my native tongue

I learned some things about the English (E) language while traveling to Italy and now have a new appreciation for my native tongue. Yesterday and today I spent some time in the E classes talking about my trip and (trying to) share some thoughts. I guess I have to say that I have taken for granted the fact I can speak E. I never really thought about it before but now realize what an incredible skill it is!! I am pretty certain I would not have made it to Italy, at least wouldn't have caught my flight on the 23rd, if it had not been for Leo...who I just happened to bump into in the kubrat bus station. Yes I can "get by" with the Bulgarian I know but in emergency situations I want to revert to E. I had about 20 minutes between the time my bus got canceled until the time my bus left for Pyce that I HAD to be on! If I had to struggle with my B, I would have missed my bus and missed Italy. Because I met someone who knew E I was able to communicate in a way I was more familiar and things got done faster. In addition to Leo helping me by speaking E I also realizedmore and more E really is becoming a universal language. Regardless of how I feel about this I can't argue with the fact that my native tongue is a usefull skill. In Rome Jez and I thought we missed our connecting flight because we were delayed getting in and when we went to ask everyone was speaking Italian. Why shouldn't they, it was Italy! Between Jez and I we know about 2 other languages, other than B which we quickly realized it didn't work in Italy:) and E, and they were not getting us anywhere. What finally got us the answer that "we didn't miss our flight the flight before hadn't come in yet" was E! I think for me going to a different country from a different country helped me to see how helpful my native tongue really is and to appreciate the fact that I grew up speaking it!! As funny as it sounds it really did take us both, Jez and I, awhile before reverting from B to E! Even then we kept on saying little things in B even though we knew no one could understand us! It's time for dinner and so I'm going to stop. Love and hugs!!