I'm studying now for my grammar exam - the exam no Journalism student at the University of Missouri is allowed to go into sequence without passing. I'm not too worried - I've taken the practice exam twice and scored about 90% each time, and I've brushed up on the things that do confuse me a bit.
I have a good ear for grammar in general, and it's almost amusing to me that I don't score 100%. After all, English is my native language, I'm a better than average writer, and I study languages. But some of the examples on the test are just silly - horribly written with or without the corrections, just constructions that no native speaker would try to push through. (For example, "The thief was he."
Actually, I'm curious as to how learning foreign languages, and general linguistics, impacts my English grammar. I think it does more good than harm, ultimately, but I also think that, contrary to what any Latin teacher will tell you, it goes both ways. Learning languages teaches me the fancy words and distinctions that many of my classmates are struggling with, for example. My scores on case-identification and voice-identification sections are flawless. On the other hand, learning different languages strips away the sense of objectivity that grammarians try to cloak their subject in.
Take, for example, these two examples: The Dread Double Negative and The Dread Passive Voice. For many grammatical no-no's, Grammarians admit that "it's just the way English works", but for these two they provide more logic than usual. The say that Double Negatives simply make no sense - If you haven't got no cheese, you must have SOME cheese, right? And passive voice makes sentences wordy, weak, and dull. Sounds pretty convincing to me, except that these logical conclusions aren't cross-linguistically applicable.
In many languages, such as Spanish, double negatives are totally acceptable, sometimes even recommended.
Ex. - "No tengo ni idea - I don't have no idea."
In Latin, using passive voice was considered more refined and sophisticated than using active.
Ex. - "Liber Caesari a regina donor - The book was given to Caesar by the Queen."
While some might shift uncomfortably at the first example and scramble to think of a non-racist and non-ethnocentric way to suggest that hispanohablantes might just be a bit ignorant, most people hold Latin up as THE most perfect, most logical literary language, so it's preference for the passive voice doesn't do much to support their claim for the intrinsic superiority of the active.
But what does all this mean for students of languages and linguistics, such as myself? It could go either way, I suppose. We might get so confused by all the possibilities, struggle to remember which rules belong to which language, even be driven into apathy by the subjectivity of it all. But generally, I find, increasing our useful knowledge only gives us an edge.
As for myself, I find the who-whom debate to be silly. People never, or at least very rarely, use whom when speaking. It's dying, if not dead, and there's little use in weeping over it. It'll hardly be the first or the last tragedy of an ever evolving language. I use who 99.9% of the time when speaking, and my knowledge of linguistics and foreign languages has only strengthened my resolve to do so, since I realize that using whom would be useless and a bit confusing at best, and arrogant at worst.
But today I have to take a grammar test, and they're going to test me on who-whom, and they're handing out the grades, those nassstttyyy grammarians, so I'll play their game tonight. And I'll play it well, too, because I know the answers, having taught myself Grammatical English as one of my many secondary languages.
Update: I got 99% on the test. I'm pretty sure the one I got wrong was about politics - whether the word politics is singular or plural. :P
Showing posts with label Latin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latin. Show all posts
February 23, 2010
February 03, 2010
Ensayo Informal/Soneto XXIII
The assignment was quite vague, and I may go over this tomorrow after re-rereading the instructions that were given to us. We were basically supposed to write about our feelings and observations from a poem we read in class, and use this writing almost as brainstorming to come up with a good question-topic for a more formal essay to be written later in the semester. I chose Garcilaso de Vega's Soneto XXIII and compared it's interpretation of the Carpe Diem theme with both the original Carpe Diem poem by Horace and modern usage of the term. There was no length specified in the papers, which is mildly unsettling, but this comes in at precisely a page of solid text, slightly over 500 words, and I'm hoping that's about right. Oh, and finally, yes, I had to use that exact structure and style in framing my investigation topic. I'm not happy with that sentence at all but that's what happens when you try to force Miranda to use a rigid format. (bad things)
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Cuando decimos “Carpe Diem”, también decimos “Memento Mori” (Recuerde que morirá). La idea de Carpe Diem, después de todo, es que debemos vivir cuando estamos viviendo, porque en el fin todos vamos a morir. Sin embargo, normalmente este tema de Carpe Diem no es algo espantoso ni macabro, sino una exhortación sencilla a gozar, tomar riesgos, y vivir como si no hay mañana.
La frase Carpe Diem viene originalmente de un poema por Horacio, Carmen XI en Liber I de su Carmina. El hablante trata de convencer su amiga, Lucenoe, a gozar la vida, vivir en el momento sin pensar en el fin de la vida, no importa cuándo viene. Dice “Sé sensata, filtra tus vinos, y adapta al breve espacio de tu vida una esperanza larga… Carpe diem, no te fíes del mañana.” El poema no está espantoso o aún verdaderamente triste - habla de muerte como algo natural, asumido, e inevitable, si viene repentinamente, o como pendiente gradual en vejez. Este poema de Horacio parece algo familiar, porque incorpora el tema de disfrutar de vida antes de que sea demasiado atrasado, y la subestimación de la muerte, que son partes significativos de nuestro uso moderno de la frase Carpe Diem.
Quince siglos después, el poeta español Garcilaso de la Vega utilizó el tema de Carpe Diem en su Soneto XXIII. En contrasto con la poema original de Horacio, el Soneto XXIII tiene un aspecto amenazante y oscuro, una urgencia y una violencia que desarrolla durante las cuatro estrofas. El narrador todavía está hablando a una muchacha, usando imágenes de la naturaleza y de la realidad de la brevedad de la vida para convencerla disfrutar de su juventud, pero del viento que primero disturba el pelo de la muchacha, y luego el sonido áspero del comando, " coged" , y especialmente a la línea, “Marchitará la rosa el viento helado”, con su imagen algo violenta de vientos helados que destruyen la belleza, este soneto todavía tiene la idea de disfrutar de vida, pero añade este miedo de la muerte e incluso de la vejez, que se considera como enemigo violento.
Este poema no parece tan familiar como lo de Horacio. Al principio sentía que su tono oscuro y espantoso eran las resultas de una interpretación única del tema por Garcilaso de Vega. Cuando pensaba más en esto, me parecía que ni el poema original de Horacio ni la interpretación relativamente moderna de Garcilaso de Vega era exactamente igual con cómo utilizamos la expresión “Carpe Diem" hoy. Siento que nuestro uso moderno comparte una urgencia y un sentido de exhortación más fuerte con el poema de Garcilaso de Vega, pero falta su sentido del miedo y de la violencia.
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Pregunta de Investigacion:
Investigo las tres diversas interpretaciones del tema de Carpe Diem en el poema original de Horacio, el soneto de Garcilaso de Vega, y uso de la frase como cliché moderno, porqué quiero saber cómo cada poema expresa su interpretación, y cómo las tres interpretaciones se relacionan el uno al otro, con el fin del comprensión del desarrollo de este frase y concepto a través de su historia y con respecto a otras temas similares.
--------------------------------
Cuando decimos “Carpe Diem”, también decimos “Memento Mori” (Recuerde que morirá). La idea de Carpe Diem, después de todo, es que debemos vivir cuando estamos viviendo, porque en el fin todos vamos a morir. Sin embargo, normalmente este tema de Carpe Diem no es algo espantoso ni macabro, sino una exhortación sencilla a gozar, tomar riesgos, y vivir como si no hay mañana.
La frase Carpe Diem viene originalmente de un poema por Horacio, Carmen XI en Liber I de su Carmina. El hablante trata de convencer su amiga, Lucenoe, a gozar la vida, vivir en el momento sin pensar en el fin de la vida, no importa cuándo viene. Dice “Sé sensata, filtra tus vinos, y adapta al breve espacio de tu vida una esperanza larga… Carpe diem, no te fíes del mañana.” El poema no está espantoso o aún verdaderamente triste - habla de muerte como algo natural, asumido, e inevitable, si viene repentinamente, o como pendiente gradual en vejez. Este poema de Horacio parece algo familiar, porque incorpora el tema de disfrutar de vida antes de que sea demasiado atrasado, y la subestimación de la muerte, que son partes significativos de nuestro uso moderno de la frase Carpe Diem.
