My sister, whom I love, hates my husband.

What? How is that possible? He's a very likeable guy.

I'll tell you what I discovered, vw -- you only really need to know lots of words if you're going to speak informally. If you're going to use lots of big words, you just say them with an accent, cause they're usually the same!

Yes! I am fond of this approach to Speaking Foreign also.

Sadly I have spent the past four years in country where that just. doesn't. work.

Damn it.

(Do not even get me STARTED on Thai, and my utter crapness therein. I was SO much better at Arabic - I mean, I wasn't much good at Arabic, but I could have perfectly good CrapArabic conversations with people, with much hand waving and amusing vocabulary choices, and communication could occur. Thai? Not so much. It's the TONES. OMG. Well, okay, no, it's the tones and my laziness.)

Meanwhile, this week we're doing the register in Pirate. Granted this isn't actually a language (previous languages having been 'Chinese', 'French', 'Japanese', 'Australian' ["G'day, Kaowton." "G'day, Mate."] but it's FUN. Also, the kids have quite a wide range of possible replies. ("Ahoy there, Cap'n Ronan!" "Shiver Me Timbers, Miss Fay!" "Ahoy there, Cap'n Prim!" "Swab the Deck, Cap'n Fay!" "Ahoy there, Cap'n Chin!" "Walk the plank, Miss Fay!" etc etc.) However, they are quite partial to doing a pretend sneeze instead of replying, ever since last week when my "G'day Chin" was greeted with a sudden mighty accidental sneeze, to general hilarity. It's now a sort of standing joke, which I can find entertaining or irritating depending on how the day has been going.

My great-grandfather came over from Bohemia as a child with his brother and married a woman from Bohemia. I have a Very Bohemian last name. (Once, when someone asked my about my name, I said my family had come from Bohemia and she gasped and said, "I thought Arthur Conan Doyle made up that country.")

FanTAStic!

I bet people think the same thing about Transylvania. Bless 'em.

I don't speak any Czech. My grandfather was the kind of second-generation immigrant who wanted to emphasize his Americanness. I have been told that I'm really using the male version of my last name.

If it doesn't end in -ova (which means 'of'), then that'd be right. But, you know, I think that's good. You're not your father's or your husband's possession, you're you. Take that, pesky sexist language structure!

Laga, just my .02, but I think that this

You will need to apologize personally to me and (if he so chooses) to Dennis for implying that we were both stupid and crazy when we tried to speak to you about household conflicts.

might cause some problems, i.e. him replying "I never said that!", and you having to explain implications, etc. Might be better if you can stick to concrete things, or something like "apologize for your negative and unpleasant behavior when we tried to speak to you . . ."

Ok. I finally took my Spanish test. I know I did really well on the dictation of phone numbers! Other than that, I'll have to wait till this afternoon to find out.

I got a speech from the prof, though, about how I have to chill and let myself learn at my own speed. Well, that's great if I wasn't trying to get a good grade!

Also, when I say I have difficulties with memorization, please don't just tell me that everyone does and assume that's gonna make me chill. I just might have some outside difficulties more than the normal ones, but whatever.

But, I did hear that part where you said I seem to be a perfectionist and that I'm applying my perfectionistic tendencies to trying to learn a whole new language. I'll try to work on that.

edited to take out big rant.

CrapArabic

I love this. I had a friend who hired a Spanish-speaking nanny for her little girl. My friend told me, "We communicate entirely in the infinitive."

I have a test today. I've barely studied. I'm taking the opposite approach of omigod!studylike mad! I'll probably bomb the test but I'm rather zen about it right now. Also I forgot my book so I can't really study.

I forgot my library books so Ihave to return them tomorrow and start working on research for my paper, which is due next month. There are a couple of things I need clarified but I don't want to ask the instructor because she has such a flip attitude about things. I'm sorta friendly with one of the students she favors so I may ask the student to ask for clarification.

I cannot get going on this day. Theoretically, I should be doing some work as well as trying to sneak in writing a paper for school (this is my plan over the rest of the week.) I just can't get going at ALL.

I mentioned there is a dengue epidemic here at the moment.

Eeeek! A family friend in Singapore had that! Stay healthy y'all!

Good luck vw!

I was practicing Hungarian last night. I have "yes" and "no" down. Am getting pretty good with "Welcome!" (though that's more usefull for me to recognize than to be able to say) and "Pleased to meet you!" Working on "Hello" "Goodbye" and "My Name is" There are a couple of other words and phrases I'm going to have to look up. I spent bedtime last night reading and listening to the BBC in Hungarian to get used to what words sound like.

Poor Nora!

I should be doing schoolwork, but I'm basically not. Mostly, I'm e-mailing with my brother and cousin, playing here, writing a piece on Boston drivers for my new blog, and writing my not-very-anonymous mid-semester evaluation for one of my classes.

Well, that's annoying. It appears that the class I was planning on taking next semsester is not being offered.