I got back at the end of August from a three-week, relaxing holiday in Croatia. But on that holiday I made the choice to read and watch material that was completely devastating and opposite to my idyllic surrounding. Not necessarily a choice I recommend, but I have some thoughts in any case.
I read King Leopold's Ghost, a damning and detailed description of the unspeakable acts committed by agents of Belgium's King Leopold II leading to an estimated decrease in the Congolese population by 10 million. This is a story that “hits home” for me because I have spent a lot of time in Brussels, specifically in the originally Congolese neighborhood of Matonge (named after a neighborhod in Khinshasha, formerly Leopoldville). But also because I met people there still studying the Congolese culture in Belguim and the inability of the Belgians to properly deal with their history. And because I saw many of the monuments that were financed by the prosperous and blood-financed rubber period. There is even a park still holding the King’s name.
I read Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, the epic story of the Joad's journey from Oklahoma to California and the utter powerlessness they had against destitution and the lack of compassion of their fellow Americans. I don’t know how this story escaped me during my school times, but despite the glaring pro-communism argument, the story also hit home. I saw the depictions of the Californians selfish of their stability and afraid of the Okeys moving in to their space, and I saw a similarity to some of us Americans today.
I watched the recent Ken Burns and Lynn Novick documentary miniseries The Vietnam War, about a war that I always knew made little sense. It has taught me that not only did it make little sense, it was a tragedy motivated only by a misguided and misinformed policy and ultimately the political greed and untrustworthiness of a line of American presidents and cabinet members. This viewing experience did not hit home in contrast to the others; unlike many other people my age I did not have a father, uncle, or family friend that was affected by Vietnam. But this documentary rather challenged my view of all of the people involved. The American leaders, the American soldiers, and also the Vietnamese on all sides. Despite being 17 hours in total I recommend it to anyone, especially lovers of Ken Burns.
What did I learn from this very poorly chosen vacation reading? I guess if I were to say only one thing it would be that nodoby should trust the version of history they were told. The past was a very different place and even those who are held up as heroes, or even just as honourable, could be not so disimilar to those today we would hold in contempt, both personally and as a society. Events are always complex to understand, especially as they unfold, but with the sharp lens of history we can learn something, and we must actively seek this in order to properly assess and deal with the past.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Language and Personality
There is an effect when speaking a foreign language that I think isn't talked about as much as it should be. The fact that, when speaking in another language, one takes on a slightly different personality than when speaking in their native tongue. I've noticed the effect of this in many different contexts.
I'm a native English speaker, and I've studied many languages to varying levels. But with the German language I got to the highest level and I can understand most conversations. I noticed eventually that I acted differently when speaking German, but I also noticed the converse. I worked with mostly German colleagues, but the working language was English. So my colleagues were used to the fact that usually when they were speaking English it was about work and therefore more serious. Conversely, when at work they would sometimes speak German with each other when a non-German speaker wasn't involved. Since I could understand what they were saying, I routinely noticed that they were more casual with each other. This is surely partly because they can just speak more freely in their native tongue, but I also got the sense that it was psychological, meaning in German they could access a larger range of their personality.
Being now in a multi-lingual marriage, I am interested in how multiple languages effect the raising of children. Without citing anything, I have read that children develop fine with up to three languages, but having four or more at a very young age can slow development. An example scenario with three languages is two parents each speaking to the child in their native tongue, and one more being learned and used at school. It also supposedly helps if one parent always speaks a consistent language with the children. I would guess that one of the reasons that this method is preferred is that the child can consistently develop their intelligence and personality in each language without getting them confused.
One last phenomenon I can propose has to do with language learning for adults. If one has a different personality when speaking different languages, then it also must be that they have to develop this separate personality when learning a new language. I have gotten the sense when watching others try to speak a foreign language that they are apprehensive to take on this new personality, and it hurts their ability to speak well. The most simple way to explain this is putting on a thick French accent when trying to speak French, rather than just saying French words as they would be said in American English. Of course as one would learn French more and more the accent would become more natural, but in the beginning stages the accent is more like playing a role, and I think that some people hesitate to take on that role. The extension for an advanced speaker would be using more phrases and colloquialisms in the foreign language. Sometimes they don't make sense when directly translated, and are a result of different cultural forces, but from just a language point of view they are useful for better communication.
