tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post8112848859595852644..comments2023-10-21T11:44:45.588+01:00Comments on ResidentAlien: Do You Kankokugo Biliyor Musunuz?Mary Witzlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-17858382293121700172009-07-25T03:06:16.159+01:002009-07-25T03:06:16.159+01:00Ello is correct, Mary. Your posts on learning lang...Ello is correct, Mary. Your posts on learning languages is amazing and how wonderful you have been provided opportunities to do so.<br /><br />I love coming to your blog to read about your current adventures in a life that seems to drive you crazy, but life is like that everywhere. We haven't been able to write about our crazy lives the way you do.Barbara Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00610140328527165017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-85303943249601539602009-07-11T11:11:55.503+01:002009-07-11T11:11:55.503+01:00AP -- Your kind words cheer me up no end. It means...AP -- Your kind words cheer me up no end. It means so much to me that people want to write what I read.<br /><br />I myself love reading the memoirs of ordinary people written with humor and perception. I could hardly care less about celebrities' ghost-written accounts of their lives. I don't care whether the author was an astronaut or a dry cleaner's receptionist as long as she can make me smile or cry and see a different world I might never have encountered. That's the kind of writing I aim for, and sometimes I worry that no one has offered to represent me because I just haven't got my prose to sparkle enough. But at least I can work on that; I'll never be rich and famous.<br /><br />AnneS -- I've never tried to learn Irish, but I do know a handful of people who speak Scottish Gaelic, which sounds beautiful -- all breathy and evocative. I'll never say never.<br /><br />Brooklyn is a great place for a budding linguist. I got lost in Brooklyn once and spent over 30 minutes before I found someone who spoke a language I knew.<br /><br />Adrienne -- Ooh, I can tell a fellow language learner when I meet one! This is exactly the way you do it. The problem is, I'd confuse 'cashew' with some other nut and end up with something preposterous. <br /><br />Robert -- If you translate from one foreign language into another, unless you're very advanced, it IS easier, as you tend to pare everything down to bare bones. You don't end up struggling to translate idioms or figures of speech. <br /><br />I can't say squirrel yet. I've got fish, cat, horse and dog, though. Squirrels will have to wait until next year.<br /><br />Vijaya -- Thank you for saying that. I sometimes think that the main reason people visit my blog is to find out whether you can eat slugs or what to do to propagate montbretia. It's nice to think that I have proper, respectful lurkers.<br /><br />Chris -- Mish-mish in Arabic? I won't forget that one. We had an apricot tree when I was growing up. Mish-mish is EXACTLY what runs through your head when you step on a ripe one hiding in the long grass...<br /><br />Ello -- There is nothing very awesome about this! Really, the only amazing thing is that I don't prudently stick to one language, but feel compelled to tilt at many, like Don Quixote with his windmills.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-56881319723261068262009-07-10T22:53:09.641+01:002009-07-10T22:53:09.641+01:00What an awesome story. And you totally blow me awa...What an awesome story. And you totally blow me away with your languages!Ello - Ellen Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-77964234075520219062009-07-09T13:55:25.020+01:002009-07-09T13:55:25.020+01:00AHAHAH! Love your last line!
My husband loves a...AHAHAH! Love your last line! <br />My husband loves apricots. Now I'm trying to...<br />Wait!<br />It's "Mish-Mish" in Arabic. Isn't that a funny word?<br /><br />I think you need to learn how to say this word in as many languages as possible.Chris Eldinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16732006129353079344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-52757039137852771562009-07-07T22:19:45.981+01:002009-07-07T22:19:45.981+01:00Great post! I just read through the comments and s...Great post! I just read through the comments and see that someone else would like you to write a memoir ... that you did. Ah, what do people know? Even when I don't comment, I love reading your stories. And I suspect you have many more readers who are shy ...Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-61556850759630009662009-07-07T18:28:42.559+01:002009-07-07T18:28:42.559+01:00Daughter Amy was studying Japanese when she spent ...Daughter Amy was studying Japanese when she spent her Junior year of college in Lyon. She actually said it was easier to translate French into Japanese!! I couldn't wrap my head around that; I would think one would need to rely on your "core" language to keep one foot in comprehension. <br /><br />The question I have for you, Mary, is: can you say "squirrel" in Turkish?Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-3120288474989727172009-07-06T21:30:37.626+01:002009-07-06T21:30:37.626+01:00Okay, sounds like cashew...the pit resembles a nut...Okay, sounds like cashew...the pit resembles a nut...got it. Let's see if I can remember even one Turkish word a week from now!Adriennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05583029102450754497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-16764052675567687112009-07-06T21:25:22.700+01:002009-07-06T21:25:22.700+01:00Did you ever try learning Irish? I did, for two da...Did you ever try learning Irish? I did, for two days. Maybe I had the wrong book...it couldn't have been the wrong brain, right?<br /><br />But you are giving your kids such a great education. I bring my kids to Brooklyn from time to time.Anne Spollenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915171740680350711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-78930403183154977982009-07-06T20:20:01.304+01:002009-07-06T20:20:01.304+01:00The Agents were wrong. . . your blog proves it. I ...The Agents were wrong. . . your blog proves it. I really enjoy reading your stories. <br /><br />I loved Bruce Feiler Book " Learning To Bow" and I lost the book in the move were the author walked the length of Japan and wrote about what happened along the way.<br /><br />There is a place for your stories !angryparsniphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17236094827257446781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-74221826762008842662009-07-06T14:21:47.013+01:002009-07-06T14:21:47.013+01:00Carolie -- (Our posts just crossed!)
