Dispatches from the middle

Day 17: I handed in another thesis chapter today, and, while I know it will come back to me shortly with all manner of revisions to make, it feels good to have another one down. As a reward, I’m allowing myself one post worth of plotting and scheming about what I’d like to do when I finish. One of the first things on the list is to start learning another language. Brushing up on the French I learned in school would be the logical place to start, but this is daydreaming, so I’m going to envision a fresh, new start on a delicious and life-changing project (because languages are both delicious and life-changing). The only problem is, with a nod to yesterday’s post, there are so darn many of them to choose from and grappling with infinite possibilities gets me nowhere. So, I’ve narrowed the choices down to the following four finalists:

1. Arabic – there was an Arabic immersion program at my elementary school. Most of my friends spoke Arabic, so I heard it every day. I was so fascinated by the different alphabet that I would spend my lunch hours designing my own alphabets and writing systems, all of which crossed the page from right to left. Widely spoken, useful at home and abroad, serious nostalgia points.

2. Japanese – I love Japanese. I love the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way the words stick in my head. As languages go, it doesn’t have overly broad geographic applicablity, but it’s SO MUCH FUN.

3. Spanish – would very simply be one of the most useful languages I could learn. While it’s never enthralled me the way Arabic has, or captured my heart the way Japanese has, I could use it everywhere and anywhere. The films, the literature, and there is no better language to learn to dance in (which, incidentally, is also on the list of things to do once done).

4. Chinese – if there’s any language that could rival (or possibly surpass?) Spanish in terms of usefulness, it would be Chinese. I do find it the most intimidating of all my options, but it’s also very intriguing. Professionally, it would be an invaluable asset (though, really, they all would be) and it would be an amazing challenge!

Thoughts? Recommendations? Votes? What have I not thought of yet?