My Ode Collection: Ode to Language.

It's Friday today. 17th of July of 2015. 

   Kinyoubi. Friday. Viernes. Sexta. Fredag. Perjantai. —I repeat.— Kinyoubi.

I don't want to lose the languages I've absorbed until this day. I don't want to lose my Spanish. I don't want to lose my English. I don't want to lose my Portuguese. I don't want to lose my nordic languages. And, most important, I don't want to lose my Japanese. That is why every Friday I have the custom of practicing my languages. So I don't forget them. So I don't lose them. I normally use flashcards: I grab a flashcard in my mother tongue —that's Spanish— and then translate the word or sentence into the other seven languages. I do that for 20 minutes straight. 

I always believed that languages are what marks the difference between countries and regions. There are tons of languages all over the world. Each one of those represents different cultures. They're the face of the culture. That's what I think. Just imagine, is there another place in the world in which Japanese is the main language? Is there another place in the world where Australian English is spoken in the same way? With the second point, I want to clarify something: although there are countries that speak the same language, there will always be something that makes them unique. That's why I consider there's a language for each country.

After having speaking by myself for 20 minutes without stopping, I'm feeling thirsty. On the first floor, there're two stretch but tall vending machines: one for hot and one for cold drinks. Both  carries only 13 units of each option available. There are three options for each machine: hot black coffee, hot mocha, hot soup, cold black coffee, green tea and water. What makes me confuse is how they sell hot soup as a common drink. I believe it's kind of wacky. I mean, I've always eaten —or drunk?— soup as a meal, like the one you have in the afternoon or evening. I don't think I'll ever try that. Or not in the near future, at least. Right now I think I'll have some morning coffee. The sticker on the machine shows the hot black coffee is 100 yen. I insert in the coin slot the two 50 yen coins I have with me. And I get my morning coffee. I grab the can with the thick handkerchief I have and lean on the vending machine. And drink the coffee. I drink hot coffee in summer.

   Lian-nii-han!

I hear a high-pitched voice yelling at me with the relax way of speaking of Kansai people. That little girl is running towards me, waving with her left hand and hugging a rat plush with the right one. Her head is covered with a white straw hat with a blue flower on it. She's wearing a blue dress that covers her up to the knees. Maybe some centimetres longer. I can hear the sound of her footsteps from here. It seems she's wearing some shoes with wooden soles. Does she practice flamenco? Or is it because it seems good? Anyway. What a lovely kid. 

   Hey, Reiko-han!

When she stops, she starts to gasp strongly. She pulls 150 yen from her dress's pocket and points to the water at the cold-drinks vending machine. Without speaking, she tells me to buy a water bottle for her with the money she hands to me. 

   OK, OK... —I tell her while grabbing a bottle of water.— Here is it.

She rushes to open the bottle and drinks half of it in less than five seconds. Some drops of water gets to scape from her mouth. Fortunately, none of it got to her clothes. 

   Keep it slow, Reiko-han. The world isn't ending now.

   I know, but I'm really thirsty, nii-han.

   Anyway. What are you doing here, Reiko-han?

   I don't know. I just came here. My body drove itself into here. Do you live here, nii-han?

   Yes, Reiko-han. I'm staying here, in the second floor. 

   Hum... I see.

She doesn't look as the Reiko I know. She is more... sad? Worried? Dull? I don't have the word. I know which is the word in Spanish. But not in Japanese.

   Hey, Reiko-han, what languages do you speak?

   Uhm... Japanese... —She looks at the sun as if it will give her more knowledge.— And Japanese.

   Hum... Don't you want to learn more languages?

   Why? 

   I'm just asking.

   Hum...

There is a five-minute silence gap. We both look at the sky. Surprisingly, the silence doesn't feel uncomfortable. It's that kind of silence you'd like to stay forever. No awkwardness. No desperation. No rush to talk. Only silence. And thinking.

   Hey, Reiko-han.

   What happens, onii-han?

   What do you think about languages?

   Languages? Why do you want to know?

   Uhm... I love languages. I speak eight languages, and I am very into how languages relates on the culture and society of each different country. —I say looking at her.

   Hum... —She thinks her answer while looking at the sky.— Certainly, languages have a relation with society...

She starts to develop her opinion, basing it on what I said. She is good on that, on giving her opinion. And once she starts, she turns 35. Her brain turns 35 years old.

   ... but I believe you are seeing things from the wrong viewpoint.

   How's that?

   I assume that you think that languages represent the culture and society of the country in which is spoken, right? Japanese represent Japanese people, French represent French people, and so on. Am I wrong?

   That's how I feel, yes.

   OK. I believe we have to see this situation the other way around: culture and society aren't build on language, but rather culture and society build languages. It is better to say that Japanese people represent Japanese, French people represent French, and so on.

