TALKING FOREIGN

By Marion Ueckermann

Some years ago there was a television advert in South Africa for Wimpy’s new range of premium blend coffees. I absolutely love this totally South African ad which begins with a couple (obviously on a first date) sitting on the veranda outside the woman’s home. It’s dark and quiet—all that can be heard are dogs barking in the distance and crickets chirping nearby. Trying to impress her, the young man leans over and says, “Cremoccino.” She gives a coy smile. Realizing he’s on to a good thing, he tries again. “Caffè mocha” (which he pronounces as it’s written, mo-cha, and not as it sounds ... mocca). She gives a soft giggle. Oh yeah, this is working. He glances at his cheat sheet written on a paper Wimpy napkin. “Macchiato.” That really gets the young woman’s head spinning and her heart beating far faster than it should. Her father really needs to burst through that front door and put a stop to the young man’s flirtation. She turns to him and says, “Ag Henry,” (that’s South African for “Oh Henry”) “I love it when you talk foreign.”

I wish I could convey the expressions on these two actors’ faces, but my words wouldn’t do it justice. Do yourself a favor and click on the link to view this great ad.

I recently returned from a 17-day holiday to Scotland with my hubby, my sister and two nieces visiting my brother and his wife. With a final parting snapshot like this, you can just imagine the shenanigans that went on this holiday (that’s me there in the hat, giving the Popeye pose). We had such fun being in a foreign country. Not that it felt foreign—my grandfather was born in Scotland, and I hold a British passport because of that. 

I’ll definitely share about our trip on my next blog—the cities we saw, the castles, the countryside—but in the meantime, here are a few photos...

Eilean Donan Castle (complete with cute piper)...

Cullross...

St. Andrews Cathedral (what’s left of it)...

 the Pineapple House...

 and the breathtaking view over the battlefields of old from the top of the Wallace Monument 

(256 steps up...I climbed them all).

A few days before we were due to leave Scotland, I received an email from Nicola Martinez, Editor-in-Chief of Pelican Ventures Book Group, my publisher. She had great news. My debut novella, Helsinki Sunrise, which is part of the Passport to Romance series, had been picked up by Hermon Forlag, a publisher in Norway. My writing was going foreign!

My first reaction after telling my family the news (screaming was more like it), was to Google Hermon Forlag. I was excited to see they’re publishing some big names in Christian Fiction, have been around since 1983, and publish 70-80 Christian-themed titles a year. Wow!

When I got back to South Africa, I found a press release on Pelican’s website—Passport to Romance™ Goes Global. This is some of what was said in that release:

Pelican Book Group has announced that two Passport to Romance™ novellas have been chosen by Norway-based publisher, Hermon Forlag, to be translated and published in Norwegian. Plans are to release the novellas in both e-book and paperback.

Paperback? I hadn’t expected that. How exciting! But I digress from the press release...

While all Passport to Romance™ stories are wonderful, I wasn’t surprised that “Helsinki Sunrise” and “Copenhagen Cozenage” got picked up,” said Nicola Martinez, Editor-in-Chief for Pelican. “Both are lighthearted, fun reads that appeal to a wide audience…but then again, so are all the PTR books! I'm hopeful the translations will be well-received and that more Passport to Romance™ titles will be released in multiple languages.

This was such an unexpected blessing from God, and I’m excited about the prospect of having my work published in another language. May this be the first of many.

I’d like to end this blog with one final word to readers—”I hope you’ll love it when I talk foreign.” (Oh, and just for the record, for those who did take a peek at the ad, I do not talk like Henry’s date. Not in the slightest.)

MARION UECKERMANN’s passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. Marion and her husband again live in South Africa, but with two gorgeous grandsons hanging their hats at the house next door, their empty nest’s no longer so empty.

Visit Marion at her website www.marionueckermann.net or her Amazon author page.