Carol Bontekoe

This blog has been keeping track of my adventures since 2004. The stories and the adventures have come from my college dorm room to Uganda, Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan, learning Dutch in the Netherlands to living in the wilds of Homer, Alaska. I went back to school in Amsterdam to study Theaterwetenschap (Theatre Science) at University of Amsterdam. And now my adventures as a Fruit Fly, a Sexy Unicorn, and creating a movement with Team Sparkle in Chicago.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Killing girls' self-esteem one soccer field at a time.

My friend annie invited me to come and cheer on her Soccer team last night. I know most of the girls on the team since this is a very small village and there are only so many women in their twenties here.
I was really trying to encourage the team and cheer for them in Dutch.
I didn't think they were attacking enough so I started yelling, "Attack, Attack!" or so I thought.
I was yelling AFVALLEN!
For those of you who speak Dutch you already know what I was yelling at the girls. Don't ruin th suprise for those who don't speak Dutch.
The real word for attack in Dutch is, "AANVALLEN!"
So similar to "afvallen" but so different.
I kept yelling, "AFVALLEN!"
IT drew quite alot of looks.
"What is that not right?" I said with my arms out and a bit of attitude that indicated I knew what I was talking about.
"Are you saying afvallen?"a friend asked quizically.
"ja"
Afvallen is lose weight. AANvallen is attack.
"I was just yelling at those girls to lose weight?"
"Ja"
"Well I knew afvallen was a real word.
They all started to laugh at me.
Fair enough. Me of all people shouldn't be yelling at a field of girls to lose weight.
I was just trying to help.

4 comments :

  1. *secret smile* said...

    Hahaha. Niiice. Gosh, you're so insensitive!! ;)

  2. Anonymous said...

    HAHAHAHAH love it

    Sara

  3. Anonymous said...

    hahaha... classic carol :P

  4. Anonymous said...

    it's like you were back at camp shane! except lose weight and attack don't sound that much alike so we couldn't pretend like it was a slip up when we said it.
    -sam