On learning German

The path behind the farm where Uncle Werner and my papa used to take frequent walks.

From a walk near another beautifully bright castle.

I spent an afternoon with my Onkel Werner while Tante Catherine was at the doctor and we took a few nice walks, near castles and around the small farm school where he and my papa used to take walks when Werner was a child. We spoke an odd hybrid of German and English and with my handy pocket German dictionary (thank you Alex for giving this to me!), we were able to talk a bit of my papa and their family. Although my German is quite terrible to say the least, it was so nice to be able to talk with my Uncle. He was quite a bit younger than my grandfather, his brother, (about 15 years) so they were not particularly close but we spoke a bit about my grandfather and about their father, my great-grandfather, who was a furniture salesman and a very hard worker, Werner asserted. Our conversation even got so far that Werner imparted to me a piece of advice (ein Ratschlage), that I should not get married too young (for life is very long), unless I find a millionaire, he joked. But most important, he said was that I am independent before I get married, which I find to be excellent advice.

How important it is to know the language of another, I have realized. How much we glean and learn of another from the way in which they use their words. I do hope that I improve my German more during my stay here and particularly when I return for I should very much like to enjoy more conversation with my uncle. He is a very smart, humble and loyal man, with the Heimberg humor and suave nature which I believe he inherited from his father. I hope especially to better my German if only so that I may not appear so dull on receipt of his many jokes.