Second day challenge, Language
It was more difficult to concentrate on writing/translation today, the second day of my off week in January 2021. In the morning, frankly nearly noon, after my 20 min strength exercise and the shower, I felt the need to check my work email and my messages. I felt that this plan of giving myself a week off to think of my plans for 2021, is not working. There was a part of me feeling missing out, left alone, while almost everybody has rushed back to work! Since the UK has entered to the third national lockdown - do not let me start with it! - for most people staying at home, work is the best escape. Working in a big tech corporate, my mind is also conditioned with this escapism. Getting back to work, forcing yourself for more online training, getting more online certification, attending more online workshop etc. Whatever that makes you feel 'productive'. The thought and the resistance stayed with me until I managed to convince myself again that my 'translation work' is also an achievement, my every night 'book reading' is also an achievement, so does this blog posting! It is funny how the conventions of society has conditioned our mind that we are only 'useful' when we do things through certain channels. Perhaps, it is not much society's enforcement, it could be my own mind playing. One thing I know about myself is having a very judgement mind - I thought a few seconds what word to use β¦ still not sure - My mind often gives me a hard time. It is very critical towards me not everybody else!Β
Anyhow, I managed to deal with the strong thought of going back to work and stayed focused on second revision of my translation for a few hours. Once I settled into the task that I enjoyed the most, my nagging/critical mind shut up!Β
This evening, before starting another round of editing, I decided to add one new aspect to my routine. Allocating half an hour for Magazine readings while having my tea. The outcome of the first day:Β Granta magazine 153 edition, "The Ard, the Ant and the Anthropocene" by Charles Massy and an article on "Writing in Second Language' from Vinesh Magazine in Farsi. Still too early to summary the first article, but the second article cheered me up. Kurdish writers in Iran have written about their experience in writing their Kurdi (mother-tongue language) and Farsi (Official and everyday language in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan).
For me, the difference is between English and Farsi. While I agree with many comments that the Kurdish writers have made, I feel there is a great deal and comfort in me when I express myself in English. I read in English, think in English and communicate in English with my partner ALL THE TIME. However, I struggle to write fiction in English, lacking the artistic and sentimental aspects of the language. Interestingly enough,Β Farsi writing is not so easy for me either. I have lost the touch with my mother-tongue language for years and sometimes while translating, I perfectly know what the word means in English and am unable to present it in Farsi!Β
Talking of language and its complexity can take pages...a topic that I truly like to think and write about. Let us have it as a start, I'll come back to it later!Β
P.S. Resisting my critical thoughts this morning and adding this hour of reading magazine to my routine has made this day super productive! :)
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