Thursday, December 19, 2013

I need a beautiful hat!

Our Italian in-laws will be here soon: Younger Son and Nuora have gone to Stansted to collect them. And I haven't bought a hat, beautiful or otherwise, yet.

They're staying in my cousin's cottage but, obviously, we'll be seeing a bit of them including on Christmas Day. Currently the closest I can get to anything like conversation in Italian is 'O comprato del vino ed un bel capello.' (Excuse the spelling; it's a course on cd that we borrowed from the library and don't have the books to go with it.) If I want to ask where Venezia Street is or if the shops are open, or exclaim at the cost of petrol, I can do but that won't make a very satisfactory dialogue. Unless we can get on to journeying and how far it is from here to there and whether they had to go to the right or the left and if their car is Italian or English. Yes, you're right: that sounds as thrilling as some conversations I've endured.

So I shall have to go and buy a beautiful hat and some wine. (I wonder if I could pretend I bought the one I was given ...)

11 comments:

Suburbia said...

I'm confused as to why you need a hat?! Have I been gone too long and missed something?

Katney said...

I figured it out. The only thing Liz can say in Italian at the moment is that she bought a beautiful hat. So she needs a beautiful hat to make the conversation meaningful.

Now I spoke Italian reasonably fluently at one time. And now I dabble in Spanish. And something that amazes me is why someone who does not know you will speak to you in the language (happened years ago in Italian and today in Spanish) and seem quite surprised if you respond in the same language.

Liz Hinds said...

Katney's right, Sub. It's the only thing I can say.

It is odd, Katney.

nick said...

And after the hat, how about un bel vestito? Or un bel paio di scarpe?

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Well , greeting them at the door in a wonderful hat would be an ice-breaker , but I doubt whether you'll need it .
Have a lovely family Christmas , all of you !

Katney said...

Smitonius is right Liz. though you do so go all out to be the perfect hostess, being yourself is quite satisfactory. You are a very gracious hostess.

In fact, I just realize I have been in similar position, but from the other side--visiting my eldest son's Russian relatives and friends with only 35 words of Russian (most of them numbers) left us in need of interpreters. We had a great time nonetheless.

And come to think of it, one of their friends spoke Spanish with us when Chris and Natasha were not available to interpret.

Ole Phat Stu said...

Just think of poor Santa and all those begging letters / lists left for him by diverse children.

There are over 5000 languages in the world...

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Yes, you MUST get the hat now! Merry Xmas!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Why do you need a hat? Have I missed something too. I am sure you will get by fine with son's inlaws,, :-)

Buon Natale e uno splendido anno nuovo x

James Higham said...

Sounds like a busy time there.