It was in a moment of interaction with a Buddhist Monk that Edvard experienced a transformation in her perceptions surrounding the power of translation, and the possibility that evolves when worlds collide:
“He was talking about how each life is like being a frog at the bottom of a well – you can only see so much of the sky – but by practicing Wushu, and by practicing the prayers you can connect from past lives and put all of the sights, and all of the skies together, to get enlightenment, and to really see everything.”
As if that very frog at the bottom of the well was her, Edvard too has found the beauty and inspiration in watching two skies, or in this case, two worlds come together. Growing up in a household influenced by parents of German descent, Edvard was exposed to language at a young age. From German children’s books to weekly German classes starting at the age of eight years old, this language ran through her veins from the beginning. However, as Edvard made her way through school, she found yet another language to connect with, and immerse herself within: Chinese.
“My first chinese teacher gave me a sense of community”, Edvard said, as she went on to describe how her first teacher influenced her to find passion in not only the complex and tonal language, but also the cultural landscape of Chinese; “The atmosphere of the Chinese classroom, and the way the teacher taught; it was totally new.” Thus, the beginnings of her connection to chinese inspired yet another authentic linguistic integration within her life.
As her two very separate worlds of language and cultures collide, Edvard strives to build a career in business or as a translator for NGOs. She is currently pursuing three majors at Michigan State University (German, Chinese, and Economics), which speak to her past, present, and future. Edvard is inspired by the incorporation of both German and Chinese within the business world due to her passion for the historical ties between these two countries, and the influence they continue to have on one another within the context of business and trade relations.
As if German represented a past life, and Chinese represented the present sky, Edvard finds herself at the standing at the bottom of a strongly founded well, gazing up at a sky that reflects endless possibility – seeking the potential to truly see all that this world has to offer.
– Story by Kristen Gmerek