I am home today again, but the big new is that the man seems to be improving! I talked at him three times so far for more than five minutes each! YEAH! He even responded sometimes!
He came and ate a MAMMOTH lunch (and then needed a nap) which is very good.....
I will also say that a two hour walk in the mountain with a supremely happy dog does wonders for a person's outlook on life.
Poetry...not something I usually quote, but Knopf is emailing a poem a day this month, and today's I liked a lot:
Two Poems On Fishing
Should I go drinking and wenching?
Oh, no. It isn't proper for the poet that I am.
Shall I go hunting wealth and honor?
I am not inclined that way either.
Well, let me be a fisherman or shepherd
and enjoy myself on the reedy shore.
When it stops raining at the fishing site
I will use green-moss for bait.
With no idea of catching the fish
I will enjoy watching them at play.
A slice of moon passes as it casts a silver line
onto the green stream below.
By Kwon Homun, a Korean poet whose dates are 1532-1587, translated by Jaihiun Kim
What I like about it? My kind of fishing. I could enjoy fishing if I could have my own supply of hooks. They would look a lot like the weights, you know, round and dull and just heavy enough to make the line look respectable, but no sane fish would consider nibbling it. Either that or some kind of hot-dog fish-feeding mechanism. Know what I mean? The object would be to feed them off the end of the line...and watch them at it rather than catch them at it. I think I would find it more fun.
I have also spent MANY hours today studying Catalan. It is not a barrel of fun at our house this week. Can I also say that Catalan pronouns are going to be the death of me?
Brace yourself, I am going to cover some grammar:
No, I'm not, I am making myself nauseous thinking about it.
Let's just say that it is NEEDLESSLY complicated. M'kay? The fact that there are major differences between how it is written and how it is spoken, and the fact that there are two kinds of pronouns, forts (strong ones) and febles (weak...and the difficult ones) and that the febles (weak and difficult) are 'mengat' - eaten - as in the Catalans barely pronounce them when they speak....so as a language learner you barely hear the d*mn things.....
*inhale*
*hold*
*exhale*
At the very least I am fending off alzheimers in my old age. Or maybe I'm causing it.
10 comments:
Do you mean pronouns, or consonants? Sorry, not trying to be difficult or make it more complicated than it is, but I just don't understand what you mean.
Oh, and I'm very pleased the man seems a bit better - if he's eating, he must be.
Jan, I do mean pronouns, like l'hi, se'n, me'n vaig, se'n han anat, etc etc etc...se l'hi ha dos....
AHHHHHHH
Two hour walk sounds wonderful. Glad the Man is getting better - it's always a bit strange with an invalid in the house isn't it? the Phantasy of Florence Nightingale isn't quite the same as the reality.
Love the poem. Me too am disorganised and ended up writing another post and posting it then seeing mistakes so now the bad version is out there!
big sigh! Must try to accept failures.
You are very good with the studying and Pep was impressed that one of your comments to me was in Catalan.
Now to take dog to the Plaça - no mountains at close hand!
Kate x
Forts and feebles! They sound like a nightmare to learn and use, but what cool names they have.
I'm so glad I came around today to read this post. Loved the poem! I share your view on fishing...I'd rather feed them than catch them.
Catalan is a language I have always thought as very difficult. I admire your determination to conquer it.
Have a great day!
Kate, I don't even have Nightingale fantasies, I just SUCK as a nurse.
JG, they do sound like fun if you just look at the words like that...
Juana, always glad to have you drop by. I don't think that any language is easy, some are easier at the beginning, some in the middle and none at the end. Mastery is ALWAYS a slog, and I ain't even near that.
After such a stupendous Saturday in your life, nevertheless,
HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY
Hope it's just as overpowering down where you are.
Everyone here in Latvia waits for spring as a life and sanity saver.
Have sure I learnt to appreciate all the rituals and festivities that are indulged in to celebrate the return of the sun and the green reawakening of the earth. That the Christian church usurpted lots of them is beside the point.
Am delighted as it all lifts my spirits and blows my mind! GM
Oh those... I have to admit that I don't understand them at all, even those I've got a sort of chart of use that the teacher gave us. Your catalan sounds way better than mine!
GM, it's good here, though spring happened a while ago here....St Jordi's was bigger here, it was rather MAD in fact!!! Lovely too.
Jan...they are not easy, honestly. NOT!
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