A Humbling Experience
I left Dubai with two regrets last week: not having spent more time in the sun and not being able to speak Arabic. It has been raining on and off since I got back to London. So I decided to go the gym...
View ArticleThe language of dumplings
“You speak five languages, you must be hungry…” Our guest Xiuwei made dumplings for me this weekend. Coming from a family that was never quite sure about the exact location of the kitchen in the house,...
View ArticleNo Multi-Cultural Elitism… Please
Our spirit cannot travel as fast as our body. That’s how someone explained jet lag to me. I just got back from San Francisco and my spirit is all over the place. Although I have been desperately trying...
View ArticleMelting Fear with Music
I’ve always believed that passions make people bond beyond cultural and ideological barriers. The story I tell in our book about my encounter with a Kazakh immigration officer only a few years after...
View ArticleThe Language Bridge
The fact that I speak different languages and I have not used my mother tongue on a daily basis in over 20 years is such an integral part of who I am. I don’t think much of it any more. But sometimes...
View ArticleThe Wrong Accent?
There were times in my life when I should have listened to my father… But after watching this video, I am so glad I didn’t… He taught me English and always insisted that I speak it with a British...
View ArticleLured by Languages on Facebook
All it takes to introduce social media in a somewhat conservative organisation is a communicator with a real understanding of publics and a passion. Ian Andersen, External Communications Adviser at the...
View ArticleFor the Love of Chinglish
If you have been speaking and thinking in different languages for most of your life… you’ll appreciate this. I have 3 going through my head every day (and 2 lingering in the back). English for my work,...
View ArticleBreaking the Mould with Eckart Tolle
I come from a culture where you have to talk fast if you don’t want to sound like a total bore. And… I work in a field where your presentations have to be quick and entertaining. May be this is why my...
View ArticlePuzzling Brains
I am terrible at crossword puzzles and I have never really tried Sudoku. But this doesn’t worry me any more. I read today that “people who speak more than one language do not exhibit symptoms of...
View ArticleTech won’t Kill Your Love of French… or Any Other Language
Jeremiah Owjang recently asked a question on Twitter: “Should today’s toddlers learn multiple languages, considering that translation software continues to improve?” I cringed when I saw this. I spend...
View ArticleA Humbling Experience
I left Dubai with two regrets last week: not having spent more time in the sun and not being able to speak Arabic. It has been raining on and off since I got back to London. So I decided to go the gym...
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