I have an extremely overactive brain. Sometimes I think it’s why I can’t always sleep, and why television, particularly reality TV, bores me.
Once in a while I imagine what I would do with a million dollars, or a billion, and of course I plan all kinds of political and intellectual mandates for Richard’s New Order.
I keep coming back to this question: if the language fairy came to me and bestowed the knowledge of seven languages upon me, which seven would they be? (I don’t know why this fantasy features the number seven, but it always has – there may be something mystical about seven.)
Of course, I considered some of the exotic tongues, like Swahili and Tshiluba, just because of their cache’. But I am, if nothing else, a practical man, so here are my seven:
- English
- American Sign Language
- Latin
- Mandarin
- Spanish
- French
- Music
If you find this list interesting, please comment with your seven.
English, ASL, Spanish, Italian, music, this is getting harder, Japanese, and I guess Russian. my reasons are: I already pretty much understand American English, Spanish because it would be much easier to communicate with people who speak Spanish, Italian because 2 people 1 of whom was your friend Michael Z, and Lorna told me that if you can learn Spanish that certain other languages are much easier to learn such as Italian. I guess they’re kind of similar orrt something. music because music is the only language that enables us to communicate with the world even when we don’t understand the same language. Japanese because I couldn’t think of anything else. and Russian because when I was working for the phone company I got a call from a customer who needed someone who could speak Russian.4 I didn’t like not being able to communicate with her. oh I almost forgot ASL. I think it is 1 of the most important languages for anyone to learn. because it opens the world between the hearing and the ones who can’t hear. maybe Braille too. understanding Braille would make it very easy to read in the dark.
English, Japanese, Chinese (because MONEY), Farsi/Arabic (because TERRORISTS), German, Russian.
On another note, to put my brain to sleep, I assemble outfits and/or design clothing I wish I had. Because SHALLOW.
Chinese isn’t a language. Mandarin is one of the languages spoken by the Chinese.
Excuse me while I die of shame.
The language of love.