2023/06/13 English

BGM: 真心ブラザーズ - 空にまいあがれ

Reading Shigehiko Hasumi's book, I found an interesing episode in it. In this book, Hasumi writes about the scene he had watched on TV. In that TV, there had been boys who had spoke foreign language fluently. They had confessed a lot to other foreign people. Hasumi describes their attitude as using the words "too diligently"... and he ends this essay with this conclusion. "Although you have great confidence enough about your skill of foreign languages, you shouldn't declare your opinions in those foreign languages". "Because if you try to declare one cluster of your thoughts toward other people's will by speaking that foreign language, people would become too seriously. And that seriousness would lead the person to the huge dishonesty in contrary". In other words, Hasumi writes critically about the attitude of those boys who had tried to speak great opinions in foreign language. They were just too "diplomatic"... And this suggestion by Hasumi is a really great opinion I guess. Can I be free from that idiotic attitude when I speak English as my second language? I am also "diplomatic" to others?

From Hasumi's this opinion, I think that "Even if it is in foreign language or Japanese, we have to accept the fact that confessing ourselves to the world would be funny basically". I guess that this journal I have been writing is also stupid. Although no one asked me to do this, I can't stop writing this and show to other readers. But I don't think that this stupidity must be prohibited (and in my opinion, even Hasumi won't say it must be bad). Indeed, this is stupid, but you should say what you want to say... But if there could be added the factor of "speaking by foreign language", then it would become funnier. Me, when I speak English, then I become more cheerful and frank. Or I even become more "diplomatic". Therefore as Hasumi says I am just a "funny" person. Where could this come? Indeed, I hear that other people can feel this change in themselves if they start speaking foreign language.

Then, speaking foreign language would mean that another personality starts working from zero in ourselves. And that could work as a "diplomatic" one. The fun Hasumi had pointed out might come from there. Of course, we say counter opinions to Hasumi. Are "seriousness" or "stupidity" so bad? Indeed, the cynicism like Hasumi is important, but I love myself. I tend to become to diplomatic and serious, but I love myself beyond those problems... This Hasumi's book is really smart and interesting one for me. TBH I had read this book when I was a college student. But at that period I wasn't learning English as serious as now, so I couldn't understand how severe and bitter the learning of English in our real life is. What kind of suggestions will this book give me?

This evening I went to the English conversation class. At there, today we talked a lot about the topic of enjoying nature. In this Shiso city, and anywhere in Japan. There are a lot of site to enjoy that rich nature... And also the world's nature. I talked about Momiji Yama near my house. Recently I had been to there and enjoyed fresh greenery of maple leaves... And I got surprised how fluent I could speak English. This made me think about what Hasumi had said to us again. Probably Hasumi had said to us that it must be "suspicious" when we speak something fluently like this. We can't control the skill of foreign language. But we almost can speak freely from our mouths. Actually, this thinking will lead me to think that learning foreign languages must be enigmatic. Returning to that class, I thought that my thought(way of thinking) was "refreshed" by enjoying other peoples' English. So I could feel a certain happiness.