Story Lab: Languages

Sources: Allie Vandersanden

I am not good at English, but when my family and I moved to the United States five years ago, I taught my mom and my dad one simple sentence. That was "I'm sorry! I don't know English." That sentences my parents used almost everyday whenever there was someone tried to ask or tell them somethings.
Back to the time when my parents just got their driver licenses, the most important problem was how they could fuel up the gas tank. It was such an easy task that people do regularly, but it was not that easy for my parents . They couldn't paid the gas using debit/ credit card at the pump since they didn't even understand the words on the screen. So they chose the "old method", paying the attendant inside the station. My parents couldn't remember the long sentences. To make it simple, there was the structure, "Pump number. Dollar amount. Please!" That actually works very well for both. "Pum number three. Thirty five dollars. Please!"
One day, my dad got home with his excited face. He told that  he overpaid for the gas and he came to the attendant, saying, "I'm overpaid. Pump three." He felt so happy because they could understand what he said.
Language barrier also creates so many awkward moments for me too. When i studied at Oklahoma City Community College, my professor in a Reading course told us a story, then all of my friend laughed so hard, except my sister and I. It turned out that it was a joke story. Inevitable awkward moments happens regularly since i am not influent in one's native language, in my case, English.
The video Does Grammar Matter?, Andreea S. Calude raises a question that are worthy to know, that is "Why it is matter if people can understand what's being said?" The video also explains the concept of prescriptivism and descriptivism and how speaking and writing have their own different rules.
The point here is if every people use the standardizes rule, it is easy to connect people all around the world together without interruption. It is also important in many formal situation, too.

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part B

Sitting in the teepee was Iagoo and Morning Glory and her little brother Eagle Feather. In front of the fireplace of a freezing day, Iagoo told the children the myth of Dormouse, how could Dormouse become a small little mouse as of today. To be able to access the reasons, Iagoo started to tell about the Boy who Snared the Sun, which belonged in the American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned.

Dormouse

The story went back to the beginning of the world when there was more animals than man, and those animals was o big compared to man. The only people left was the girl and the little brother like Morning Glory and Eagle Feather. The girl was stronger than her brother since the brother was a dwarf.
One day, the brother shooted enough birds to make a coat that would be useful for the winter. However, the bird's skin of the coat, which was still fresh, shrinking under the sun, made the coat tighten and tighten. The little boy was angry and decided to catch the sun using the rob that made from her sister's hair. He snared the sun
At a result, darkness was all around, and the animal found way to release the sun. They came up with the idea that only the Dormouse, the biggest one, could resolve the problem, but the Dormouse was in his six months winter's sleep. The other animals had to ask Thunder to wake him up.
As Dormouse came closer to the sun to nibble the rob, the hot burned his back. Eventually when he released the sun, most of his body was burned into ashes, leaving a much smaller living creature like the normal mouse today.

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales, Part A

Iagoo, a story-teller in the series of American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned. Iagoo entertains the children by telling them so many bedtime stories. One of its is The Child of the Evening Star.

Source: cieliterature

The story narrates about a girl named Oweenee, the youngest and most beautiful girl in the family of ten sisters. her nine sisters are already married to nine mans, each of them are very strong, wealthy and handsome. Can not imagine how happy these nine sisters are.

About the youngest girl, she denies every propose that came to her. She said she is not gonna married one that not love her by the heart, despite of how wealthy, how happy they are. Finally, she finds the one that she is looking for. His name is Osseo. Oweenee's sisters start to chatter about the appearance of Osseo, as he is ugly and poor. They smile so ironic and sarcastic about her sister, but did not know that Osseo is a son of the King of the Evening Star. He was being cast a spell to come to the earth under the ugly appearance.

However, as the spell is being break, he turns into the most handsome and strong guy among the others, her wife, Oweenee became older and no longer a beautiful girl. However, they still agree to live with each other. As the King of the Evening Star finds his son, he summons Osseo back to the home of the Evening Star. Oweenee beauty is regained.