In any case, I think some people would not even agree with the basic premise that when speaking a different language we take on a slightly different personality. But I have seen it and experienced it myself, and I think it actually can explain some aspects of language learning and use.
I'm a native English speaker, and I've studied many languages to varying levels. But with the German language I got to the highest level and I can understand most conversations. I noticed eventually that I acted differently when speaking German, but I also noticed the converse. I worked with mostly German colleagues, but the working language was English. So my colleagues were used to the fact that usually when they were speaking English it was about work and therefore more serious. Conversely, when at work they would sometimes speak German with each other when a non-German speaker wasn't involved. Since I could understand what they were saying, I routinely noticed that they were more casual with each other. This is surely partly because they can just speak more freely in their native tongue, but I also got the sense that it was psychological, meaning in German they could access a larger range of their personality.
Being now in a multi-lingual marriage, I am interested in how multiple languages effect the raising of children. Without citing anything, I have read that children develop fine with up to three languages, but having four or more at a very young age can slow development. An example scenario with three languages is two parents each speaking to the child in their native tongue, and one more being learned and used at school. It also supposedly helps if one parent always speaks a consistent language with the children. I would guess that one of the reasons that this method is preferred is that the child can consistently develop their intelligence and personality in each language without getting them confused.
One last phenomenon I can propose has to do with language learning for adults. If one has a different personality when speaking different languages, then it also must be that they have to develop this separate personality when learning a new language. I have gotten the sense when watching others try to speak a foreign language that they are apprehensive to take on this new personality, and it hurts their ability to speak well. The most simple way to explain this is putting on a thick French accent when trying to speak French, rather than just saying French words as they would be said in American English. Of course as one would learn French more and more the accent would become more natural, but in the beginning stages the accent is more like playing a role, and I think that some people hesitate to take on that role. The extension for an advanced speaker would be using more phrases and colloquialisms in the foreign language. Sometimes they don't make sense when directly translated, and are a result of different cultural forces, but from just a language point of view they are useful for better communication.
In any case, I think some people would not even agree with the basic premise that when speaking a different language we take on a slightly different personality. But I have seen it and experienced it myself, and I think it actually can explain some aspects of language learning and use.
Monday, May 21, 2018
A Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon - Zion Itinerary
We just went on a great hiking trip for 5 days out West. Our itinerary worked out so nicely that I though it worth writing down.
Day 0:
10pm - arrive to Vegas, pickup rental car
Day 1:
8am - pickup rented tent and stove
9am - drive 4 hours to Grand Canyon NP, stop at historic Route 66 along the way
3pm - hike 1.5 miles down and then back up on Bright Angel Trail (~2.5 hours)
7pm - Ride shuttle to see sunset at Hermit's Rest
9pm - dinner at campsite
Day 2:
5am - wake up, see sunrise at Mather Point
6am - hike 1.5 miles down and back up on South Kaibab Trail (~3 hours)
10am - Drive 3 hours to Lake Powell
1pm - Boat tour on Lake Powell (2.5 hours)
6pm - swim a bit at the Lake Powell beach
9pm - dinner at campsite
Day 3:
10am - take some time to drive slowly to Bryce Canyon, take scenic route
3pm - hike 6 mile figure-eight Trail (~3 hours) starting at Sunset Point
Day 4:
6am - wake up, see sunrise at Sunrise Point
6:30am - hike 8 mile Fairyland Loop Trail counterclockwise (3.5 hours)
10am - Second breakfast and nap
11am - drive 2 hours to Zion NP
1pm - rent gear for the Narrows hike
3pm - Enter Zion NP, take shuttle to Narrows
4pm - Hike the narrows to Wall street and back (~2.5 hours)
9pm - dinner
Day 5:
6am - wake up
7am - be in line for first park shuttle
7:30 - Do full Angel's Landing hike (~2.5 hours)
11am - in Springdale, pay for showers, have coffee, eat snacks
12pm - drive to Saint George, shopping in Red Cliff's Mall
4pm - drive back to Vegas
6pm - return rented camping gear
7pm - dinner
8pm - spend two hours in Vegas, win $29
10pm - be back at airport, return rental car
11:45pm - flight back to the East Coast
The biggest thing I would add to this trip, which we didn't have time for, was actually hiking down to the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon. This is something I have never done, and is on my bucket list, but would require two more days on the trip.
