Time for New Words

I learned Spanish a few years ago and blooming exciting it was too. That’s right, it might not look like it at times but English is actually my mother tongue.

Now that I can order a cafe con leche without many problems and might even be able to defend myself in a court of law I have decided that it is time to learn a new language. The question is which one should I learn now? Let’s have a think about it.

I have long wanted to learn the Chinese language. The problem is just that it is so, well, difficult. I have even heard rumours that they use a different alphabet from ours. Of course, these days it is a wonderfully useful language to learn for commercial purposes. However, rather than setting up some sort of global business I just want to be able to read my walls. We bought some vinyl wall art years ago and it has some Chinese characters on it. I would quite like to know what I am stating to the world in my living room.

Do you need to learn Japanese to know about bonsai tree care? I actually know a few Japanese words already, although sadly they are all related to the murky world of geishas. i am reading that book about geishas – you know the one I mean – and it uses a lot of the Japanese words in it, although my conversation would be necessarily limited to talking about old fashioned deflowering ceremonies and such like.

Could I buy things in Ikea Singapore speaking English? I watched a travel programme a while ago and it seems they speak a kind of creole there. I can’t find classes on it anywhere local but I would like a new table and I don’t know if they would understand the word table.

What language would I need to learn to buy a used car in Couborg? I don’t know that many technical words in English so I don’t really fancy trying to learn them in another tongue now as well.