My Two Brains

So, as a language learner (and hopefully a language learner on the road to being completely fluent...) I have discovered a very interesting thing. When I speak Czech, I generally start thinking in Czech too. It's weird, because it generally limits my thoughts to that of, maybe, a three or four year old... no, less, three and four year olds have a much larger vocabulary than mine. So, I have the vocabulary of a... two year old!

But this post is not to complain about my vocabulary. (which now that I have thought about how abysmal it is, will be doing something to remedy that...)

This post is about my two brains, my czech brain and my english brain. They are almost seperate people, and please don't go calling the therapist on me, I don't hear voices and I haven't had any urges to assassinate John Lennon, so we should be okay...

My english brain is the me that everyone in California knows quite well, opinionated, absent-minded, ditzy, etc. However, my czech brain is a little bit different, in czech I am generally quiet and reserved around large groups of people (something my english brain resents deeply) and is slow and solemn and a little meloncholy, think Eeyore with limited language skills. I am not super depressing and I don't walk around complaining all the time (good gracious, that would be ridiculously annoying if I did)

I think that when the Rotarians were talking about culture adjustment, this is what they meant. My czech brain and my english brain are very civilly having it out, and czech is winning slowly (thank god, I would be a little bit screwed if english won while I was living in the CZ)

Another thing, is when I think in Czech, I generally adapt the czech habits and manners (so I say things like "Jooooooo..." and "Aha!" and "Jezis Maria!") which my friends find incredibly funny. Today in french class I was translating from french to czech (don't try this, it will melt your soul...) and when the teacher explained something I went, "jo, aha!" which my classmates found quite amusing.

So here's to my czech brain, may it win the negotiations in my mind and soul!