introduction. This book is waiting
for publication.
My current project involves
‘Famine’ letters. In the 1920s and
1930s there were severe famines
in the USSR. Letters from people
living in the Volga area were sent
to relatives in the US and Canada,
and were often printed in German
language newspapers. The letters
describe the terrible conditions
and the many deaths from
starvation. At times I have to put
my emotions on hold, and other
aspects of this project are really
testing my dedication. Not only
are the newspapers still in the
old German font, but they have
also deteriorated so the printing
is unclear or totally blurred. The
old font is not a problem as I
studied it in high school, but the
indistinct letters are. Sometimes
I can decipher the words from the
context; sometimes I have to leave
a question mark or a blank.
I’m occasionally asked why I
spend so much time translating.
My smart answer is that I can
so I should, or that I want to see
my name in print. But there are
other reasons — it has improved
my knowledge of my heritage;
it has improved my German
vocabulary and ability to speak,
read, and write the language; it’s
my contribution to my heritage; it
lets me tell peoples’ stories; and it
has taught me new skills like using
Google Translate and fi nding
information on the internet. But
the biggest and very unexpected
benefi t is the improvement in my
short-term memory. Translating
has made a noticeable diff erence.
I might still forget my sister’s
birthday, but I don’t wonder why
I went down to the basement as
often, or stop on the stairs and
wonder if I was going up or down!
The moral of this story: learn
something new, whether it is a
language, a musical instrument,
a new hobby, a sport or other
physical activity, a new computer
program, or even a new recipe.
It is never too late to learn, and
you won’t be sorry. Just be sure to
choose an activity that you enjoy! ●
Anne Stang is a retired teacher
librarian from Calgary. While
she grew up in Saskatchewan
and worked mostly in Alberta,
somewhere along the way she
picked up a travel bug that has
taken her to all the continents.
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