Quince siglos después, el poeta español Garcilaso de la Vega utilizó el tema de Carpe Diem en su Soneto XXIII. En contrasto con la poema original de Horacio, el Soneto XXIII tiene un aspecto amenazante y oscuro, una urgencia y una violencia que desarrolla durante las cuatro estrofas. El narrador todavía está hablando a una muchacha, usando imágenes de la naturaleza y de la realidad de la brevedad de la vida para convencerla disfrutar de su juventud, pero del viento que primero disturba el pelo de la muchacha, y luego el sonido áspero del comando, " coged" , y especialmente a la línea, “Marchitará la rosa el viento helado”, con su imagen algo violenta de vientos helados que destruyen la belleza, este soneto todavía tiene la idea de disfrutar de vida, pero añade este miedo de la muerte e incluso de la vejez, que se considera como enemigo violento.
Este poema no parece tan familiar como lo de Horacio. Al principio sentía que su tono oscuro y espantoso eran las resultas de una interpretación única del tema por Garcilaso de Vega. Cuando pensaba más en esto, me parecía que ni el poema original de Horacio ni la interpretación relativamente moderna de Garcilaso de Vega era exactamente igual con cómo utilizamos la expresión “Carpe Diem" hoy. Siento que nuestro uso moderno comparte una urgencia y un sentido de exhortación más fuerte con el poema de Garcilaso de Vega, pero falta su sentido del miedo y de la violencia.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pregunta de Investigacion:
Investigo las tres diversas interpretaciones del tema de Carpe Diem en el poema original de Horacio, el soneto de Garcilaso de Vega, y uso de la frase como cliché moderno, porqué quiero saber cómo cada poema expresa su interpretación, y cómo las tres interpretaciones se relacionan el uno al otro, con el fin del comprensión del desarrollo de este frase y concepto a través de su historia y con respecto a otras temas similares.
Quam Minimum Credula Postero
I know, I know, I can't get enough of Carpe Diem, can I? Well, the madness should soon be over. I've ended up doing a Spanish paper on just that topic, and thoroughly investigating the matter academically should put the obsession to rest once and for all.
Right now I'm thinking about what people generally mean when they say "Carpe Diem". They know that the most popular literal translation is "Seize the Day", so often that's what they're saying - "Take this day and use it." Use is the keyword. It wouldn't be strange to hear a teacher saying, "Okay, there's lots to do, so carpe diem!"
But that's really the opposite of what Horace meant the phrase to mean. In his, the original, the full line reads "carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." - "seize/take the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow." This is hardly an exhortation to work hard, and the rest of the poem is no 'better'! Instead of "Take this day and use it," he seems to be saying, "Take this day and enjoy it." instead of spending your whole life preparing for an uncertain future.
This isn't meant to be a judgment on either use of the word Carpe Diem. They're really both legitimate in different situations. Yes, the words were Horace's originally, but it's been a good long time and I think his copyright's run out. Actually I find myself laughing at either interpretation in different moods.
After a bit of research, I made this little cheat sheet of Latin phrases that are used to remind people of their own impending mortality, their literal translations, and their most common interpretations:
Different Latin Philosophies for Considering your Upcoming and Inevitable Death:
Memento Mori Lit: Remember You Must Die.
Interpretation: Be humble, you are only human, only mortal. (Often used religiously)
Carpe Diem Lit: Seize/Take the Day.
Interpretation I: Don't plan too far ahead, don't take things too seriously, tomorrow may not come, so relax and enjoy life's pleasures. (Horace)
Interpretation II: Make as much use of today as you possibly can. Enjoyment is still a legitimate use, but so is hard work, taking risks, and other ambitious things, largely ignoring Horace's original use. (Popular Modern)
Ubi Sunt Lit: Where Are They (Now)?
Interpretation: Where are they now? They were important, but now they're dead and pushing up daisies. A whole lot of good living did them. (The Least Instructive)
Right now I'm thinking about what people generally mean when they say "Carpe Diem". They know that the most popular literal translation is "Seize the Day", so often that's what they're saying - "Take this day and use it." Use is the keyword. It wouldn't be strange to hear a teacher saying, "Okay, there's lots to do, so carpe diem!"
But that's really the opposite of what Horace meant the phrase to mean. In his, the original, the full line reads "carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." - "seize/take the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow." This is hardly an exhortation to work hard, and the rest of the poem is no 'better'! Instead of "Take this day and use it," he seems to be saying, "Take this day and enjoy it." instead of spending your whole life preparing for an uncertain future.
This isn't meant to be a judgment on either use of the word Carpe Diem. They're really both legitimate in different situations. Yes, the words were Horace's originally, but it's been a good long time and I think his copyright's run out. Actually I find myself laughing at either interpretation in different moods.
After a bit of research, I made this little cheat sheet of Latin phrases that are used to remind people of their own impending mortality, their literal translations, and their most common interpretations:
Different Latin Philosophies for Considering your Upcoming and Inevitable Death:
Memento Mori Lit: Remember You Must Die.
Interpretation: Be humble, you are only human, only mortal. (Often used religiously)
Carpe Diem Lit: Seize/Take the Day.
Interpretation I: Don't plan too far ahead, don't take things too seriously, tomorrow may not come, so relax and enjoy life's pleasures. (Horace)
Interpretation II: Make as much use of today as you possibly can. Enjoyment is still a legitimate use, but so is hard work, taking risks, and other ambitious things, largely ignoring Horace's original use. (Popular Modern)
Ubi Sunt Lit: Where Are They (Now)?
Interpretation: Where are they now? They were important, but now they're dead and pushing up daisies. A whole lot of good living did them. (The Least Instructive)
January 22, 2010
Elision
My Spanish is a bit rough around the edges after taking a semester off, but thankfully we've started the semester with something that evens the playing field: poetry. And, in particular, metrics... counting syllables and rhyme schemes and everything else, making note of stress and hiatus and synaloepha.
... Synaloepha? Yeah, that's what I did, too. Called Sinalefa in Spanish, they try to translate it into some overly Greek word I've never seen before. But you know, they longer they talk about it, the more it sounds like good, old, familiar, Elision.
And before I know it we're scanning lines of verse, counting out syllables and bridging vowels together and marking whether each line is llano, agudo, or esdrujulo, and it almost seems strange to me that we're not also making short and long, not looking for double consonants that are one of our best hints, not separating the line into dactyls... because I can do this, because this is an old game.
And suddenly it's hard to make out the Spanish, hard to keep scanning lines of
Desmayarse, atreverse, estar furioso,
áspero, tierno, liberal, esquivo,
alentado, mortal, difunto, vivo,
leal, traidor, cobarde y animoso
Because as I read I feel the pounding of waves, and Lope De Vega is morphing into Virgil.
Postquam altum tenuere rates nec iam amplius ullae
apparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus,
tum mihi caeruleus supra caput astitit imber
noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.
And then, it's almost as if I'm back in Latin class, and we're teasing Mir Inaamula about wanting a "good wife" more than a sports car, and some boy I really don't like and whose name I don't remember putting candy on my desk, and it's gross and sweaty from his hands, and Mr. McAllister is trying to explain things but we're all being obstinate, and then Colin (or was it the other one?) is going over to the board and writing a parody of some pop song - I don't know where he comes up with these things - and collide is becoming elide and poor McAllister thinks that's the way the song really goes and suddenly, briefly, has respect for pop culture until we all start laughing, but afterwards I can never hear the song without thinking of it. And one cold day when I leave school late and I'm the only one left in a lot too large to walk through alone, and the song comes out of the big football speakers for some reason, with a hollow sound, and scares the nearby birds into taking flight...
... Synaloepha? Yeah, that's what I did, too. Called Sinalefa in Spanish, they try to translate it into some overly Greek word I've never seen before. But you know, they longer they talk about it, the more it sounds like good, old, familiar, Elision.
