A few days before my vacation , my friend Dorota came to me with a special assignment . She wanted me to translate for her a Polish cake recipe from Polish to English .
Now , I may have been born in Poland but I went to school here in this country. I did go for one year , to Polish school every Saturday to learn how to read and write in my native language . I can read pretty good when it comes to magazines or books or anything printed but handwritten is another matter . I was skeptical whether I would be able to read her writing and translate . She , on the other hand , didn't seem to be at all worried about my capability .
She just assumed , like alot of new Polish - Americans that I can do both . Many different ethnic groups believe their native tongue will continue generation after generation . Sadly , that's not true of all families . Look at my own family as an example . We grew up here and went to school here . None of us married anyone from our ethnic group . Our children , don't read or write Polish . My son may know a few words here and there . He could have a conversation , limited , but still have a conversation with a fellow Pole . My grandchildren will probably not know the language . That's okay . There are some families that do carry on but basically we all become Americanized eventually .
People seem to get a kick out of hearing me speak a different language . It always seems to bring a giggle from my grandkids . Even at work , they stop with a smile on their face , trying to absorb the dialect . I guess we sound different than the usual Spanish or British . Our accent is different and unusual .
Did I finish that recipe translation ? After many drafts , I was able to finally finish , secretly hoping that I translated the recipe correctly . Can you imagine if I didn't and the cake didn't turn out ? How embarrassing for both of us !Have a Blessed Week everyone .
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