The extent of my language mastery thus far, and an explanation of SicilianHands.blogspot:
Source: My Modern Met
Briefly:
- Italians have a difficult time pronouncing the -th sound, so Meredith's name usually sounds like Mere-DEET. Seeking to distance herself from the insect reppellent that protects humans from West Nile Virus, dengue fever, and malaria, she began introducing herself simply as Mere (MERE-ay), which quickly turned into Mary for some listeners. Now she answers to Meredith, Mere, Mere-ay, and Mary. Kris is pretty universal, but it sounds more like KREE-s.
- In an effort to compensate for the generous amount of carbohydrates that the Sicilian diet yields, I have taken up spin classes at a local gym. While I have heard these excruciating S&M efforts from afar in US gyms, I never realized that instructions were being given beneath the deafening sound of Kelly Clarkson/Pink/Jock Jams Vol. 14. I do not recommend taking your first spin class in a foreign language. My speed, posture, and hand placement were usually incorrect, and I'm pretty sure the instructor gave up on me. In my second effort a few days later, I was assigned a tutor that spoke English. Consider me humbled.