And before I know it we're scanning lines of verse, counting out syllables and bridging vowels together and marking whether each line is llano, agudo, or esdrujulo, and it almost seems strange to me that we're not also making short and long, not looking for double consonants that are one of our best hints, not separating the line into dactyls... because I can do this, because this is an old game.
And suddenly it's hard to make out the Spanish, hard to keep scanning lines of
Desmayarse, atreverse, estar furioso,
áspero, tierno, liberal, esquivo,
alentado, mortal, difunto, vivo,
leal, traidor, cobarde y animoso
Because as I read I feel the pounding of waves, and Lope De Vega is morphing into Virgil.
Postquam altum tenuere rates nec iam amplius ullae
apparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus,
tum mihi caeruleus supra caput astitit imber
noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.
And then, it's almost as if I'm back in Latin class, and we're teasing Mir Inaamula about wanting a "good wife" more than a sports car, and some boy I really don't like and whose name I don't remember putting candy on my desk, and it's gross and sweaty from his hands, and Mr. McAllister is trying to explain things but we're all being obstinate, and then Colin (or was it the other one?) is going over to the board and writing a parody of some pop song - I don't know where he comes up with these things - and collide is becoming elide and poor McAllister thinks that's the way the song really goes and suddenly, briefly, has respect for pop culture until we all start laughing, but afterwards I can never hear the song without thinking of it. And one cold day when I leave school late and I'm the only one left in a lot too large to walk through alone, and the song comes out of the big football speakers for some reason, with a hollow sound, and scares the nearby birds into taking flight...
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I...
Elide
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I...
Elide
March 10, 2009
AMG Presentations
I spent all day at the local high school today, mostly giving presentations. 10 in all, half an hour each... and by the end of it my throat was sore, my legs felt as if they might collapse under me, my back ached, and I felt as if I was using the very last of my powers to keep a smile on my face and keep talking about why kids should study languages as if it was the first presentation, as if I was still thrilled and passionate and... ahhh...
It was a long day, but good, and those few good students have the power to encourage you as much as the sleepers discourage you.
One of the teachers actually asked me whether I had taken a speech class! She said that I did a brilliant job with the presentation. :D And the Latin students were really friendly, asking tons of questions, so I felt comfortable around them and it became less of a presentation and more of a conversation. They asked me where I was from with a sort of awe at one point, and I came down to earth a bit and laughed, saying, "Over in St. Louis".
"She seems almost like an alien, doesn't she?" Said the teacher.
But she said it like a compliment. :)
Ah, I came home tired to the bone... you're welcome, AMG!
It was a long day, but good, and those few good students have the power to encourage you as much as the sleepers discourage you.
One of the teachers actually asked me whether I had taken a speech class! She said that I did a brilliant job with the presentation. :D And the Latin students were really friendly, asking tons of questions, so I felt comfortable around them and it became less of a presentation and more of a conversation. They asked me where I was from with a sort of awe at one point, and I came down to earth a bit and laughed, saying, "Over in St. Louis".
"She seems almost like an alien, doesn't she?" Said the teacher.
But she said it like a compliment. :)
Ah, I came home tired to the bone... you're welcome, AMG!
November 12, 2007
Modal Verbiage
When it came to the partitive in Finnish (with it's little detour into Italian), I was less than pleased with the native's explanatory attempts and less so with that of the textbook. Eventually, I went online and printed out every long, lengthy, overdone explanation of the idea until finally it made sense in my head.
There's a certain level in my mind where I need to make things make sense. I'm finally getting to a level in some of my pursuits where, not only do I sometimes need to have something explained more fully to reach that level, I sometimes need to sit down, concentrate, and make a strong mental effort to get my mind around it.
Oddly enough, I always thought that was just a weird way to speak of learning... never really understood it. I knew that it sometimes happened to less intelligent people with easier things, and pitied them. I knew it sometimes happened to super-geniuses with their original theories, and respected them. But I didn't realize it would actually happen to me before I was out of high school. :P
It happened in Spanish the other day with the future uses of the Subjunctive, for example. "Voy a decirte, tan pronto como ella venga." It means, "I'm going to tell you, as soon as she comes." The subjunctive is, loosely, used to demonstrate subjectivity. So in my mind scheme, the first part would be subjective, since it depends on the second.
But no, it's the second part which is in subjunctive. Eh? I wish I could just memorize that and be done with it, but it doesn't make sense to me. Kiser says that of course 'I'm going to tell you", it's the condition, 'her coming', which is uncertain. You can't be sure it will happen, it's in the future.
But then how can Spanish express anything in the future without the subjunctive? Future could carry a certain amount of doubt along with it inherently, but why would this inherent room for possibility and change be implied in some usages, but not others? I would use it for everything or nothing, according to that line of thinking, but then, I didn't invent the language.
"Voy a decirte, tan pronto como ella venga."
So they should both be in subjunctive. Or neither one should be. But if you're going by degrees of subjectivity, a rather subjective matter in of itself, then I would still, incorrectly, choose to make the first part subjunctive and the second part indicative.
Even with all the hazy 'whys' of the subjunctive aside, even looking at this one isolated construction, I have to ask - How can something that depends on something 'subjective' be objective? If it depends on something that is uncertain, how can it be certain? How can the indicative rely upon the subjunctive?
I think I'll ask Altadonna about this tomorrow. For now I'm just speculating. For Spanish, fortunately, I have the luxury of asking my elders. :D Norwegian is another matter entirely.
Skulle. Bør. Burde.
Should. Should. Should.
Which one is which? At first I thought it was the only tangle in the mercifully similar to English modal system. I was wrong. It only opened the door, and wasn't itself resolved in the process! Books skirt the subject as if it were of no importance. Evan wouldn't give me a decent answer, and neither would Svein. Lene gave it her best shot, and I was content with her explanation for a while. Then, the more I thought about it, I couldn't think of any situation under her system in which I would be able to use Skulle. And, as Skulle is a word, there must therefore be a flaw in the system as I understood it.
So finally I found this way too linguistic and scholarly artical, online, about all the Norwegian modal verbs and their being "Epistemic vs. Non Epistemic, Quotative vs. Assertive vs. Probabilitive vs. Speculative, Partly Dynamic Deontic - Partly Epistemic, Dynamic vs. Deontic, Compulsative vs. Colitive vs. Intentive vs. Abilitive, Necessitive vs. Appropriative vs. Possibilitive, and Directive vs. Hortative vs. Permissive"
Yeah, it makes me want to die inside. But it actually goes fairly slowly, actually provides enough information to crack it's own code. And I firmly believe that if I give it a little time, go at it with a clear, unhurried mind, throw at it all of my pitiful self taught linguistic background and knowledge of Latin roots, and try to use my common sense, I will come out of it understanding Skulle, Bør, Burde, and the rest, and even learn some useful new words in the process.
Forget memorizing dates, formulas, or vocabulary lists. THIS is learning.
There's a certain level in my mind where I need to make things make sense. I'm finally getting to a level in some of my pursuits where, not only do I sometimes need to have something explained more fully to reach that level, I sometimes need to sit down, concentrate, and make a strong mental effort to get my mind around it.
Oddly enough, I always thought that was just a weird way to speak of learning... never really understood it. I knew that it sometimes happened to less intelligent people with easier things, and pitied them. I knew it sometimes happened to super-geniuses with their original theories, and respected them. But I didn't realize it would actually happen to me before I was out of high school. :P
It happened in Spanish the other day with the future uses of the Subjunctive, for example. "Voy a decirte, tan pronto como ella venga." It means, "I'm going to tell you, as soon as she comes." The subjunctive is, loosely, used to demonstrate subjectivity. So in my mind scheme, the first part would be subjective, since it depends on the second.
But no, it's the second part which is in subjunctive. Eh? I wish I could just memorize that and be done with it, but it doesn't make sense to me. Kiser says that of course 'I'm going to tell you", it's the condition, 'her coming', which is uncertain. You can't be sure it will happen, it's in the future.
