40. A glumi (Verb: to joke)

My host father is someone described as “vesel” (cheerful) by many people. El glumește mult (He jokes a lot). Recently… well, as far as I know… he has been joking with friends and family when he introduces me to them for the first time.

We will meet someone and he will say: “El ește din prima femeie,” which literally translates to, “he is from first woman.” I may be hearing it wrong, but it could mean a few things. He does not say that I am from his first daughter or first wife, he says, “first woman”. Maybe he is saying that I am the son of a woman he has on the side. Not sure. But either way, half of the guys give him and I a funny look. I laugh every time.

He also says to friends of his when we meet for the first time that I only understand Russian. So the man will start to say something to me in Russian and I will look very confused. They figure this joke out quicker than the first one usually.

It is pretty funny. My host dad thinks it is even more funny now, because he knows I understand the joke. I told my host mother, my host dad was there as well, that her husband was funny and how he introduces me in different ways. After that, my host dad cleared up any information that I did not or could not convey in Romanian. My host mom thought it was pretty funny too, but I do not think it surprised her too much.

ADDITION:  After speaking with my Romanian tutor, the translation is that I am the son of his first wife.  Which doesn't make sense because all of his actual children are older than I, but it still take people a while to figure it out.