Day 0:
10pm - arrive to Vegas, pickup rental car
Day 1:
8am - pickup rented tent and stove
9am - drive 4 hours to Grand Canyon NP, stop at historic Route 66 along the way
3pm - hike 1.5 miles down and then back up on Bright Angel Trail (~2.5 hours)
7pm - Ride shuttle to see sunset at Hermit's Rest
9pm - dinner at campsite
Day 2:
5am - wake up, see sunrise at Mather Point
6am - hike 1.5 miles down and back up on South Kaibab Trail (~3 hours)
10am - Drive 3 hours to Lake Powell
1pm - Boat tour on Lake Powell (2.5 hours)
6pm - swim a bit at the Lake Powell beach
9pm - dinner at campsite
Day 3:
10am - take some time to drive slowly to Bryce Canyon, take scenic route
3pm - hike 6 mile figure-eight Trail (~3 hours) starting at Sunset Point
Day 4:
6am - wake up, see sunrise at Sunrise Point
6:30am - hike 8 mile Fairyland Loop Trail counterclockwise (3.5 hours)
10am - Second breakfast and nap
11am - drive 2 hours to Zion NP
1pm - rent gear for the Narrows hike
3pm - Enter Zion NP, take shuttle to Narrows
4pm - Hike the narrows to Wall street and back (~2.5 hours)
9pm - dinner
Day 5:
6am - wake up
7am - be in line for first park shuttle
7:30 - Do full Angel's Landing hike (~2.5 hours)
11am - in Springdale, pay for showers, have coffee, eat snacks
12pm - drive to Saint George, shopping in Red Cliff's Mall
4pm - drive back to Vegas
6pm - return rented camping gear
7pm - dinner
8pm - spend two hours in Vegas, win $29
10pm - be back at airport, return rental car
11:45pm - flight back to the East Coast
The biggest thing I would add to this trip, which we didn't have time for, was actually hiking down to the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon. This is something I have never done, and is on my bucket list, but would require two more days on the trip.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
2017 Reading List Reflections
I made a reading list a year ago, mostly in reaction to Tr*mp entering the white house, and the implications I thought that had on the US and the world. I didn't read everything on the list, but what I did read left a lasting impression.
It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis (1935)
This was quite a surprise, both because of how similar it sounded to Tr*mp at the time I was reading it, and how realistic it seemed. Interestingly enough it is pretty closely based on a real (but short-lived) political movement of that time. Highly recommended.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
A classic that I essentially already knew about because of its presence in pop-culture. It was a great and easy read, and lived up to its popularity.
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)
Was not on the list, but fit in very well. Prose written like poetry, this work made me feel the visceral emotions that Coates felt growing up, and that he fears his son will too. Also a short read from a current talent that should be on every reading list, if not just for it's beauty, but it's ability to teach.
Hillbilly Elegy - J. D. Vance (2016)
This was surprisingly good, a memoir from a self-described Kentucky/Ohio hillbilly about his very rough and troubled childhood. So many of the superficial facts I had seen so much growing up in others, but Vance brought me in to the experience in so much more detail. He does a great job at both critiquing those he was surrounded by, but also crying out for all of those left behind by unreasonable and nonsensical government policies.
Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue - Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz (2015)
I am a fan of Sam Harris, although he can sometimes take a too-literal, or too-academic point of view, I almost always agree with the logic of his arguments. This is a great short dialogue between Harris, an atheist writer and thinker, and Nawaz, a former Islamic fundamentalist and current reform voice in the UK. Very interesting, and it helps me understand more details about the Islamic faith, and the issues facing the modern world and the billion muslims living in it.
