Language variation

It’s a strange thing that I’m writing this post but the thoughts will not stop and refuse all efforts to wait until morning so here goes.

I’m now approaching the awkward teenage phase in my life according to my progress in Greek. It was bad enough doing this the first time around in English and now I have to do it again for Greek?!?!?

It’s excruciatingly painful trying to have meaningful conversation that lasts any longer than γιασυς hi, το κάνε η πος εις how are you, καλά I’m good. Tonight I couldn’t even understand τι νέο what’s new as although I’m used to hearing the person speak English and they are Greek, I’m not used to hearing them speak Greek to me even though they obviously have to for their job and I don’t pay any attention when that happens. “(In fact that’s what another friend says, this one said που πάμε where are you going/have you been?)”

As an aside I sadly can replicate there English voice in my head and have used it to have many conversations with them over the years. I know I’m weird.

I always wondered when I went back to my parents how they had to tune in to how I spoke each time like how could they forget? I wasn’t accounting for my own voice changing which it does frequently. I’ve also been told off for speaking incorrectly but in order to get a new language you have to speak incorrectly as new abilities just don’t turn up out of nowhere.

As a second aside I was never allowed to display any autistic tendencies growing up hence I can do accents better now but there still pretty inauthentic. It’s probably why my diagnosis was so late. I learned to fake it too well.

So now I can have to continue past shop keeper dialogue and basic questions into conversation land. This is a very scary place.

Hopefully this is right what my brain came up with. Ψεματα, πάντα γλυκά λίγο ψεματα “I forget this bit” στόμα σου. Lies, always sweet little lies that come out of your mouth. Σου έχει α γλυκά γλώσσα. You have a honeyed tongue. Actually it’s not but it’s also not nice to be so nasty even though I do get pissed off at the 2 of them; they mean well and there only trying to help.

Other phrases I have thought of later are θέλω ένα παπούτσια γιά μενα τριάντα έξι παρακαλώ after leaving the shoe shop “I want some shoes size thirty six please.” I don’t think that’s entirely correct either.

The ones which got aborted as they got busy were about my latest dinner with friends as I tried twice, once to invite another to that meal and second to say to someone what happened. There too lengthy to put here. At least this is calming and peaceful that someone now knows my latest language struggles.

Best wishes

Angela