Language Differences and Amsterdam

Dia dhuit, conas ata tu? Ta me go maith. Ta se grianmhar innia. Now, its ok if you do not know what I just said must. In Gaelic I told you hello, how are you? It is sunny today. Gaelic has been an extremely hard language to learn so far. The words are not spelled how they sound. The word dia dhuit (hello) is pronounced gia-hutch, ta se grianmhar innia (It is sunny today) is pronounced ta-shay-green-were-in-ya. Knowing a little Gaelic has helped me talk to locals but there is little difficulty in everyday life with language.

Ireland’s first language is Gaelic however a lot of people do not actually speak Gaelic very well. Everywhere you go people speak English. I hear English more than I hear Gaelic. However, it is required that everything be in both Gaelic and English in Ireland. It is really nice being in a country that speaks the same language as you. It is going to other countries that concern me. (Grade for class.)

This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was absolutely amazing. If you have never been I recommend putting it down on your list of places to visit. Amsterdam is full of rich history and culture. Amsterdam’s national language is Dutch so at first I was very nervous. However, almost everywhere has an English whether it is maps, menus, or signs. The majority of people speak Dutch on streets but were able to speak English if they realized you spoke English. While in Amsterdam I wondered the city. Over two days I walked twenty-three miles and biked about fifteen miles. If you have the time, bike through Amsterdam. Bikes are a huge deal; they even have their own lane in traffic with stop lights. At first it was terrifying riding alongside traffic but you get the hang of it pretty quick. It is a great way to see the city. While on my journey through the city I got to explore many museums. I visited the Van Gogh Museum. Personally, I am not very excited by art but getting to see all the beautiful art pieces in person was amazing. It is such a different experience viewing art in a book and seeing the real life masterpiece. I also visited the Tulip Museum and the Cheese Museum, yes an entire museum dedicated to cheese. If you do find yourself in Amsterdam go visit the Anne Frank House. I will tell you right now, be prepared to wait in line but it is well worth it. The tour takes you through the house Anne Frank hid in with her family and others. Seeing the rooms where she hid for her life was emotional. You get to read the letters Anne wrote and the original Diary of Anne Frank. I will forever remember that experience. Amsterdam was a blast but now it is onto another adventure. This weekend I leave for Belgium; I cannot wait for stories I will have to share.