The Making of a Latinophile, Part 2

My interests in other languages and cultures started a long time ago. I hate to admit it, but the event that first piqued my interest happened largely because of my own arrogance. I was in elementary school at the time - 4th grade to be exact. I was a very good student, always, and a bit of a show off about it, if truth be told. My class was in the school library for a read-whatever-you want session. I was going through the books on the easy-reading shelf ridiculously fast, hoping the teacher would see what a whiz I was.   She did, and I was thrilled. The other kids couldn’t help but notice when she said, “I think these books are much too easy for you. Let’s find something a little more challenging”. I had stepped out of the pack; risen to the top. I walked with her proudly to the other side of the library where after some looking around she picked a non-fiction book on Japan and Japanese culture. I felt so honored and I didn’t want to let her down.  I even got to check it out to take home. I felt like I’d won a contest.  I carried that coveted book home that afternoon like it was my own child.  Mom was very impressed (well, who wouldn’t be!) and I sat down on the sofa and started to read it.  Or, at least TRY to read it.  I was horrified to find that the book was too hard.  It was pages and pages of tiny words, many of which I didn’t know.  I had  to struggle, really struggle, for probably the first time in my life, to learn something.  And I had brought it all on myself, by trying to seem better than I was.  How humbling.  I HAD to read it now, after such a big fuss.  I couldn’t go back to the easy-reading section at school!  I did manage to get through the book, with a dictionary at my side, and my reading was much improved by the end of it.  I learned a lot about myself in the process (I never acted too big for my britches in school again) and about Japan.  By the end of the book I was a budding Japanophile.  I haven’t been there yet, but I still love Japanese art, food and culture.  My son is a Japanophile too, being quite enamored of animé and manga.  He’s picking up a bit of the language and hopes to visit there someday too.

I’ve never lost my fascination with other cultures and languages, but then again, why would I want to.