Learning a New Language

Ustaz Dr. Zahazan Mohamad (gives his lectures on Radio IKIM every morning at 6.30 a.m.) used to say that in order to keep our mind working, we should always try to learn something new - such as learning a new language! That was one of the reasons I started my Arabic lessons, but alas due to untoward circumstances, I couldn't complete the syllabus because there were not enough 'surviving' students, most of them 'mati syahid' half or a three quarter of the way!

I am quite determined to start my Arabic classes all over again sometime in middle of next year. I do hope I would not 'mati syahid' this time around. Another class which I hope on joining is Quran reading. It is now or never! If I do not join now, then there won't be another time. 

Then there's French, I would enjoy learning that too! I have already checked out a few sites offering simple free lessons. Maybe I can have a start on that too.

I do know a smattering of German, something I learn from a long-lost German friend a long time ago. It came in quite handy when I used to have to go to Frankfurt a few years in a row quite some time back. 

Italian is okay too, just that I won't have the opportunity to go there again.

As for English, I started learning it from TV actually. It was when I was around 5 or 6 years old and I enjoyed the black and white cartoons they used to show. I learn 'drat and double drat' from it!! Then there was this English teacher when I was in Standard 1, Mrs. Chong. Every time she spoke, I was all too amazed at each and every word she spoke. I told myself that," ... one fine day, I am going to be like her!!" I started enjoying every English lesson at school, it seemed to be the only subject I enjoyed! My 'love affair' with the language became more serious when my whole class had to 'squat' in the library due to the shortage of classes. I enjoyed it very much, as I had the library to myself. I read almost all of Enid Blyton books in the library. I didn't enjoy Agatha Christie much. 

When I reached my teens, my sister introduced me to Women's Weekly and Mills and Boon. I remember I could finish 3 Mills and Boon novels in one day (on Friday, of course because it is not a school day - in Kelantan). 

A few years later I graduated to thicker and more serious novels, by James Michener, James Clavell etc. We didn't have the money to buy our own, so we borrowed from our Math tuition teacher (he goes to Kota Bharu every time when it was pay-day - he allocated around a hundred ringgit from his pay-check on novels every month). My sister and I used to wait for him to get back from Kota Bharu to have a peek at the novels he bought!

It has been a very long time since the last time I enjoyed a good novel. These days Pak Aji would just say - 'Go read this book - usually it's on religion!' Okay, okayyy.....