what I learned about language.
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been deathly ill. I got the runs (what in Bolivia we used to call the Inca's scourge.) two days after I got home. It last until yesterday. I e wasxhausted by it. I haven't had a solid night's sleep since getting back llargely because the body wanted its needs met and those needs kept me going every 20-45 minutes. Yuck.

Now I seem to be better. I have lost a good 10 lbs. I like that though I don't recommend the method.

Since coming back I have been thinking about my need to learn pisaaKhmer before I return to Cambodia in May. It's funny. Cambodian Sign Language came very easy to me once I put my mind to it. Mostly it came easy because I was surrounded by Deaf people who knew no other sign language. They talked to me about a million topics and simply didn't accomodate me by signing in any other language either spoken or signed. I am so grateful.

On the other hand, any hearing people who I encountered either had learned enough English to make basic (commercial) communication possible. Otherwise there didn't seem to be any conversation at all. When I understood them, it was because I speak enough Thai to make a fool of myself, and that seemed to help me get by since Khmer is the mother language of several languages int he region including Thai.

On the other hand, when I spoke to Cambodians I often defaulted into spoken Thai. Now there is a war going on between Cambodia and Thailand right now over Preah Vihear, an ancient temple iin northwest Cambodia whose ownership is in question right now. So, the worst thing anyone can do to a Cambodian is not touch them on the head (the ultimate no-no) it is right now, speak to them in Thai. I was stuck. Resorting to gestures to communicate became my last option. In fact, it became my best option. Hanging out with Tashi my housemate gave me the motivation. After all, she being Deaf used this option all the time. Everyone in the tourist sectoin of Phnom Penh near the National Museum and the Royal Palace who saw me frequently knew that the way to communicate with me was via gesture.

So many people in Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap benefit from working with the expat and tourists that they have made tremendous efforts to learn spoken English. As a result there are swaths of town where one needn't speak Khmer at all. I shall avoid those places when I go back.

Yet, something odd happened. The longer I stayed the more understanding Khmer would benefit me. So, the mind started playing tricks on me. I began to hear people speaking in English who were clearly speaking in Khmer to each other. The mind so wanted to create meaning that it began inserting English where it heard Khmer. Now that isn't so weird for me since even in English the mind has to substitute meaning when I don't really undrstand because my hearing is just a little off (80 db loss in my right eare -such that hearing speech isn't possible and 25-30 db loss in my left such that hearing whispers and most high frequency sound is lost on me) ... Even so, the phenomenon fascinated me.

When I went to Thailand this phenomenon did not occur at all. I speak enough Thai to make it by with Thai speakers who also speak some English. In fact, the adventure in the airport with the bathroom was just the first of many opportunities to use Thai. In fact, Thai people are rightly proud of their culture, language and king such that when it's not needed to speak English, they won't. The mind did me no disservice by hallucinating English and I was left to my own language devices when I didn't understand. Whew!

So, I had a fascinating experience with my 8th language. That's why I'm going to take Khmer at the University oof Hawaii this semester.