A Kinetic Yankee's New Tongue-Trekking Tales

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Carl_in_Vermont
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2024 7:19 pm
Location: Vermont, USA
Languages: English (N), Swedish (C1), Norwegian (C1), Spanish (B1), German (B1), Danish (reading)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=21404
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A Kinetic Yankee's New Tongue-Trekking Tales

Postby Carl_in_Vermont » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:51 am

This is a new log, under my new moniker. I am the user formerly known as “Carl,” before my account and all my posts were wiped out in what was apparently a site maintenance error.

I had posted from time to time on the site for years; I’m just posting this now so people who wonder who this new guy is can connect me with my former user name (if they remember me!). I don’t think I used an avatar previously, unfortunately, so I can’t visually connect to my previous identity.

The “Kinetic Yankee” in the log title refers to a signature line I used on some bicycle-related listservs I participated in starting in the 1990s. I lived in Oslo at the time, and I wanted to signal to readers who saw my location that I was an ex-pat, not a Norwegian who might be interested in hearing about their Uncle Ole in Oslo. So I added the line to my signature: “A kinetic Yankee in King Harald’s port: Oslo, Norway.”

I expect I’ll post some actual language log content later.

The system does not yet allow me to create a signature under this new user name. So here’s the gist:
Joined: 2015 or so? As user “Carl”
Location: Vermont, USA
Languages: English (N), Swedish (C1), Norwegian (C1), Spanish (B1), German (B1), Danish (C1 reading, B1 listening).
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DaveAgain
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2211
Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:26 am
Languages: English (native), French & German (learning).
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... &start=200
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Re: A Kinetic Yankee's New Tongue-Trekking Tales

Postby DaveAgain » Sat Jan 18, 2025 10:25 am

Carl_in_Vermont wrote:The “Kinetic Yankee” in the log title refers to a signature line I used on some bicycle-related listservs I participated in starting in the 1990s.

Location: Vermont, USA
Languages: English (N), Swedish (C1), Norwegian (C1), Spanish (B1), German (B1), Danish (C1 reading, B1 listening).
Spanish looks like the odd one out there, your cycling should surely push you towards Dutch, Amsterdam being the cyclists' Nirvana?
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User avatar
Carl_in_Vermont
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2024 7:19 pm
Location: Vermont, USA
Languages: English (N), Swedish (C1), Norwegian (C1), Spanish (B1), German (B1), Danish (reading)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=21404
x 14

Re: A Kinetic Yankee's New Tongue-Trekking Tales

Postby Carl_in_Vermont » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:38 pm

DaveAgain wrote:
Carl_in_Vermont wrote:Spanish looks like the odd one out there, your cycling should surely push you towards Dutch, Amsterdam being the cyclists' Nirvana?

I see your point!

It reminds me of a childhood friend who has worked in France and Mexico and is fluent in those languages. When he starts a new language (currently Norwegian), he describes plateaus of frustration as the "I could be learning Italian now" phases. When I'm frustrated with German or Spanish, I sometimes think, "I could be learning Dutch." But I don't travel a lot outside the US any longer, and it's much more likely that I'll encounter a Spanish speaker here than a Dutch speaker.
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