Smokers are smarter, I say.

In article
Snit wrote:

On 4/11/17, 11:25 AM, in article ,
"Ken Blake" wrote:

...
I know only the numbers, Thank You, You're Welcome, Good Morning, Good
Afternoon, Good Night, The Check Please, and the names of things to
eat, especially the names and the various fish and other used in
sushi.

When I used to go there I knew a bit more than I do now... but not even
quite all of that. Also a few arbitrary words such as "cat" and a few
others. Should know more -- have a number of friends who speak it well (some
who lived there teaching English as a second language). While I do well with
English I have never done well with foreign languages.

I've never done well with foreign languages either, but the one I know
best is Italian. That's because I've been in Italy about 30 times, and
I studied up for several weeks each time before I went.

I studied Latin in high school and German in college; I remember very
little of either now.

I went to France for a couple weeks with a French teacher and his
students... I was in college and hired as an assistant: to help keep the
students in line (they did not need it, they were great) and to help with
the other adults who did not know the language and culture (as if I did...
but many of them were HORRID). I could not understand much that I heard but
I found I could figure out the gist of most signs as well as the students
who had been studying it for a couple years. If you know English well and
can figure out roots and the like you can figure things out.

Also had good luck with pantomime and the like to communicate. The idea the
French hate Americans is not at all true overall... they hate STUPID
Americans who think if you speak English slowly and loudly everyone will
understand.

One of the funny examples: I used to have long hair at the time... one of
the students killed her hair dryer (wrong converter and it burst into
flames... scary). We went to a store in Paris to get her a new one. The
students knew the word for "hair"... and were shown shampoo and conditioner
and gel and clips and who knows what else. I went to a salesperson and just
pulled my hair out to the side with one hand and with the other made a hand
"gun" and pointed at my head and made blowing sounds. Ok, as I write that it
could have sounded like I was going to kill myself or something, but
attitude counts for a lot I suppose and she knew immediately what I was
looking for.

I also had some complete and utter failures, such as trying to get decaf
coffee... but I shall not talk about those.

That got me by when I was in Japan for a week in 1987. I used to be
able to read and pronounce katakana and three or four kanji
characters, but I've forgotten almost all of it.

Still puts you ahead of me.

Just barely.

Hmmmm, does listening to Styx mispronounce things in "Mr. Roboto" add
anything to my level of knowledge?

Sorry, I don't know who or what "Styx" or "Mr. Robot" are. If this is
popular music, I hate almost all of it, and know next to nothing about
the singers or songs.

!980s music... my teen years. The bit of the song I was referencing:
https://youtu.be/3cShYbLkhBc?t=3m7s. From those I know who speak Japanese
they mangle it badly.

Don't think I ever saw the video... wow, who knew what a masterpiece I was
missing!


--
Personal attacks from those who troll show their own insecurity. They cannot
use reason to show the message to be wrong so they try to feel somehow
superior by attacking the messenger.

They cling to their attacks and ignore the message time and time again.

https://youtu.be/H4NW-Cqh308