I mentioned at some point that I have a exams for which I'm required to learn everything about Asian history, peoples, languages, writing systems, and everything not included in the aforementioned.
These exams are tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to noon.
I started studying for them tonight.
This is kind of annoying, because I certainly could've learned the dynasties (thank you
army_kitten, now it's not completely hopeless), had I put in some time. The thing is, the courses these exams are for are completely nuts and I haven't taken them. Well, whatcha gonna do. I had other stuff that required my attention, or that's what I'm telling myself. And also, to anyone who asks.
As a side note, I'm intrigued by a pattern I've noticed. It seems that it's very much a trend for people on the internet, upon being criticized for their spelling mistakes, to respond with a variation of "Well, I've mastered (insert number) languages, including my native language, WHICH BTW ISN'T ENGLISH". Usually this statement contains a lot of swearwords and an unusually high percentage of spelling, grammar and syntax errors.
I don't necessarily see how knowing more than one language excuses one from both not knowing how to spell and neglecting to use a spell-checker. I mean, I learned my spoken and written english at the same time, so I don't think I have any excuse for not knowing how to write words I know how to pronounce. In the case of native english speakers I think occasional errors in spelling are more than natural, because there's a discrepancy between the times when the spoken (parole) and written (langue) languages are learned. So if I was a native speaker and someone told me my spelling was poor, I'd tell them that I'd spoken the language since I was six months old, but only written it since I was five, so we should get back on the subject in another four and a half years. (So I don't know what age babies start talking. Or actually I do, I used to study General Linguistics, but who can remember. Not I)
Also, if I was really trying to be a massive jerk, I'd mention how I don't quite see how anyone can claim to have mastered a language they can't in fact use properly.
What a jackass I'm being again.
In any case, while writing this, I've also learned very many interesting things about the chinese language. Also, yay for remembering to use tags.