71
point, I decide to head down to the
Jade Market in Hong Kong, where I am
determined not to get sidetracked with
any extracurricular foreign language
use. The entrance to the famous
shopping spot taunts me, welcoming
me in too many languages to count.
I block it from my vision and walk
swiftly past.
But, when I get to mainland China,
a new type of craving sets in.
The curious signs in English that I
spot all over the place give me the
impression that something was lost in
the language conversion process.
I witness plenty of examples of slightly
less-than-perfect English that induce a
smile – such as a sign in the bathroom
which warns, “do not put toilet pepper
in toilet,” and a bright red box which
reads “fire exting atcher” instead of
“fire extinguisher.” These tastes of
botched English– the language in which
my addiction was born – only leave me
hungry for more.
In fact, the sudden reencounter
with my native tongue in translation
makes me feel homesick. There is no
debauchery, and whether or not link. I decide that Spanish will not be of
better way to understand the plight
they can smell the languages on my much use to me while I am here, but no
of a speaker of limited English than to
breath. I stagger into a class to learn matter, I have plenty of other languages
try to learn a new language. I always
some elementary phrases in Tagalog, that I can sample.
knew that language was an integral
the most widely spoken language in Even though most of the country’s
part of every culture, but it wasn’t until
the Philippines. I learn that instead of inhabitants speak excellent English, a
I reached the other side of the globe
saying, “good morning,” Filipinos greet language enthusiast in the Philippines
that I realized it’s nearly impossible to
each other with “magandang araw,” is the equivalent of a kid in a candy
travel to a new country without learning
which literally translates to “beautiful shop. More than 170 languages are
something about the language of the
day.” But these lessons are not of much used here, including a dozen with
people who live there.
use to me. I had hoped to learn phrases more than a million speakers each.
From my journey to Southeast
that would help me satisfy my most I grow giddy at the prospect of hearing
Asia, I learned that where languages
critical needs, like, “Where is the nearest languages like Cebuano, Waray-Waray,
are concerned, I have no hope of ever
dictionary shop?” and “Can you please Kapampangan, Maranao, and Tausug
sobering up and that traveling to a new
teach me a Tagalog tongue-twister?” spoken in their native environments,
place without sampling its language is
However, I notice that some words but it’s time to distance myself from
as much of a tragedy as it is to go to a
in Tagalog are similar to Spanish, like this land of endless temptation.
country without tasting its cuisine or
the word for “butter” (“mantequilla” in
viewing its most fabled sites.
Spanish, “mantikilya” in Tagalog) and
china – LanD of Many peopLe
In other words, if recovery means
“cheese” (“queso” in Spanish, “keso” in
anD LanguageS
language-free living, then I don’t want
Tagalog), while others like bread (“pan”
to ever be clean.
As I arrive at my last destination,
in Spanish, “tinapay” in Tagalog) and
I have to admit that I have failed to quit
“milk” (“leche” in Spanish, “gatas” in
abusing the language drug. Of course,
Tagalog) have no apparent linguistic
I can quit anytime I want. To make my
avantoure
|
homo ludens
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