h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For once, I won't object.

I am relieved - another word with several meanings!!.

It's the same here, although it's usually differentiated by either saying 'I am relieved' or 'I relieved myself', but it works for both meanings.

But muggers relieve you of your money - and you are not relieved although the shock might cause you to relieve yourself.

True, we have the first meaning, too, I just didn't think of it.

One of my (many) regrets in life is that I did not study languages when I had the chance. I am left with just trying to understand one - and use it - properly. I am watched suspiciously, here in the pubs, I understand what they are saying, laugh at their jokes but feel terrible that I cannot actually speak to them. I am the stupid one. BUT - the odd thing is that one pub has become an almost 'English only' drinking place and the bar-stools (or should it be stooles) are booked for 'Hamid's friends'. The barmen speak Berber so we just grunt.

I was never good at maths and sciences, but picking up languages wasn't a problem. It's a gift that I'm very grateful for.
I've never tried to learn Arab, or Berber, or Mandarin, though.

I'm beginning my second semester of Spanish myself. What a lot to remember! To paraphrase Steve Martin, It's like those Spanish have a different word for Everything>

Carry on

YB

Surely - if more Americans speak it than speak English, it must be a relatively easy language?

Would you say that of Chinese, too?

Probably - but the interesting thing is that they are frantically trying to learn English - when they have - they will probably force us all to learn Chinese; Nostradamus was right.

I didn't know Nostradamus said something about the Chinese, too. But then he said lots of things, it's difficult to remember them all.

He just got the date wrong by a couple of years?

Probably. From what I've heard, he wasn't far off the mark with his predictions, though.

So - forget everything and learn Chinese. Can't be any worse than a world under bush - and he can't speak English at all.

I'm not sure the Chinese government is any better than the current American, but the American government may change for better, whereas the Chinese government won't.

We will have to wait and see. But when the VP of the Untied States can shoot his lawyer, with impunity and continue to get $10m pa bakhshee from his former company - who happen to be the only beneficiaries of the Iraq fiasco - I might be prepared to put up with cheap china and copied clothes.

Oh, but China wouldn't stop there, you of all people wouldn't survive a month in a regime like China has.

Probably not - that's why I have a bolt-hole in a rural Moroccan shantytown. Once - now - I get my Internet connection there, I shall retire, be looked after - and hope , write properly and watch the world fall to bits.

One may speculate endlessly
About what will not, or what will be
But to live well
I hopefully tell
Is how we relate, you and me