by Darlene WilsonI think I’m a pretty empathetic person. I try to choose my words with some care—especially in a foreign culture. Today…apparently—not carefully enough.
Here’s the setting. Several tables pushed together—bottles of local vino rosso and vino bianco shared amongst locals and students. Jovial conversation as we discussed the next day’s market.
Lucky enough to be seated next to two native Cagliese, I piped up to show off my italiano.
“Markato?” I offer. It came out a little louder than I’d anticipated. My Italiano amici (friends) cringed... looking left, then right. “Shhh. Shhhh.” They crouched down and leaned in, apparently for secrecy. “It’s not the right word.”
Of course I knew that I had sinned…but what had I said? Since I’m a visual learner—out came the pen and paper. My interpreter ignored this… a pen and paper was too slow for this explanation, this faux pas!
He told me that my “interpretation/pronounciation” of the word might have two meanings… none of them meaning the communal sense of the market occurring in Cagli tomorrow. The first one he acted out, and it came across as a couple of key words: sheep… and branding. That made sense: marking or branding. The other interpretation? Well let’s just say that that one involved some serious shaking of his head, a little muttering under his breath, and a comment regarding women and unmentionable activities.
And just when I’m starting to feel comfortable.
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