Thoughts on learning a foreign language

As I had memorised the lyrics to an italian song that I was to perform, I found the greater challenge was how was I going to deliver the song in an interesting way. The lyrics were simple and few, and the music was just a few basic rock riffs. There was only the emotion of the words to deliver in the song, nothing complex. Love, anguish, heartbreak. Simple. Obvious.

I was unable to emote when I sang them.

I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I knew the intent of the words; I knew the history of the singer and anything else concrete there was to know. How to glean something more out of the song?

I figured I would sing along in English as a language exercise, and as I started singing the song in English the emotion came easily, without any real thought on my part about what the song was about. After a year of listening, a year of planning, a year of translating in as many ways as I could, I found that I couldn't translate the emotion internally. I could understand it intellectually, but my heart didn't process it completely.

When I sang it again, but in italian, I reverted to the quasi-removed version that I had been singing for a year. How do I perform it?

Suddenly (and again for the nth time) I realised how near to impossible it is to learn a language you are not born into and haven't grown up through.

Get 'em while they're young...

Welcome to the United States of Energy!

I'm sure this type of behaviour will only get worse, but I keep hopeful that one day people will wise up.

trials trails ride...

Lucio Schiavon

Today through a connection, I found this illustrator's web site. Engrossing. Can't wait to see Alice in Wonderland in full.

http://lucioschiavon.com/

Video of today

http://vimeo.com/9970489
Take a listen to his brakes, you can hear them every now and again... Insanity.