Kiel vi fartas? Why Esperanto deserves a global comeback

Top O’ the morning to ya!

How are you feeling today? 💖

Bonan matenon!*
It is Wednesday, and we’ve made it half-way through the week already! 🤸‍♂️ #yeahyeahyeah

Today I want to start with a big thank you.
Many of you know that English is not my mother tongue (I was born and brought up in South Germany), thus writing in a second language every day is fun, but sometimes challenging. Luckily, I have a personal linguistic super weapon at home - my husband Kabir - who helps me out when something just ‘doesn’t sound right’.

English is also a highly illogical language! Freddie filled in his form by filling it out? Why do performers recite a play, yet play at a recital? A slim chance and a fat chance are the same thing, but then a wise guy and a wise man mean completely different things? 😳 Just a few examples - maybe I write about it one day. Nevertheless, I want to give a big shout-out to Kabir today for being so supportive, patient, and amazing! 💖

Yesterday, after discussing another illogical English phrase, Kabir and I talked about how amazing it would be if all of us would speak a second world language instead of just good old English. A language based on logic, that is easy to learn, and even easier to understand! And actually, a language like this already exists: ESPERANTO! 

Created by Polish ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it counts approximately 2 million speakers worldwide. I learned the basics in school - and can’t stop but thinking that right now, in the time of ’Coronaisance’, Esperanto deserves a big comeback. There is a reason the word translates to the “one who hopes”. 🙏

What is Esperanto?
This 11-minute long video beautifully explains the background, vision and linguistic logic of Esperanto. Press play and watch before you read on!

Maybe we need a world language now more than ever before.
In a world that has focused for too long on difference instead of unity, on isolation instead of connection, and on judgement instead of understanding, language is a key to create the change we not only want but NEED TO SEE RIGHT NOW. Only if we are empowered to truly speak to each other, and thus overcome barriers not only made of wood or steel but words, we can create a future in the spirit of Zamenhof: Full of peace, integration, and freedom.

Start the movement - and impress your friends with Esperanto!
Why not use today to introduce the idea of Esperanto to your partner, room mate, parent, or BFF? These ten important sentences will help you to make quite a first impression. 😜

Have a cup of coffee. - Havu tason da kafo.
I’m hungry. - Mi estas malsata.
I’m broke. - Mi estas bankrota.
I need to pee. - Mi devas pisi.
You are so beautiful. - Vi estas tre bela.
Can I kiss you? - Ĉu mi rajtas kisi vin?
You’re crazy! - Vi estas freneza!
You are sexy. - Vi estas tre alloga.
I speak Esperanto. - Mi parolas Esperanton.
Have a good day! - Havu bonan tagon!

Welcome to the groovy soundtrack of my youth.
’Freundeskreis’ (translated: Circle of friends) is one of my all-time-ever-favourite hip hop bands. So much soul, so much poetry, so much style! 🤩 If you grew up in the 90s in Germany, there was no way around their sound. ‘Esperanto’ (1999) introduced an entire generation to the idea of a world language - with bobbing heads, and a secret love for Max, the ‘lead rapper’. Go and give it a listen! I posted the translated English lyrics at the bottom of this article for you.

Vi bonegas! 💖 **

With love from Goa, 
Isabelle 🌿

*Good morning!
** You are great!

*English translation of “Esperanto” by Freundeskreis
intro:
Freundeskreis '99
with (the usage of) Esperanto (you'll be) internationally understandable, yeah, yeah
we set off messages in vocabularies declared dead
Esperanto's finding its way into German suburbs
Freundeskreis becomes amikaro
the Tupac Amaru of Stuttgart's barrio
our lingvo translates this melting pot
we provide to you the hip hop sound in which the world is reflected
cause we kept the vision and remained true to ourselves
that's for the heads that love rap from 0711
Miliano Mondano with the posse
Don Phillippe and Frico, the disc jockey
the philosophy: street poetry
a lingua franca for all left-wingers and immigrants
it is '99, today rap is universal
A&R's are looking like b-boys, the culture is smashed to pieces due to the (big) money (involved)
the media's definition of hip hop is a farce
we do what we've done always, except that the context's fucked
I get a headache of too many canned pop songs
but FK doesn't get lumped together with them
there's nothing holding us back, nothing letting us stay put
we spread it out over the hills of Stuttgart to the world: Esperanto

chorus:
Esperanto,
that's the language of love
that will be spoken by and by
Esperanto,
and on this (very) day hope will be born
Esperanto

Esperanto - viewpoint of people like us
of those who enrich the (culture) and not only grow themselves rich on culture
a synonyme for '"let a hundred flowers bloom;
[...] a hundred schools [...] contend" in rap cyphers'
Esperanto - an answer to the cultural brankruptcy
music is an universal language, not a quick buck
¡escuchá el lenguaje  rap's bel-canto!
fiddle, like Castro, the first violin to the biz' last tango
Esperanto - eloquent definition:
a quick-taught lingvo for an international dialogue
(it's) based on Romanic, German, Yiddish, Slavic
no linguistic imperialism or prerogative of the educated aristocracy
Esperanto - no deficit if you don't get it right away, it's more important that you read between the lines
(that) you get inspired by our style, (that you) feel what my input is
I be lyricist, international linguist
Miliano soul guerrillero
the songwriting partisan, the last Mohican
on the mic, amigos, estaj representanto
FK amikaro, motto: Esperanto

chorus:
Esperanto
that's the language of love
that should be spoken by and by
Esperanto
and on this (very) day hope will be born
Esperanto
for all the people of all countries
for all the people who are present here,
Esperanto '99
the times will change with this new sound
and if you like this sound here
amikaro and Déborah
it's just the beginning, you can count on that
we believe in Esperanto