In all hones...Carolie -- (Our posts just crossed!)<br /><br />In all honesty, my language learning is fraught with error and is no great shakes. In a way, that is why I feel my experiences are more worthwhile to share. Who wants to read about someone who is a linguistic genius and never confuses words or makes embarrassing mistakes? Anyone who reads my language learning stories ought to go away thinking that if I could do it, they can too. And do it even better.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-61446758360347635462009-07-06T14:16:29.253+01:002009-07-06T14:16:29.253+01:00Robin -- Thank you for saying that! I've begu...Robin -- Thank you for saying that! I've begun to think that my experiences aren't all that amazing -- that I'm just someone who is thrilled with trifles and who loves describing them in detail. I know that must be my one valuable gift, but how do I turn it into something others will want to read? <br /><br />I'm a gringa too, but I wish to God I could speak Italian! I LOVE Spanish, but my Spanish isn't quite as good as my (atrocious) French. I once spoke Spanish and French with Italians in Mexico. We covered things like food preferences and family members. I was absolutely exhausted.<br /><br />Charles -- When I consider the friends my daughters have, how incredibly diverse their backgrounds are, I certainly agree with you. I love this diversity. When I was growing up, diversity was a lot harder to find and generally hidden away for fear of drawing unwanted attention. Now it is proudly displayed and I love that even more. <br /><br />Charlie -- I can't speak Scots! Every time I make a timid effort at it, our Acquired Daughter laughs so hard she almost ruptures herself. Speaking Scots is a lot more than complicated than throwing in the odd 'wee', 'smidgen', or 'jobby'. And my Scots accent isn't even up to Scotty's from Star Trek.<br /><br />I can pout in lots of different languages, though. I'm a complete natural at it.<br /><br />Eryl -- Drop by when you can and I can fill you in on all the fruits and vegetables AND rooms in a house. It'll come in handy providing you spend all your time in Turkey at a greengrocer's. <br /><br />Kit -- The truth is, I felt beyond irritated coming home from work to find all three girls trading Korean words and phrases they'd learned when they were virtually ignoring a whole world of Turkish right at their doorstep. But I see that I've been learning languages this way myself -- not necessarily in the most straightforward or commonsensical way. I really should be happy that they're learning anything at all, however impractical it seems to be. <br /><br />Kim -- I used to be able to do that too (when we were living in Wales), but I've since forgotten! Next time we meet, please help me brush up on this. In return, I'll teach you all the Turkish I know. We can cover that in five minutes, tops.<br /><br />Kappa -- Thank you for saying that. <br /><br />The consensus is that people only want to read about the experiences of those who are glamorous or famous. I actually did write a memoir of my experiences learning Japanese and I shopped it around a bit. Half a dozen agents told me that it was charming and absorbing, but it would not sell. Now I have a blog, and it is some consolation that people who are not related to me do choose to read it.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-14235409039395552232009-07-06T14:14:12.801+01:002009-07-06T14:14:12.801+01:00Loved the last line, Mary! I just adore hearing a...Loved the last line, Mary! I just adore hearing about all your experiences. I admire you so much! How can you possibly denigrate your brain, which already has FAR more language than 99.9% of Americans will ever achieve (and I'm just talking about English vocabulary! ha ha ha!)Caroliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-30463661561362918052009-07-06T11:46:02.611+01:002009-07-06T11:46:02.611+01:00Put the novel on the back burner. You must write y...Put the novel on the back burner. You must write your memoirs! <br /><br />terrieKappa no Hehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00909580462578058631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-5825696747148760782009-07-06T09:43:11.693+01:002009-07-06T09:43:11.693+01:00I can count to 10 in Welsh...I can count to 10 in Welsh...Kim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-87152576030937656442009-07-06T09:37:05.814+01:002009-07-06T09:37:05.814+01:00Learning Japanese in an attic in Amsterdam and the...Learning Japanese in an attic in Amsterdam and then using it in Korea....that really does make for amazing stories. I'm so impressed your girls are also soaking up other languages under their own steam.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11594062064082350697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-62418984714650918702009-07-05T21:09:55.014+01:002009-07-05T21:09:55.014+01:00If I ever get to Turkey again I now know one word,...If I ever get to Turkey again I now know one word, thanks. Actually, come to think of it, apricot is one of only a very few words (all foods) I know in several languages, all of them European.Erylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06008344023000459577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-27117836123813057952009-07-05T19:33:21.522+01:002009-07-05T19:33:21.522+01:00You've never mentioned that you can speak Scot...You've never mentioned that you can speak Scots too—which you probably learned in Abyssinia.<br /><br />I'm going in the other room now and pout—in English, because it's the only language I know.Charliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722567671925063706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-26864816673963364342009-07-05T17:11:21.926+01:002009-07-05T17:11:21.926+01:00YOur comment about how you've learned language...YOur comment about how you've learned languages in odd ways sure brings home the cosmopolitan nature of the world we live in today.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-33011834065193860762009-07-05T17:06:35.554+01:002009-07-05T17:06:35.554+01:00You have had such amazing experiences. It's s...You have had such amazing experiences. It's so lovely that your girls also have your love of language! <br /><br />I'm in awe of your language ability! I only speak (and I use that term loosely) Italian, and it took years and years to learn. Lately I've tried to learn Spanish, and I keep mixing up Italian and Spanish. It feels pretty hopeless. I'm a gringo.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12396540555696283171noreply@blogger.com