Dedicated to Mary, who asked, “If you had 12 months to travel to 12 places to learn 12 languages, where would you go and what would you learn? And why? (Obviously the reasons can be whimsical and ridiculous if you like!)”
Well, I think that ordering this list would require detailed strategery based on festivals/holidays, weather conditions and other considerations, so in no particular order:
1. Turkish in Turkey…with a host family, perhaps eastern Turkey, where folks are more ‘country’ than ‘city.’
Reason: Mary certainly encouraged this one, but likewise having lived in Germany (and wanting to live there again) with its Turkish population means lots of ways to use it.
2. Farsi in Iran…maybe in Shiraz, which admittedly I know nothing about except that the grapes that make the wine I love so much are the type grown there.
Reason: Googoosh would be enough of a reason; however, at this point in my Arabic learning, I have come across a few movies in Farsi (The Stoning of Soraya M., Divorce Iranian Style, Prostitution: Behind the Veil) and I am jazzed about the cognates I hear.
3. Mongolian in Mongolia
Reason: the camels…seriously. The two-humped camels (which are the camels—the one-humpers are dromedaries) are just too awesome—the eyelashes, the fur…I saw L'histoire du chameau qui pleure on a date back in 2004 and while the movie didn’t really do it for me, I just loved those camels.
4. Russian in Russia…maybe eastern Russia? Someplace rural, but not in winter!
Reason: after studying with a bunch of folks from the former CIS, it just sounds awesome! Bring me moose and squirrel. Also, I love Тату (that’s t.A.T.u. in the Roman alphabet)…I just can’t help it.
5. Portuguese in Brazil or Angola
Reason: in general Brazil seems awesome, and I love Bonde do Rolê, even though a Brazilian buddy of mine thinks they’re crap, but the real reason is a painting I saw in the Tate Modern of São Paulo by Anselm Kiefer called Lilith. I was visiting the UK on a shoestring during a short break from my Fulbright year in Germany. At the time (April 2003) the Tate had free tours of a different floor of the museum depending on the day. That tour allowed me to see the painting and appreciate it. I have a troglodytic approach to modern art—like sommelier and classical music—I am WAY too lazy to invest time in knowing what is supposed to be good. Instead I rely on my most superficial senses to guide me. Tastes good? Good. Sounds good? Good. Looks good? Good. Most modern art is just too emperor’s new clothes-ey to me, but this piece, I love.
6. Spanish in Dominican Republic
Reason: My friend Alaina, a Spanish linguist, told me that across mother tongue accents in Spanish, Dominican enjoyed the least prestige; that is why I’d like to learn Dominican Spanish.
7. Kiswahili in Tanzania
Reason: Kiswahili sounds awesome and has Arabic cognates and is spoken in Oman. Totally awesome.
8. Basque in Basque country
Reason: Alaina the Spanish linguist told me that euskal herritarrak (that’s natives of the Basque in Basque) shared DNA that was unique from the DNA of surrounding native peoples, making them…space aliens? I hope so.
9. Korean in Busan
Reason: The Korean writing system was commissioned, and thus the only intentionally devised modern system. That’s pretty awesome. Other writing systems evolved over time in more informal ways. Not to mention, the food is awesome.
10. Welsh in Wales
Reason: All those words without vowels! What awesomeness. Also, I understand Welsh men are excellent lovers, though the gingers don’t usually do it for me.
11. Polish in Łódź
Reason: Łódź is prounounced ‘woge’ (rhymes with Limoges) and Przeworski like Shevorski…reason enough for me.
12. Kirundi in Burundi
Reason: I volunteered with the IRC in Baltimore during the summer of 2004 and interacted a lot with a newly-settled family from Burundi.
Runners up: Hassaniya Arabic in Mauritania, Dutch in Suriname (or Flemish in Belgium), and Xhosa in South Africa
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2 comments:
My brother in law speaks Dominican Spanish, and I can never understand him. It is very fast and very mashed up. Russian in eastern Russia would be interesting. I can't understand them. I have a hard enough time with peasants in Moscow. Turkish is easy. you would pick it up so fast. The only hard part is vowel harmony, and that is pretty easy.I don't know if you remember Can Erbilgin? He was from a village in the mountains in the center/north of Turkey where the women were dominant and revered!
You know, I do remember Can...but vaguely. I remember his name more than him. I'd love to know the name of that village! Happy New Year Amanda!
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