Oiiii! Tudo bem, meu amigos? Espero que tudo esta bem com você!
I wanted to have some form of compensation for the delay, so I decided to give you TWO language updates in one. I know you love me for it.
First up, I'll take care of one of the, I guess, minor languages as far as popularity, and that would be Armenian. I always had the impression that the language would sound like a mix of Turkish, and I was partially correct. It sounds like a hybrid of Turkish AND Hungarian, even though Hungary is not too close to Armenia.
Since it was my first lesson, I got the basics. You know..Excuse me...I'm American...Do you understand English/Armenian...Etc. That stuff I got down no problem. The wrench that got thrown in my gears is the fact that Armenian has its own alphabet. When I found that out (because I write in whatever language I'm studying), I was like, "What the hell, man?" I thought that because it would sound like Turkish and Hungarian, that it would have at least semi-Romanized letters. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
The Armenian alphabet system is made up of alterations and adjustments to the letters T and U (uppercase and lowercase). Sometimes you'll need to add a little marker to a letter to give it a different sound, and quite frankly, it looks...Well..Weird. I've never seen any kind of alphabet system like that, nor have I tried to write it in, and believe me, I've seen a ton of systems.
There isn't much more to say about it. It's a cool language, one which I'll keep studying. We'll see where it goes.
Nowwwwww...For what I really wanted to talk to about. POR-TU-GUESE! Excuse my language, but I fucking LOVE Portuguese. Not only because I teach the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira (Shout outs to O Grupo Floreio Fenix), but because the language just sounds so engaging. I love Spanish too, but Portuguese just sounds much smoother with its -zh and -ch sounds.
I'm currently at a point where Portuguese is not hard at ALL. I think this is what it feels like when you're close to fluency. I ripped and tore through my lesson, barely pausing and barely writing notes because I knew how to spell and sound out everything, even when I learned a couple of new words. I don't know what it is...I just took to Portuguese like a fish to water.
One day I'll be like this with every language I know, but for now, this is DEFINITELY my strongest language. I love it so much. I'm planning on taking my girlfriend and I to Rio in 2016 to the Olympics. It will be a BLAST to finally get to speak Portuguese basically all the time. I'm confident that I can survive and then some. My lovebug even speaks a little (she really doesn't have a choice, lol..she lives with me, and also does Capoeira).
Portuguese WILL be my second fluent language. I promise you. If you don't know any, learn some. I guarantee you will never ever go back. It is my favorite. I curse in it, teach in it, converse with my Brazilian friend in it, and attack any opportunity to use it with gusto.
That's all for tonight...I think.
Maybe I can knock out another one for you..Tagalog? I know I still owe you!
Boa noite,
Your Favorite Polyglot
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