My Thing: The story of my love affair with foreign languages

I grew up in Honduras, which similarly to (although certainly not nearly as extensively as) the United States, is from its very conception, a melting pot of different cultures. Just to use myself as an example, my father’s family is from Palestine, and my mother’s family can be traced back to Spain and France. Furthermore, I had the fortune of attending a bilingual school, where English was the “official language,” so to speak. All of my classes, except for the ones on Spanish literature, Honduran History, etc., where actually taught in English. During high school, I had the opportunity of interacting with people from all different walks of life. Some of my best friends were from China, Mexico, Poland, and South Africa, just to name a few. It’s also important to note that I have family in the United States and that ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always traveled back and forth between the US and my own country. Suffices to say, even though I hadn’t really been aware of it at the time, I actually had a very international upbringing.

When I was 18, I started attending Tulane University in New Orleans, which is, as many of you know, a city that has a significant French influence. It was here where I actively started to learn foreign languages. I say actively because even though English isn’t my native tongue, I acquired it rather passively, since I did start learning it a very young age. During my second semester at Tulane, I took beginner’s French and completely immersed myself in the language and culture. I was always listening to French music, watching French films, reading newspapers in French, etc. Because of its similarity to Spanish, I found that I was able to quickly pick up the language. I was actually enrolled in more French classes for my second year at Tulane, but alas, life had other plans for me. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, leaving in its wake much catastrophe and devastation (and a temporarily shut-down Tulane.) So, I decided to enroll at FIU in Miami, in order to not lose a semester. Why FIU and Miami, you might ask? Well, the decision came quite naturally because I had relatives in Miami who were willing to put me up and FIU had been my older brother’s alma mater. I tried to enroll in French classes at FIU, but all of the French courses were completely full. I decided that since I was at a new university, having a new beginning, I should challenge myself by learning something new and exotic, as well. I’d always been interested in Japanese culture and I’d heard that the Japanese language program at FIU was respectable, so I signed up for beginner’s Japanese.

The more I learned about Japan, the more I fell in love with everything related to it. During the summer of 2007, I actually studied abroad in Japan, and until this day, I continue saying that it’s been the best experience of my life. Learning Japanese has been one of the biggest challenges that I’ve ever decided to undertake. As is, I’m aware that I’ll probably never get to speak Japanese as fluently as I speak English or Spanish. However, I knew from the minute I opened my first Japanese textbook, that it would be a life-long journey. But, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t made significant progress in it. In 2008 for instance, I was actually certified by the Japanese government after having passed Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT.) Nowadays, I go from periods in which I’m very committed to studying Japanese and I actively learn new grammar, vocabulary, and Kanji, to periods when I’m just passively reviewing it, by watching Japanese TV shows, listening to music in Japanese, etc.

So far, I’ve mentioned 4 languages with which I’m fairly acquainted with, which leaves me only one: Italian. Because of its similarity to Spanish, I always felt that Italian would be a relatively easy language to learn. That belief actually still holds when it comes to the reading and listening components of it. The writing and speaking parts… now that’s a different story. I took an online class in beginner’s Italian back in 2006, and I will admit that it probably wasn’t the best decision I’ve made. First of all, it was only a six-week course, which meant that there wasn’t much material covered. Secondly, it was an online course, so there was no classroom interaction at all. Although I passed the course with an A, I wasn’t satisfied with it. But, I did get a basic introduction to Italian, and despite everything, I fell even more in love with it. Whereas Japanese sounds to me as being very matter-of-fact, honorable, and dignified, Italian appeals to me for its sensuality. For me, Italian is incredibly passionate and melodic – you just want to get lost in the sounds. Anyways, it wasn’t until fairly recently that I decided to pick Italian up again. The difference is that this time around, I haven’t been focused on memorizing vocabulary, or learning grammar rules. I’ve actually been taking a decidedly slower and more passive approach. So far, I have to say that I’m quite pleased with the results. My reading comprehension has improved significantly, to the point where I’m actually reading books in Italian (and I’m not talking about children’s books here.) And although I might not know the meaning of absolutely every single word on the page, I can quickly figure out the meaning of those that aren’t familiar to me by contextual cues, which I think is extremely important.  

