How many languages can you count in?
Hi 
It is so super-exciting to have found this site and realise that there is a place to find TCKs!! They’re hard to find sometimes because we’re all over the world! But anyway, just wanted to say a hi esp. to MKs, since I was one.
As for my title, it comes in response to the question people ALWAYS ask me, and I’m sure you get this a lot, but as soon as they find out I’ve spent more than 1/2 my life between mid-eastern countries and Europe, they always ask “So how many languages do you know?” I always pause to take a deep breath and silently affirm myself, because I don’t know any other language besides English 
and it’s frustrating. But I can count in 5 languages, but, to pardon the pun, it doesn’t count.
Anyway, to those who are in the same position, we make up for it in knowledge about what it’s like to buy vegetables on the side of the street and use designer money with pretty patterns and high numbers and so it’s really ok. Actually it’s excellent if we want to teach English in a continent like Asia, because we have the background to not push “our culture” on to those we teach, but rather assimilate the culture we’re in, and our native tongue is English, so we’re all set.
Also I can say hi in those same languages, and I can recognise different European or Asian languages, so that’s a start in learning to speak them. By the way, anyone learning or speaking Mandarin? 我学习汉语，可是，我说的不好。 Wo xue xi hanyu, keshi wo shuo de buhao Is that correct?
I’m finally going to learn one other language!
February 1st, 2008 at 7:41 am
wow, Warona, well it’s hard to understand the frustration of keeping up 7 languages
as I only have to worry about one. Well, I did notice that I have to study Chinese everyday to remember 1/2 of what I’m learning, but it’s hard to do that w/out the environment around me; there’s no way to use my Chinese here so I’ve kind of stopped studying for now. That’s so neat that your kids are learning 3 languages now that they’re young! I think it’s an easier way to learn, but some people disagree and say kids experience just as much frustration learning another language as adults, they just don’t remember it as much and adults have the ability to learn faster because we can already read, and by using reason and rules of grammar etc. can teach ourselves.
Anyway, learning languages is a fascinating topic. Hey, your English is fine. You can keep it up here! Just keep reading–that always helps.
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February 1st, 2008 at 7:49 am
Hm, Tayouneh… it’s been so long and I was only 14 when we left so I don’t recognise those names. The only other city name I remember at the moment is Bishmezzine, in the mountains, where we went to visit sometimes. Did you get go there? What’s your favourite middle-eastern food? I used to love the falafel sandwiches! (until I had too many of them :P)
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February 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
No, unfortunately I don’t know Bishmezzine, it seems you know north Beirut…which I know very little of.
My knowledge of Beirut is very south, Shi’a areas, most of my friends came from south Lebanon and lived in Borj el barajneh, haret hreik…these areas I know very well.
Outside of beirut I know brummana, Beit mary, zahle, baalbak (briefly), I was in the south, Nabbatiyyeh, houla, juwayyia, Saida (my favourite Lebanese city), deir el qamar,Ras el Matn, 3aley, I was on the Syrian-Lebanese border, Sur…I only went once to jounieh, beyond that never was north of Beirut.
The thing I loved the most of Lebanon was the quality of their fresh produce, not to forget the pistachios and halvas…my favourite dish would have to be man’ouche bil jebneh purely for it’s simplicity and wonderful soul food feel.
I must say falafels rank very high in the list
I have a hundred other dishes…please don’t remind me…food here taste like crap…
I am and have been since I was 15 a vegetarian, so I haven’t tasted many of the dishes, but Lebanon was an absolute Vegetarians dream…entire mezze’s without a piece of dead animal in site
what year did you leave Leb?
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February 5th, 2008 at 8:40 am
hey, LondonRose… there are many other people here who only speak 1 language. (until 2006 I only spoke 2)
Maybe you could try to learn one that is more similar to English, so it might be easier for you.
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February 5th, 2008 at 9:30 am
hmm…let’s see. i can count (at least up to 10) in about 7 languages. and i can say VERY simple things like ‘hi/bye/please/thanks’ in about 10 languages. i can also read in about 7 different languages. but i dont actually KNOW the languages. i just studied enough to be able to pronounce it but i dont understand a word. =\
but really, i only know english and chinese (mandarin and cantonese).
i sometimes amuse myself by saying some random word in say…russian or greek or even latin to an acquaintance and have him/her think i can speak some really cool language.
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February 14th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I’m fluent in English, but know basics in 5 other languages.
There was some definition that you could say you were a beginner if you knew how to say 2 phrases/sentences in a language… which suddenly shoots the list to way high.
I can swear in Russian, saw a few basic things in Arabic, Hindi, Thai, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, and so on. But they really shouldn’t count.
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February 15th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I speak English (my first language) and French ( I’ve been speaking for 11 years)
In addition I can count in Spanish, Hindi,and Mandarin Chinese.
However, I’ve alwasy been mesmerized by Portugese.
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