I set an ultimatum on myself today – must not rest until I have finished reading through Communication Revolutions – or else! It was to do three whole hours of reading and if I so happen to break that ultimatum, I must do an extra three hours tonight (which means no TV, no internet, no rest!) But, let me just proudly share that I was able to get the readings done in an hour and forty minutes. That is the highest achievement for this week thus far (I know it’s only Monday).
So, let me just share with everyone how delighted I am to have found myself liking this week’s reading. Last two weeks’ were pretty bland – not only because I had to read them while I was on the plane, but because I just can’t seem to get my head around them. However, unlike last week, I got my head around the reading for this week and silently agreeing or “Oooh-Aaah”-ing at the paragraphs.
I have always been amazed with language and how language evolve. In Brunei, even though the official language is Malay, English being the second language, inside the Malay language itself is an abundance of dialects. Like myself, I speak English and/or Malay with my friends but at home me and my mom sometimes speak in a language that is used by people coming from across the border of Malaysia called Miri. Yes, there is a Malaysian state just 20 minutes from where I live. On the map, this state is called Sarawak.
In Miri, people talk in the Kuching dialect. The history behind our household dialect is that, during the Japanese occupation of Brunei, my grandmother’s family fled to Miri and lived there and my mom was born there before her family moved back to Brunei. My grandmother was never really fluent in Brunei Malay, although my grandfather was, so my mom and her siblings had to conversate with my grandmother in Kuching dialect. So, I think technically I can speak three languages then?
To add, I’ve always wanted to learn Hindi. I did French for about three years during my lower secondary years but I’m just terrible at it. To be frank, I hated French because the teacher was too strict and didn’t let us budge in our seats. For about three years I was afraid to even breathe but anyway, if I’m given the chance to re-learn it I might just take it!
Anyway, back to the issue of language. If I remember correctly, somewhere in the reading, a comparison between intelligence and literacy was made reason being that only if you can read and write can you be labelled as smart. But how about babies? Those two or three year olds who don’t know how to write yet but are able to understand what birds are, what red is, who mom and dad is? I don’t think it would be fair or inhumane to call a baby the opposite of smart when they can’t read or write yet. What about those child prodigies? I bet half of them didn’t even know how to read and write before they started their prodigal activities.
On another topic in the reading, I agree that with isolation a person can be lacking in their speech. I can say “aye” to this from my own personal experience. This happened during my very first year here in Melbourne. I was not isolated per se, but I lacked social activities and human interaction, what with my sole companions being books and the internet. I do still text with my family back home but once I started talking to them in Malay, it was really hard for me to come up with words. I would either forget or mispronounce the words.
I think I am pretty lucky with the fact that now I am able to keep lingual activities on balance otherwise I’d be mute altogether! But just as a reminder, don’t be shocked if I happen to stutter when I talk with you…