   And what about languages spoken in more that one country? If we take Spanish as an example, it's talked in Spain, Peru, Argentina and other 17 countries. And each country has a different way of using Spanish. In that case would your theory apply?

   Uhm... 

She stares at the floor for three minutes. I believe large silence gaps like this one are good. They let you time to think on a good answer, doesn't matter if it's to oppose or to agree. Preparing your ideas beforehand is always good.

   ... maybe my theory only applies in countries in which the language is spoken is unique to that country. And maybe your theory is correct in countries in which the language that is spoken is also spoken in other countries. Maybe both of our theories are correct.

   I see.

   Nii-han, which is your favourite language?

   Mine is... I think it would be Japanese. Although many people say that it is hard to learn, once you understand how to learn it, you acquire it easily. 

   And why Japanese? Why not English? Why not Spanish?

   If I had to mention one reason, I would say that I like its complexity and simpleness.

   How's that? How something can be complex and simple? That's contradictory.

   It is complex because you need to understand the context of the situation to know what is the message of the other person. If you're in a restaurant and someone says 'hashi', the person might be referring to the utensil you use to eat. If you are on the street and someone says 'hashi', the person might be referring to the structure used to cross bodies of water. And in written Japanese it's important to notice which kanji you're using to express a word, as many kanjis can sound the same but written differently.

   And why it is simple?  As far as you told me, I can agree that Japanese is a difficult language. I cannot see how it can be easy, specially for a foreigner.

   First, I've been here coexisting with Japanese culture for five months now. So I'm not that different from a Japanese. I might be different from a Japanese person that growth here, but I already have the bases to live like a Japanese.

   OK, then. Why is Japanese simple?

   I think it's simple because the words are represented by a special... uhm... Let's call it 'drawing'. You know, if you draw two lines going up and a kind of cloud covering the tips of the lines, you would think that drawing is a 'tree'. If we 'translate' that drawing to a Japanese kanji, we should draw two straight lines intercepting themselves as a cross and two curves going to both sides, starting from the tip of the vertical line, getting the kanji for 'tree'.

   And what about the kanji of 'see'?

   In that case, you should look at the radicals instead. The lower side has the radical for 'legs'. We can interpret it at support or base of something. Maybe as if it helps to an object to be an action. Then, in the upper side, it has the radical of 'eye'. If we combine both, and put the 'legs' under the 'eye', we have 'see'. The legs help the eye to produce the action of seeing, as its support. It can sound like a nonsense, but for many words we can find a lot of logic.

   And why teachers don't teach that to us? Wouldn't it be easier?

   You should ask that to your teacher. I suppose it's because you have a lot of time. If an adult like me starts learning Japanese from zero, it would take much more time if we'd learned it from early age.

   Uhm... onii-han, you know everything. —She tells me with a smile on her face.

   I don't know everything, Reiko-han. I just know what I know. —I answer her while rubbing her head.

If you ask me, I found this conversation duller than our previous ones. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because languages is not something you would talk about, but more practice it with other people. Also, all of these topics on how languages are written or expressed isn't something that   is really talked about. At the end, when learning a language the most important thing is to absorb it. That's how little kids learn their mother tongue.

   Nii-han, I want to learn English and discover the world. —She tells me out of a sudden.

Now that we finished with our language talk, she stopped talking like a grown up. She's now the girl she always was.

   Hum... the world... As a person that lived in different cultures, I'd say it's a really interesting experience, yet hard to achieve.

   Where have you been, nii-han?

   I went to the Caribbean twice for tourism, I've lived in Latin America most part of my life, I've studied in Sweden for five years and I'm now here. It haven't been many places, but the cultures itself were different. So different.

   And why are you here? Why not staying in Sweden? Why not going back to Latin America?

   Uhm... I don't know. Maybe I wanted to escape from responsibilities. I love my country and the places I've been, but I had the necessity to escape. Maybe you don't understand what I'm saying. You're still young.

   Uhm... yeah. is too complicated for me.

Yeah, too complicated for a kid whose opinion was impressive, even for a politician explaining why a policy should be implemented. Sometimes I can't understand her.

   And, —I ask.— why do you want to go abroad? Why not staying in Japan?

   There are too many old people. And I don't like Japanese working culture. I mean, why a person has to work 12 hours a day?

   And if you try moving to the city and getting an artistic job? Wouldn't it be better?

   I don't know. There wouldn't be many old people for sure. But, still. People work a lot. And if you don't overwork, you may not be that recognised.

   I see...

I always thought that Japanese work culture was exaggerated. And, when I arrived to Tokyo I haven't had the chance to see how work culture actually is. I'd came here directly, to Asuka.

