Monday, August 01, 2005

Ε = Επιτυχία

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very nice poem project, translated in many languages


I passed the test. It’s not false modesty to say I’m sure it was graded on a curve. I know my abilities. They plateaued years ago. But I’m proud of my successes. I am prouder, in fact, of learning Greek than I am of anything I ever did at university.

Learning the alphabet wasn’t so bad; finding a good teacher was. So many times I wanted to give up. I had no choice but to persist, to do most of the work myself. I plodded through grammar and tears. I wrote countless compositions. I knew what I had to do. My first conversations were painfully slow; I struggled for every single word.

I hate making mistakes. I stayed mute for three years to avoid it; I still do sometimes. I let others do the talking. And then I regret it, because speaking Greek really is a pleasure, and the rewards, the double-takes, the comments, the compliments, are usually worth the risks.

9 Comments:

Blogger yk said...

Συγχαρητήρια.
Ήταν βέβαιο ότι θα τα καταφέρεις.
Οποιοσδήποτε είχε διαβάσει κάποιο ελληνικό ποστ σου δεν είχε καμιά αμφιβολία.
Η μόνη που αμφέβαλες ήσουν εσύ.
Μπράβο και πάλι...

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I see yk beat me to it, and I hate to say "I told you so", but...

Congratulations! Και εις ανώτερα!

10:44 AM  
Blogger dystropoppygus said...

Time to raise your tutoring fees, I guess. Συγχαρτήρια, τι έχει σειρά τώρα;

;-p

1:04 PM  
Blogger soap said...

It was a good experience... but the only real advantage I expect it to bring me is the right to brag from time to time (which I have done -- thanks for encouraging me, guys).

What's next? I thought about another language, but I'm not sure I can handle it. Maybe sth more "hands on" -- like windsurfing (no way), or dance lessons, or that translation course in Athens.

8:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, windsurfing!

I can teach you how to water-start (or water-finish), and you can teach me everything I always wanted to know but was afraid to ask about semiotics.

And the bruises are on me!

9:10 AM  
Blogger soap said...

Now there's an offer that's hard to refuse!

4:16 PM  
Blogger soap said...

Wait. We are talking about windsurfing, aren't we?

5:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Only if you want us to...

5:20 PM  
Blogger shradha said...

Congratulations!

... and you inspire

8:52 AM  

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