Language Headache

Tom Cruise irritates me. I'm assuming that by the time I arrive in Eastern Europe, M I III will be fully dubbed over in Russian and ready for my enjoyment. It will probably be one of those experiences that remains impossible to avoid. "The American" will be invited and if I don't go, well, we don't want to entertain that awful thought! For instance while in Russia I watched the movie Taxi in French, dubbed over in Russian. And then IT came in like a black fog, the language headache. In the Russian language there is no word for frustration. So, I created the language headache. You fear that if you don't have something explained to you or said in English you might implode! For instance, apparently while we were all sleeping there had been a terrorist attack in Moscow; a bomb had exploded causing huge fires (2004, near Red Square). Well, my wonderful Russian host mother pulled me into the kitchen and in rapid fire Russian started "telling" me what happened. Um yah, all I understood was "Moscow." So then, I was pulled over to the burner where she kept lighting it, making the flames bigger and turning it off. Over and over. I'm thinking (maybe we are getting a new stove in Moscow? Wow, that's expensive. Or maybe she needs me to buy new matches?) All the while I am smiling and nodding. Finally, finally we turn on the TV and I watch the news. The flames from the burner were supposed to represent the words bomb and fire. Language headache.