2024/03/17 English

BGM: U2 - Get On Your Boots

It was a day off, and this morning I enjoyed an English meeting on zoom as usual. After that, I wrote down what kind of English activities I've been doing now on my memo pad- For example, writing this English journal, the English memo I usually write, the chatting on Discord, MeWe, and other various social media. After that, I went to the library to borrow Ocean Vuong's book "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous".

From 10 am, I started enjoying the meeting about autism (by using zoom.) At the meeting, and at the turn of my presentation, I talked about the English activities I've been doing until now. I can certainly remember the beginning of this learning - once, when I was 40 and almost had given up this life itself, the words from the current job coach (and also, she must be great friend) has changed me - "Oh! Your English is really clear for me to understand!" And, at almost the same time, another friend on MeWe said to me "Your English is so cool!". Yes, they has changed everything...

But, I never want to say as this. "Therefore, you MUST need to learn English because the world has been globalized actually." Now, there must be some really useful equipment/devices which can translate the things into English smoothly, and I won't say they have to be prohibited. But, I remember the "Sapir-Whorf hypothesis", which means the language I actually use can decide the way of thinking things. According to this theory, I might be able to change my mind itself by using another language.

At the meeting, I could have enjoyed the other members' presentations, too. Especially, a friend talked to us about an interesting phenomenon "lookism", which means the figure of any person can determine the one's impression. In other words, we can have a bias about someone by its figure... I've thought of this. I once met a native English teacher who looks like Afro-American (but I need to know her root exactly.) She has even been asked as "Do you like hip hop?" But I can't laugh this (of course!).

This evening, I enjoyed an English meeting on zoom held by a friend - Oh! My life must have plenty of opportunities of using English. Am I a hard worker? Or simply an "English crazy"?