Speak my language?

[thrihyrne]

Since my childhood, I’ve been interested in languages. (I even convinced my friends in 5th grade that I had come from Neptune and wrote in squiggles in pencil on a piece of crumpled up waxed paper as evidence of “something mom had hidden in a drawer written in Neptunian” as proof, but that’s another story) We went to Canada a couple of times and I remember keeping my bubble gum wrappers from the trips simply because I thought it was so cool that everything there was written in English *and* French.

This morning I was looking at something I’d purchased over the weekend (a feminine products box; you all know I’m a grown woman so that should hardly be shocking) and it struck me that now almost everything I buy is again in two languages: English and Spanish. Even the aisle signs in the grocery store closest to me now has the aisle contents in English on one side of the sign and in Spanish on the other. It can be a bit frustrating, actually, since going up the aisle I can read it and coming down the other, I can’t. Maybe I’m prejudiced, or I’m just older now, but having everything unofficially bilingual doesn’t have the same fascinating appeal that it did for me when I was 10.

There are also languages within communities; my college best friend occasionally looks at my livejournal and she has commented that sometimes when she does, she has no real idea what I’m talking about, but then we have a phone conversation and she knows I haven’t changed personalities or anything. But it can be intimidating to enter a community (I’m thinking of fandoms in particular, both Tolkien and HP, which really do have their own ‘languages’ of a sort, both due to the tendency toward use of acronyms but also fandom-particular words and phrases) and have to figure out what on earth people are saying to each other. I suppose this happens in particular workplaces as well, or whole enclaves: academe, sales, banking, what have you. Having been involved in HP fandom for not all that long, around a year, I guess, I can still with chagrin remember having to ask someone the difference between OTP and OotP. Oh. And I then had to ask about PotC. Now it seems obvious, but at the time, it was like trying to read a printout of something R2D2 would chirp, without the benefit of a helpful C-3PO to translate.

Last night I attended a Lessons and Carols service, and some of the anthems were in Latin, which is, at least in regards to church music, a very familiar language to me now. I wonder if it seems odd to other people who aren’t church musicians to be still be singing those pieces untranslated after so many years.

That being said, I’m off to write a couple of thank you notes and then get back to the fic formerly known as NBtC (“Never Break the Chain”), which didn’t get as much attention as it should have because I got sidetracked by reading some long HP fic over the weekend. Sorry Cim, George also ended up surprising me and it’s getting a wee bit longer, but I should have it to you soon. Tonight is my stepson’s band concert, so I probably won’t get a whole bunch written, but you never know. During the concert, which will be held in their gym, I’ll most likely be knitting on the scarf that my stepdaughter roped me into making on Saturday. Oh, the sacrifices!!

Comments

[mistressofrohan.livejournal.com]

having to ask someone the difference between OTP and OotP. Oh. And I then had to ask about PotC. Now it seems obvious, but at the time, it was like trying to read a printout of something R2D2 would chirp, without the benefit of a helpful C-3PO to translate.

Sorry, but I LOL'ed... not at you, but at the commonality of those questions. It's only in the last 2 or 3 months that I learned the definition of OTP. *facepalm* IIRC, KWIM, AFAIK, and all those really confused me at first, but now seem so common.

And the bilinguallism? At least French is one of Canada's official languages. Though it seems patently stupid out here in British Columbia. The percentage of our population that even *understands* French, let alone those that use it predominantly has got to be under 5%. We have more people speaking Mandarin! *shakes head* Oh the joys of a huge multi-cultural nation. The day the French-Canadians start insisting that the bilingual Stop signs be mandatory nation-wide is the day I lose my cool!

Thanks for the excuse for my mini-rant, Thevina. And thanks for the smile!!

MM

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

IIRC, KWIM, AFAIK, and all those really confused me at first, but now seem so common.

ACK!! I don't even know what the first two are! I'm hoping that AFAIK is "As far as I know," but I suppose it could be just about anything. Sheesh. Then again, not everybody types as fast as I do. I remember taking pride while in TORn's chatroom about never using abbreviations like that because I could type fast enough, and I just couldn't stand the acronyms. :P

Don't worry about the mini-rant. I meant to somehow indicate that Canada is officially bilingual, but couldn't figure out how to write that out. It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to have forced bilingualism in a province in which so few people speak one of the languages, you're right. As a child, though, I just couldn't get over the grape Bubble-Yum packs with English and French. They were just *so cool* at the time. I suppose I've always had a secret love for Canada, especially BC and... oh, bugger. The province with Lake Louise. Such gorgeous country, even from someone who had lived in Washington state.