But then how can Spanish express anything in the future without the subjunctive? Future could carry a certain amount of doubt along with it inherently, but why would this inherent room for possibility and change be implied in some usages, but not others? I would use it for everything or nothing, according to that line of thinking, but then, I didn't invent the language.
"Voy a decirte, tan pronto como ella venga."
So they should both be in subjunctive. Or neither one should be. But if you're going by degrees of subjectivity, a rather subjective matter in of itself, then I would still, incorrectly, choose to make the first part subjunctive and the second part indicative.
Even with all the hazy 'whys' of the subjunctive aside, even looking at this one isolated construction, I have to ask - How can something that depends on something 'subjective' be objective? If it depends on something that is uncertain, how can it be certain? How can the indicative rely upon the subjunctive?
I think I'll ask Altadonna about this tomorrow. For now I'm just speculating. For Spanish, fortunately, I have the luxury of asking my elders. :D Norwegian is another matter entirely.
Skulle. Bør. Burde.
Should. Should. Should.
Which one is which? At first I thought it was the only tangle in the mercifully similar to English modal system. I was wrong. It only opened the door, and wasn't itself resolved in the process! Books skirt the subject as if it were of no importance. Evan wouldn't give me a decent answer, and neither would Svein. Lene gave it her best shot, and I was content with her explanation for a while. Then, the more I thought about it, I couldn't think of any situation under her system in which I would be able to use Skulle. And, as Skulle is a word, there must therefore be a flaw in the system as I understood it.
So finally I found this way too linguistic and scholarly artical, online, about all the Norwegian modal verbs and their being "Epistemic vs. Non Epistemic, Quotative vs. Assertive vs. Probabilitive vs. Speculative, Partly Dynamic Deontic - Partly Epistemic, Dynamic vs. Deontic, Compulsative vs. Colitive vs. Intentive vs. Abilitive, Necessitive vs. Appropriative vs. Possibilitive, and Directive vs. Hortative vs. Permissive"
Yeah, it makes me want to die inside. But it actually goes fairly slowly, actually provides enough information to crack it's own code. And I firmly believe that if I give it a little time, go at it with a clear, unhurried mind, throw at it all of my pitiful self taught linguistic background and knowledge of Latin roots, and try to use my common sense, I will come out of it understanding Skulle, Bør, Burde, and the rest, and even learn some useful new words in the process.
Forget memorizing dates, formulas, or vocabulary lists. THIS is learning.
November 05, 2007
Jeg, Claudius
Okay, to me, and the like 2 other people who could maybe understand all of it's nuances, this says more than words. :P A part of me just died...
August 22, 2007
Basic Day
My day starts out with my alarm going off and waking me out of some sort of nightmare or another. Strange, that... I didn't ever have nightmares until a few months ago. But even now I often persevere through the hardships my dreams present. Last night, for example, my mom and I had to hitch a ride from some dirty old man who was hitting on me. Then he took us to his house and kept us prisoner for a while, which wasn't fun. But at the end of the dream, when my alarm clock went off, I had him locked in a room and was ready to make an escape as soon as I had grabbed as much of his stuff as I could carry.
Anyhow, I wake up feeling like I was hit by a truck because I stayed up late doing homework if I had a lot or emailing Liisa if I didn't. I get dressed, look beautiful, walk Tidbit to the corner and back, eat a bit of breakfast, and then drive to school listening to Rush Hour Italian!
The school day is lovely for a while, starting with AP Art History. It's an Honours class, and so not exactly a blow off, but it's easy, too. And it makes me excited that I already know the Spanish stuff, and that I've seen most of the Latin and part of the Greek pieces in real life! Actually, having been to the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, the Van Gogh Museum, Museo Nazionali (Napoli), and the Acropolis Museum, I've seen a fair amount of all of it.
After Art History I go to German, lovely little class which is in the Transition Mode of a year 3 language. Ah, I remember those times from Spanish, although I must say I was better with Spanish then than I am with German now. The class is mostly Sophomores, a bit immature, but that suites me fine - it makes things easy.
And after that I go to limbo - well, currently, that's Student Aiding for Sra. Altadonna, but as soon as we finish the paperwork it will be NORWEGIAN! What joy...
Then I go to Spanish class, which is a blast, though it's starting to think about challenging. We have discussions and debates and are actually trying to hammer out the mistakes that have haunted us all along. Kiser is merciful about mistakes, and you feel comfortable spreading your wings in her classroom, even if it means you occasionally call a hammer a suitcase. Lucia's in this class too, which makes it fun!
Then right when I'm thinking that this can't possibly be school - it's too much fun - I go to Lunch. A crazy, chaotic, noisy cafeteria that pulls me right back to reality, although I can be with friends. :D This year lunch is, strangely, almost the same cast as last year. Rachel, Gwen, some guy that belongs to gwen, Wendy, Lisa, and so forth - Luckily all those who take a level 5 in languages (except Spanish) have first lunch by default, so that's a lot of my friends. Kate and Stephanie, for example, are outside in the courtyard. Christy is still in Chazen's room, but our Lunch Bunch is disbanded and she's almost alone.
LATIN. Gah, what is to be said about Latin? It's a language that I once loved, and still find bits of enjoyment in. But it's too late to be a class... What can I say? If it had been a class from the beginning it would have been one thing. I would have learned well and never felt inferior and perhaps not have taken German. Who knows? But as it is... well, the days of the easy H are no gone, and we weep for McAllister. I feel like I'm starting to get things, and in the long run, if I do, I'll be grateful for the swap, but it's awfully hard and hurts me.
After Latin is the double whammy of Math and English, real classes. I like both my teachers, but not their classes. Dean teaches Calculus. She's a good math teacher - I understand when she teaches. But I feel I'm behind on the underlying concepts, and Calculus is still hard, and anyway no one can say Mrs. Dean is FUN, exactly. My goal in there is to survive. English, on the other hand, is intimidating.
Mrs. Smith is smarter than I am. A lot smarter. And I'm not used to that. Okay, I'm a bit of a snob, but hear me out. I'm quite used to beating a lot of people without trying, although I don't take any pleasure from that. More pleasing is the smaller group that are near my level, who I can beat with a little, or a lot, of effort. And then there are the people who I enjoy the most, whose IQ's are either matched with mine or quite different, so that in competing we bring each other to new levels, or so that there is no need to compete, only to admire.
But Mrs. Smith is none of these. She is smarter, a lot smarter - formidable, frightening... But nice, never forget that, and she has a sense of humour that you like to appeal to even when you feel that she is mocking you and are embarrassed... She's been teaching us Latin a bit, and that's bad enough. But English is completely her domain. If only the woman would let us speak! You get halfway through a comment and she's challenging you already! I love the challenge but sometimes she takes it too far, in such a strange direction... perhaps in more limited doses it would be more effective. We'll see, we'll see!
But although part of me enjoys the dialog, a part of me is scared to death that a grade depends on such things! I could never get a degree in English, much as I casually adore it.
Done with English, out to the car, home, play with Tidbit, talk with mom. I've got a new technique for that, by the way. I grab something to eat and let her bitch and complain about what a burden Melissa and I are. Every time I want to make a retort that's really deserved but will only exacerbate the situation, I take a bit bite instead.
"Wow, Miranda, you really are going at those Rice Cakes!"
No Shit.
But Later...
"Thanks for listening."
See, she doesn't really mean that she hates me and I cause her so much pain and that she wishes she'd never have children and why can't I just sit in the corner and grow up! Well, she does sometimes. But not always or really.
Then work. Library or Lydia. Or, if I'm lucky and it's a Wednesday, Japanese lessons! These are great - I got a book and so we're actually learning something this time! I'm finally getting the syllabaries down and some of the vocab, although Hirayoshi-san tires of the repetition at times. She's neither a language teacher nor a linguist, she doesn't understand... Oh well, I study it more at home, then.
Then I come home and shower and study into the night... And then go to the nightmares.
Anyhow, I wake up feeling like I was hit by a truck because I stayed up late doing homework if I had a lot or emailing Liisa if I didn't. I get dressed, look beautiful, walk Tidbit to the corner and back, eat a bit of breakfast, and then drive to school listening to Rush Hour Italian!
