|
Post by Ganbare! on Aug 31, 2009 14:31:40 GMT -5
Actually, I think the issues simply have changed and evolved. For example, a mixed-race couple in the 1960s in the USA would have had a rough time just finding a place to live given the legally enforced segregation at the time -- how to raise the kid culturally was less of a pressing issue. This is hardly a problem nowadays. It does seem much easier for Eurasians to identify more with the mainstream culture now - a generation earlier, they were more of a curiosity -- and a large portion of them were children of war brides. I wonder what different issues could exist outside of the cultural discussion we are holding here on EAN?
|
|
|
Post by jefe on Aug 31, 2009 15:16:27 GMT -5
Sorry, if I came across as bitter -- some others I know in the USA have also remarked that I seem somewhat bitter about stuff in the USA. But bitter is a bit strong. There are things I miss about the USA, but none of them ever compelled me to want to move back there. Asia has not been a bowl of cherries either, but my experience in the USA keeps reminding me of the alternative. And it is also NOT only about racism, but many things that make life difficult (for me) in the USA. There are other issues (like strip malls / sprawl and poor public health) that cause my blood to bubble. And I had other problems in the USA (eg, my stuttering since childhood that followed me mercilessly into my 30s) which actually pushed me to consider a giant leap to somewhere else, and even explore the rest of the world. I acknowledge that the problems and issues were MINE, and are generally not shared by others. Even my brother, who is only 17 months younger than me and grew up in the same family had a very different experience. I remember conversations with my eldest Aunt, and she seemed bitter about her experience growing up in China - sometimes she would even break out in tears. I tried very much to understand her pain, even someone who grew up in a time and place that I may never fully relate to. I would not say I am bitter about the USA, but I had to leave it in order to put that experience in perspective. The experience was what it was -- an experience. If I went back to the USA, I would probably become an activitist -- turning it into a mechanism for positive change. I'm really keen to learn Japanese and Italian, I know that learning the latter will be a breeze because I already speak 2 latin languages but I'm almost certain Japanese is a desperate case because of the amount of characters to store and mixing up with my fledging Mandarin. I still think you should learn a language because it is relevant to your life. If you call it a "desperate case" then you are looking for reasons or excuses why it should not be relevant to your life. A good way is to team up with people, either EXCHANGING what you know or reinforce each others' learning. Things are much easier if they are fun. Why not try giving a Japanese speaking person more confidence to learn French?
|
|
|
Post by Ganbare! on Aug 31, 2009 16:23:41 GMT -5
I want to learn Italian for lifestyle reasons, my girlfriend is Italian-Canadian and I love their culture of space expressed in furniture design, architecture and I'm embarrassed to admit it fashion ! When I say desperate I mean it'll take too long to pay off (aka mastering almost at a native level or I see it as wasted efforts). I'm no different from the massive hordes of non-Japanese who dreams of living in a very secure country, clean environment, still wealthy, democratic (as in NOT HK, SG) and with a high standard of education, bah if I fail I'll move to Switzerland (no members from Switzerland on EAN?) .
|
|
|
Post by jefe on Sept 1, 2009 3:47:46 GMT -5
I mean it'll take too long to pay off (aka mastering almost at a native level or I see it as wasted efforts). Too bad you feel that way -- I think a smattering is already infinitely better than nothing. From my point of view, it pays off from the very start. I only learned a couple dozen words in Portuguese in Brazil, but it enabled me to have a fairly meaningful conversation for a couple hours with a fellow passenger on the 9 hr. bus ride from Curitiba to Foz do Iguacu. She knew no English or Spanish (or claimed so). It enabled me to read the street signs, directions, 75% of menus, and basic information or directions. I learned this in a couple days, so I am sure that it would be even much better after a couple months. And you never completely master anything anyhow, including your *native* language. I hope you are still trying to learn and improve your English, French and Spanish.
|
|
|
Post by Ganbare! on Sept 1, 2009 16:56:23 GMT -5
Well, mastering completely a language is impossible since it is a living thing that changes everyday but I meant to a 'native' level.
|
|
|
Post by mingzayni88 on Sept 3, 2009 12:04:20 GMT -5
I'm more Western w/out a doubt, cuz I was raised in the west and have only visited the east a couple of times in my life, unfortunately. But, eastern culture is definitely an influence in my life! I'll say I act 75% western and 25% eastern.
This reminds of a story. When I was in UK, I went to a party w/ my class mates and one of them is this Chinese guy who is the epitomy of any Chinese stereotype.
And since nobody could tell that I was part Asian, one of my class mates from Spain said "Bermudians (that's what I am) and Chinese people must be related because you and him act just alike!" I thought that was funny, because I didn't think I was exposed to my Asian side enough for it to influence my mannerisms.
On the language thing. Since Chinese and Indian make up my Asian side, I'd like to oneday study Mandarin and Hindi, I could see how these languages would be useful. I'd also like to study Norwegian because that's my Euro side, though I can't see how this would be useful.