Globalization and Its Discontents - Joseph E. Stiglitz (2017)
I ended up reading the new 2017 version of this book, which includes a new introduction and an extensive section on the "new discontents", which are those in developed countries. I guess this is the textbook-like complement to Hillbilly Elegy, outlining the economic reasoning behind how globalization poorly managed hurts those in the countries it is supposed to help most (developing countries) and even those in the countries with the most power and control (the US). He rallies intensely against the IMF, which can sometimes seem like cherry-picking. And although his arguments make a lot of sense to me, I wish he would also discuss how he fit in, since he also had huge influence during a lot of the time periods he speaks about.
What It Takes: The Way to the White House - Richard Ben Cramer (1992)
I must admit that I never finished this 1000+ page tome, but did get more than half way through. The point however is already strongly made. In modern times the president (in this case George Bush Sr.) need not be smart or good with the issues, but just be friends with everybody. The '88 campaign had a vast media involvement, and in the end a very dirty ad war against Dukakis sealed the deal. It does make one sentimental for the time when President's were all skilled elder-statesmen, but at the same time the media involvement has huge positives on the democratic process. In any case, running for president will take over ever facet of your life.
----
What I didn't read:
Trump: The Art of the Deal and Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again. I couldn't bring myself to pay money for, or spend any time reading words even supposed to have been written by him.
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States and Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil are still both on my list as nonfiction, and The Sellout in fiction.
----
My list for this coming year includes finally finishing one of Thomas Pynchon's longer works (either V, Gravity's Rainbow, or Inherent Vice), and attempting Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I am riding a bit of a nonfiction streak, so we'll see what else falls under my view.
It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis (1935)
This was quite a surprise, both because of how similar it sounded to Tr*mp at the time I was reading it, and how realistic it seemed. Interestingly enough it is pretty closely based on a real (but short-lived) political movement of that time. Highly recommended.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
A classic that I essentially already knew about because of its presence in pop-culture. It was a great and easy read, and lived up to its popularity.
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)
Was not on the list, but fit in very well. Prose written like poetry, this work made me feel the visceral emotions that Coates felt growing up, and that he fears his son will too. Also a short read from a current talent that should be on every reading list, if not just for it's beauty, but it's ability to teach.
Hillbilly Elegy - J. D. Vance (2016)
This was surprisingly good, a memoir from a self-described Kentucky/Ohio hillbilly about his very rough and troubled childhood. So many of the superficial facts I had seen so much growing up in others, but Vance brought me in to the experience in so much more detail. He does a great job at both critiquing those he was surrounded by, but also crying out for all of those left behind by unreasonable and nonsensical government policies.
Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue - Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz (2015)
I am a fan of Sam Harris, although he can sometimes take a too-literal, or too-academic point of view, I almost always agree with the logic of his arguments. This is a great short dialogue between Harris, an atheist writer and thinker, and Nawaz, a former Islamic fundamentalist and current reform voice in the UK. Very interesting, and it helps me understand more details about the Islamic faith, and the issues facing the modern world and the billion muslims living in it.
Globalization and Its Discontents - Joseph E. Stiglitz (2017)
I ended up reading the new 2017 version of this book, which includes a new introduction and an extensive section on the "new discontents", which are those in developed countries. I guess this is the textbook-like complement to Hillbilly Elegy, outlining the economic reasoning behind how globalization poorly managed hurts those in the countries it is supposed to help most (developing countries) and even those in the countries with the most power and control (the US). He rallies intensely against the IMF, which can sometimes seem like cherry-picking. And although his arguments make a lot of sense to me, I wish he would also discuss how he fit in, since he also had huge influence during a lot of the time periods he speaks about.
