Three cheers for the American gentleman delighting in the name of Mr M. Mercy Santos, lately of Los Angeles, who recently learnt and sung the Russian national anthem to show sympathy for the victims of the recent airport suicide bombing.
Me and Mr M. Mercy Santos have someting in common as I've been planning to memorise the Polish national anthem for a while and have had it on loop all the while on Sunday. The lyrics aren't too difficult to follow and apart from grappling with a few unfamiliar verbs, it's fairly simple to learn.
Catchy tune, too.
I have real problems getting the rhythm of "Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski" right, though. English people, well, me, anyway, tend to place quite a long pause after "Z" and the next word. In this song the pause is less than brief.I also want to breath in between the 'Z's so it's a bit of a double whammy.
Since I've experimented in reading only Polish, speaking only Polish and watching only Polish TV, I also decided this weekend to try and think only in Polish. The problem is you reduce yourself to "Must go shop, want go bank" thinking which stands in such childish contrast to thinking in your native language. It's tempting to assume there's a glass ceiling that if you can only break through, you'd be fine, but of course with language the only way you can finish the apple is one bite at a time. Marsz, Marsz, Pan Patryk!
I think there is a glass ceiling of some sort.
ReplyDeleteI know I can express myself in many ways albeit with huge grammar errors however there are still some forms or concepts I find difficult to express in Polish.
Obviously I can't like of any examples right now cos it's Monday morning, so, I'll be back on this one!
If that is the case, then you've only depressed me further as I have therefore yet to reach the ceiling!!
ReplyDeleteI imagine perhaps you mean things like idiom, and understanding the nuances of verbs?
Too much Monday!
Paddy
Paddy you said that thinking in Polish frustrated you because you were only capable of monosyllabic utterances . . . I was just thinking that I'm really surprised you noticed any difference at all!
ReplyDeleteKeep eating that apple. You, the Blogfather (Pan Michał) and many others are inspirations in blogging productiveness and you put me to shame. I promise to blog this week!!
K
I am too tired after my 13 hour day to be able to retort, Kolin, so I am going to roll over and let you do your work, which, I am assured, is normally (and mercifully) brief.
ReplyDeleteIf we all collectively take a bite, we'll be there all the quicker! Your in depth blog posts are the quality to my quantity.