Re: PM’s French Re-entry into the Matrix - Phase 1: 500 Hours Extensive Reading

[rdearman]

I wondered why you don't think about spending those two years with your children learning something other than languages? Something which might give you more flexibility than nursing? For example, law, economics and management subjects, or perhaps dentistry? There is also things like translation work French->English or computer programming, project management (Prince II), or something else. Some skills in demand in the EU are according to a couple of websites:

• Architects
• Finance professionals
• ICT professionals
• Medical doctors
• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals
• Geologists
• Civil engineers
• Welders (especially underwater)

So maybe you should consider reskilling yourself if nursing isn't going to cut it.

[PeterMollenburg]

I wondered why you don't think about spending those two years with your children learning something other than languages? Something which might give you more flexibility than nursing? For example, law, economics and management subjects, or perhaps dentistry? There is also things like translation work French->English or computer programming, project management (Prince II), or something else. Some skills in demand in the EU are according to a couple of websites:

• Architects
• Finance professionals
• ICT professionals
• Medical doctors
• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals
• Geologists
• Civil engineers
• Welders (especially underwater)

So maybe you should consider reskilling yourself if nursing isn't going to cut it.

I guess it's time away from learning languages, were I to choose to reskill while in SA.

I have considered reskilling on and off over the years, but thought maybe I just need to use what i've got as opposed to jumping ship which may or may not work. I guess it's a little bit of better the devil you know. It hasn't seemed worth it when I've roughly considered the time to reskill and the cost. I feel I must do something i'm passionate about also if i'm to reskill, otherwise I'll end up spending a whole lot of time away from family and interests (and possibly money) reskilling in yet another field i'm not totally passionate about.

To be absolutely honest, none of the jobs you have listed interest me. I know they are examples for the purpose of encouragement or to think of other options. Still, as you're probably aware I see the world quite differently compared to a good deal of others. I don't claim to be all knowing in an egocentric manner, although I'm sure i've come across that way on many of occasion and perhaps am now. I do feel I have a sense that most of these jobs (for me, not others) will lead to many of the same disappointments I've found in my current career. I'll see control, corruption and bullshit. I believe we are sold choices under the guise of freedom. The whole 'what do you want to be when you grow up' to me even reeks of control. Think the matrix. We are institutionalized. And no matter how serious the rift between nature and the economic system driven by man is, we continue to be brainwashed in schools that it's all about money. If governments cared about the planet, we we not be learning the things we do in school (if you can call it learning). They want robots, people who are innovative WITHIN the system. Step out of line, look out. So... in summary: Go to school, learn who to become sheep, learn how to become a profession (you have many choices), but never question the whole economic system, in fact rarely even touch on how to become financially free. Go to university, and depending on where you live this is the beginning of your enslavement to debt. Then go into the workforce and comply comply comply. Doctor's who act outside their professional 'scope of practice' and heal people with nutrition wind up dead. Nurses are NOT ALLOWED (as per the national registration authority) to discuss the opposing views to vaccination here in Australia with patients, and so on. I personally had someone recently tell me about the federal police paying someone a visit because they had invented a car that runs of hydrogen. Control is everywhere and I don't wish to move from one system of control to another to be just as frustrated but more broke. I don't know there are that many jobs I would be satisfied with that I'm not joining 'the system' (of control).

I absolutely sincerely value your input rdearman. The above is not an attack on you, you just got me thinking and I ranted (in general, not at you). I appreciate you enabling me to consider such things. So, what's the answer? Push on with nursing or find an alternative profession. Okay, maybe I could do sth while in SA, but you know, outside of work I absolutely love learning languages, and with 2 years of not working, i'd rather focus on hobbies than a new career. Perhaps that's really absurd, perhaps it's stupid, but it's how I feel. I must say also, I don't hate my job, I don't mind it (a lot is to do with attitude), but it's certainly not my dream job. I really enjoy helping others but I get tired of the control.