What It Takes: The Way to the White House - Richard Ben Cramer (1992)
I must admit that I never finished this 1000+ page tome, but did get more than half way through. The point however is already strongly made. In modern times the president (in this case George Bush Sr.) need not be smart or good with the issues, but just be friends with everybody. The '88 campaign had a vast media involvement, and in the end a very dirty ad war against Dukakis sealed the deal. It does make one sentimental for the time when President's were all skilled elder-statesmen, but at the same time the media involvement has huge positives on the democratic process. In any case, running for president will take over ever facet of your life.
----
What I didn't read:
Trump: The Art of the Deal and Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again. I couldn't bring myself to pay money for, or spend any time reading words even supposed to have been written by him.
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States and Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil are still both on my list as nonfiction, and The Sellout in fiction.
----
My list for this coming year includes finally finishing one of Thomas Pynchon's longer works (either V, Gravity's Rainbow, or Inherent Vice), and attempting Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I am riding a bit of a nonfiction streak, so we'll see what else falls under my view.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Learning two languages at once?
I want to expand upon the topic of language learning, inspired yet again by fluentin3months.com, this time by a specific post 'Learning Two Languages at Once: Can You Learn Multiple Languages at the Same Time?'
For a period of about one year I was learning German, progressing from beginner to intermediate, at the same time as beginning from scratch with the Croatian language. I've been living in Hamburg, Germany for three years now and wanted to learn the language for obvious reasons; to communicate and connect better with friends, colleagues, and everyday people. My girlfriend is from Croatia, so in part because of raw curiosity, but also to gain the ability to communicate with her family and friends, I started to learn from zero.
German had gone quite well even without an official course, mostly because I live in Germany and had a support structure to give me the opportunity to practice. Also, I was quite motivated so my self-study worked. Croatian on the other hand floundered for months, and is still only progressing slowly since I have time for only one one-hour long Skype course per week. Still, I feel like I really learned something for that period of time where I was learning two languages at once. I am heading in to a period where I will probably need to draw on these skills again. I am moving to Paris, France, and will probably want to pick up at least basic French and at least slowly continue with Croatian, albeit both with less urgency than before.
The article, written by Benny Lewis, the founder of the site, lists five things that I could not agree with more:
1. Choose languages that are really different
2. Study both languages each day
3. Avoid multi-tasking
4. Give each language a unique study routine
5. Don't rush!
These are absolute gold, and took me months to figure out myself. The most important I found was to really practically separate the way that you study each language. Don't study them in the same place, or at the same time of day. For the period I was studying German and Croatian I only studied German in the mornings before work, and only studied Croatian in the evenings after work. One example was listening to a German podcast on the way to work (Echo des Tages from NDR), and a Croatian one on the way home (actually from Serbia because there are no Croatian pods available, Srbija u dva). I would have loved to study each every day, but didn't have the discipline to do so, even for a small amount of time.
I hope this is useful. Just like Benny says, it is probably not possible or recommendable to try to become fluent in two languages at once, and it's also hard to imagine that being necessary for many people. But brushing up or slowly improving skills in two languages at once is something that many people probably wish they could do. It is definitely possible, just try to set these guidelines first so the time is well spent.
For a period of about one year I was learning German, progressing from beginner to intermediate, at the same time as beginning from scratch with the Croatian language. I've been living in Hamburg, Germany for three years now and wanted to learn the language for obvious reasons; to communicate and connect better with friends, colleagues, and everyday people. My girlfriend is from Croatia, so in part because of raw curiosity, but also to gain the ability to communicate with her family and friends, I started to learn from zero.
German had gone quite well even without an official course, mostly because I live in Germany and had a support structure to give me the opportunity to practice. Also, I was quite motivated so my self-study worked. Croatian on the other hand floundered for months, and is still only progressing slowly since I have time for only one one-hour long Skype course per week. Still, I feel like I really learned something for that period of time where I was learning two languages at once. I am heading in to a period where I will probably need to draw on these skills again. I am moving to Paris, France, and will probably want to pick up at least basic French and at least slowly continue with Croatian, albeit both with less urgency than before.