In addition to those that I’ve already mentioned, I’ve dabbled in a few others, such as Croatian and Russian, the latter being a language that I’d like to focus on more in the near future. As you might’ve picked up from what I’ve said before, I find that language immersion is key. In fact, there are some people who’ll argue that the best way to learn a language is not by memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules, but by picking up the language naturally, as in by listening to it and trying to imitate the sounds. (This is how we all learn our mother tongues.) Personally, I’ve found that it’s a combination of both active and passive learning that helps the most, but I’m not here to sell you any strategy. Everyone has to find what works best for his or her particular situation. I will say that before sitting down with a textbook, it’s extremely important to familiarize yourself with the language. Take some time to just listen to the sounds, read up on the language’s structure and history, etc. Also, you must prepare yourself to put in the work that’s required. Language learning isn’t an innately difficult task, but it does require a lot of hard work and effort. I’ve found that most people fail in their language learning endeavors, not because they aren’t “talented” at picking up languages, but simply because they’re not doing what needs to be done.

Some say that learning a new language is like acquiring a new soul, and as overly romanticized as this may be, I’ve found that it may be somewhat accurate. The term “soul” can be defined as: the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death. You’ll quickly realize that once you’ve started to learn a new language, you’ll want to learn everything about the culture associated with it, as well. Therefore, learning a language can help you become better acquainted with a culture dissimilar to your own, helping you maintain an open-mind with regards to people from different walks of life. At the end of the day, this is probably the aspect of language learning that appeals to me the most. Being able not only to communicate, but also understand, the lifestyles and philosophies of people from other countries and continents. As I said before, this is a lifelong journey for me. Some people find that certain “things” just click with and work for them. For some it may be fashion, or literature, or rock climbing, etc. And though it took me a while to truly realize and accept it, this is my “thing,” and I’m extremely thankful for meeting people (especially those of you who are reading this right now, you know who you are) who not only share my passion, but are incredibly understanding and supportive. I encourage all of you to find your own “thing.” Trust me, life gets much better once you do. 

Live, Laugh, Love

Words are powerful, but sometimes images do a better job at representing who we are and what we want. 

The end of a chapter...

I was watching a DVD of Adele's concert at the Royal Albert Hall and her music moved me so much that I came to the realization that we should all do what she did and turn our sorrow and pain into pure gold. So, I sat here at my computer for a good 30 minutes trying to come up with something amazing that would manage to express all of my emotions. I'd decided beforehand that I would honor whatever came out. As Lady Gaga says, we should all honor our vomit (honor our creativity) and let our ideas flow unbridled, uninhibited.

To be honest, I was expecting something along the lines of "Someone like you," to pop out because naturally, I think I'm as talented as Adele at songwriting... Joking aside, I wasn't really expecting to write a Grammy winning song, but at least a poem or two about unrequited or long-lost love. In other words, I wanted to write something that every single person on this Earth could relate to. Yet, the words simply failed to make an appearance. I was starting to get frustrated at my lack of "talent" and creativity when it suddenly hit me, I'm just not sad anymore. How could I ever expect to write something grandiose about heartbreak, when I'm just not heartbroken any longer? And for a moment, I actually felt nostalgic about being heartbroken. I guess that I had grown so used to being the drama queen, and that talking about my latest romantic failure had become such a deeply embedded habit, that I failed to realize that time had finally worked its magic and that well, I just didn't care about that particular individual anymore.

Honestly, that person should feel flattered that I ever thought so highly of him because now I've finally reconciled my idea of who I thought he was with who he really is, and truth be told, homeboy ain't that great. It really is a beautiful moment when you realize that you've finally been purged of someone who never realized what you were worth, and who never even gave you a fair chance to prove just how much love you've got to give. It's even more beautiful when you realize that you were able to cure yourself of this disease without having to use anybody else's emotions or body to numb the pain - you weathered through the storm alone and you survived.