I have considered translation. A number of years ago now, a wise person on HTLAL (I don't think it was here), suggested I go into medical translation (he suggested text books as an example). I think this is worth considering. I could work from home (i.e. location independent) and be using languages (well French and English). I haven't researched it much, but I've thought, I need to possibly be beyond C2 in French and do some kind of translation studies. To make my job much easier and provide myself with my credibility however, I really ought to work (here we go again) in a francophone country as a nurse. Even at C1 I am constantly discovering how French people say things that is different to how we would say it in English (yes still). So, without that experience/time, I don't think it's realistic. All that of course without yet considering what the employment prospects are like. I've a ton of emails from a translator in the field who has a subscriber land sends out emails on a semi-regular basis about how to break into the field. Perhaps I'll get allow time to read through them all while in SA.

There are other ideas. It's crazy to think that once upon a time we might have been all fine living off the land. Degrees, masters, PhD's weren't necessary. School in fact had much less utility as what mattered was producing food. I think so many human problems started when we left the land, literally. Perhaps that's too simplified. Anyway, like many people, I have a drive to get back to the land, perhaps building eco-housing, telling people how to better insulate their homes to save on bills (and therefore the environment), teaching living off the land, I dunno, all those things interest me somewhat and are at odds with 'the system'.

I think I feel that it will either work out with nursing in Europe or it won't. If it doesn't I don't feel changing profession would help. I'd be better off working most of the year here and allowing for good lengthy holidays each year. If an alternative career ('alternative' in more than one sense perhaps) were to occur, I think life will point me in that direction gradually and quietly confidently. Thanks for stopping by rdearman. It may not necessarily seem so, but I truly appreciate your reflections.

[StringerBell]

PM, I don't think I've ever commented on your posts, but I've read many of them and find them exceptionally insightful, enjoyable to read, and I find myself often agreeing with many ideas you share about life and society. I totally understand why you decided not to dedicate time learning Arabic during these 2 years in SA, and if I were in your place I would probably make the same decision.

[PeterMollenburg]

PM, I don't think I've ever commented on your posts, but I've read many of them and find them exceptionally insightful, enjoyable to read, and I find myself often agreeing with many ideas you share about life and society. I totally understand why you decided not to dedicate time learning Arabic during these 2 years in SA, and if I were in your place I would probably make the same decision.

Thanks StringerBell, that’s very kind.

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I shouldn’t be here, I’m breaking my own rule....

...my excuse is yesterday’s massive amount of French. Preceding today’s 3hrs 45 min, i managed a record breaking 8hrs 20 min yesterday, and the day before that, over 7hrs. Proof that it can be done around work and family... not every day, but it’s achievable. I’m now over the 4hrs/day mark for October so far, but can I sustain it? History shows, no. Still, I’ll give it a good go.

My desk study routine has evolved further to more and more exam focus. Fact is, there’s a LOT I need to cram into my head and practise before the exam, so the pressure’s on to wrap my head around this stuff, and it’s proving a little more involved than I anticipated.

I’ll book some italki sessions soon too. I’m hoping to talk with a tutor I spoke with prior to my B2 exam, who’s a former examinor herself. First up will be getting her expert opinion on whether I’m up to the task or whether I’m punching way above my weight.

Also had a ray of hope on the Belgian front. A recruitment company emailed back basically stating they are willing to do all the hard yards for me to get into nursing there (yeah I know it won’t be free, strings will be attached). The recognition process will take 8 to 12 months they said. It’s promising at least, but they’re yet to speak with me (skype chat requested by them), and they don’t know yet that I am off to Saudi for possibly 2 years without working. I’m (obviously) really hoping they’d be okay with proceeding and me starting work in around two years, but by the same token, it would be perfectly understandable (but disappointing) if they weren’t comfortable with it. Sleep time...

[PeterMollenburg]

Sometimes I’m reminded in life that things may not be as random as we think. Of course, such things can be explained away with logic, and random chance or probability. Some would call it fate, others some kind of law of attraction, or synchronicity. Might be some chance, some synchronicity.

