Yekrats.com: Scotto’s Seafud Shanty

I’m currently at the “Landa Kongreso” (National Congress) of Esperanto-USA in Saint Louis. It’s a pretty amazing experience - using a language so much that you think in it. In fact, writing this right now, I must concentrate on which part of the brain to use: Esperanto or English. Even more baffling: We are Esperantists, chatting in the hallway or at an excursion among English-speakers… and then an English-speaker talks to me, and I must consciously think whether to say Dankon or Thank you. I never really had that feeling when I spoke French in Quebec, because I don’t think I was ever sufficiently capable to think in French. You might be surprised (not) but we have had more than our fair share of strange looks.

There’s about 100 people here supposedly, all mixing and chatting in Esperanto. This is my first real experience speaking the language (vocally). I’ve become pretty good over the last 10 years of typing and reading it, but since I don’t have a local club, this is my crash course in hearing it and speaking it.

There’s people here from all skill levels, and the veterans are very understanding when I explain my situation. And I try to be very accommodating to the fresh newbies who decided to come.

Last night we went to the Memorial Arch (”Memoriga Arkego”), which was more crowded than I remember in the past (in 1984, I think). Today we have a full slate of Esperanto meetings and presentations.

I recently discovered that the International Brotherhood of Magicians (”IBM”) has a local “ring”  here in Lafayette. Further, I found out they meet about 5 miles from my house! So, last night was the first meeting I was able to attend.

It’s a small, casual, fun group. They asked me to perform something, so I managed to do a couple of rubber band effects (one of which they seemed to have not seen before). They do a round where everyone gets to show a trick or two to the rest of the group, and get pointers and such. (Although none of them seemed to need any pointers.) The group has a couple of professional magicians who regularly attend.

Since I have a lot going on right now, I’m not sure how much I can do with them. But it’s fun to know that such a resource is so local to me!