Anyways, I decided to include Adele's "One and Only" with this post because it accurately describes how I felt about that person at the time. That said, if you watch the video, she says, "this song is about someone I used to really like, but I don't like them anymore." The best part is the face that she makes while she says that - she doesn't even try to hide her displeasure at all. And of course, I just thought it was very Krizia-like and highly relevant. Hehe.

Things are changing my friends. I can feel it.

Before & After

As requested, I bring you another Before & After post, including my most recent picture. This time I won't be using a picture of myself in workout clothes, just regular attire. Sure, my clothes in the first picture were certainly not the most flattering, but you can still see a huge difference, I think. My weight has remained somewhat the same these last couple of months (I blame Christmas! haha), but I'm back on track and I certainly feel that I've gained a lot of muscle and am slowly (but surely) toning up and getting healthier and fitter.

October, November 2010

January 2012

The Chinese hukou system (户口)

As mentioned in my New Year’s Resolutions post, I want to diversify the topics that I cover in this blog. First and foremost, I believe that it’ll help me on a personal basis. I enjoy reading up on and learning about a wide variety of subjects, and I feel that writing about what I learn will help me further assimilate my newly gained knowledge. Furthermore, I think that all of the people who read this blog on a regular basis would also appreciate the fruits of my research. I’m planning on writing about things that I believe not very many people know about but that I find to be either important or interesting, such as random cultural particularities and things like that. Without further ado, let me mention today’s topic: the Chinese hukou system. 

Hukou is basically a Chinese residency permit issued depending on your place of birth. For those of you who are familiar with the American system of residency, it’s very similar to that. Having an American green card will entitle you to certain rights in the United States: education at a lower cost, certain health benefits, the ability to work, etc. The difference is that in China, a hukou will only be of value to you (guaranteeing you rights) in your place of birth. For example, if you’re a Chinese citizen that was born in Shanghai, your hukou will only be valid in Shanghai. This means that you can only study, work, and receive medical treatment in Shanghai.   

The hukou system was designed in the 1950s by Chairman Mao Zedong as a way to control the migration of Chinese citizens from rural to urban areas. We have to keep in mind that a lot of the Chinese institutions still in place today are simply remnants of the socialist era. Therefore, the hukou system was essentially aimed at regulating labor and ensuring that there would always be a constant supply of workers for all of the state-owned enterprises. 

If you take a look at the map of China’s population density above, it will become apparent that most of the country’s citizens live on the east coast, particularly in the major industrial cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou (Canton), etc. As tends to happen in all countries, especially those that experience rapid industrialization, people will seek to move to where there are more opportunities, ie, the big cities. And here is where the problem with the hukou system comes into action. Technically, it would be illegal for those possessing rural hukous to work in the urban centers. As you might imagine, this led to tragic consequences when the hukou was first implemented, as lots of people possessing rural hukous simply starved to death. 

Since then, there have been some reforms to the hukou system allowing workers from rural areas to obtain “temporary urban residency permits,” effectively allowing them to get jobs in the cities. However, migrant workers are still not given the same rights as those who possess the urban hukous. For instance, if a migrant worker wants to get treated at a hospital in Beijing, he/she would have to pay out of pocket, whereas a person originally from Beijing would have health coverage guaranteed by the government. Also, if a migrant worker wishes to send his children to a public school in Beijing, he must pay a certain amount of money, called a “voluntary contribution,” whereas someone possessing a Beijing hukou wouldn’t have to pay a thing. In case that they didn’t want to make a “contribution,” they would have to send their children to private schools, which would obviously be an extra financial burden. Furthermore, it’s very difficult for migrant workers to find decent, affordable housing in the big cities and their landlords usually take advantage of them by making them pay a significantly larger fee than they would a person with an urban hukou. Also, it is extremely hard for migrant workers to find jobs, and they usually end up at labor-intensive plants that pay them significantly less than they would a local worker. All of this leads to not only a large degree of inequality, but it also creates a large group of very frustrated individuals - individuals who claim that they don’t feel accepted and are discriminated against, who miss the families that they’ve left behind, and who, in many cases, become suicidal.  

