European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. May 21, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 go s Home is like language lab English latin German polish Spanish spoken Sunry and photos by Janet iiowki.i-s-11erney staff writer Hanau. West Germany around this household. German is spoken to the neighbors. Polish or Spanish during Long distance phone Calls. English or latin Between husband and Wile and a mixture of All those to the children. I m German said 4-Ycar-old Christophers opa pronounced sh6 a in English. All my friends arc Ger  hut Christopher s dad. Mareks opa. Is polish and his mom. Sondra is the daughter of an american airman who retired in Spain. Their 17-month-old son Jan. Answers to any language used at Home. To further confuse the situation Marck became a . Citi in five years ago and joined the army in 1985. For the past few months the 37-year-old army sergeant has waked with the  fitness Center in Hinnau West Germany although he holds a military occupational specially of Hucy Mechanic. In late june the Sopas will trans port their mixture of languages to fort Ord calif., the family s first assign ment in the slates and Marck will put his hands to work on Rucys once again. The roots of the Sopas multilingual Story go Back to Early 1981, when Marck left his native Poland on a three month work visa for West Germany. Lie never went Back Home although jobs were scarce and Poland would t Grant him a passport. Eventually West Germany gave him an alien passport and he continued searching for a Job in the Art Industry to put skills he d devel oped in his Homeland to use. While that search continued Marek worked As a bouncer in a Kaiserslautern disco. It was a Job that paid olt in an unexpected Way when he met son their right hands and swore allegiance to the United states. The family returned to West Ger Many and Marck did Odd jobs and sold sketches and drawings until joining the army. He went to fort Knox by. For Basic training and fort Rucker ala., for Job training before heading to his assign ment in Hanau. Marek s schooling with the Academy of Fine arts in Gdansk Poland Quali fied him to carry a secondary specially As an army Illustrator and he also is recognized by the army As proficient in polish German and russian. Art has remained the one constant in Marek s life of change. It has Given him both pleasure and trouble. In 1980, during Poland s time of worker revolt Marek helped design the Emblem for the Union Solidarity he said. When i finished the University after about seven years was t Al Lowed to go before the panel which was required for a diploma Marek said. They gave different reasons for the action but i knew what was going  today his Art skills Are applauded. Marck has painted sports figures on the Walls of the Fliege Horst gym using Manau s Blue and Gold colors. It was the first time i painted on Walls instead of on Canvas to said lie added that the project would have Cost about $8,000 if a private contractor had done the Job which depicts everyday events in the building from aerobics to wrestling. Such work however in t the aim of his Art he said. This was mostly skill Art which does t try to convey much of a Mes Sage Merck said. I prefer painting something that expresses something in life. Real Art should invoke some feeling. It does t Marek describes his command of English at that time As understood Able although he apparently was very comfortable with american Slang. Dry. Who was being treated at lands Uhl army regional medical Center. Marck describes his command of English at that time As understood Able although he apparently was very comfortable with american Slang. Sondra still recalls being taken Aback when he erected an elderly acquaintance by say ing hey Man what s happening 7" still there were some communication problems and the two Learned to translate difficult English words into latin which both had taken in school. Despite objections from Sondra s parents the two were married in a Catholic ceremony in Spain in 1983. Less than a year later with Sondra seven months pregnant they went to Virginia for three weeks to apply for Marek s expeditious naturalization. The whole thing took Only a week Marek said. I talked to a Man about american history. He asked How Many presidents had been assassinated and How Many Stales there  Marck the Only pole joined 131 other people in a courtroom who raised let anyone seeing it be  he sketches people and places during his free time calling it More than a Hobby. He Hopes to do something he Calls hyper realistic painting which makes use of an airbrush. When he gels settled in America. Marek wants to find out How the Amer ican Art Industry will accept his work but he has no High Hopes. I Don t count on America being a land of milk and Honey he said. I m looking Forward to the new experience and environment  along with his Art Marek wants to put his language skills which also in clude Cech to use. But he is having trouble getting the lop secret clearance needed to become an army linguist in Eastern bloc languages. I want to be an army  he said. I have the skills and can use them if they give me the  for the Lime being however. Marek s household will remain a living language lab of German Spanish latin English and polish. Mareks opa finishes a portrait he s doing for a Soldier in i Lanau. The Sopas ill make their first us. Mote next month. From left they Are Sondra holding Jan Sondra s sister Zebra and Marek holding Christopher