Speaking of languages

Do you still remember the special pleasure of learning to read? When letters became words and words started to form sentences? When you could finally read books, magazines, flyers, information on bulletin borads and so on? (I can remember the joy when I didn't need Mother's help to read subtitles in foreign movies.)

Guess what? That special feeling of accomplishment is not forever lost even if it's not likely that you'll suddenly forget how to read. It's possible to experience it again. And again. You just need to start studying a new language. What's even better, it's not enough to learn just the alphabet this time. You'll also need to learn the words, hahahahaaa. (Evil laughter) "Easy to read, difficult to understand".

I don't know what possessed me when I thought that it would be a nice idea to learn to read once again, in Polish this time. I don't care if I'll never be able to read the junk mail tax office might send me, I'd be happy to be able to read a menu at a restaurant. I made this unbelievably optimistic wish before I had any knowledge of the Polish language. Now my most optimistic plan is to learn the numbers in 5 years and maybe then it could be possible to take a look at the most common greetings.

Polish belong to Slavic languages and previously I have wrestled with that lot when I tried to study Russian. When my grades hit a rock bottom I decided to forget the whole thing. After graduating from UAS I felt a momentary relief, thinking that I'm done studying languages. But then I drifted to Poland with the rising tide and found myself in a country where it's not only possible, but also very probable, to miss a train if you don't happen to understand the announcements at the railway station.

So, all in all, I started studying Polish. Next week my newly acquired skill will be tested. Let's see if I can order a coffee and a piece of that delicious cake at a coffee shop. If I'm not able to say "cake" in Polish, at least I'll get the coffee.