Help?

[conuly]

I want to attempt, one summer soon, the Greek Language Institute. Basically, you spend all summer, five days a week, from 9:30 to 4:00... learning ancient Greek. 12 credits. Two years of Greek in one summer.

How crazy is this? How does one schedule time for this? Why am I doing this to myself? Why on earth am I translating all this into Latin as I type it?????

Comments

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

I remember one time when I was little, about nine or ten, my dad decided he was going to learn Greek, and teach it to us kids while he learned. I remember learning the entire Greek alphabet, the name of each letter and how they were pronounces, and how to write the symbol, and we'd just gotten to the actual making of words part when either he got bored or we whined so much that he just gave up on us. ^^;;;;

Childhood anecdote aside, I think it's very crazy--but it also sounds like it could be great fun? My advice: Go for it, if it's something you want.

[conuly]

Well... I have no idea *why* I want to learn Greek.

I know I want to continue my Spanish because I already know some of it and it's fun.

I know I want to learn French because that's what my relatives speak, and it's not fair to make them speak to me in my language (that I'm not in touch with them is inconsequential) and also because...

I want to learn Walloon, which is my heritage, but all the information on it is in French (or Flemish)

I know I want to learn German because 1. it's recommended for some grad school linguistic programs and 2. this way I won't always be asking Xiggy what? what? what? when she types in German.

I know I want to continue learning Latin because it's cool. Really. (side note, never say the classics department is a bunch of old folk with no sense of humor. They're all old, but their webpage features many busts of Caesar... all wearing sunglasses)

I know I want to learn a sign language because talking without speaking is friggin' cool and it'll give me an excuse to move my hands around in public.

And I know I want to learn Arabic because Semitic verb roots sound awesome, but elementary Hebrew has only been offered in the morning for 3 terms running. :(

But Greek? I don't know why I want to learn Greek. Ancient Greek isn't even particularily useful, nobody speaks it anymore. I just *do* want to learn it.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.

You know what? From reading all that, what it sounds like to me is that you just like languages, and your other reasons, genuine as they are, are there mostly as a cover because you think you NEED an excuse/a reason for learning all these different languages, when honestly you don't need a reason at all except that you enjoy it. So therefore in my opinion, you shouldn't worry about it, because "I just *do*" is a perfectly good reason for something like this. ^^

I don't know you that well, so I may be completely off, but that's all the impression I'm getting....

[conuly]

You're completely right, of course. But... trust me, I'm just looking, right now, for people to blame for not talking me out of this insanity. Because, you all need to know this now, when I do this (hopefully not this summer, I want to be on a boat this summer) I'm going to be spending the ENTIRE summer bitching about how I don't have a life, I spend 8 hours a day learning Greek, just to come home and do my Greek homework.

Taking Greek in the summer is also a way to avoid the dreaded Professor Harris, who never misses a chance to call me by my full name, every time he sees me...

CONstance EVANgeline! *screams*

He's also the one who refuses to call Michael and Aaron by anything but the other's name, despite the fact that they're not actually identical.

But he doesn't teach in the graduate center, I think.

*realizes she's babbling*

Sowwee.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh. I see. ::g::

You really don't have to say sowwee, though; no one ever has to tell me sorry for babbling at me. I love and adore babble of any kind. ^^

[conuly]

Really? Because I know two babies who babble (and crawl! and stand! and pull to sitting!) quite well! :)

I only mentioned Harris because I like calling him "Professor Petpet" in my mind... *gigglesnorts*

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Heeeeee. Yes, really. ^^

::sniiiiiiiickers:: Dude! I had a Biology teacher once named Mrs. Harris...she was rather much of a bitch, though. Her class was HELL--she was a good teacher, but didn't know how to NOT alienate her students; one time when we were saying the pledge, this oriental girl named Linda forgot to stand, and Mrs. Harris, she says to her, "I don't know how you do it over in Asia, but in America we stand for the pledge." ::grinds teeth together::

/random hate. ^^;;;;

[conuly]

"Yes, and we also have this cool thing called the first amendment. Care to take it up with my lawyer?"