The school day is lovely for a while, starting with AP Art History. It's an Honours class, and so not exactly a blow off, but it's easy, too. And it makes me excited that I already know the Spanish stuff, and that I've seen most of the Latin and part of the Greek pieces in real life! Actually, having been to the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, the Van Gogh Museum, Museo Nazionali (Napoli), and the Acropolis Museum, I've seen a fair amount of all of it.
After Art History I go to German, lovely little class which is in the Transition Mode of a year 3 language. Ah, I remember those times from Spanish, although I must say I was better with Spanish then than I am with German now. The class is mostly Sophomores, a bit immature, but that suites me fine - it makes things easy.
And after that I go to limbo - well, currently, that's Student Aiding for Sra. Altadonna, but as soon as we finish the paperwork it will be NORWEGIAN! What joy...
Then I go to Spanish class, which is a blast, though it's starting to think about challenging. We have discussions and debates and are actually trying to hammer out the mistakes that have haunted us all along. Kiser is merciful about mistakes, and you feel comfortable spreading your wings in her classroom, even if it means you occasionally call a hammer a suitcase. Lucia's in this class too, which makes it fun!
Then right when I'm thinking that this can't possibly be school - it's too much fun - I go to Lunch. A crazy, chaotic, noisy cafeteria that pulls me right back to reality, although I can be with friends. :D This year lunch is, strangely, almost the same cast as last year. Rachel, Gwen, some guy that belongs to gwen, Wendy, Lisa, and so forth - Luckily all those who take a level 5 in languages (except Spanish) have first lunch by default, so that's a lot of my friends. Kate and Stephanie, for example, are outside in the courtyard. Christy is still in Chazen's room, but our Lunch Bunch is disbanded and she's almost alone.
LATIN. Gah, what is to be said about Latin? It's a language that I once loved, and still find bits of enjoyment in. But it's too late to be a class... What can I say? If it had been a class from the beginning it would have been one thing. I would have learned well and never felt inferior and perhaps not have taken German. Who knows? But as it is... well, the days of the easy H are no gone, and we weep for McAllister. I feel like I'm starting to get things, and in the long run, if I do, I'll be grateful for the swap, but it's awfully hard and hurts me.
After Latin is the double whammy of Math and English, real classes. I like both my teachers, but not their classes. Dean teaches Calculus. She's a good math teacher - I understand when she teaches. But I feel I'm behind on the underlying concepts, and Calculus is still hard, and anyway no one can say Mrs. Dean is FUN, exactly. My goal in there is to survive. English, on the other hand, is intimidating.
Mrs. Smith is smarter than I am. A lot smarter. And I'm not used to that. Okay, I'm a bit of a snob, but hear me out. I'm quite used to beating a lot of people without trying, although I don't take any pleasure from that. More pleasing is the smaller group that are near my level, who I can beat with a little, or a lot, of effort. And then there are the people who I enjoy the most, whose IQ's are either matched with mine or quite different, so that in competing we bring each other to new levels, or so that there is no need to compete, only to admire.
But Mrs. Smith is none of these. She is smarter, a lot smarter - formidable, frightening... But nice, never forget that, and she has a sense of humour that you like to appeal to even when you feel that she is mocking you and are embarrassed... She's been teaching us Latin a bit, and that's bad enough. But English is completely her domain. If only the woman would let us speak! You get halfway through a comment and she's challenging you already! I love the challenge but sometimes she takes it too far, in such a strange direction... perhaps in more limited doses it would be more effective. We'll see, we'll see!
But although part of me enjoys the dialog, a part of me is scared to death that a grade depends on such things! I could never get a degree in English, much as I casually adore it.
Done with English, out to the car, home, play with Tidbit, talk with mom. I've got a new technique for that, by the way. I grab something to eat and let her bitch and complain about what a burden Melissa and I are. Every time I want to make a retort that's really deserved but will only exacerbate the situation, I take a bit bite instead.
"Wow, Miranda, you really are going at those Rice Cakes!"
No Shit.
But Later...
"Thanks for listening."
See, she doesn't really mean that she hates me and I cause her so much pain and that she wishes she'd never have children and why can't I just sit in the corner and grow up! Well, she does sometimes. But not always or really.
Then work. Library or Lydia. Or, if I'm lucky and it's a Wednesday, Japanese lessons! These are great - I got a book and so we're actually learning something this time! I'm finally getting the syllabaries down and some of the vocab, although Hirayoshi-san tires of the repetition at times. She's neither a language teacher nor a linguist, she doesn't understand... Oh well, I study it more at home, then.
Then I come home and shower and study into the night... And then go to the nightmares.
August 12, 2007
Classes
1st Semester
1. AP Art History - Dunsworth (3102)
2. German 3 - Eilken (3313)
3-4b. Spanish 5 - Kiser (3312)
3-4c. International Cuisine - Broemmelsick (2311)
5. Latin 5 - Spraley (3307)
6. AP Calculus AB - Dean (2419)
7. AP English Literature and Composition - Smith (3302)
2nd Semester
1. Multimedia – Glenn (2314)
2. AP English Literature and Composition – Page (3206)
3-4b. Spanish 5 – Kiser (3312)
3-4a. Study Hall – Klund (2409)
5. Latin 5 – Spraley (3307)
6. AP Calculus AB – Dean (2419)
7. German 3 – Eilken (3313)
July 29, 2007
Summer is Ending
I was just on Stephanie's lovely blog, and it rehashed all the things we'd said during our walk in Queenie on Friday. Summer's Ending... And it's going to leave us as Seniors. And when the year that is now beginning ends - and it surely will - it will leave us as adults. Gone are the days when I could fall into a period of my life and trust it to hold for a while, as I settled in. Even the phases of my life may be going to fast.
When the last summer of childhood ends, where does that leave you?
* No more family camping trips
* No more long, long mosquito nights
* No more hopeless summer goals
* No more promises that vanish in the heat
* No more Harry Potter
* No more Pirates of the Caribbean
Then again, this summer has hardly been a summer. I've worked... changed diapers and shelved books and baked brownies in exchange for green slips of paper that smell like a thousand human hands. I've studied... Latin at Starbucks, early in the morning, Finnish at the pool, in a moldy, shady corner, Chinese at night, struggling to twist my mind around tones.
It's not as if there haven't been benefits - I'm 2,000 dollars the richer, have brushed up on the Latin basics, learned to make a few funny sounds, and gotten a head start for Finnish, after all - but I'm not ready for summer to end.
I haven't yet cleared the slate for the new year. Haven't cleaned my room until it shines, haven't done every last scrap of laundry, haven't forgotten everything intellectual and replaced it with sludge, haven't rp-ed, haven't gotten so lazy I sleep in til noon each day, haven't descended to the level of watching the TV, haven't started getting curious about new teachers and courses, haven't purchased school supplies and laid them out in a tidy little row, haven't started an epic length novel I'll never finish, haven't worked on a leisure reading book list...
NOTHING!
Two weeks from tomorrow lies in shadows, the beginning of a year of school that still seems far away. And beyond that... darkness.
I'm eager in a way, but I want these things to take their own good time. I'm not ready, not really, I haven't done everything I wanted to...
Been so busy looking forward that I failed to exhaust present potentials...
And now, for the first time in my life, something is ending.
When the last summer of childhood ends, where does that leave you?
* No more family camping trips
* No more long, long mosquito nights
* No more hopeless summer goals
* No more promises that vanish in the heat
* No more Harry Potter
* No more Pirates of the Caribbean
Then again, this summer has hardly been a summer. I've worked... changed diapers and shelved books and baked brownies in exchange for green slips of paper that smell like a thousand human hands. I've studied... Latin at Starbucks, early in the morning, Finnish at the pool, in a moldy, shady corner, Chinese at night, struggling to twist my mind around tones.
