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Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Too many languages!
Yesterday was perhaps the most "multi-culti" day during my time here in Berlin. (I usually hear that term used in reference to the strong presence of Turkish, Russian, and Vietnamese minorities in certain areas of Berlin) I went out to a Korean restaurant, with colleagues from work who were native Germans, and with a friend whose mother tongue is actually Korean and German. They all speak English comfortably and well enough to switch between English and German (there was one person from Hong Kong who could only speak little German), but it was pretty weird to speak German the whole time then switch between German and English and then even switch between German and Korean or English and Korean. I'm used to switching between Korean and English but switching between Korean and German was definitely a weird feeling.
Speaking German feels a lot more natural now than it did a few months ago. And though I have a lonng way to go with it, I do feel a lot more acquainted with it, enough to be comfortable in it and sometimes, just sometimes, be unconscious of the fact that German and not English is coming out of my mouth. I still have trouble, though, when I'm with my colleagues at work for example, because they speak less articulately and faster than I'm used to-- every-day- German I've discovered is completely different from what is in the books or what you hear on news shows. I've only been with native German speakers in intimate environments a few number of times. Such experiences as a foreigner are incredibly hard to get.
But yesterday while switching between Korean and German, the feeling was completely unfamiliar. It was as if I had gotten lost momentarily within my self. Speaking in Korean made me feel somehow like I was back home, I guess in the same way catching a certain scent can put you in a completely different time or place. But there was a moment yesterday when I switched between Korean and German where I wasn't conscious of the shift until later in the conversation. And that was when I realized how weird a feeling that was.
Anyway I'm babbling, but I guess the bottom line is I'm beginning to realize how incredibly powerful languages can be in relation to psychological states and a feeling of being at home. And the other bottom line is LeBron James is a beast. Really, he's another animal. It's mesmerizing to see how he moves on the court and through the air. Just look at him in that pic! I mean, in other clips, he jumps high enough to touch the top of the backboard! Ya, if you were wondering what in the world that pic had to do with this post, I guess it helped in finishing this post if you read to till the end :) But I've been watching a lot of highlight clips and wanted to also make a post about LBJ.... hahaha. I guess this is my lame attempt to do both in one shot. And perhaps it's a neat trick to keep people reading till the end.
Speaking German feels a lot more natural now than it did a few months ago. And though I have a lonng way to go with it, I do feel a lot more acquainted with it, enough to be comfortable in it and sometimes, just sometimes, be unconscious of the fact that German and not English is coming out of my mouth. I still have trouble, though, when I'm with my colleagues at work for example, because they speak less articulately and faster than I'm used to-- every-day- German I've discovered is completely different from what is in the books or what you hear on news shows. I've only been with native German speakers in intimate environments a few number of times. Such experiences as a foreigner are incredibly hard to get.
But yesterday while switching between Korean and German, the feeling was completely unfamiliar. It was as if I had gotten lost momentarily within my self. Speaking in Korean made me feel somehow like I was back home, I guess in the same way catching a certain scent can put you in a completely different time or place. But there was a moment yesterday when I switched between Korean and German where I wasn't conscious of the shift until later in the conversation. And that was when I realized how weird a feeling that was.
Anyway I'm babbling, but I guess the bottom line is I'm beginning to realize how incredibly powerful languages can be in relation to psychological states and a feeling of being at home. And the other bottom line is LeBron James is a beast. Really, he's another animal. It's mesmerizing to see how he moves on the court and through the air. Just look at him in that pic! I mean, in other clips, he jumps high enough to touch the top of the backboard! Ya, if you were wondering what in the world that pic had to do with this post, I guess it helped in finishing this post if you read to till the end :) But I've been watching a lot of highlight clips and wanted to also make a post about LBJ.... hahaha. I guess this is my lame attempt to do both in one shot. And perhaps it's a neat trick to keep people reading till the end.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bei meinem Praktikum
Ich bin zwar bei meinem Praktikum jetzt, aber ich mochte einfach ein bisschen Zeit nehmen, um was hier zu schreiben. Ich habe schon viele gemacht, und ich habe entschieden eine kurze Pause zu machen.
Dieses Blog wurde nicht so häufig aktuelisiert, und ich würde gerne die Gelegenheit ergreifen beide dieses Blog zu erneuern und auch mein Deutsch weiterzuüben, und ja, auch meine Gedanken aufzuschreiben. Ich finde, dass meine Übungslust auf Deutsch niedergegangen ist - auf jeden Fall brauche ich mehr Übung.
Ok. Die Zeit ist abgelaufen. Bis nächstes Mal!
Wieder zurück aber tengo ahora mucha, como se dice? energia linguistica? Lo que sea. Ayer pense que seria muy triste cuando se me olvido mi espanol tambien. Entonces decidi que ademas de practicar mi aleman, voy a practicar mi espanol y las otras lenguas que yo sabe. Mientras que escribo este "post" me di cuenta que mi espanol ha disminuido significamente.
Tengo mas miedo de escribir y pensar en coreano.
Dieses Blog wurde nicht so häufig aktuelisiert, und ich würde gerne die Gelegenheit ergreifen beide dieses Blog zu erneuern und auch mein Deutsch weiterzuüben, und ja, auch meine Gedanken aufzuschreiben. Ich finde, dass meine Übungslust auf Deutsch niedergegangen ist - auf jeden Fall brauche ich mehr Übung.
Ok. Die Zeit ist abgelaufen. Bis nächstes Mal!
Wieder zurück aber tengo ahora mucha, como se dice? energia linguistica? Lo que sea. Ayer pense que seria muy triste cuando se me olvido mi espanol tambien. Entonces decidi que ademas de practicar mi aleman, voy a practicar mi espanol y las otras lenguas que yo sabe. Mientras que escribo este "post" me di cuenta que mi espanol ha disminuido significamente.
Tengo mas miedo de escribir y pensar en coreano.
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