BILINGUALISM

One of the key features of traveling to the UK is the "advantage" we have because we speak the same language as the people we are visiting. Of course, that is only a relative statement because, as anyone has discovered when visiting here, we are at times "two nations divided by a single language," as one street merchant once informed us.

A common language made worship at St. Mary's this morning much easier. St. Mary's is the "Mother Church" of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and while their worship bulleting was a bit challenging for me, it helped to be able to understand the liturgy.

After worship we visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, the yacht used by the Royal Family for traveling around the globe to places once ruled over by the British Empire and for four royal honeymooons. The audio narrator was helpful and somewhat easily understood also.

After lunch at the Elephant House, the "birthplace" of Harry Potter, we walked uphill to Edinburgh Castle led by a lovely guide named Patricia. We learned more about Scottish history and visited the Prisoner of War facilities used over the centuries for all sorts of prisoners including John Paul Jones who spent some time there during the American Revolution.

But the value of bilingualism came out most powerfully when we went to have some ale and wine at Deacon Brodies' Tavern. As we sat there enjoying some beverages someone commented that it was too bad we had nothing to munch on. "They don't serve food here," someone said, "we asked."

I asked, "What did you ask for?" "Chips," was the answer. "Ask them if they have any 'crisps,'" I suggested. Within two minutes we had five bags of what we call potato chips and a few bags of peanuts thrown in for good measure.

My fellow pilgrims thanked me profusely. "It pays to be bilingual," I replied.