The article, written by Benny Lewis, the founder of the site, lists five things that I could not agree with more:
1. Choose languages that are really different
2. Study both languages each day
3. Avoid multi-tasking
4. Give each language a unique study routine
5. Don't rush!
These are absolute gold, and took me months to figure out myself. The most important I found was to really practically separate the way that you study each language. Don't study them in the same place, or at the same time of day. For the period I was studying German and Croatian I only studied German in the mornings before work, and only studied Croatian in the evenings after work. One example was listening to a German podcast on the way to work (Echo des Tages from NDR), and a Croatian one on the way home (actually from Serbia because there are no Croatian pods available, Srbija u dva). I would have loved to study each every day, but didn't have the discipline to do so, even for a small amount of time.
I hope this is useful. Just like Benny says, it is probably not possible or recommendable to try to become fluent in two languages at once, and it's also hard to imagine that being necessary for many people. But brushing up or slowly improving skills in two languages at once is something that many people probably wish they could do. It is definitely possible, just try to set these guidelines first so the time is well spent.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
How long does it really take to learn a language?
I have become more and more interested in learning languages since moving to Europe. I studied German (hopelessly) in high school, and studied Japanese in college, but since moving to Germany over three years ago I have come to truly enjoy it. I have gotten to an upper-intermediate level in German mostly via self-study and immersion, and have started learning Croatian since it's the native tongue of my girlfriend. With an upcoming move to Paris and therefore French learning on the horizon I'm actually motivated rather than intimidated.
Along my journey of getting interested in languages I have many times clicked on fluentin3months.com, where Benny The Irish Polyglot (and now a team of bloggers) talk about the fun of language learning. His philosophy, outlined in his language hacking guides, is that book learning is over-rated and the best tactic is to speak from day one. He is absolutely right, and has proven it during many of his language challenges where he travels to a location and attempts to get to a certain level in his first 3 months there. What I have learned however is that book learning is very useful and important, but passion (and the hard work and determination that comes with it) is even more directly important. Book learning often drains passion, so it is only indirectly over-rated.
Is it really possible to become fluent in 3 months? Probably yes, but not for everyone with every language, and it's definitely not easy. But that's not the point of Benny's site anyway. The point is that setting goals and not being afraid to speak are necessary to make real progress.
Along my journey of getting interested in languages I have many times clicked on fluentin3months.com, where Benny The Irish Polyglot (and now a team of bloggers) talk about the fun of language learning. His philosophy, outlined in his language hacking guides, is that book learning is over-rated and the best tactic is to speak from day one. He is absolutely right, and has proven it during many of his language challenges where he travels to a location and attempts to get to a certain level in his first 3 months there. What I have learned however is that book learning is very useful and important, but passion (and the hard work and determination that comes with it) is even more directly important. Book learning often drains passion, so it is only indirectly over-rated.
Is it really possible to become fluent in 3 months? Probably yes, but not for everyone with every language, and it's definitely not easy. But that's not the point of Benny's site anyway. The point is that setting goals and not being afraid to speak are necessary to make real progress.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Tr*mp Reading List 2017
A reading list for this year, in order to educate myself about things I didn't realize were so important, and to be ready for the uncertain future. In no particular order.
----
It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis (1935)
Trump: The Art of the Deal - Donald J. Trump (1987)
Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again - Donald J. Trump (2014)
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States - (2015)
Hillbilly Elegy - J. D. Vance (2016)
The Sellout - Paul Beatty (2015)
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
----
It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis (1935)
Trump: The Art of the Deal - Donald J. Trump (1987)
Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again - Donald J. Trump (2014)
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States - (2015)
Hillbilly Elegy - J. D. Vance (2016)
The Sellout - Paul Beatty (2015)
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
What It Takes: The Way to the White House - Richard Ben Cramer (1992)
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil - Hannah Arendt (1963)
Globalization and Its Discontents - Joseph E. Stiglitz (2002)
----
Examples of other reading lists:
http://www.fsgworkinprogress.com/2016/11/a-post-election-reading-list/
http://remezcla.com/lists/culture/stop-trump-reading-list/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/jan/20/recommended-reading-for-president-trump
and a collection of reading lists from vox:
http://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/19/13676514/collection-reading-lists-prepare-age-trump
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