Thoughts on intellect ... inspired by Paris Hilton
I like to read and I've almost always got a book on my bedside cabinet. Problem is, I read very slowly, whether the book is in Icelandic or in English. I suppose this isn't really a problem but I know it annoys Joanna, especially if I'm reading a book that she wants to read and she has to wait ... maybe for weeks. Sometimes the book I've just started mysterously disappears off my bedside cabinet and ends up on Joannas. I don't blame her, really ... I wouldn't have the patience for it and thankfully, Joanna is a much quicker reader than I am.
I like to think of myself as a person of avarage intelligence or above. But I might be wrong. You see, when I have to verbalise certain things or in certain situations, I come across as being thick-as-a-brick. I avoid debates and arguments because I always get tongue tied and loose or I certainly can't get my point accross. When I have to explain how something works, why I did something, reacalling a phone-call etc. ... the list is endless ... the thoughts in my head just simply do not make it out of my mouth. They get lost and jumbled and mixed around somewhere along the way and people look at me with a what-are-you-on-about look that I have seen many times and then move onto something else or talk to somebody else ... or just give up listening and interrupt me. I am also hopeless at giving directions and even worse at finding my way around anywhere ... I still can't find the best way to get to my grandmothers, who lives in Reykjavík, although I have lived in the city collectively for more than 20 years.
There are however certain situations where I can really turn this around. That in itself is strange and made even stranger by the fact that these situations are the ones that normally articulate people get tongue tied and nervous in. For instance, I have never had a bad job interview. I think and speak clearly knowing exactly what I want to say and saying it as well as coming across as confident and knowledgable ... plain strange that ... but I can't complain. Maybe I just need to be in a situation where I actually care what people think of me for me to try hard enough for my brain to work properly. I have a problem, you see, with caring what people think about me or caring how I come accross ... as a general rule, I don't. And it annoys me, but I can't help it. There are other situations ... for instance it doesn't bother me at all going on stage and talking or giving speaches.
I also feel more comfortable if I have an instrument in my hand. That is something different again. Playing an instrument is just another form of communicating and one which I am good at and confident with, much more so than talking. I am in control ... I know that nobody in the room can beat me in the notational debate ... or I will at least be able to hold my own against anyone.
Another form of communicating which I feel very comfortable with and seems to trigger off things in my brain where my thoughts exit fully and in the right shape and form from my brain is one you are witnessing at this very moment ... writing. I find it theraputic and I am able to get my thoughts clearly and in an organised fashion from my head, without having to stop and think about what I write. I usually write these blogs as they come into my head only occationally reading over to check spelling and grammar or finding more accurate ways of describing what I am thinking.
Lastly, I'm not sure if one is allowed to have two mother tongues or not, if I am it's Icelandic and English and if not I'm a bit stuck ... probably Icelandic because my parents are Icelandic. What about Elijah then, his mother is English and his father, me, is Icelandic? If we raise him to only speak Mandarin, does that mean he has three mother tongues or does that mean he has two mother tongues from his parents, but speaks neither of them. Or will english be his mother tongue cos his mum is english ... even if his Icelandic turns out to be better than his english ... this is far too complicated ... I've got a headache now ...
Going to log out and read the post over ... see you in three weeks ... ha, ha!!!
I like to think of myself as a person of avarage intelligence or above. But I might be wrong. You see, when I have to verbalise certain things or in certain situations, I come across as being thick-as-a-brick. I avoid debates and arguments because I always get tongue tied and loose or I certainly can't get my point accross. When I have to explain how something works, why I did something, reacalling a phone-call etc. ... the list is endless ... the thoughts in my head just simply do not make it out of my mouth. They get lost and jumbled and mixed around somewhere along the way and people look at me with a what-are-you-on-about look that I have seen many times and then move onto something else or talk to somebody else ... or just give up listening and interrupt me. I am also hopeless at giving directions and even worse at finding my way around anywhere ... I still can't find the best way to get to my grandmothers, who lives in Reykjavík, although I have lived in the city collectively for more than 20 years.
There are however certain situations where I can really turn this around. That in itself is strange and made even stranger by the fact that these situations are the ones that normally articulate people get tongue tied and nervous in. For instance, I have never had a bad job interview. I think and speak clearly knowing exactly what I want to say and saying it as well as coming across as confident and knowledgable ... plain strange that ... but I can't complain. Maybe I just need to be in a situation where I actually care what people think of me for me to try hard enough for my brain to work properly. I have a problem, you see, with caring what people think about me or caring how I come accross ... as a general rule, I don't. And it annoys me, but I can't help it. There are other situations ... for instance it doesn't bother me at all going on stage and talking or giving speaches.
I also feel more comfortable if I have an instrument in my hand. That is something different again. Playing an instrument is just another form of communicating and one which I am good at and confident with, much more so than talking. I am in control ... I know that nobody in the room can beat me in the notational debate ... or I will at least be able to hold my own against anyone.
Another form of communicating which I feel very comfortable with and seems to trigger off things in my brain where my thoughts exit fully and in the right shape and form from my brain is one you are witnessing at this very moment ... writing. I find it theraputic and I am able to get my thoughts clearly and in an organised fashion from my head, without having to stop and think about what I write. I usually write these blogs as they come into my head only occationally reading over to check spelling and grammar or finding more accurate ways of describing what I am thinking.
Lastly, I'm not sure if one is allowed to have two mother tongues or not, if I am it's Icelandic and English and if not I'm a bit stuck ... probably Icelandic because my parents are Icelandic. What about Elijah then, his mother is English and his father, me, is Icelandic? If we raise him to only speak Mandarin, does that mean he has three mother tongues or does that mean he has two mother tongues from his parents, but speaks neither of them. Or will english be his mother tongue cos his mum is english ... even if his Icelandic turns out to be better than his english ... this is far too complicated ... I've got a headache now ...
Going to log out and read the post over ... see you in three weeks ... ha, ha!!!
posted by Tóti Freysson at Friday, September 22, 2006
1 Comments:
I failed in the 'not writing two blogs in one day' thing ... I suppose it doesn't really matter, when you feel like writing, you feel like writing ... see you on Monday folks!!!
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