The Quest for the Perfect Language
"Mirror reflection examination of my mind, body and soul"
Japanese, I'm obsessed. I love their language, and like their culture. I've always wanted to learn a language, other than my mother tongue and English. Here in Britain taking a language is compulsory for a few years, but French and German never really held my attention. German is so manly, and French, well is French. I wanted to learn something new, something exotic and something useful.
Some suggested I learn Arabic. At first this captured my attention, it was both exotic and interesting. However, one thing it wasn't, was useful. Arabic essentially comes in three forms. Standard arabic, is the formal type, used by corporations and governments. However this would not allow you to communicate with an Abdul Hakim that you could come across in the sandy streets of Arabia. The second type is the arabic dialect, of which there are about six squillion, learn one, and risk being alienated from all others. This did not seem useful at all. The third type of Arabic is Quranic, it's what all the dear-old-grandma's would bend over backwards to see their muslim grandkids learn. A dead language. No, it seemed, Arabic just wouldn't do, at all.
Some suggested I learn Arabic. At first this captured my attention, it was both exotic and interesting. However, one thing it wasn't, was useful. Arabic essentially comes in three forms. Standard arabic, is the formal type, used by corporations and governments. However this would not allow you to communicate with an Abdul Hakim that you could come across in the sandy streets of Arabia. The second type is the arabic dialect, of which there are about six squillion, learn one, and risk being alienated from all others. This did not seem useful at all. The third type of Arabic is Quranic, it's what all the dear-old-grandma's would bend over backwards to see their muslim grandkids learn. A dead language. No, it seemed, Arabic just wouldn't do, at all.
I almost gave up with my quest to learn a fascinating new language, that is, until I stumbled upon my cousins bookshelf, and found a series of Japanese language books. He had studied it at school, and learnt it fluently. I'd never thought about japanese. All I knew of them was there love of anime and gaming. That was all.
But flicking through the Japanese book, on how to draw the many characters the language is made of, I was astonished. This language seemed so alien, but yet so beautiful. Nothing at all like English.
Even after this initial attraction, I hesitated. "Why study Japanese?" I thought, when the Chinese are the "people of the future". They rule economically, dominating many spheres at heart-wrenching speeds. The whole world sat astonished as China leapt away from the shackles of poverty and communism, into the light at the end of the tunnel that is free trade and capitalism. This spark ignited the engine, forcing the train that is China to accelerate at alarming and remarkable speeds economically. This was a country that the future was made for. And their language, Mandarin, is therefore an important language in the business and economic spheres, which interest me so.
But yet, Japanese drew me in. Like a musical whisper dancing in the air, lulling me towards it. Mandarin, I rationalised, has way too many characters to learn, and it's economic strength is highly speculative, whereas Japan is an established powerhouse, an economy with an interesting economic story.
Everyone would go for China, my inner voice proclaimed, therefore you should go for Japan, and nourish your independent streak. One thing I dislike, is depending on others, and being like others. My independence is like a jewel in my crown that defines me as who I am, no way would I trade that in for joining the norm. If I behave like everyone else, then how can I be better than anyone else? What is the purpose of my life if forced to live and be ordinary, what value is my life worth if all I do, is as others do. No, I forbade, I shall study Japanese, and thus began my journey.
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