*hasn't stood for the pledge in 6+ years and doesn't intend to start now*

I ranted about this already, it's in my memories.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Exactly. :/

I always stand for the pledge, because quite a few members of my family have served in the military and my brother's going to start basic training to be a Marine next summer, and for me, it's a matter of respect and such. But that's just for me; if someone else doesn't feel the same way, that's their business, and if they don't wish to say the pledge, that's their business as well, and it's not something I'm going to get angry at a person for, and certainly not something I'm going to get nasty about.

::goes to see:: Ahhh, I remember that rant. ::went back and read through all your posts a while back:: You make very good points.

[conuly]

*blushes* My journal isn't that much worth reading!

Except the rants. Those are good.

And I've had some... well, one, really... teachers be very nasty about it. But even then... what she said is beyond the pale, turning a simple political comment into a bit of racism. Aside from which, if said person isn't a citizen, she shouldn't be expected to say the pledge OR stand for it. And if she is a citizen, that comment about "here in america" was completely uncalled for.

Wow, we're *really* offtopic. Oh well. My blog, I can be offtopic if I want, so there! :P

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Yes it is. I know so, because I get bored fairly easily, yet you've never bored me. ^~

I'm really not sure whether she was a citizen or not, as I didn't know her very well and only remember now that she was really nice and could yell really loudly if she had a mind to, but it doesn't matter whether she was a citizen or not, there's still no excuse for behavior like that. ::mutters darkly:: I mean, she wasn't even refusing to say the pledge (which wouldn't be an excuse either, I'm just saying), she just forgot to stand up.

Yes, yes we kinda are. Being off-topic can be fun. ::nodsnods:: ^^

[conuly]

And yet, this is the first you've commented?

Oh well. Enough commentwhoring from me! Bad connie!

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

I've commented a couple other times, but not much and not lately. I'm usually more of a listener, and less of a talker--I'm just chatty tonight, and in a mood to try to be more sociable than I tend to be. Generally speaking, the only person who can count on regular comments from me is my girlfriend. ^^;;;;

I'll try to comment more in the future, though I can't make any promises. ^~

[gingembre.livejournal.com]

It's really no different than my desire to have entire days filled with dance classes. I was trying to explina to Abdul that 10 classes a week isn't much, but he seemed unconvinced :-p Not, of course, that I can take anywhere near that many for a good many years to come due to the kid, but that huge grin of hers makes all sacrifice worthwhile :-D

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

I remember one time when I was little, about nine or ten, my dad decided he was going to learn Greek, and teach it to us kids while he learned. I remember learning the entire Greek alphabet, the name of each letter and how they were pronounces, and how to write the symbol, and we'd just gotten to the actual making of words part when either he got bored or we whined so much that he just gave up on us. ^^;;;;

Childhood anecdote aside, I think it's very crazy--but it also sounds like it could be great fun? My advice: Go for it, if it's something you want.

[conuly]

Well... I have no idea *why* I want to learn Greek.

I know I want to continue my Spanish because I already know some of it and it's fun.

I know I want to learn French because that's what my relatives speak, and it's not fair to make them speak to me in my language (that I'm not in touch with them is inconsequential) and also because...

I want to learn Walloon, which is my heritage, but all the information on it is in French (or Flemish)

I know I want to learn German because 1. it's recommended for some grad school linguistic programs and 2. this way I won't always be asking Xiggy what? what? what? when she types in German.

I know I want to continue learning Latin because it's cool. Really. (side note, never say the classics department is a bunch of old folk with no sense of humor. They're all old, but their webpage features many busts of Caesar... all wearing sunglasses)

I know I want to learn a sign language because talking without speaking is friggin' cool and it'll give me an excuse to move my hands around in public.

And I know I want to learn Arabic because Semitic verb roots sound awesome, but elementary Hebrew has only been offered in the morning for 3 terms running. :(

But Greek? I don't know why I want to learn Greek. Ancient Greek isn't even particularily useful, nobody speaks it anymore. I just *do* want to learn it.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.

You know what? From reading all that, what it sounds like to me is that you just like languages, and your other reasons, genuine as they are, are there mostly as a cover because you think you NEED an excuse/a reason for learning all these different languages, when honestly you don't need a reason at all except that you enjoy it. So therefore in my opinion, you shouldn't worry about it, because "I just *do*" is a perfectly good reason for something like this. ^^

I don't know you that well, so I may be completely off, but that's all the impression I'm getting....

