Wonderwags: Funf and Hoo-lay....Alles goes well

"Alles" (everything) used to be my #1 favorite German word, but recently it's dropped down out of the favored spot. I still like it, don't get me wrong. I like it so, though, because it's the only word in the whole German language that's musical.

I've changed many of my stereotypical thoughts about Germany and German people since I've been here. The people, I've found, are really nice. Reserved, yes, but truly friendly and helpful. The kids are happy and boisterous. Dads seem to be very involved with caring for and playing with their children.

But the language, Mon Dieux! It is SO harsh and unwieldy. If you're trying to say all those "ss" and "schl" sounds it's like trying to talk with a mouthful of oatmeal. And there are all those consenents! Ps and Ks and Zs and Gs and Ts spitting out at you.

I think the whole German nation would have a much better image if they just got a whole new language!

So there for a while "Alles" was the best. You could rest for a minute after you heard "Alles".

But now my favorite is "Funf" (five). Hahaha. I love it! Funf. Say it like "foonf". You have to put some air-pressure behind it to get it all to come out. And it sounds so funny. It reminds me of the sound you made when you were in 5th grade and you were catching the kickball and it hit your solar-plexis. Funf!

American music is big here in Stuttgart. Just the other day I was in one of my favorite coffee shops and they were playing that Beyonce song. I kid you not! You know the one..."Put a Ring on It". I almost broke into the dance routine but was afraid I might bump into something.

But yeah, you almost never hear any German tunes.....and the few that you do, you know why they like American music better. Pink is big over here....she's everywhere...on TV several nights in a row....on the cover of the magazine of upcoming music events, on posters.

We were driving to Frankfurt the other day to pick Lucy up from the airport, the radio was on with almost all American music, or bad covers of American music. One of the songs, though, was in German. Right in the middle of the song they said it, "Funf" and wow, my ears perked right up. It's that kind of word.

Another word has just taken over the #2 spot now, moving "Alles" into 3rd place. The new word sounds like "Hoo-lay" (?).

We were going on the train to Karlsruhe for a fussball match (a whole other very fun and funny adventure, oh brother!....another day). Diagonally behind me in seats facing each other was a family with 3 little girls. Oh my gosh, they were cute! And they reminded me of our family when the girls were little. Talk about PINK....that section was Pink Kingdom. Pink headscarf, pink sweatshirts, pink pants and shoes, pink shirts. The works.

I loved listening in on this family...the ebb and flow of their conversation. The girls were about 8 and 5 and 2 I'd guess. The older one was talking to her dad saying the names of the towns and rivers as we went by. The 5 was piping up with a few words and the 2 was just lalala-ing along. There were little songs and then somthing must've clamped onto the 2's finger, bang, the crying and then the mom commiserating and then distracting her. The 5 starting another little song.

As we were going into a tunnel, a conversation with the little girls started using the word "Hoo-lay". The word, good word, roll-around-on-your-tongue-word, kept coming up and Lucy asked what it meant. We didn't know of course, but thought maybe it was "tunnel". I don't know.

But then, the girls started using "Hoo-lay" in their conversation to go with everything. There was "Papa Hoo-lay" and "Mama Hoo-lay" and Ella "Hoo-lay" and well, Everything "Hoo-lay". And the girls got tickled and got the giggles. Every new "Hoo-lay" brought more bursts of laughing.

Soon, the three of us were laughing too, blewting (blurting out dollops of laughter even though you're trying to hold it in) actually. We didn't even know what we were laughing at, but I tell you what, it was hilarious. The contagion of laughter.

After, I don't know, ten or fifteen minutes, the game settled out and the murmers took over. When, of course, suddenly, it all erupts again...."Hoo-lay" this and "Hoo-lay" that. It was a riot!

So "Hoo-lay"....actually, after some research with the dictionary, we think it's "Hohle" (with two dots over the "o") and if we're right about it, haha, hohle means "cave". Well, what a hoot!! That makes no sense at all! But when does little-kid dialogue have to make sense?

Of course, since then, Steve and Lucy and I have periodically been using "Hoo-lay" after words we say....and getting tickled at the sound of it and the memory of the hilarity on the train.

Last night as we were getting settled into bed, it starts up, like John-Boy in the Waltons......you know, "Goodnight Lucy Hoo-Lay" and "Goodnight Mama Hoo-lay" and "Goodnight Papa Hoo-lay". And we all are snortling over this new word and this new bit of funny.

This is getting serious. Is it a sickness? Because I woke up in the middle of the night barely able to control my blewting, shaking and snortling, trying to get a grip. Oh man! It IS a disease.

OK! Right now! Stop laughing. Best three words in the German Language 1. Funf! 2. Hoo-lay 3. Alles. The Very BEST.

A few random pictures.....painted on the garage doors....

This cow was at the same house as the statue of the girl diving. Can you see what's painted on the cow? You can click on the photo to make it bigger. This is a full-sized cow! Holy cow!