Nowadays, it is estimated that there are anywhere from 150 million to 250 million migrant workers in China. This figure is expected to increase to 400 million by 2025. In other words, we’re dealing with a huge percentage of the population. As is, there are about 30,000 protests by migrant workers a year. The Chinese government knows that it would do well to reform the hukou system in order to prevent further instability. In fact, for many of the aforementioned riots, the Chinese police simply turns a blind eye and tolerates them. 

Still, there is a way for those who have a rural hukou to obtain an urban one. However, it is extremely difficult and only happens in the most extraordinary of cases. In order to apply for an urban hukou, a person must meet very specific criteria, such as: have a high level of education, possess a certificate of ownership of property in the city, be the recipient of several awards and certifications, etc. So that you can get an idea of how hard it is to be issued a new hukuo, it is estimated that out of the 7 million migrant workers in Guangzhou, only 3000 have been issued new urban residency permits.

China has built up its economy on the backs of these migrant workers who are subjected to subpar wages, deplorable working conditions, and discrimination. The hukou system must be reformed not only for the sake of these migrant workers, but also for the sake of China’s stability. Some analysts claim that China’s limits on social mobility are also placing limits on its economic development. They insist that the hukou system doesn’t allow for the most effective distribution of workers and that those who have the necessary skills for a job are often overlooked simply because of their place of origin. That said, it is understood that the Chinese government simply could not eradicate the hukou system from one day to the next. This would surely lead to a massive wave of rural-urban migration that could have devastating effects, as cities would struggle to sustain their ever-growing populations. 

I believe that reforms to the hukou system are not only necessary, but inevitable. China has a whole plethora of social problems that when put together are a recipe for a very unhappy and unsatisfied population. I would suggest that the Chinese government start relaxing the hukou system little by little, before it finds a more effective way of regulating its labor.  For instance, once a migrant worker has lived in a city for 6 months, proving that he is making a valuable contribution to society, he would be entitled to certain rights, which would only grow in proportion to the amount of time that he has lived there. Once a migrant worker has been living in the city for a prolonged period of time (maybe a year or two years), and as long as they’ve been a righteous citizen (paying taxes, maintaining a clean police record, etc.), he could finally be issued a new urban residency permit.  

As someone who is currently in a migratory process, I completely understand the plight of the Chinese worker who wishes to move in order to seek out better opportunities. However, it is still bizarre to see that such strict migratory rules exist within a single country, especially one with such an exemplary economic performance. Clearly, the Chinese government is still working out many of the kinks in their social institutions. We can only hope that change for the hukou system comes sooner rather than later, but we also have remember that this is only one of China’s many social problems. Either way, China makes a very interesting case study and we would all do well to keep an eye on its progress.  

Ramblings about Faith: Part 1

We're just trying to find some meaning in the things that we believe in, but we've got some way to go. 

Today was an emotionally charged and confusing day. In the past, whenever I’ve felt that ideas are just floating around aimlessly in my mind, I’ve found that writing out what I think helps me get a sense of organization and clarity. So, let’s see how this goes.

I’ve always felt that there are two kinds of people in this world: 1) Those who can just get up in the morning and go on about their day (as repetitive and monotonous as it may be), without giving much thought, or who at least actively choose to avoid thinking about the deeper things in life; and 2) Those who, on the contrary, spend most of their days lost in thought, trying to get at least a semblance of a grasp on the human experience – our purpose, our nature, our destiny, etc. Maybe this is a somewhat overly simplistic view, but in general, I truly do feel that it is relevant. As you might all imagine, I consider myself to be a part of the second category and sometimes, I truly do envy those who lead, what I consider to be, a much simpler (only theoretically, of course; also note that I said simpler, not easier) life.

I’ve always considered myself to be an existentialist, and am partial to the teachings of Soren Kierkegaard, who essentially claims that each person is responsible for figuring out the meaning of his/her own life. In all of my experiences, I’ve found that everything is relative – every coin has two sides, every story can be told from many different perspectives, and as the rational individual that I pride myself in being, I truly find it difficult to just accept things at their face value, or as are they presented to me. I’ve always been a curious individual, sometimes even picking at things that maybe I shouldn’t have been picking it, but it is a part of my nature. Now, the problem with the existentialist approach is that by being so relativist, you may very well run the risk of not believing in anything. At which point, you become a nihilist.

