With all the crap going on in my life recently, I decided I can’t keep putting of what I want to do. I have always wanted to learn Arabic. So I picked up a book/DVD combo “Learn Arabic In 10 Minutes A Day”. I have never understood my fascination with the Middle East. Especially being a woman, and a fairly feisty one at that. There is something utterly romantic to me about deserts, the Lawrence of Arabisque landscapes.
I was fortunate to be able to travel to Egypt a little over 10 years ago. For some reason it did not seem very Middle Eastern to me. Yes I know that Egypt is in Africa as well. I think maybe just a bit touristy. Which still is not that bad, yes they spoke Arabic but also English was widely spoken as well. I wanted to see the nomadic Bedouins.
I have dabbled in languages a little bit, but they have always been the Romantic languages, Spanish, French and Italian. I never came close to mastering any but could get by if needed and could decipher fairly easily written words as they all are essentially continuations of Vulgar Latin. I can follow. So I thought, hum, Arabic, while I know is going to be incredibly tough, I didn’t realize how tough. I knew a few words and phrases all ready but nothing of the written language.
As you know, first of all, Arabic is read right to left. While that doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, it really starts to throw you. I have to say tho it is very appealing to those of us that are left handed and have had the fun experience of dragging hand through wet ink. The pronunciations are very foreign to the English speaking, with some descriptions on how to pronounce some sounds being compared to gargling, glottal stopping or my favorite for the English equivalent to H “strongly aspirated as if you were blowing out a candle from the back of your throat”. I personally have never tried that before.
I have had this book now for about 5 days, making sure I spend my 10 minutes a day studying. I have made it to page 6. There are 136 pages in this book. I think I will be doing this awhile. Stay tuned.
مع ذلك أقول وداعا حتى آخر القادم
Blonde Catharticism 