Finland has two official languages. Finnish and Swedish. Where you live determines which language will come first on signs and whatnot. Around Helsinki, Finnish first, Swedish second.
All 'Exit' signs read 'Ulos/Utfart'. Guess which one Dan and Derek like best. Since I've never actually heard someone else pronounce 'Utfart' I told them they might be saying it wrong. Derek said, '"Yeah, the 't' is silent". Not exactly what I meant.
In Nursery I have a chance to ask what sounds animals make in Finnish. (Did you know it's not the same in every language? I'll never forget the first time I heard my mom make the Samoan rooster noise. I thought it was SO strange even though I was comparing it to cock-a-doodle-do which isn't strange at all. Right.)
OK, so this one particular Sunday we were discussing the sound a horse makes. In Finnish it's eee-ha-ha with an emphasis on the eee. The others asked what a horse says in English. When I said neigh neigh they all started laughing. Apparently neigh is 'no' in Swedish. (Not spelled that way, of course.) Told my kids about it and Lauren asked, "What sound does the uncooperative horse make? Neigh! Neigh!"
Related: A little Nursery friend was playing with the toy horses and I asked her what a horse says. She said eee-ha-ha, but then she said, "This one doesn't say eee-ha-ha." When I asked why she said, "Because he's dead."
I love Nursery.
Nursery kids are the best. Because he's dead! I love it. I am going to use that one.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best callings ever. You can't beat hanging out with a two year old. Last time I was in nursery the movie Bug's Life had just come out. One of the little girls in our nursery was always dressed very frilly and girly, so it was very funny when she would take a toy and quote a line from the movie, DIE! DIE! DIE! OK, maybe it was more disturbing than funny.
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