Zombie Attack, and Brødrene Løvehjerte

Eventually I did go to the common room last night, and we talked mostly about what we were going to do in case of a Zombie Attack. All of them were far more knowledgeable about zombies than I was, so I mostly sat the conversation out. (For example, I didn't know that you could be zombie infected before you turned into a zombie...) We decided to see whether there was roof access, and not to take the elevator. (We live in a 9 story building, not counting the floor to the roof, on the second floor). Wouldn't be so bad, except that as we passed the elevator it opened creepily (this was like one in the morning, so there wouldn't have been much normal traffic) and we all started muffle-screaming and running. Peter and Nate ran up all 10 stories. I made it up 8 before I had to change to a walk, and Tabitha and Laura made it up 6. Then we sat up there for a few minutes. The door was locked, so we decided that we would have all died at that point. Then we went back down. Our legs were mush the whole night, even after a few more hours of sitting and doing nothing. I was too tired to do flash cards, I quickly realized, as I could no longer interpret the grammatical shorthand on them. So those went away.

I tried to start reading Brødrene Løvehjerte, but that was equally hopeless. I could read the story, but I had no desire to really learn anything from it, so I decided to leave it for another day. Then we all had a discussion based on the first chapter about what we would do if our terminally ill brother, who would die in a few weeks, was in the third floor of a burning building. I felt like an evil, evil person, because I was the only person who said that they wouldn't go back in. Honestly, though, I've never been in a situation that extreme, but when I'm in a dangerous-stressful situation, I'm actually quite rational. And considering that he was terminally ill, that he was on the third floor, and that the building had already been burning a while - I really don't think I would do it. His being on the first floor might well change that, as would his not being terminally ill... :( And to the objections of my friends, no, of course I don't want him dying that way... but I don't want to die that way just so he can live two more weeks. If it was a whole lifetime we were talking about, or I had a higher chance of success, probably I would do it.


Then there was some gossip and a lot of talk about a tv show I had never seen, so I basically tuned out of those discussions as well. Then came a discussion about the official language of the United States, and I made a self discovery - I care surprisingly little about most hot topics. Or rather, it just exhausts me to debate them, because my points of view are so complicated, and because I know that what I think matters quite little. Take abortion. I wouldn't have an abortion. If I was under 15, or I was going to die in childbirth... yeah, I might consider it. I actually don't think rape would be a consideration for me, it's more about my health and the health of the baby. But what about other people's abortions? That's mostly what we're voting about. I can't really deny it to another person based on my personal beliefs. I guess that there are extremes at which I would be rather disgusted with the person for having one, but they are probably suffering because of their choice anyway... and I'm still not sure that a law is the best way to go about preventing them. The evidence is clear that people do it anyway.

Similarily, about the official language... I just don't care. We don't have an official language now, and I think that's fine. Languages change. I still remember my mom being freaked out once, because she was worried that Spanish would become to the official language, and she wouldn't be able to talk to anyone. Mother, dear mother, let's talk basics.

1.) Spanish will not become an official language before English.
2.) Spanish will not replace English, it will in most cases merely coexist alongside it.
3.) We already have Spanish written on most products, and signs at Walmart, etc, and it hasn't killed anyone.
4.) Plenty of countries have done just fine with multiple official languages.
5.) If Spanish ever does overtake English, it will take generations and generations and generations, because even if the majority speak a new language, a 'minority' old language can still hold much higher prestige that it is considered better and more official, at least for a while.
6.) If Spanish ever does overtake English, you will be dead, and your descendants who are affected will be speaking Spanish and not care.
7.) It would be a very, very stupid move for us to get rid of English, seeing as it is increasingly the global language.
8.) At the same time, it would possibly smart for us to all have to take a Spanish course in school (think Swedish in Finland, but more practical... because Spanish is spoken in so many countries).

So seriously, guys, just relax. There's really no way for this to happen in our lifetimes and against our wills.