English songs

She was 11 in 1982 and just started to learn English from an older Hungarian man in a private class who lived in Tanzania. Not sure how she got involved with that but she was attending it every week with her friend from the apartment block. Paying for the lesson alone would have been too much of an expense for the family. In the summer pioneer camp at lake Balaton, a disco has been advertised. The word sounded foreign, even after her learning a little bit of English. Expectations filled the air. In the sunset lights outside, the darkened room was flooded with coloured lights. Usual light bulbs painted red, blue, green and yellow served as disco lights. Loud music was playing as she entered the cafeteria, now disco. It was her first time in a disco. Feeling both awkward and excited she was looking around to see how to do Disco. Hungarian and foreign songs were playing. Kim Carnes: Bette Davies eyes; Blondie: ‘Heart of Glass’; Patrick Hernandez: Born to be alive. She tried to focus on the words of the English songs, but could not get too much. Not surprisingly, her English teacher mostly drank coffee and left them to study the textbook by themselves. Boring grammar, exceptions after exceptions. As she listened to the songs, she focussed on grabbing words that she knew. She danced and imitated the chorus, pretending she understands, mumbling similar syllables. She felt others were looking at her, looking up at her. She felt as if she spoke English.