It's not as if there haven't been benefits - I'm 2,000 dollars the richer, have brushed up on the Latin basics, learned to make a few funny sounds, and gotten a head start for Finnish, after all - but I'm not ready for summer to end.
I haven't yet cleared the slate for the new year. Haven't cleaned my room until it shines, haven't done every last scrap of laundry, haven't forgotten everything intellectual and replaced it with sludge, haven't rp-ed, haven't gotten so lazy I sleep in til noon each day, haven't descended to the level of watching the TV, haven't started getting curious about new teachers and courses, haven't purchased school supplies and laid them out in a tidy little row, haven't started an epic length novel I'll never finish, haven't worked on a leisure reading book list...
NOTHING!
Two weeks from tomorrow lies in shadows, the beginning of a year of school that still seems far away. And beyond that... darkness.
I'm eager in a way, but I want these things to take their own good time. I'm not ready, not really, I haven't done everything I wanted to...
Been so busy looking forward that I failed to exhaust present potentials...
And now, for the first time in my life, something is ending.
May 31, 2007
May 30, 2007
May 01, 2007
Sine Magister McAllister...
Waaa... He's leaving us...
And I had to find out first in the form of a half-baked library rumour and then on facebook!
Mrs. Diel: "I heard Mr. McAllister wasn't teaching Latin next year?"
Miranda: "But that makes no sense!"
Mrs. Diel: "I'm sure you're right"
Miranda: "Of course I'm right. Mr McAllister would never leave us!
Oh, was I naive! He's quitting and becoming the Integrated Technology Specialist or something! What qualifications does he have for that, I ask you? He doesn't even have cable! *sigh*
Anger: How, what, why? This makes no sense. How could he do this?!?
Disappointment: Only one more year and Christy and I would have finished... his first Latin 5's who had started and ended under his tutelage, though we had to skip 2 years each to manage it.
Understanding: Well, he wants more time with his son...
Sadness: But he's such a nice guy! :,(
Fear: Oh god, what if the next Latin teacher actually expects us to know Latin?
Silver Lining: Oh, well, what if I actually learn Latin?
Relief: He'll still be in the building, and he says he'll tutor me if I want.
Longing: What about all our plans for the Latin Curriculum?
Worry: What if the next teacher is really different? What if Latin next year is a lot of work and I can't handle it?
EMO: ---waaa....----
And I had to find out first in the form of a half-baked library rumour and then on facebook!
Mrs. Diel: "I heard Mr. McAllister wasn't teaching Latin next year?"
Miranda: "But that makes no sense!"
Mrs. Diel: "I'm sure you're right"
Miranda: "Of course I'm right. Mr McAllister would never leave us!
Oh, was I naive! He's quitting and becoming the Integrated Technology Specialist or something! What qualifications does he have for that, I ask you? He doesn't even have cable! *sigh*
Anger: How, what, why? This makes no sense. How could he do this?!?
Disappointment: Only one more year and Christy and I would have finished... his first Latin 5's who had started and ended under his tutelage, though we had to skip 2 years each to manage it.
Understanding: Well, he wants more time with his son...
Sadness: But he's such a nice guy! :,(
Fear: Oh god, what if the next Latin teacher actually expects us to know Latin?
Silver Lining: Oh, well, what if I actually learn Latin?
Relief: He'll still be in the building, and he says he'll tutor me if I want.
Longing: What about all our plans for the Latin Curriculum?
Worry: What if the next teacher is really different? What if Latin next year is a lot of work and I can't handle it?
EMO: ---waaa....----
April 27, 2007
Language Families
Very direct and interesting language family breakdown from Freelang.net. I've put in bold and commented in red on the languages I've dabbled in or am especially interested in learning. I've put comments in orange next to languages I feel a lesser but still viable connection with. I've put comments in normal text if I have anything else I feel like saying. Then I've bolded those comments if I refuse to learn the language for whatever made up reason I have in my head. :P Yeah, I'm kind of a freak.
Linguistically, I'm well on my way to conquering Western, Southern, and Northern Europe. ;)
Indo-European family
- Indo-Iranian group
- Greek group
- GREEK - Greece I learned some for my trip to Greece. It's okay...
- Italic (Latin) group
- CATALAN - Spain From what I've heard, it's cool Spanish. I'd be interested...
- FRENCH - France (Say no to French!)
- ITALIAN - Italy I LOVE Italian! It's Spanish but more beautiful! Learned some for Italy.
- LATIN - extinct Latin 5 Next Year! Latin's the best dead language ever!
- OCCITAN - France
- PORTUGUESE - Portugal I can read it.
- (BRAZILIAN) PORTUGUESE - Brazil I can read it.
- ROMANIAN - Romania
- SPANISH - Spain Spanish 5 Next Year! I do love my Spanish, my first second language.
- Celtic group
- Brittonic branch
- Gaelic branch
- IRISH GAELIC - Ireland Another "If I have too much free time I'lll learn a bit" lang...
- MANX - United Kingdom Cool Name.
- SCOTTISH GAELIC - United Kingdom Irish is better. Come on.
- Germanic group
- Western branch
- AFRIKAANS - South Africa
- AMERICAN - U.S.A. Speak it! W00t!
- DUTCH - Netherlands I can almost read it. It's very familiar.
- GERMAN - Germany I'm taking this in school and want to focus on it in college.
- OLD ENGLISH - extinct Similar to Old Norse...
- Northern branch
- DANISH - Denmark Yeah, Danes and I are sort of mutually intelligible... :P
- FAROESE - Denmark This is like Norwegian but cooler! Not quite as scary as Icelandic.
- ICELANDIC - Iceland This would be fun. It's like Norwegian on crack. Ja sounds great.
- NORWEGIAN - Norway I've had an infatuation with this for a while.
- OLD GUTNISH - extinct
- OLD NORSE - extinct Heheh... Well... This is just useful. You know.
- SWEDISH - Sweden Yeah, Swedes and I are sort of mutually intelligible... :P
- Eastern branch
- GOTHIC - extinct Tolkien liked this one! And I used to think Emo's spoke it...
- Western branch
- Baltic group
- LATVIAN - Latvia
- LITHUANIAN - Lithuania I can order drinks in Lithuanian! But that's all... :P
- Slavic group
- Western branch
- Southern branch
- CROATIAN - Croatia
- MACEDONIAN - Macedonia
- SERBIAN - Serbia and Montenegro (Say no to Slavik)
- SLOVENIAN - Slovenia
- Eastern branch
- Armenian group
- ARMENIAN - Armenia
- Albanian group
- ALBANIAN - Albania
- Constructed languages
- ESPERANTO - constructed (Say no to Esperanto!)
Basque family
- BASQUE - Spain If I ever have way too much free time.... Remind me...
Dravidian family
- Southern group
- TAMIL (romanized) - India They have a cool alphabet.
- TAMIL (spoken language) - India
Uralic family
- Finno-Ugric group
Altaic family
Japanese family
- JAPANESE - Japan Yay Japanese! Pretty colours, good food, video games...
Korean family
- KOREAN - Korea
Sino-Tibetan family
Austro-Asiatic family
- Mon-Khmer group
- VIETNAMESE - Vietnam
Afro-Asiatic family
- Semitic group
- HEBREW (romanized) - Israel
Nilo-Saharan family
- Nilotic group
- KIPSIGIS - Kenya
Niger-Congo family
- Bantu branch
- GBARI - Nigeria
- KINYARWANDA - Rwanda I love the name of this one...
- SWAHILI - Tanzania Swahili wouldn't kill me.
- ZULU - South Africa Neither would Zulu.
- Kwa group
- YORUBA - Nigeria We just learned about the Yoruba!!!
Austronesian family
- Malayo-Polynesian group
- INDONESIAN - Indonesia This is supposed to be really easy. I wouldn't mind dabbling...
Andamanese family
- ONGE (ANDAMAN) - India
Creole
- English based
- TOK PISIN - Papua New Guinea
- French based
- HAITIAN CREOLE - Haiti
- Portuguese based
- PAPIAMENTO - Netherlands Antilles Papiamentu is kind of the best ever. And so easy!
