Note to the reader: Some of you have asked. Yes, I can speak Polish. I would venture to say though that I understand it better than I can speak it. Unless I’m in language boot camp mode like when I’ve visited Poland and I snap right into shape. Immersion is good for things like that. I usually talk to my parents and aunt in a mixture of Polish and English. My parents used to speak only in Polish to me but over the years it has also become a mix. Not to mention the third Polonia language they’ve created. Ciocia Felicia only speaks Polish. I can also read relatively easy things- like letters from Mom or my relatives. I can’t write very well though. But when I push myself for small batches of sentences I can do it. I think understanding, speaking, reading, writing is the line up of how many first generation children learn language- comprehension can be stronger than any other facet.
…and now to the musing.
I was sitting on the couch with Mom over Christmas. I half heard something she was saying ‘blah blah blah Gaga.’
Did you just say Gaga? Lady Gaga?
Yuh, Gaga.
You know who Lady Gaga is?
She shot me a look. Same one I get when I swear.
Jak bym ja to niewiedziałm, kto Gaga jest? Ona miała suknię z mięsem. Nawet Ciocia wie kto Gaga jest.
Translation: How would I not know who Gaga is? She had a meat dress. Even your Aunt knows who Gaga is.
Ciocia, a blessed 84 years old, sat on the love seat next to us. She looked up at me and said “Gaga.”
My mom said Gaga like they are on a first name basis with each other. When I told her to say the words Lady Gaga again, she waved me off like a house fly.
“Say it again! I like the way you say her name.”
Maybe this insistence was where I picked up one of my many nicknames, Pest and Piła (Saw) just to name two endearments. As a kid If I wanted to sleep over my friend Holly or Julie’s house, and she said no, I would pout and repeat “I wanna go. Iwannago. Iwannago.” I mentally chained myself to her leg.
I usually got what I wanted by wearing her down.
There are certain things that my mom says in English that I want her to repeat. I like hearing the flow of Polish come to a flying halt of English. Like when some years ago she stopped by the liquor store near Market Basket to buy scratch tickets and said to me, “Kupiłem Cash Blizzard.” I bought Cash Blizzard.
Not two words I have ever heard her put together. So I hear them. It’s the English words that become foreign and stand out to me. The figurative is distilled. The sounds and meaning seem new.
For a split second my Polish mother becomes a pop culture American and the two worlds we both live in bump out of orbit.
When she tours Poland will it be “Pani Gaga”?
haha! Marek, I think you have something there.
Love this!!! It reminds me of Peace Corps when my school director would have staff meetings. He would start in English but then quickly break into Tigrinya w/ an English word sprinkled in. I would hear blah, blah, blah, English word, blah, blah, blah. I miss those days!
Thanks Sarah! That’s another great example. I miss those days in Eritrea too.
Lady Gaga is the marketing queen! She’s breaking all kinds of barriers and winning over even the most unexpected fans :-)
I like imaginging Ciocia as part of the Gaga dress designers!
hahaha… “blah blah blah Gaga.” I think it’s hilarious that you even picked up on the fact that she was referring to Lady Gaga, that this former baby-sound has become that recognizable. Your mom sounds delightful. I can’t wait to read your memoir!
It’s funny when she said Gaga…it was like a record needle scratching across an album. It immediately got my attention. And I thought, did I just hear what I thought I heard? lol! Thanks for your support as always.
Some members of my family speak in a hybrid language, too: Konglish (Korean + English)
So would a Polish hybrid be called Ponglish?
So what exactly did your Ciocis say about “Gaga Ajima”??? (That’s Konglish for Lady Gaga) :-)
You kill me with the Konglish. I think the Polish hybrid is called Polonian.
Ciocia said Gaga Ajima had crazy clothes but is very smart. I called them on New Years and asked if they watched Gaga in New York. They said Yes.
My mother said in Polish- everyone wanted to know what Gaga was going to wear. I asked, What did you think? She said, She came out wearing an egg.
Love the dialogue, Jannett! Especially “she had a meat dress.”. Great story by a great writer.
Thanks Candace! I had to hyperlink the the picture and article about the meat dress, because it was just a little too much to take in. ha!
OMG! I’m famous! I made your blog. LOL!!! I remember sitting in the kitchen listening to your family speak to one another in the majority polish and a little english desperately trying to figure out what and who was being talked about. :)