I first noticed that two of the first three topics in one of my exam prep books was right up my alley. The first on vaccination- freedom of choice, adjuvants, probability of negative reactions, the usual stuff. The second on tinitus and making the public aware of the dangers of prolonged noise or music and even noisy public places in shorter doses such as in cinemas. I whinged a while back regarding my tinitus. While both topics are very relevant to me,  and are easily explainable, as it’s possibly just random and plenty of us come across things completely relevant to us semi-regularly, it still felt a little funny (funny/strange).

Today I went to a bush playgroup in an area in which we lived around ten years ago, back when I was still sometimes flogging out my eardrums to Jay-Z and Tupac (later mixed with the occasional Dutch audio program) while walking our dear little Jack Russell (R.I.P.) around the neighbourhood. Although I still enjoy some Tupac occasionally, I seldom make time for it (listening to music), as any spare time goes into French and I get concerned about my hearing as I struggle to listen to music I enjoy at low volume. Anyway, off track a tad there...

Bref, there was only one other father there today (quite a few mothers). So, he’s French and in his second year of nursing here. In a 2 hour playgroup thingy with beautiful weather and the kids playing in the dirt and mud, I would’ve conversed for at least 30 minutes in French minimum, sprinkled throughout the two hours. I think he was equally surprised and grateful for the conversation as myself, as he has little if any contact with francophones here.

Okay French ppl aren’t that rare here (not as rare as Lithuanians, of which there was also one, maybe two), but a Frenchman studying nursing, also explaining the same issues I’d come across in trying to get an Aussie nursing degree recognised in Europe. Even if totally random, it was quite surprising. My wife will be taking the kids for the next few weeks, but I’m quite keen to return as well, since we seemed to have plenty to talk about, not to mention it was a really nice thing to do with the kids- warm Aussie day, Aussie bush, lakes with birdlife (looking out for snakes), and French conversation. Somme toute, a nice but rare coincidental language experience that I’ll definitely take for a pretty solitary language learner, like many of us.

Oh, and I’ve been working on my Wizardry skills and have just turned myself into a frog.

Edit:
Amazon France are no longer allowing me to order material to be dispatched to Australia, because Australia has an Amazon site now, which is crap with regards to foreign materials (price and availability issues). I managed to find some of the books from my amazon.fr order on the amazon.com.au site, yet compared to ordering 5 books from France, it was going to cost me about the same for ONE or TWO BOOKS from the Australian site (via third party sellers from France anyway)... Quick searching landed me with fnac.com after a couple other searches. My wife suggested New Caledonia bookstores. Yes it's close but they don't post outside NC. Worth a try, though. Order completed with fnac for very close to the same price as Amazon.fr within a few centimes. There was a problem with my order (my fault), so I thought why not, i'm going to call them as it's morning in France. It's nice, to be able to phone and have no difficulties whatsoever in dealing with the various albeit simple tasks in communication over the phone. The only challenge was crappy audio quality (my left ear is still ringing with it's tinnitus), so I had to listen hard (and at the C1 level language users are expected be able to cope with such). All in all a second exercise in confidence building today.

I sincerely believe I am at the C1 level, even if only just, the issue for me is getting up to speed quick enough with the French exam format. I booked an italki session tomorrow with my former favourite teacher/former examinor prior to the B2 exam. Shall I ever study Spanish and sit the DELE exams, I might look her up again as she was raised trilingual but French and Spanish are her main languages (English third), and she resides in Madrid. The objective of this sole 60 minute 'lesson' is to get the absolute brutal honest truth, am I dreaming, or can I pass this bloody thing, because I'm certainly back to my procrastinating ways at a crucial time and I need the cold hard truth. That, I'm hoping will be enough to either rethink the whole thing, or get me off my behind!
(End of edit)

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Do you believe the numbers? (see link at bottom). I don’t. Who gains from such inflated nbrs? Why do they want to gain from it? Because they care? Be careful who you trust in a world in which everything is seemingly about money and power and the powerful trample eloquently all over those below. There are probably better articles. These questions are rhetorical, designed to provoke reflection and autonomous (real) critical thinking/analysis. I’m not up for discussing it (particularly in the lead up to my exam) as I don’t wish to make a madhouse of my log just now, but still feel such things a very much worth contemplation.
https://m.huffingtonpost.ca/lawrence-solomon/death-by-influenza_b_4661442.html

[PeterMollenburg]

Well I won't be sitting the C1 exam

I had an hour long discussion with my favourite italki teacher. She praised my hard work, and stated that speaking, no worries, listening and reading from what you tell me (i.e. me indicating to her my capabilities), not really an issue. Writing however is the problem. And not necessarily the ability to write, but the exam format. How to write in the requested formats is a big challenge, this exam is no walk in the park.

