CHALLENGE 9


What is a nation without mother tongue? (Jack Edwards)
My 9th challenge was to speak the Yakutian language without switching to Russian around people who do not understand it. 
Файл:Flag-map of Sakha (Yakutia).svg
My native language is Yakutian or Sakha language, but I don’t speak it much recently as I don’t have people who know it in this city. That is why I thought it could be interesting to find out what would happen if I spoke it and pretended I did understand Russian. It was hard for me as I know how people looked at me when I started speaking Sakha in public places over the phone. Anyway, I went to market to buy some vegetables and honey. The people who sold fruits and vegetables turned out to be also non-Russian. They tried to speak Russian with me, but I kept speaking Yakutian. I felt uncomfortable and strange because I was worrying whether the guilt was written all over my face. I did not want them to realize that I got every single word they said and tried to not to laugh. Everyone was looking at us because I gesticulated a lot and I spoke louder and louder. The situation seemed to me ridiculous and I was embarrassed because of the amount of attention I suddenly received. But I just was smiling already. Somehow the seller managed to get what I needed. I thanked him and went home. Thanks to this challenge I learnt to feel more confident when I speak mother tongue and understood that not everyone dislikes it. It’s what makes me unique and I should be proud that I speak it.

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