They Did All of the Talking
Posted on June 7, 2006
I was invited to speak to a group of young English students at the Croatian-American Institute in Zagreb last week. This was much more than a mere cultural exchange; there was Rubelj’s brick-oven pizza being offered. I eagerly accepted.
The idea was for me to talk a bit about my life and work in the US, travelling in Croatia, and what sorts of things a freelance writer/culinarian does to research a book about Dalmatian food. I planned a short monologue complete with Bob-Hopean one-liners and warmed up my speaking voice. I even took a shower. I was ready for my first experience in Croatia as a minor league cultural ambassador, and I was looking forward to it.
Well, I thought I was ready.
I was told that this group consists of “high-level students of English”, but that’s the understatement of the year. Sara, the girl on the bottom left, is QUITE advanced - perhaps a little too advanced for her own good. Her English sounds as if she was born and raised in Cleveland, and she was firing off anecdotes like a Croatian Roseanne Barr. Dasha (seated next to Sara) is originally from Moscow, so I unearthed what remains of my Russian language skills and asked her a few questions in her native tongue. Then I began my monologue, got about 20 seconds into it, and was overtaken by the girls’ lively conversation amongst themselves. I looked at Nikola, the only boy in the group, for a hint. He seemed to know exactly how to handle these girls. He remained silent. I followed his lead.
The girls were actually doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing in this class (speaking English) and their instructor seemed perfectly content with leaving them to it, so I didn’t indulge the instincts to jump onto the table, throw things across the room or jangle the lightswitch to get their attention. Instead, I sat next to Nikola and enjoyed what remained of the Slavonian-style pizza. Next time, I’ll bring my singing voice…
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