Moderation Itself Is A Kind Of Extreme - A.Bird

Learning happens as a result of frustration. Motivation has partial roots in anxiety. Improvement goes hand in hand with dissatisfaction. Without learning, motivation, and improvement, the effects of frustration, anxiety, and dissatisfaction lead to depression. When in moderate levels these emotions act as catalysts, when not they manifest.
Moderate Moderate

What Will Be

Currently haunted by Mr. B-hart, and inspired by Meg who I assume, rather know, is a Devendra-haunted vessel herself. Not even twenty-four hours after acquiring 'Baby' had it already spun ten times. Baby, so young, indeed just a babe. I fantasize about dancing to this song with my future wife, looking at her, synchronizing my sway to hers, hoping to God that she understands "Baby, I finally know what I'm going after" (not linguistically, but conceptually). If her name ends up being Angelika I will die, and the album can be played on loop with a one-two punch every rotation.

Among my future wife I find myself fantasizing about train rides and pollution (again, thanks Meg), a society benevolent and patriotic. Cities large enough to warrant subways, conversations in passing that I understand just enough of to smile. Feeling high, elated, nearly always. What will be? Good question Devendra.

I'm happy to direct you to a place much better than here (worldly). I hear God telling me these words all day, and I feel it too (otherworldly).

Another place that is much better than here, "http://thebirthoffeeling.blogspot.com/", have a scroll.

13557979173 (一三五五七九七九一七三）

I am beginning to speculate more and more frequently about the affect learning a second language has on thought processes (or perhaps vice versa). Curiosities naturally show up all over the place when you look into alternate forms of communication, but are often looked over as one-offs, oddities, etc. For monolinguals, there is no option but to contrast unfamiliar linguistic concepts to those that already exist in our brains, that of our mother tongue. (From my understanding, bilinguals also have a fixed reference point). While learning we only have one reference point from which to decode novel stimuli, and it is from this origin that a process of translation takes place. Children acquire language instinctively, and as each phonemic input is intrinsically novel, they have no option but to bank it is an anchor. With no reference point, input becomes the reference point. (There is a giant can of worms regarding the real argument for language's instinctive nature that I dare not open...see "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker). That being said, the ultimate goal for the post-pubescent language learner is to shed the responsibility of their mother tongue being the primary point of reference, and allow the newly acquired language to flow out uninhibited by the cumbersome translation process. To put it metaphorically, once the transition takes place it is like finding the elevator where you have previously taken the stairs. As a post-pubescent (thirteen years of age finds the critical window for language to be learned instinctively closed) how do you find your way to the elevator door? Many people don't. To do it voluntarily is quite difficult, but I strongly believe that a combination of interest, determination, submersion, and intelligence are capable of prying the elevator door open. (I also believe that of these four, interest and submersion are profoundly more important).

At the risk of sounding self-glorifying, please read the following with these things in mind: Numbers are among the first things anyone will learn when trying to acquire a new language, they receive the most rehearsal, and have a strong basis in mathematics which is a concrete science. Conceptually, numbers are not abstract. Also, the following is a curious event with implications that I currently do not know but would like to know. I am trying to approach it with the goal of answering questions in mind.

While joking around with my friends, likely about the absurdity of cell phones, I was reminded about my time spent in China when I actually owned one. In previous posts I have mentioned the frequency of information exchanges that foreigners inevitably encounter is very high. Nearly everyday you will find yourself in a situation where you are dictating your phone number to someone. These exchanges would invariably be in Chinese.
Since I have returned, the amount of Chinese I speak in any given day has been cut in a seventh. Our having a laugh at cell-phone users' expense somehow brought up the question: Do I still know the cell phone number I was subscribed to in China.
Of course I do, I said it thousands of times! However, when I attempted to relay it to my company, nothing came out. I kept saying the first two digits, the only two that I was sure of, in English, waiting for the rest to just flow on out. They didn't come out. It was only until I started thinking in Chinese that I could accurately recall my number, and it happened quick-snap. As soon as I said the first digit the rest were ducklings after a mother duck. I realize there are elements of repetition that play into fluidity of language, and the fact that I could only remember my cell phone number in Chinese doesn't mean I can project this fluidity onto other, more complex parts of speech (unfortunately), but does this scenario have implications about second language acquisition in terms of memory storage? or brain plasticity? or activation areas? transformation from noninherence to inherence? I do not know, but I would like to know.

I Am The Vine

You Are The Branches

Sit Down, Stand Up

坐立不安
拘留不敢

Vancouver

Just landed in YVR, flew with the sun so that means by the time I'm home home it will have been July 30th for about 40 hours, neat! Good old Canada, let's me use this website so activity will be on the frequent starting these days. Let's hang!

Nigeria

I actually had to battle six samurais before making this post. There's a crackdown going on so that's why there's been no activity. I'm sorry. I'm still loving life, everything is going well, I'll see you soon enough.

The Long Train Ride Home

The long train ride home from 重庆, spent in every way alone. From my hard sleeper in solitary confinement I glaze-eyed gazed at the countryside’s greens browns and rubble blend and bleed into a pukish haze. Arriving at every new desolate town the train lurched to halt and start just disruptively enough to remind me that I am in fact, going. Every dull shlickety-shlack brings me one rail closer to destination nowhere. Has it been twenty-four hours? Will it be twenty-four more? I have long since derailed. It’s been at least thirty odd hours since my last meal. Snakebite-belly has been sufficiently filling me with venom until it’s levels reach the hole in my aorta where it is then circulated freely from limbs to toes, numb.

Far Away

From Everything

为了废话

I recently experienced my first total-stranger delivered joke that I entirely and immediately understood linguistically. It happened while I was buying some melon.

冷静－ 都是新鲜吗？
老板－ 是啊！除了老板都是新鲜

James - Are these melons fresh?
Boss - Of course! Aside from the boss everything is really fresh!

As always, translating from Chinese to English can be tricky. The meanings and conveyances of certain words are incongruent. I realize nobody's sides are splitting, I think it was just the euphoria of true comprehension that enhanced the situation for me.

I'm really thankful that I've been here long enough to shed the exchange-rate way of thinking. I think in RMB instead of conversion rates when I make a purchase. This pattern of thinking can be seen in many foreigners who come to China (or any country where their homeland's Rupee is a hundred to one Denarii). The initial 'go loco and buy trash because I can' attitude wanes, especially when you don't have an income. There are many other attitudinal problems foreigners have in China, especially the one's who come when they are older. If you are set in your ways, unadaptable, or crusty, don't bother. The Chinese culture is much too tolerant and accommodating of foreigners.