Amerindian family
- Quechuan group
- QUECHUA (BOLIVIAN) - Bolivia Quechua would be fun. It's like Nahuatl...
- QUECHUA (OF CUZCO) - Peru I mostly like the name... :P
- Uto-Aztecan group
- NAHUATL - Mexico Nahuatl is WAY too much fun not to abuse with a dictionary.
- OLD NAHUATL - extinct After all my Nahuatl fun, this excites me.
- Muskogean group
- CHOCTAW - U.S.A
- Iroquoian group
- MOHAWK - Canada Coolest name ever. :D
- Algonquian group
Eskimo-Aleut family
- Inuit group
- INUIT - Canada I randomly know some words of this for names. Amaroq means wolf.
April 15, 2007
La Villa Adriana
La Villa Adriana
Walking one spring afternoon,
I lost my voice
Beside the marble of the villa,
Everwhite, still gleaming
In the waning sun.
And I fell away from those beside me,
Who tired of the days walk,
Whispered that the ruins,
Were looking very much the same.
But I was still enchanted.
I sat beside a garden pool,
Where swans even now, shivering,
Dip their heads into the deep green,
Seeking something no stranger sees.
My mind drifted as easily as the wind,
That rustled the new and sunlit grass,
Smiling at those who passed on the road.
I fingered the mosaics, patterned stones,
And the spaces between them,
Where moss and ferns are taking root.
I wondered about those who laid the stones,
For the temple of Serapis, spreading them
Before the feet of the Karyatides,
Where philosophers once gathered and spoke,
And could not help but sound profound.
It was more than possible one had sat,
Where I sat then and wondered,
In much the same way,
About the meaning of our lives,
The absurdity of our existence,
To set a ripple in the water,
That moves and grows in a startling moment,
And vanishes forever.
April 03, 2007
March 19, 2007
Prep For Italy....
Here's an overview, in pictures, of how I'll be spending next week.
First off, I'll be spending several hours in airplanes. It's three flights to get there, three to get back. Between layovers and time differences, I'll lose 24 hours in getting to Rome. Ah well, I posted this picture up mostly to acknowledge reality and to hope we fly Lufthansa...
Italian People! Yay! I've learned as much Italian as I could in two busy school months for them, so they better appreciate it! :D Hey, if the Germans did...
The first real attraction is Ostia Antica, the ancient port city of Rome. This is kind of cool, but very much a morning after destination. We'll all be hazy from Jet Lag...
From Ostia we'll drive to Naples, which has a very lovely view as shown. We won't be staying long here, though.
In Naples we hit some museums. I suspect we're hitting them on the first day so that the people who came for Italian guys or to hang out with friends can sleep walk through them! :P As for myself, the statues on Google Images looked similar to those in Greece.... So last fall... :P
Okay, Italy is so my personal version of heaven. They live off of Olive Oil! I love it!
Later, we'll still on the first day, we make our way to Sorrento. Again, it's very beautiful. It's famous for it's seacliffs, I gather, and we're going to use it as our jumping off point for Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc...
Vesuvio looks calm from so far, no? We fall asleep, knowing that we shall climb it tomorrow...
Vesuvius up close. Yeah... Apparently it's a tough hike. But then, most of these kids have never camped or been abroad before. They're rookies.... let me tell you. One of the parents asked if we would have to barter. Barter!
And this is what Vesuvius did. We'll see Pompeii after we make the summit. It's a city amazingly well preserved by the quickly falling lava. Much has been learned about Ancient Roman life by studying this city; it was so well preserved that when plaster casts were made, you could see meals of fish, bread, and eggs laid out on the tables... And dogs writhing in pain... and mothers clinging to children...
This is Pompeii's 'sister city', Herculaneum, also covered by the volcanic ashes but more recently unveiled. We'll be going there the next day in the early morning.
Part of Pompeii. This may not look like much, but it's somewhat of a personal pilgrimage for me, something I've waited a long time to see. It is the home of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus, well known and loved as the main character of the first book of the Cambridge Latin Course. Pages after introducing us to the Latin language with the line, "Caecilius est pater", the good fellow tragically meets his end in, what else? The eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Very sad story, with Cerberus (Cerberus est canis), watching over him in death.
Okay, a break from ruins. Take a look at all this tasty, Italian food!
Rome. What else needs to be said?
The Coliseum... yeah, this is going to be neat. Apparently it's near our hotel and we can take strolls there in the evening with a cone of Gelato... (see next slide).
Gelato. I recognize Vanila, Cioccolate, and Strachiatella. :D Oh man, oh man... It's going to be so good... I messed up ordering Gelato in Germany, my words fell through when it came to Ice Cream. I'm not making that mistake again; Agnese taught me specialized vocabulary... :D
Ending the trip on a spiritual-somber-artistic note, the Vatican, St. Peters Basilica, the Works. :D What an amazing trip!
I'm sooo excited! (And I did not have time to post this, but I had to...)
First off, I'll be spending several hours in airplanes. It's three flights to get there, three to get back. Between layovers and time differences, I'll lose 24 hours in getting to Rome. Ah well, I posted this picture up mostly to acknowledge reality and to hope we fly Lufthansa...
Italian People! Yay! I've learned as much Italian as I could in two busy school months for them, so they better appreciate it! :D Hey, if the Germans did...
The first real attraction is Ostia Antica, the ancient port city of Rome. This is kind of cool, but very much a morning after destination. We'll all be hazy from Jet Lag...From Ostia we'll drive to Naples, which has a very lovely view as shown. We won't be staying long here, though.In Naples we hit some museums. I suspect we're hitting them on the first day so that the people who came for Italian guys or to hang out with friends can sleep walk through them! :P As for myself, the statues on Google Images looked similar to those in Greece.... So last fall... :POkay, Italy is so my personal version of heaven. They live off of Olive Oil! I love it!Later, we'll still on the first day, we make our way to Sorrento. Again, it's very beautiful. It's famous for it's seacliffs, I gather, and we're going to use it as our jumping off point for Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc...Vesuvio looks calm from so far, no? We fall asleep, knowing that we shall climb it tomorrow...Vesuvius up close. Yeah... Apparently it's a tough hike. But then, most of these kids have never camped or been abroad before. They're rookies.... let me tell you. One of the parents asked if we would have to barter. Barter!And this is what Vesuvius did. We'll see Pompeii after we make the summit. It's a city amazingly well preserved by the quickly falling lava. Much has been learned about Ancient Roman life by studying this city; it was so well preserved that when plaster casts were made, you could see meals of fish, bread, and eggs laid out on the tables... And dogs writhing in pain... and mothers clinging to children...This is Pompeii's 'sister city', Herculaneum, also covered by the volcanic ashes but more recently unveiled. We'll be going there the next day in the early morning.Part of Pompeii. This may not look like much, but it's somewhat of a personal pilgrimage for me, something I've waited a long time to see. It is the home of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus, well known and loved as the main character of the first book of the Cambridge Latin Course. Pages after introducing us to the Latin language with the line, "Caecilius est pater", the good fellow tragically meets his end in, what else? The eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Very sad story, with Cerberus (Cerberus est canis), watching over him in death.Okay, a break from ruins. Take a look at all this tasty, Italian food!Rome. What else needs to be said?The Coliseum... yeah, this is going to be neat. Apparently it's near our hotel and we can take strolls there in the evening with a cone of Gelato... (see next slide).Gelato. I recognize Vanila, Cioccolate, and Strachiatella. :D Oh man, oh man... It's going to be so good... I messed up ordering Gelato in Germany, my words fell through when it came to Ice Cream. I'm not making that mistake again; Agnese taught me specialized vocabulary... :D
Ending the trip on a spiritual-somber-artistic note, the Vatican, St. Peters Basilica, the Works. :D What an amazing trip!I'm sooo excited! (And I did not have time to post this, but I had to...)
January 12, 2007
Ego Non Habeo Patriam
Time Magazine Asks: "Does sending more soldiers to Iraq make any sense?"
Bush is sending them. 21,500 of them.