[conuly]

You're completely right, of course. But... trust me, I'm just looking, right now, for people to blame for not talking me out of this insanity. Because, you all need to know this now, when I do this (hopefully not this summer, I want to be on a boat this summer) I'm going to be spending the ENTIRE summer bitching about how I don't have a life, I spend 8 hours a day learning Greek, just to come home and do my Greek homework.

Taking Greek in the summer is also a way to avoid the dreaded Professor Harris, who never misses a chance to call me by my full name, every time he sees me...

CONstance EVANgeline! *screams*

He's also the one who refuses to call Michael and Aaron by anything but the other's name, despite the fact that they're not actually identical.

But he doesn't teach in the graduate center, I think.

*realizes she's babbling*

Sowwee.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh. I see. ::g::

You really don't have to say sowwee, though; no one ever has to tell me sorry for babbling at me. I love and adore babble of any kind. ^^

[conuly]

Really? Because I know two babies who babble (and crawl! and stand! and pull to sitting!) quite well! :)

I only mentioned Harris because I like calling him "Professor Petpet" in my mind... *gigglesnorts*

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Heeeeee. Yes, really. ^^

::sniiiiiiiickers:: Dude! I had a Biology teacher once named Mrs. Harris...she was rather much of a bitch, though. Her class was HELL--she was a good teacher, but didn't know how to NOT alienate her students; one time when we were saying the pledge, this oriental girl named Linda forgot to stand, and Mrs. Harris, she says to her, "I don't know how you do it over in Asia, but in America we stand for the pledge." ::grinds teeth together::

/random hate. ^^;;;;

[conuly]

"Yes, and we also have this cool thing called the first amendment. Care to take it up with my lawyer?"

*hasn't stood for the pledge in 6+ years and doesn't intend to start now*

I ranted about this already, it's in my memories.

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Exactly. :/

I always stand for the pledge, because quite a few members of my family have served in the military and my brother's going to start basic training to be a Marine next summer, and for me, it's a matter of respect and such. But that's just for me; if someone else doesn't feel the same way, that's their business, and if they don't wish to say the pledge, that's their business as well, and it's not something I'm going to get angry at a person for, and certainly not something I'm going to get nasty about.

::goes to see:: Ahhh, I remember that rant. ::went back and read through all your posts a while back:: You make very good points.

[conuly]

*blushes* My journal isn't that much worth reading!

Except the rants. Those are good.

And I've had some... well, one, really... teachers be very nasty about it. But even then... what she said is beyond the pale, turning a simple political comment into a bit of racism. Aside from which, if said person isn't a citizen, she shouldn't be expected to say the pledge OR stand for it. And if she is a citizen, that comment about "here in america" was completely uncalled for.

Wow, we're *really* offtopic. Oh well. My blog, I can be offtopic if I want, so there! :P

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

Yes it is. I know so, because I get bored fairly easily, yet you've never bored me. ^~

I'm really not sure whether she was a citizen or not, as I didn't know her very well and only remember now that she was really nice and could yell really loudly if she had a mind to, but it doesn't matter whether she was a citizen or not, there's still no excuse for behavior like that. ::mutters darkly:: I mean, she wasn't even refusing to say the pledge (which wouldn't be an excuse either, I'm just saying), she just forgot to stand up.

Yes, yes we kinda are. Being off-topic can be fun. ::nodsnods:: ^^

[conuly]

And yet, this is the first you've commented?

Oh well. Enough commentwhoring from me! Bad connie!

[ril-chan.livejournal.com]

I've commented a couple other times, but not much and not lately. I'm usually more of a listener, and less of a talker--I'm just chatty tonight, and in a mood to try to be more sociable than I tend to be. Generally speaking, the only person who can count on regular comments from me is my girlfriend. ^^;;;;

I'll try to comment more in the future, though I can't make any promises. ^~

[gingembre.livejournal.com]

It's really no different than my desire to have entire days filled with dance classes. I was trying to explina to Abdul that 10 classes a week isn't much, but he seemed unconvinced :-p Not, of course, that I can take anywhere near that many for a good many years to come due to the kid, but that huge grin of hers makes all sacrifice worthwhile :-D