Forget Me Nots

Recently a dear new friend recited a children's poem 

in Polish to me, called Niezapominajki. 

Forget Me Nots.

I made this little drawing/painting to thank her.

 But now this seems like a serendipitous little post.   I may not make many more as the new format for posting is too complicated for me. I'd rather spend time with my art, though I love the 8 years I've been Sketchbook Wandering. 

(The name is copywrited & you may see it somewhere else along with my own name in the future.)

Niezapominajki were a favorite flower of my dear mother's. 

I loved seeing their lightness this spring during my early quarantine-time neighborhood walks. 

Niezapominajki
to są kwiatki z bajki!
Rosną nad potoczkiem,
patrzą rybim oczkiem.

Gdy się płynie łódką,
Śmieją się cichutko
I szepcą mi skromnie:
„Nie zapomnij o mnie”.

Children's Museum Exhibits and Language Learning

An exhibit, exposition, at Musée de la Civilization in Quebec City on fairy tales. Like visits to les bibliothèques (previous post), children’s shows are a source for my French learning (not to mention just plain fun). Here children got to wear fairy tale costumes and play in fairy tale structures including a mini witch's cottage. My notebook, le carnet, served as a place to jot down expressions and vocabulary as well as images. At the museum in Québec, signs in the exhibits are usually in English and French, so it's like reading French with a large bi-lingual dictionary!

When practicing a new language or traveling abroad adults can return to a childlike state, experiencing freshness and newness which, in turn, opens the senses. But refugees learn new languages out of necessity rather than for play. The film Mao’s Last Dancer beautifully portrays the communication struggles that immigrants can experience, along with culture shock and other difficulties. My family of origin learned new languages for survival in harsh circumstances, as well as for delight. 

When I return from a trip where I have had to work hard communicating in my other languages, I marvel at the smooth and fast way that English rolls out of my mouth and at how I shop, ask directions and do business with such ease! I relish the way I can effortlessly read books for adults where I only have to look up an occasional word rather than what, in a French book, can be quite a considerable number.