Five more minutes of silence have passed. It's sunny and quiet. You can easily hear the sound of the air hitting the leaves of the tree in front of us. We both finished our drinks. I grab the empty bottle of Reiko and throw it and my empty can in the recycle bin. Something about these recycling bins grabs my attention.

   Hey, Reiko-han.

   What's up?

   If I'd erase the bins' words, would you still understand what to throw in each bin?

   Why do you like to ask weird questions and don't talk about normal things like the weather or ask how was my day?

   Maybe I was about to ask those questions after you answered this one...?

   Uhm. —She says with a little of distrust.— I think I could know which bin is for which material.

   And how would you know it?

   I would look the inside of each bin until I find the one I was looking for.

   Wouldn't it be better if you use the colours of the bins?

   Yeah, I could do that as well. But I am too lazy to learn some colours.

I didn't expected that answer. She knows about tree's biology and can think about complex language-culture relationships, but not memorise some simple colours. Well, I'm not the one to talk, as I don't know the colours either.

   Then, what do you think about the weather? —I ask.

   It's too sunny. I rather the dark and cold weather than these bright and hot days.

   I totally agree with you.

   I like more the cold days because you can put more cloth layers until you get the ideal temperature. But, in hot days, you can't go naked outside. And even if you go naked, you'll still feel hot.

   Well, I wouldn't like to walk naked in the streets.

   I mean, I wouldn't like, too. But, it's too hot in here.

   No, don't think about it. Just. Don't.

We laugh for some seconds. Then we sigh. 

We see Yashi from the distance. He's coming with a bag. Seems heavy and full of today's harvest. He always comes dressed with his working clothes: black rubber boots, blue jogging pants, a grey long-sleeved t-shirt, red gloves and a 35-year-old baseball cap. Every farmer is different. I heard that his cap was a gift from his older daughter, who passed away 13 years ago. He wears that cap everyday so she is always with him. Like if he were hanging around with her. It's really lovely how people express their love and memories in different ways. It's lovely how he expresses his love and memories. Simple, yet lovely. Lovely.

   Hey, Yashi-jisan! —Reiko says while waving her hand.

I bow while smiling at him. He comes towards us with a large and energetic smile on his face. It is interesting how slow but active is life in the countryside. Not much worries doing things quickly. Just the need of having them done.

   Heey! —Yashi says.

   Good day, Yashi-san. How is the field today? —I ask him

   Meh, is good. Like always, we just harvest and plow the earth.

   Hey, Yashi-jisan! Do you have beans with you? —She asks while approaching him.

   I think I have some... —He says while looking at his bag.— Here you have, princess.

He hands her a small container with some toasted edamame beans while gently patting her head. I can see how her eyes starts to shine. She really likes edamame beans. And, by her expression, she must really loves when they are toasted.

   Thanks, Yashi-jisan! Here's a question in exchange...

   Uhm... interesting. Drop your question! —He says.

   Would you recognise which recycle bin is the one for cans if we remove the words? —She asks.

   Of course! Is the next one to the vending machine, isn't it? —He answers.

Reiko looks at me like if she didn't know the answer. Like if she was giving me a cue to talk.

   Interesting answer, Yashi-jisan. —I tell to him.— Reiko-chan said that she would take a peek inside each bin until she found the one she was looking for. And I would look for the colours or the bins.

   Everyone has a different method for one specific task, isn't it? The important thing is to get the right answer. Like an Englishman I know would say: 'All roads lead to Rome'. —He says.

The three of us laugh for some seconds. After it, Yashi gives me a medium-sized container with some fresh vegetables and a plastic bag with some beef.

   Here. Share it with Cho-chan. —He says.

   Thanks, Yashi-jisan! She'll be really happy for today's dinner. —I tell him.

   Yeah, I can imagine.

Reiko is somehow playful nearby Yashi. She has that exclusive facet only for him. With me, she's curious and critical. With Cho, she's always gossiping. With Oosan, she's always philosophising. She has a different attitude depending of the situation and the person nearby.

   Oh, Lian-san. Remember what we've planned for next week. —Yashi says.

   Yeah, of course! Monday is OK, right?

   Yes, Monday is fine.

   What would you like to eat this time? Fish? Beef? Some pork?

   Fish would be great. I want to try again how you prepare the raw fish. And that thing you call 'causa'. It was really good!

   OK. I'll have everything ready by then.

   Nice! Reiko-chan, should we go now? Let's give Hisao some time to write.

   OK! —Reiko says energetically.— Bye, bye, nii-han!

I wave my hand while they leave the zone. It was great to have a conversation with both of them. I really enjoyed today's talk with Reiko. Although in the beginning it was somehow dull, it improved with the pass of the minutes. You need time to build up grace. Anyway. Enough thinking about languages. The ode finishes here. I'd better keep writing if I want to meet the deadline.