To me, nihilism is a synonym of despair. Deep down, regardless of my particular circumstances at any given point in time, I truly do want to believe in something. The existentialist side of me would say that I’m okay as long as I believe in myself, my experience, my reality, etc. However, I’ve found that believing in only myself, hasn’t fulfilled me as I expected it to. Again, using my logic, this would lead me to believe that I need to be able to hold on to something greater than myself.

The obvious, and favored choice of most human beings, would definitely be God. Since I was raised Roman Catholic, my value system is definitely rooted in Christianity, but – at the risk of being labeled or judged – I simply lack the faith required to believe in God. Which seems to be my general dilemma, doesn’t it? I seem to be lacking in the faith department. Let it be noted that I’m not criticizing those of you who are believers. Again, my existentialist tendencies make me think that everyone has the right to believe in what works for them (Christians, Hindus, Muslims, etc.)

At times I think that nature is so perfect that it had to be created by an Ultimate being. But at the same time, there’s a part of me that believes in evolution and natural selection. Organisms as we know them today (including humans), came to be perfect after hundreds and thousands of years of trial-and-error. That said, we’ve been conditioned to believe that everything has a beginning and an end. If that is the case, then we can only conclude that there must have been something to cause the first spark, something to initiate it all. But we also have the laws of physics, which tell us that mass can neither be created nor destroyed. And this, people, is my stream of thought – EVERYDAY. I have so many contradictory ideas, all which seem to have some sense and logic behind them, that I truly find it difficult (and even overwhelming, at times) to just believe in one. 

I’m slowly coming to the realization that this is my reality – I’m in a constant state of flux, and there will be people who will never understand me, much less respect me for not "sticking to just one thing." One of my best friends gave me a great analogy today: life is like a waiting room, we’re all waiting to hear back from the doctor, and we’re all reading different magazines while we wait. Some people will stick to one particular magazine – Vogue, The Economist, Psychology Today, etc., but there are others who will read every single magazine in the room, possibly multiple times each. What works for other people doesn’t necessarily have to work for me – and that’s okay. Even though I always take pride in being unique, I have to embrace the whole spectrum of my particular uniqueness. And that just happens to involve being insatiably (and sometimes painstakingly) curious. 

I can only hope that one day I’ll have whole-hearted faith in something, or perhaps it’ll be someone. However, I also have to be open to the possibility that for me, it may not necessarily be about the end goal, but instead about the journey – the waiting. More importantly, I need to learn how to be okay with either scenario.   

Challenge Finale (Days 59, 60)

It took me forever and a day to get the motivation to finally post the last two days of challenge. But here we are. Better late than never, eh? I want to thank Jenny for including me, and thanks to all of you who kept coming back to read up on the latest posts. I hope you've all managed to learn at least one new thing about me. If you didn't, and if you think you know everything there is to know about moi, then I suggest you keep on reading!

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 59: A picture of a random item that you own.

I didn't want to over-think this post, so I just took a picture of the item that was closest to me. This is my Hello Kitty Wallet. People tend to make fun of me because it is a Hello Kitty product (and 25 year-olds aren't supposed to like Hello Kitty), but you know what? I stopped caring a long time ago. I like Hello Kitty, so what?

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 60: A picture of something you’re excited about.

I'm excited to wear this dress! I bought it back in 2010 when I was supposed to go to a friend's wedding. However, as life would have it, AFTER I'd spent $500 purchasing this garment, something lamentable happened, and for several reasons, I decided that my presence was no longer required at said wedding. I couldn't return the dress because I'd already altered it, so it just stayed there in my closet - taunting me. Now, the perfect opportunity to wear it has presented itself. A cousin of mine is getting married in early February and instead of buying another dress, I decided to just wear this one. Sure, I had to get it altered because I've lost some weight, but it definitely beats spending another $500, eh?