find asylum in the American embassy.  Apparently several of her compatriots had the same idea because before long half the choir showed up at the embassy.  After spending 5 months at an Austrian refuge camp, she secured an American sponsor and has been here ever since! 

Fascinating stuff the way she tells it complete with accent, and the ebbs and flows of escapist reportage.

So…there it is.

A Fourth of July Oration in the German Tongue, Delivered at a Banquet of the Anglo-American Club of Students by the Author of This Book (Mark Twain)

Gentlemen: Since I arrived, a month ago, in this old wonderland, this vast garden of Germany, my English tongue has so often proved a useless piece of baggage to me, and so troublesome to carry around, in a country where they haven’t the checking system for luggage, that I finally set to work, and learned the German language. Also! Es freut mich dass dies so ist, denn es muss, in ein hauptsächlich degree, höflich sein, dass man auf ein occasion like this, sein Rede in die Sprache des Landes worin he boards, aussprechen soll. Dafür habe ich, aus reinische Verlegenheit — no, Vergangenheit — no, I mean Höflichkeit — aus reinische Höflichkeit habe ich resolved to tackle this business in the German language, um Gottes willen! Also! Sie müssen so freundlich sein, und verzeih mich die interlarding von ein oder zwei Englischer Worte, hie und da, denn ich finde dass die deutsche is not a very copious language, and so when you’ve really got anything to say, you’ve got to draw on a language that can stand the strain.

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