Those languages are going to have to wait, though, because I'm currently studying Arabic and Indonesian.
|
|
|
Post by toyomansi on Sept 4, 2009 4:36:29 GMT -5
Reading this thread really inspires to learn languages! Perhaps it's a bit easier for EAs to pick up different languages? Someone once told me that a person who grows up while hearing more languages spoken, has it easier to learn languages as an adult... Grammatically, I find Tagalog to be a bit of a challenge, as it does not have the typical subject-object relationship found in other languages. The grammar is not as complicated as, say, French or Spanish, but simply very different from everything else I ever encountered. But it was a boon to help to pick up Malay, as up to 25-30% of the vocabulary is very similar -- maybe like how English is to French or German / Dutch. And Malay / Indonesian grammar is not nearly as complicated as Tagalog. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who finds the grammar more challenging... ;D and also that "mastering" the grammar of tagalog would maybe make other languages appear much simpler to learn? I'd also like to study Norwegian because that's my Euro side, though I can't see how this would be useful. Cool, I'm a native norwegian speaker ^^ But I think maybe it's only useful in Norway. Or perhaps also while speaking to swedes and danes
|
|
|
Post by jefe on Sept 4, 2009 8:08:07 GMT -5
^ I only meant that Tagalog grammar seems to be very different from both the European and East Asian languages that I encountered, therefore more challenging to master. I don't think it is inherently much more difficult to learn and mastering it means that other languages are easier. Otherwise, Filipinos would have all learned Chinese by now.
Grammatically and vocabulary-wise, there is some similarity to Malay and Indonesian languages. They both add prefixes and suffixes to root words to form new forms (but this is not too unlike English) -- besides, about 25-30% of the root words between Malay and Tagalog are the same, or very similar. But Malay does not have as complicated a conjugation system as Tagalog. But practice, practice, practice makes it easier. But don't fret too much. The majority of Filipino speakers of Tagalog (both native and non-native) all make errors in their own Tagalog. Even native, or near-native fluent speakers either make errors in their own language or are not aware of how certain things are constructed.
|
|
|
Post by toyomansi on Sept 4, 2009 12:21:00 GMT -5
Of course tagalog isn't the hardest asian language ^^ it's just the grammatical subject-object rules and many different ways of adding perfixes/suffixes to change the meanings of a verb that are kind of tricky for a newbie. I just thought that maybe being able to master this challenge would give more confidence in conquering the different challenges there are in other languages as well Well, next year I'll probably be fluent while staying in the Phils for 6 months... I admire your vast knowledge of different languages, I hope to someday get there myself since I love learning languages. ;D
|
|
fei
Full Member
Posts: 274
|
Post by fei on Sept 4, 2009 13:16:29 GMT -5
^ I only meant that Tagalog grammar seems to be very different from both the European and East Asian languages that I encountered, therefore more challenging to master. I don't think it is inherently much more difficult to learn and mastering it means that other languages are easier. Otherwise, Filipinos would have all learned Chinese by now. Grammatically and vocabulary-wise, there is some similarity to Malay and Indonesian languages. They both add prefixes and suffixes to root words to form new forms (but this is not too unlike English) -- besides, about 25-30% of the root words between Malay and Tagalog are the same, or very similar. But Malay does not have as complicated a conjugation system as Tagalog. But practice, practice, practice makes it easier. But don't fret too much. The majority of Filipino speakers of Tagalog (both native and non-native) all make errors in their own Tagalog. Even native, or near-native fluent speakers either make errors in their own language or are not aware of how certain things are constructed. Well Malay and Indonesia are similar do share same vocabulary but Tagalog is a distant cousin. We don't understand each other!! but share little vocabulary eg. anak = child. I wish there a French speaker here? My French is getting bad to worse.. mingzayni88 better brush on your Tafsir, Tajweed is another ball game alot of rules. Tafhim is interesting, but you have to master your arabic... Good luck
|
|
|
Post by Ganbare! on Sept 4, 2009 16:27:56 GMT -5
Reading this thread really inspires to learn languages! Welcome to the EA club ! So many men, so little time, errr languages. @ fei: me, me pick me, prutty prutty please with a cherry on top (memories of being picked last in gym class kicks in)
|
|
fei
Full Member
Posts: 274
|
Post by fei on Sept 4, 2009 17:10:12 GMT -5
Hmmm...... Who shall i pick???
|
|
|
Post by tifonito on Oct 17, 2009 13:11:02 GMT -5
Despite the fact I have quite a respectable number of stamps on my passport, I feel like I assimilated to Western culture too much... I guess the opposite happens too, any experiences ? Not long ago I met this fascinating white English woman. When I told her I was from Hong Kong she began speaking in fluent Cantonese. As you can imagine, I was completely taken by surprise. Turns out that she lived a good 7 years in Hong Kong where she made a lot of local friends and picked up the language. She still considers it her second home and I've been told that she sometimes even dreams in Cantonese. Recently I read an article somewhere that talked about a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy born to American parents in Hong Kong. He learned to speak fluent Cantonese and soon enough he began speaking English with a strong Canto accent. Disturbed by what they saw, his parents decided to relocate the family back to the US.
|
|
|
Post by jefe on Oct 18, 2009 13:19:42 GMT -5
^ Are you sure it is not what I wrote?
I wonder if it is the family that I actually knew personally. I knew 2 American parents who had a blond-haired blue-eyed boy born in HK who spoke fluent Cantonese and Chinese-accented English (I met him personally) and one of the reasons that they moved back to the USA (not the only reason) was because they were concerned about the cultural and social identity of the boy.
If that is a separate article could you show it to me? BTW, the wife went to the same university that I did, but I did not know her personally there, but we knew students and faculty in common.
|
|
|
Post by Ganbare! on Oct 18, 2009 13:45:29 GMT -5
Funny coincidence ! What university did you both go?
|
|