EXAMPLE ANSWERS


1. They were quite old when they had Alma. Her father, Jakob, was a major in the Austro-Hungarian Empire Army, her mother, Vilibalda, was a teacher.

2. She was born half crippled, she had difficulties walking, and she spent most of her time alone. She was attached to her father much more than to her mother. She showed great interest in learning languages.

3. Alma spoke German, Slovene, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Spanish, French, and Russian.

4. She taught languages.

5. Celje, Trieste, Genoa, Peru, Panama, USA, Hawaii; Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Burma, India, Bab-el-Mandeb, Somalia, Suez Canal, and Venice.

6. She lived with Thea Schreiber Gamelin.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

superstition = (n.) unjust belief in supernatural powers leading to certain consequences
sorcery = (n.) use of (black) magic
quest = (n.) a long search for something
roam = (v.) travel aimlessly
spy = (n.) a person who secretly collects and reports information
mature = (v.) to reach an advanced stage of mental and emotional development
pursue = (v.) seek to accomplish a goal

AUDIO SCRIPT

J: Journalist
A: Alma

J: What was the motive for your journey around the world?
A: Oh, to be honest, I don’t know what I actually expected from this travel around the world. I wanted to get first-hand answers to some questions that had been on my mind since my studying in London. A city of diverse languages, races, and nationalities. I wanted to better understand the dissimilarities between peoples, explore the role of women in societies around the world, and learn more about superstitions, mythology, and sorcery of ancient societies. It was also a quest for better understanding myself. I longed for answers regarding eternal truths about existence.

J: Your first stop was in South America. What was it like there?
A: Not easy. . . There were experiences I would have never wished for. As a white woman, roaming alone around the streets of Mollendo, Peru I was in constant danger. On one occasion, they accused me of being a Bolivian spy, and I barely avoided the humiliating public examining and undressing. I didn’t feel safe at all, I even slept with a knife under my pillow, because I really couldn’t trust Peruvian people.

J: Which country impressed you the most?
A: I fell in love with Japan, its people, and the beautiful landscape. I admire their simplicity, honesty, spirituality, and philosophy. To tell you the truth, I felt welcome and safe in Japan. I tried to capture my understanding of Japan in four short stories that were published in 1936.

J: What benefits of this journey would you point out?
A: I didn’t have to hurry, so I could learn to observe. I took my time to come close to people and I got to know how they live and think. I learned about their sorrows and delights, and all this led to my better understanding of a living soul. This journey was physically demanding. I suffered, had many a crisis but in spite of it all, I think I matured spiritually and most importantly, pursued my goal.