Bohužel, mluvim jenom trošku česky...
It's such a peculiar feeling to be living-breathing-working-playing in a place where the language barriers won't allow you to just drift along comfortably. This is a new sensation for me. Really new.
Czech is a stunning language, whilst also being malleable and downright funky. It's what I love about it, and I am all the more annoyed at not being able to swim in it because of its inherent "coolness". If it was an ugly language, I wouldn't care so much. If it was boring and conventional, I would be satisfied with what I speak already, a level that allows me to get around town comfortably and go about my daily business.
But Czech is not ugly, nor boring or conventional...far from it. And so I want to soak it all up like a sponge, and speak it like a native. I really do, and I'm trying. But it's just not happening fast enough for my liking, and that leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
It makes you realise to what extent you take language for granted. You are suddenly acutely aware of just how strongly intertwined "ability to express yourself comfortably" and "personality" are. Although I am the 417 millionth person to say this, there is a real frustration linked to having thoughts rushing through your head at a million miles an hour, along with ideas, comments and other useless titbits, and not actually be able to spit them out in their original form. Scary, really. And new. Scarily new.
At the moment, the thoughts in my head follow a relatively normal sentence structure, to the tune of [subject verb adjective object], and when those same ideas come out my mouth in Czech, they are drowning in a structure that more ressembles the following:
[subject verb (badly conjugated) second subject (is that even possible?) object adjective adjective (both in the wrong grammatical cases) another verb (meant to clear up the confusion that could have arisen from choice of first verb) non-existent word token "yes?" or "in my opinion"]
So that's frustrating. But in typical Kate style, I expect things to be easier than they could ever possibly be in reality, and feel like stamping my feet when I'm proven wrong.
Who needs a comfort zone anyway?
My tip for the day: Eat Afghan Food! It really is the most excitingly nourishing cuisine. When asked what you want to drink, answer "Bogh"...not only will you sound like you're in the know, you'll also be doing wonders for your digestive system.
Kate in Sunny Sunny Prague
xxoo
Czech is a stunning language, whilst also being malleable and downright funky. It's what I love about it, and I am all the more annoyed at not being able to swim in it because of its inherent "coolness". If it was an ugly language, I wouldn't care so much. If it was boring and conventional, I would be satisfied with what I speak already, a level that allows me to get around town comfortably and go about my daily business.
But Czech is not ugly, nor boring or conventional...far from it. And so I want to soak it all up like a sponge, and speak it like a native. I really do, and I'm trying. But it's just not happening fast enough for my liking, and that leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
It makes you realise to what extent you take language for granted. You are suddenly acutely aware of just how strongly intertwined "ability to express yourself comfortably" and "personality" are. Although I am the 417 millionth person to say this, there is a real frustration linked to having thoughts rushing through your head at a million miles an hour, along with ideas, comments and other useless titbits, and not actually be able to spit them out in their original form. Scary, really. And new. Scarily new.
At the moment, the thoughts in my head follow a relatively normal sentence structure, to the tune of [subject verb adjective object], and when those same ideas come out my mouth in Czech, they are drowning in a structure that more ressembles the following:
[subject verb (badly conjugated) second subject (is that even possible?) object adjective adjective (both in the wrong grammatical cases) another verb (meant to clear up the confusion that could have arisen from choice of first verb) non-existent word token "yes?" or "in my opinion"]
So that's frustrating. But in typical Kate style, I expect things to be easier than they could ever possibly be in reality, and feel like stamping my feet when I'm proven wrong.
Who needs a comfort zone anyway?
My tip for the day: Eat Afghan Food! It really is the most excitingly nourishing cuisine. When asked what you want to drink, answer "Bogh"...not only will you sound like you're in the know, you'll also be doing wonders for your digestive system.
Kate in Sunny Sunny Prague
xxoo