This makes me think two things. Firstly my suspicions were correct on where I'm at with my French, meaning yes I'm C1, but no, I'm not ready for the exam due to lack of preparation, and when the pressure was on I dropped the ball. Secondly, iguanamon, was also right, I should've been hitting those exam prep books much earlier (for the record, he didn't say that, he gave encouragement to do so, and expressed concern when I hadn't done so yet). Had I done so six months back, not a problem, because this is absolutely about knowing the exam format.

I am not bothered by this particularly. She basically said we could do an intensive run for it, but I feel like I don't want to put myself through that when it's not absolutely necessary. Delf B2 is sufficient for seeking employment in francophone country as a nurse, and the possibility of doing so is years off anyway. I should've stepped up my game when I originally said I would, when I had something like 18 months or 12 months up my sleeve, even six months. But hey, I didn't, I couldn't, I haven't, so it doesn't matter. I don't need the stress of cramming in under a month, as my teacher said, it could do more harm than good.

Unlike when I completed B2, she gave the green light for introducing other languages and backing off the amount of French I am studying. So, I will now opt for the long and winding road that is the road to French C1/C2. I will introduce some Arabic study sometime in the near future, and I may introduce more languages, but I believe I will wait until in Saudi to assess exactly how much time I have, as I don't want to harm my French, have insufficient time for Arabic or French, and ignore all else and continue to live in an unbalanced manner (hardly any exercise for example). I need to attempt to find balance all the while being able to continue learning French and introducing other languages.

For those who were really backing my success in this, and those perhaps following my journey and are somewhat disappointed, given my decision, don't be, this is a journey, one which is teaching me much. It shows that one must not underestimate the format of such exams (I clearly had, despite believing I was acutely aware of the importance of understanding the format). I may be fully up to the task of C1 level language skills, but the format is another thing altogether. It shows that the journey to lofty advanced levels should also not be underestimated.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I’m surprised they won’t let you order from Amazon France. I can, and we certainly have Amazon USA. That would be super frustrating for me, I hope everything works out with FNAC.

[smallwhite]

PM's 1000 hrs of French in 254 days to C1 Nov. 2018

I think you will end up averaging between 1.85 and 2.05 hours from tomorrow until the exam

OK, so you predicted 3.94 hours/day and March to September ended up averaging 2.40 hours/day. I predicted wrong but closer than you did. I was interested in this number because I wanted to suggest you (and maybe others) make future plans based on past reality.

[Xenops]

For those who were really backing my success in this, and those perhaps following my journey and are somewhat disappointed, given my decision, don't be, this is a journey, one which is teaching me much. It shows that one must not underestimate the format of such exams (I clearly had, despite believing I was acutely aware of the importance of understanding the format). I may be fully up to the task of C1 level language skills, but the format is another thing altogether. It shows that the journey to lofty advanced levels should also not be underestimated.

I think you have done an admirable job with your French studies, and I find no reason for shame : you have reached the C1 level in practice, and is impressive all by itself. If I can get to that level on French or Japanese, I would be overjoyed.

I also think you are being realistic, and are now able to be flexible with your language learning, time, and new environment. I think you deserve this chance to look at other languages: you have battled with French for a long time. I, at least, consider you the victor over French, and I look forward to reading about your new adventures.

[Elenia]

I strongly agree with Xenops. I would have, naturally, loved to see you sit and ace the C1 exam, but there is no shame in not doing so. The exam will still be there in a year from now, if you still want to do it, and if you don't you have the skills you need to job hunt, and the knowledge and confidence in your level that will make everything easier (knowing where one stands really can be important).