Lost (or gained?) in translation

It was interesting during last month's trip to Bulgaria to see a number of things that have changed since the last time I was there three years ago. I may (if I ever decide it's high enough on the priority list!) post some of our photos from just being around in Sofia and the other two places we were that week, but in the meantime, here's one.

Something that delighted me on our first trip to Bulgaria in March of 2013 was the recently excavated Roman ruins. As an architecture graduate with a minor concentration in ancient civilizations, it's always been a dream of mine to go to Rome and see the old Roman architectural remains. To get to do that in Bulgaria was everything I needed to satisfy that dream. They've done a really good job of preserving and displaying some of the early city remains they've been finding, and here, at a new roundabout over the river, is a fragment of the old, old, bridge supports. Lots of fun.

But almost better still is that teeny, tiny sign on the left side of the above photo.

Can't see it? Well, here it is closer up.

I love this! Although the intended meaning is pretty clear, if only from the symbols alone, I thought this was the kind of thing that my eleven-year-old would get a kick out of. What eleven year old boy do you know who isn't interested in anything related to passing grass?

Ahem.

This does have a real-life connection to our current adoption, believe it or not. With Krassimir, there was definitely a language barrier - in many ways, still is because of how completely non-verbal he remains. Although he can (as far as we know) understand much of what we say to him, it is a one-sided communication. Last night, as he was crying periodically in his bed, which is not typical for him, I went in by him repeatedly, rubbed his back, and talked to him, but I have NO idea what the matter is, and thus no idea how to do anything to help. Is he cold? Hot? Coming down with something? Did he have a bad dream? Is he remembering something bad from many years ago...or something that bummed him out this afternoon? Does his tummy hurt? Or his muscles in general? Or is he just lonely, I wonder sometimes, with no way to share what's going on inside of him. True, he's never known any different, but isn't there something inside of all of us that wants to be known and understood?

How is it going to be, though, with B? I'm confident that she will learn English quickly - she's had *some* exposure to it, and now has a greatly motivating reason to continue to apply herself to learning as much as she can over the next few months - but I'm also fully aware that she's not going to be fluent right away! I have no doubt that we'll be able to get along with the basics just fine: Are you hungry? Do you need me to help you with that? Here's the bathroom! But I'm thinking about myself as a sixteen year old girl and the complexity of emotional things going on inside, and how difficult it was sometimes to get those thoughts out with those who cared for me (Mom, friends), and we were all native English speakers! How will it be for B? How long will it be before she's able to express those emotions, and, be comfortable trying to share them with me?

And how many of those early attempts are going to come out as awkwardly as "No grass passing and stepping!" Adopting a non-verbal child from a foreign country is a much different adventure than one who is used to being understood!