Language and linguistics

Hey, I'm back. Now completely done with the gymnasium. So from now until the fifth of july I'm going to party down constantly, so now is my last chance to write something (again in the middle of the night, but hey, I don't have to get up in the morning anymore!). As a gratuation gift I got an HTC Legend (!) and all the stuff I need for the Roskilde-festival: tent, foldable chairs, cooling bag. So that's great.

Okay, we're talking language and linguistics today. My latest and greatest passion at the moment. I'm even going to University next year (hopefully) to major in linguistics.

So, what is linguistics anyway? Well it's the science of language. From the tiniest sounds that we speak to the complex grammar and sentence structures they make. All the way from physics and aerodynamics in pronounciation to the neuro science of language learning to the art of writing and the sociological influences of dialects. Just my thing.

I guess (again) that my childhood in Japan is to blame for this interest in linguistics. Being bilingual at such an early age can have stimulated the language part of my brain.

Now, conlanging is probably the ultimately geeky part of linguistics. Creating your own language either by mixing or changing existing languages or making them from scratch. I am into the latter, although I have yet to construct a usable language. I have a lot of small projects going, that I can actually focus on now, since I am done with school. Great!

Go read about my first (and maybe a bit ambitious) conlang: A nasal conlang

I won't be back from partying until the fifth, as I mentioned. But I'll be sure to update you with a bit more explanation (maybe a video taken with my new Legend). See ya.

Music

See, that's excactly the kind of consistency you can expect from me. Sometimes I'll post the next day, other times the next month.

On with the introduction to music. I suppose I have always been very musical, and it might have something to do with my upbringing in Japan. It certainly isn't my parents' musicality that has rubbed off on me (i.e. they have next to none). No, I have always been fond of singing, as a child singing such classics as ぞうさん (zou san, "little elephant") and パンダうさぎコアラ (pan'da usagi koara, "Panda, bunny, koala").

I also play the piano.

I like to listen to pretty much all music. Anything from classical to pop to death metal to rock'n'roll to schlager to hymns to country. So mostly what is on the radio. In my own collection of music I have mostly stuff with good harmonies and/or some funny lyrics. So I'm a big fan of Shu•bi•dua (Danish parody rock band), Tripod (Australian comedy band), Tim Minchin (Australian piano-playing rock comedian), The Beards (Australian rockband whith only songs about beards), They Might Be Giants (I haven't heard all of their songs, but the Mesopotamians is my favourite).

Of course I'm thinking of writing my own songs too. With the same sort of humourous lyrics as the above. I only haven't really done much about it... yet. I'll let you know when I write something, and I'll probably upload it to YouTube.

Well, I guess that concludes the introduction to music. I should really be reading for my last exam: classical studies (oral). That's on Monday. But then I am going to be doing only stuff I like to do for the rest of my life (well, I have the right to be optimistic). The next - and probably last - introduction will be "Language and linguistics" that is going to be interresting, but also a bit geeky. I hope to write that next week after my exam and before I go to Roskilde on the 27th!