Tuesday 7 April 2009

Facing Loss

No, it's not what I'm normally complaining about. It's just that... I've finished all seven series of the West Wing.

That's it.

No more.

All gone.

Sigh.

So, what next? It's struck me that I could actually, gasp, try to use my time constructively. So, I decided that West Wing Time needs to become Amharic Time. I've finally peeled the wrapping off my ' Amharic Talk Now' CD-ROM, shoved it in the computer, and.... it's pretty rubbish. Okay, so it's taught me to do some counting, which is good. I like that. But it's all based around comprehension (see / hear a word, then match it to the picture) and it's not very well designed because you can pretty much ALWAYS guess the answer, even if you know zero Amharic. Like I do. Dont' get me wrong, I feel great about scoring top marks on the quizzes after my first lesson. But - I'm realising that the phrase 'I got full marks on the quiz on my CD-ROM' won't get me very far in Ethiopia when I need to find the yesatoch metsedaja bet. Urgently. Can anyone recommend a better resource? I've got the lonely planet phrasebook, but the language is just SO different from English... I think I need something else. Like a CD-ROM. Just... not the one I've got.

Alternatively? I need a new box set of DVDs. Recommendations for that instead, anyone?

5 comments:

  1. Deadwood or Arrested Development- both are AWESOME

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  2. DVD series: Lost, Office (guess I can only recommend the American version - not the REAL version;), Alias (totally cheesy but so entertaining), 24, and for totally teenage dorky but fun - Gilmore Girls. As for the productivity, can't help you there, but I do wish that we had learned some Amharic.

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  3. I'll 2nd Arrested Development (did we give you a series of that?) and the American Office - that's up to series 5 now, so you'd have a good couple of months viewing there. 30 Rock isn't bad either.

    Can't help with the Amharic sorry. You could always make up your own language and tell your child it was Amharic.... they may not appreciate it when they go to visit Ethiopia and no-one can understand a word they say though. Also it would be no use to you. It would be much, much easier though.

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  4. Okay, so I am totally clueless on both accounts. My 2 years of foreign language in high school taught me how to ask for a cerveza and find el bano. Honestly it is all I have ever needed. (-; I thought the Rosetta Stone cds were supposed to be good ones, but don't know which languages they have.

    I'm horrible with tv and always so far behind. My hubby has been watching "It's always sunny in Philadelphia" but I honestly can't tell you much about it. Oh, what about Mad Men. That one is awesome. (-;

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  5. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA!!!!!! Or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seriously. Would I steer you wrong?

    I don't know if they have Amharic, and I do know they're fairly pricey, but the Pimsleur CDs are really, really good. Pretty much all my French comes from them, and my piddling French gets me around Paris pretty well.

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Over to you!