11)My two earliest memories are of my mother, teaching me to swim, and teaching me algebra.
I'm not much good at either.
12) I have a masters degree, a bachelors degree, most of a computing HND, one third of a theology degree, five A-Levels, fourteen GCSEs, miscellaneous computing qualifications...and a teacher's certificate for ESL.
Only the last has ever been useful, though getting the others was a fun excuse for learning about completely different things.
13) I'm always interested in a subject least when I'm supposed to be studying it.
At seventeen I was supposed to be studying for exams in computing - but discovered ancient Greek philosophy, which was much more interesting. At 21 I was supposed to be studying for exams in the ancient Greek world - but discovered molecular biology, which was much more interesting.
14) The greatest single failure of the British school system was in not teaching me any languages.
I got interested in linguistics after learning Esperanto after (a) spending six weeks getting nowhere learning German and (b) not-quite having an affair with an Esperantist I met through an interest in twentieth century English Literature - which I'd got through accidentally seeing a stage play on late night TV, while looking for sounds to sample for making music.
I'd sell half my life to regain that feeling of constant mindblowing discovery,
15) I always feel like either the smartest person in the room...or the dumbest.
Sometimes in the same minute.
Ha! The one about your mother and swimming and math is funny!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap that's a lot of learning! But I've felt English was a very hard language to teach. Hell, even I have problems with it, and I'm a native speaker!
15 is very wise...either that or you're in government!