east west

grammatically incorrect

Had my Russian exam the other day. As I'm only in Russian 101 (the first of who knows how many more to come), the final was simply a conversation with my professor where I answered very basic questions about my family. What their names are, where they live, how old they are, what their professions are, etc. When the inquiries moved past my parents and siblings, they inevitably went to questions about my grandparents. And it was a little more difficult there, as I didn't know how to use the past tense. So, I started in: My grandfather's name is Jim and my grandmother's name is Irene. He is 87 and she is 90 and they live in Virginia. He is a minister and she is a homemaker. They are very nice and kind. The professor smiled and congratulated me on a job well done. I hadn't spoken of my grandmother in the present tense for two months; even in another language, it felt strange.

Apparently, the ESL class is covering the same material. I sat down with one of my Iraqi students last night, and tried to nail down the answers for her upcoming exam. She told me about her parents, and then transitioned to her siblings: My brother's name is Ahmed. He is 35 and lives in Baghdad. He is an engineer. He is very intelligent and handsome. But I know that he's the reason her mother has worn all black for the past two years. I know his story, and I know why his picture is prominently displayed on the mantel. I wonder if speaking of him in the present tense felt unusual to her as well…

But that's something you don't ask. Obviously. It's a kind of gift, to be able to speak of someone as if they were still alive. She's still being nice and kind in Virginia. He's still being intelligent and handsome in Baghdad.

posted by jessica @ 2:27 PM