Wednesday, February 02, 2005
So far I'm liking it
Fierce Invalids is pretty good so far. I really like the style Tom Robbins uses in this book. I'm only about 2 chapters in but am hooked already. Stupid work getting in the way of my past times.
One passage I reeeally liked was "When you go for a while without being able to understand a word of what anybody around you is saying, you start to forget what banal bores our blathering brethren be."
And not just because of the nice alliteration, but I have experienced this. My summer doing research in Europe, I couldn't understand a freaking word anyone said. I could catch the occasional basic german word, mother, father, flower, 19, but for the most part it was just the white noise of german. Occasionally I get distracted by other people's conversations, especially loud or strange conversations, but if they're in german, you tend to get lost in your own thoughts.
I would love not to be able to understand people's inane chatter at Wal-Mart. And I can't not listen. I'm a curious inquisitive person and can't help it. I miss that. And I also came to hate Americans a little bit when I was in Paris. They were so loud and grating. Like they were in an amusement park. You can talk but don't scream. That and they assumed everyone spoke French. Imagine a Russian coming over here and just speaking Russian to people. It would be a bit frustrating. It's only common courtesy to learn a little of the native tongue of the country you are visiting. It really breaks some of the "tourist/local" tension. And be nice. And smile. Those two usually help.
One passage I reeeally liked was "When you go for a while without being able to understand a word of what anybody around you is saying, you start to forget what banal bores our blathering brethren be."
And not just because of the nice alliteration, but I have experienced this. My summer doing research in Europe, I couldn't understand a freaking word anyone said. I could catch the occasional basic german word, mother, father, flower, 19, but for the most part it was just the white noise of german. Occasionally I get distracted by other people's conversations, especially loud or strange conversations, but if they're in german, you tend to get lost in your own thoughts.
I would love not to be able to understand people's inane chatter at Wal-Mart. And I can't not listen. I'm a curious inquisitive person and can't help it. I miss that. And I also came to hate Americans a little bit when I was in Paris. They were so loud and grating. Like they were in an amusement park. You can talk but don't scream. That and they assumed everyone spoke French. Imagine a Russian coming over here and just speaking Russian to people. It would be a bit frustrating. It's only common courtesy to learn a little of the native tongue of the country you are visiting. It really breaks some of the "tourist/local" tension. And be nice. And smile. Those two usually help.
# posted by Seth @ 7:49 AM 
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