But that's MHO. ;)

((huggles one of her Canadian friends and is green with envy that she lives in "Beautiful British Columbia"))

[mistressofrohan.livejournal.com]

I suppose I've always had a secret love for Canada, especially BC and... oh, bugger. The province with Lake Louise.

*big grin* BC really is a fabulous place to live. And the province with Lake Louise is Alberta. We travelled through there not long ago, visiting Banff en route to Calgary. If I ever needed to move to Alberta, Banff would be the area I'd choose (but only for the summers!) Other than that, I'll stay in the BC Okangan Valley until I shuffle off this mortal coil!

By the way, IIRC is 'if I recall correctly' and KWIM is 'know what I mean' ;-)

MM *hugging back*

[cim-halfling.livejournal.com]

I can still with chagrin remember having to ask someone the difference between OTP and OotP. Oh. And I then had to ask about PotC.

LOL!! I am so there still, and forget the Tolkien fandom acronyms -- it's hopeless.

In L.A., depending on which part of town you are in, signs can be in three languages -- English, Korean, Spanish. Or how about, English, Japanese, Spanish. And, English, Chinese, and Spanish.
I rather like it myself. We have the signs side by side, so it is easy to figure it out. But sometimes, I find myself staring stupidly at a sign, trying to translate it from Spanish. (And sometimes translating effortlessly without even realizing it! I don't even know spanish!! oy)

Thevina -- get it to me when you can -- no worries! :)

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Wow. And I thought I had it rough. Glad I don't have to deal with as many languages as you do!!

Thanks for your email- I'm going to dash home and get back to the G/R, or perhaps I'll do some Christmas wrapping and then get back to the G/R so I can get it to you. I'm so excited that you're willing to beta; I'll let you know what kind of stuff I'm looking for, or maybe I'll even just send you Jen's beta for the first chapter of the twinfic and you can see what she does. Everybody's different, I guess; I've just been incredibly fortunate with her, and romanticalgirl and snottygrrl. And I'm sure I will with you as well! It's just that George doesn't want me to stop writing about him. :P

[fungus-files.livejournal.com]

I am so glad MoR (! - aka MM) clarified the acronyms she used. I was sitting there thinking, "o dear, should I ask? should I google?" (googling always wins, btw...read an article the other day about self-googling. must post that sometime as is rather fun).

--> ok, OotP is order of the phoenix but can't puzzle out other one.

as for other languages - have a basic toursit smattering of french, vestiges of latin, and occasional phrases of various chinese dialects. no fluency in anything but oz english. have been contemplating taking up spanish or japanese but know how much work it will be to get any good at it.

o, and last thought from wandering brain - someone said something about you and japanese woodblock prints? for xmas pressies, I just got a small illustrated book (of japanese block prints) for a couple of folks. they are accompanied by 'wise zen sayings' that were a hoot. I know zen sayings aren't meant to be a hoot but I blame the heat around here these days... :P

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

--> ok, OotP is order of the phoenix but can't puzzle out other one.

Oh, not to worry. OTP= One True Pairing.

And googling oneself is great fun. I've done both my real name and my pseudonym, just to see what pops up.

It was the beautiful licia_north who said she had come across some Chinese or oriental block prints and she thought of me for some reason. I then told a story about having always loved looking at oriental characters, as in letters. The books that you got sound great! Poor thing, all sweaty. It was in the mid-60's here and blustery as all get-out, after incredible winds and rain last night. Not our usual winter weather, but I'm beginning to think that we don't have "usual" weather ever.

[gondoriangirl.livejournal.com]

I took a summer kids camp German class...which was a ton of fun. It also led to taking German in High School. However, that's where it ended. I think I can understand more German than I can speak. This, I discovered when I was there in 1996 for a mission trip.

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

I think that probably happens to a lot of people; even now I can understand some Russian if I hear people speak it in Kroger, but I could barely generate a sentence anymore myself.

Hope you're doing well!! How's the job at the fabric store? I ended up putting so much of my paycheck into Piece Goods when I had a part-time job there...

I can't believe I rated a mention in the livejournal

[(Anonymous)]

Still have absolutely no idea what you are taliking about, but I am thrilled to have a mention in the journal! Wow! I do feel the LOVE.

Speaking of love, LOVE the green bowl, thank you very much. Really loved the caveat sticker on the wonderful card. The wrapping of the green bowl is the hilight of my Christmas (not holiday, mind you) season!!

I will write/call soon. Our Tampa boy called and left me a VM. I do miss him so.

College Best Friend