What Language Barrier?

Mormons are unique in many ways. For example, while flying home from Australia, the flight attendant was attempting to explain all the wonderful wines available to me. I said, "You know, I would think that United Airlines would have some of Australia's wonderful non-alcoholic wines available for passengers like me who don't drink". She thought I was joking. I explained that Australia really does make wonderful non-alcoholic wines. She looked a little confused and said with a smile: "You know...you are a really complicated man". It got more complicated for her when we refused tea and coffee.

By the way...a bloke at the temple asked us what airline we were flying on. When I said "United"...he responded..."Really? Don't you realize that United is a nursing home for flight attendants?" He was not far off the mark. One flight attendant told us she had been with United for 42 years.

Mormons are also unique in the number who speak a foreign language...and speak it fluently...because of missionary service in foreign countries. Our son Nate speaks Spanish fluently. That is a useful language, but we know some who speak obscure languages like Hmong or Trukese...spoken only on the Island of Truk.

I remember our eldest son Steve telling us an interesting story, when his Marine Corps Reserve unit was called up for Desert Storm. His company included men from Utah and Nevada. The company commander was required to report any special skills among his men. He reported that of his 150 men 91 spoke a foreign language. Headquarters wrote back saying that he must be mistaken. He was not...they were just Mormon boys who had served missions in foreign countries...and they spoke about 50 different languages between them.

Our son-in-law Shane Falslev, is a foreign language speaker. He served a mission in Taiwan. He speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently. Not only that, he also speaks the native Taiwanese language, which apparently very few foreigners master. Just how fluent Shane is was demonstrated to us during our recent trip to Australia.

There was a mall across the street from the Sydney Temple, where we ate a few meals. I was watching Shane as he approached a Chinese girl at one fast-food place. When he started talking to her in fluent Mandarin, her jaw dropped...she was speechless. She had one of those moments when the brain stops...brain cramp. She looked around helplessly, as if she was trying to attract attention from her co-workers, looked at Shane in disbelief...then started communicating in Mandarin. During the conversation Shane explained that he had lived in Taiwan. She asked if he spoke the native Taiwan language, so he started speaking that language. She was blown away. She started laughing and ran to tell her co-workers. This happened a few times.

The most remarkable experience occurred on our last day. We were at the Featherdale Animal Preserve, which was on the way to the airport. There were a couple of large tour groups...all speaking Mandarin Chinese. Shane opened conversations with a few people...and got the look...that great look of disbelief.

The conversation which was most amazing was one between Shane and a woman with a little girl, who were looking at a Koala bear. Shane was standing behind them just talking away. His accent is apparently so natural that the woman and little girl carried on a conversation with Shane without noticing anything different about his accent. They never turned to look at him...and never noticed that he was a weird white guy speaking perfect Mandarin. It was amazing.