We watched the speech. Protests were ringing in the background. We couldn't make out the words, but it soundedn an awful lot like "F--- Bush" to us. In the news footage afterwards, some bigshot in the media declared that the American Empire was over. My mom whimpered. It's existed a long time for her. Not a brief second in history, only a few years of my own childhood. But a long time for her.
"Miranda, can I go with you when you move to Norway?" My sister.
"Of course. Mom?"
"If both of you are there, why not!"
Then we hit the brick wall of practicalities. Mom thinks every place in the world other than the US is too cold or dangerous, with the lone exception of the UK, which is "too expensive". France was considered, but she doesn't know French. That's fine, actually. Curacao was her favourite choice - they speak English, and it's warm, and it's cheap... but she didn't want us so far away.
And it hit me, we were considering it. We still have everything here, and Dad doesn't know a word of our scheming, and nothing comes to anything, but we're considering it. And I've been considering it for a long time. And the question comes to me: Could I really do it? Could I really leave America? I'd be an ex-patriate. The idea scares me somehow. But the answer comes to me just as quickly. Harshly, in rough Latin, it etches itself across my mind.
Ego Non Habeo Patriam.
Bush is sending them. 21,500 of them.
We watched the speech. Protests were ringing in the background. We couldn't make out the words, but it soundedn an awful lot like "F--- Bush" to us. In the news footage afterwards, some bigshot in the media declared that the American Empire was over. My mom whimpered. It's existed a long time for her. Not a brief second in history, only a few years of my own childhood. But a long time for her.
"Miranda, can I go with you when you move to Norway?" My sister.
"Of course. Mom?"
"If both of you are there, why not!"
Then we hit the brick wall of practicalities. Mom thinks every place in the world other than the US is too cold or dangerous, with the lone exception of the UK, which is "too expensive". France was considered, but she doesn't know French. That's fine, actually. Curacao was her favourite choice - they speak English, and it's warm, and it's cheap... but she didn't want us so far away.
And it hit me, we were considering it. We still have everything here, and Dad doesn't know a word of our scheming, and nothing comes to anything, but we're considering it. And I've been considering it for a long time. And the question comes to me: Could I really do it? Could I really leave America? I'd be an ex-patriate. The idea scares me somehow. But the answer comes to me just as quickly. Harshly, in rough Latin, it etches itself across my mind.
Ego Non Habeo Patriam.
September 26, 2006
4 Story Bookstore!
In Kansas City, I went to a big four story bookstore! It was so wonderful I wanted to move there just for that store. With only an hour and one hundred dollars on me, I only had the resources to examine 2 sections and buy four books. Findings?
Alright, the Foreign Language section was beautiful. Words can't describe it. It had more books for Spanish than any place I've seen, even the Barnes and Noble that hoarded the Español and scrimped on the others. Then, it had everything else! Even obscure languages like Xhosa and Yoruba. They must have had twenty copies of Wheelock's Latin, and they had "Harrius Potter"! Of course, I had to buy that just for the novelty.
As far as novelty went, however, it wasn't QUITE precious enough to buy "Norwegian in Ten Minutes a Day", even though I got a kick out of it. Many bookstores have that (regrettably) somewhat mediocre language learning series, and I'm used to seeing it in French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian. But Norwegian? There it was: the only oddball, too. No Swedish, no Danish, no Icelandic, no Welsh, no Zulu. I didn't believe my eyes!
They had perhaps seven books on Norwegian, a sharp contrast to my own Border's toss up chances of having "Teach Yourself Norwegian" or "Pimsleur Norwegian" on a given day. Unfortunately, I lacked the funds to clean them out, so I just bought "Beginner's Norwegian." It's lovely, and comes with CD Roms. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have a Northern Accent. ^^
I looked over the Spanish section and came within an inch of buying a few books, but I figured I had better buy the rarer ones while I had the chance. So I looked over Greek, briefly, before deciding that at my current stage I didn't need much. I scanned Italian, nothing enough out of the norm there, and German. But under Japanese, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I read a book a year ago with a very promising theme that failed to deliver... the book was called, "Japanese in Manga Land" and was simply too silly and poorly organized to help much. But, I found a book called, "Japanese, the Manga Way"! Flipping through it, I saw it was the same idea with less random cartoons and more actual analysis and learning. I bought it as well, then sadly moved out of the Foreign Language section.
With only ten minutes left, I reflected on my need for an Atlas, and picked up a small but heavy one with nice full colour political and geographical maps and a few nice photographs. It's also filled with Statistics and Flags. It'll do. Something like "Pocket World Atlas". Yay. ^^
I LOVE BOOKSTORES.
Alright, the Foreign Language section was beautiful. Words can't describe it. It had more books for Spanish than any place I've seen, even the Barnes and Noble that hoarded the Español and scrimped on the others. Then, it had everything else! Even obscure languages like Xhosa and Yoruba. They must have had twenty copies of Wheelock's Latin, and they had "Harrius Potter"! Of course, I had to buy that just for the novelty.
As far as novelty went, however, it wasn't QUITE precious enough to buy "Norwegian in Ten Minutes a Day", even though I got a kick out of it. Many bookstores have that (regrettably) somewhat mediocre language learning series, and I'm used to seeing it in French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian. But Norwegian? There it was: the only oddball, too. No Swedish, no Danish, no Icelandic, no Welsh, no Zulu. I didn't believe my eyes!
They had perhaps seven books on Norwegian, a sharp contrast to my own Border's toss up chances of having "Teach Yourself Norwegian" or "Pimsleur Norwegian" on a given day. Unfortunately, I lacked the funds to clean them out, so I just bought "Beginner's Norwegian." It's lovely, and comes with CD Roms. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have a Northern Accent. ^^
I looked over the Spanish section and came within an inch of buying a few books, but I figured I had better buy the rarer ones while I had the chance. So I looked over Greek, briefly, before deciding that at my current stage I didn't need much. I scanned Italian, nothing enough out of the norm there, and German. But under Japanese, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I read a book a year ago with a very promising theme that failed to deliver... the book was called, "Japanese in Manga Land" and was simply too silly and poorly organized to help much. But, I found a book called, "Japanese, the Manga Way"! Flipping through it, I saw it was the same idea with less random cartoons and more actual analysis and learning. I bought it as well, then sadly moved out of the Foreign Language section.
With only ten minutes left, I reflected on my need for an Atlas, and picked up a small but heavy one with nice full colour political and geographical maps and a few nice photographs. It's also filled with Statistics and Flags. It'll do. Something like "Pocket World Atlas". Yay. ^^
I LOVE BOOKSTORES.
August 19, 2005
Charles
“Still taking Latin and Spanish?” Charles asked. He was taller than last year, and his voice was deeper too, but the slithering, creepy way he came up to you and started conversations remained. I turned to him triumphantly.
“German, too.” I grinned, placing the new Komm Mit book on the table beside Ven Conmigo and The Cambridge Latin Course. They all had matching green covers I had decorated myself. 100% Sharpie. With anyone else, I’d be more subtle. This was Charles. This was war. He wasn’t impressed.
“You’re just jealous of me for being in Spanish 4.”
“Yeah right. I’m in Latin 4, and unlike you, I had to do both year’s work.” I retorted instantly, starting a bit of a debate on who had it harder. I was just glad he took the bait… despite my words, it did hurt that he had skipped a year, and he probably knew it. Or maybe not – despite his brains, he was incredibly inept at social mechanics.
But no… I still surpassed him in Language, but he shouldn’t have been shining at all. Language was my area… mine. We used to compete over everything; Who could make the best maze, who could eat the most Old Country, who could beat the Pokemon game the fastest, who scored highest on the vocab test. When we went into middle school, we split, to a degree. He took math, and I took language. It was the only way we could keep from ripping each other apart – and half the school in the process. For a while things had been calm, but here he was again.
Here he was again. They say opposites attract, but I don’t see idiots sticking to me like flies. Only Charles – in my life, again and again. Even our due dates were the same, March 9th. There’s a bond in such things that years and rivalry can’t even touch.
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