There is something about the process of becoming bilingual that has made me examine language all the more. More than ever before I realized the truth of “The word is not the thing.” Dom and home are two words that mean the same thing, but they are not the same things. They simply prompt in speakers of other languages the same images. Of course the associations will be totally different – for some it means comfort while for others it’s nothing short of pain. It’s just a beautiful thing, language.

My inability to communicate is so very frustrating. I wonder (wander) what gets lost in the translation. I’ve often thought that so much gets lost simply by trying to communicate. Words are so very limiting even when all the words are comprehensible. It’s a wonder that we are able to communicate with anyone – linguistic problems make it a small miracle.