“Dèyè mòn gen mòn.”
This is one of the very first phrases I learned in my Haitian Creole book. (In fact, it was on the same page as the other phrase, “Pale kreyòl, aprann kreyòl.”)
As is with such sayings, there is the surface meaning (“Behind mountains there are mountains”) and then there are the more subtle meanings.
Haiti, “The Land of Mountains,” has a history that is shaped by its physical structure as well as the underlying tectonic movements. Mountains and earthquakes have shaped Haiti, and still do.
But it’s more than that. Behind the strong people you see, there are hidden people you don’t see. That’s another meaning. That explains a lot about history in general and even, sadly, some of the history of Haiti, a land that has served as the free checking account for many other nations.
Or even my preferred meaning: “You think you’ve climbed the highest point, and you see a higher point just beyond.”
Learning a language is like that.
I’m 210 days in from my starting date of learning Haitian Creole. I am in no ways fluent, but I can carry on a conversation about my family, the weather, food, my neighbors, and my work. I can kinda shop in a market and bargain for the best price. And I can tell you if the legim is tasty or the vyann kabrit isn’t spicy enough. (“Did they even use limes to clean this meat?!”)
But my instructors are now having me turn the page, so to speak, and it is getting harder. The more I dive into learning this language, the more areas I see that I just don’t understand.
It’s fascinating to me because of course language is like this. We learn enough to get along, and then as we stay exposed, we learn more and more, and the horizon keeps receding.
Don’t know where I’ll be by the time I complete my 365 challenge. I’m hoping I’ll be able to carry on more complex conversations about history, culture, social movements, politics, religion, and even plans for a neighborhood block party.
Because I am telling you, I know how to talk about my neighbors now, and I have so many good stories…