Babel of Languages

What an interesting read from:

- Ted Blog (http://blog.ted.com/2013/02/19/5-examples-of-how-the-languages-we-speak-can-affect-the-way-we-think/)

- Economist Keith Chen ( http://blog.ted.com/2013/02/19/saving-for-a-rainy-day-keith-chen-on-language-that-forecasts-weather-and-behavior/)

It makes you realise in order to live a life of perspective, despite it's efficiency and it's universality, knowing ONE LANGUAGE, does not help you live a 3D life! 

Every culture, every history, every lesson, every tradition, every meaning is embedded in the mystery of each language. It is your duty to unpack the meaning of your language. The meaning of your background. The meaning of your BEING!

Oh woe is me...I have departed so far away from my Asian roots, by conforming to the efficiency and the culture of open-mindedness and fast - the Western dance! I've embraced the slow quality of South Africa and the Walk that is uniquely African. Now I need to brush up on my Mandarin - my East, because as amazing as google translate is...it will translate a message from English to Chinese(traditional/simplified), but all the meaning and the lessons in my mother language is literally lost in the translation.

How do I answer for my ancestral history if I cannot live and breathe their legacy. Instead I've run away from it all, because it no longer serves me in South Africa. What short sighted thinking!

In T.Harv Eker style ( http://makeovercoaching.com/private-coaching/)

        I, Donna Chiang, hereby commit to learning something Chinese/Mandarin every day. It may be a word, or a food, or a saying, or practicing greeting, or teaching what I need to learn.(#BlairSinger). *baby steps* "

THINK BIG START SMALL" 

 I will do this NO MATTER WHAT! I will do whatever it takes!

*digital signature*

Why is this important to me?

Before I start pursuit new things, I need to know me first! Yes I love French, but if I can't appreciate my own mother tongue first, how do I let others show me their appreciation for their own language?

Here's to doing for my parents, my grandparents, my church brothers and sisters, my friends in France, my friends in Singapore, my family in Taiwan, the Mandarin speaking world who is arriving on my African doorstep! And my two lovable mentees who wanna learn my language - I will do it for you my Zulu speaking inspiration, and my dearest Congolese happiness sun :). 

I can! I will! I strengthen! #Obama! Yes I can!

Until next time

Take care of YOURSELF,  and your Mother Tongue. #roots

Xie xie

Thank you 

Yours in Mandarin

Donna

Taiwanese in South Africa

Languages:

Past: Taiwanese, Mandarin, Afrikaans, English 

Present: English, Mandarin

Future: English, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Taiwanese, French, Zulu/Xhosa