Sunday, September 22, 2013

Cultural immersion

He has taken up a new hobby and for once it doesn't involve games. In His declining years he has decided to take up another language. So there He is leaning French 'cos many of the authors he loves are French and he'd like to be able to read the original versions
Sighs He really is quite bright... scarily bright might one add.
To Him learning French in its written form is relatively easy. In many ways it is a series of patterns and just as He only needs to be shown something on a computer once to learn it, so it seems to be similar for a new language.

That's not to say that He is quite ready to read Sartre, but he suspects Camus will be within his grasp. For now though His reading projects include a few comics and then he thought he would venture to the Story of "O". It seems He is starting with simple reading rather than abstract philosophical concepts. Even He has to start with the equivalency of "see spot run".

Of course one small slave is getting immersed too 'cos He also learns by sharing. Unfortunately one does not have His aptitude, so most of it goes sailing right past that part of the brain that saves useful information. Actually one deeply suspects that one hears about as much some men do when confronted by conversations about abstract, nebulous concepts like feelings and things of that ilk. However, one did click in for the end of last night's lecture discussion...

...  We should go to a French restaurant. Ordering food is a good basic skill, though I'm going to need to learn the phrase for "gluten and soy free?"...
Food? Food famed for its excess of lovely, rich fats and carbohydrates?
Perks with a sudden interest hitherto unknown when confronted by His latest obsession.

3 comments:

ancilla_ksst said...

Pouvez-vous dire 'Oui maƮtre'?

We spent one whole evening with me only being allowed to speak French. I guess cause he thinks it is sexy.

Master's piece said...

Why? Why do you put these ideas out there?

ancilla_ksst said...

I'm naturally helpful like that.