I will take you seriously when you learn how to pronounce foreign names

Posted on 2012-07-07 by Andreas Moser

Because I go on a lot of long walks at all times of the day, I regularly download podcasts to provide me with stimulating intellectual company during these walks – as nobody seems to wish to join me in person. I listen to podcasts about politics, philosophy, economics, history, literature and the like. Some of them are in German, some of them are in English, from both sides of the Atlantic and some from the Pacific.

“I doubt that somebody who cannot pronounce my easy one-syllable name will understand my writings.”

Especially in English language podcasts about philosophy, it happens quite often that in the middle of what might well be a good thought, I get completely thrown off course by the speaker totally butchering a French or a German name. When that happens, I can’t take them seriously any longer. How can it be that a professor of philosophy claims to be an authority on Immanuel Kant or René Descartes, which I would think involves years of studying these thinkers’ works, and never once bothered to ask a German or French speaker how to correctly pronounce the name of their subject of study?

A few examples:

  • Immanuel Kant is not pronounced like an American “can’t”.
  • René Descartes is not pronounced “day-cart”, especially not with a strong emphasis on the first syllable, as if there was also a “week-cart” from which he needs to be distinguished.
  • Please do not pronounce Johann Gottlieb Fichte as “fickte”. It means something completely different in German. Something which you would never want to say in public, if at all.

I am sure my readers will come up with more examples, possibly also from other languages.

To the English speakers, let me explain my outrage at these mispronunciations:

(1) It is not even mainly about cultural or linguistic imperialism, although you may have noticed that all German speakers (at least if they dare to go on radio or TV or hold a lecture at a university) have no trouble at all to pronounce David Hume, Adam Smith or John Rawls in exactly the same way as a native speaker of English would do.

(2) My criticism centres rather on your intellectual laziness. If you can’t be bothered to look up the pronunciation in a dictionary, listen to it in a source in the original language or simply ask somebody who knows, then I simply cannot take your approach to research and science seriously at all. You make yourself sound like a sloppy reader, thinker and speaker.

Posted in Language, Philosophy | Tagged , , | 40 Comments

Trakai Historical National Park

Posted on 2012-07-07 by Andreas Moser

For my birthday yesterday, I visited Trakai Historical National Park which can easily be reached from Vilnius by bus or by train in 40 minutes.

At the historic center of the park is Trakai town and the castle, for which it is most famous, but the National Park goes far beyond that and encompasses a myriad of lakes as well as plenty of forest to get lost in.

The historical significance of Trakai began in the 13th and 14th centuries when Lithuania was the last pagan state in Europe. German Christian Orders, not satisfied with the “work” they had done on the crusades to the “Holy Land”, decided to take on and attack Lithuania. The lakes and the islands were perfect natural defences.

Because there are so many lakes and islands in Trakai Historical National Park, bridges play a key role.

As do boats, from small to large.

At other times, a fallen tree was the only way I could cross the dangerous waterways deep down below.

I was therefore not surprised to find a statue of St Nepomuk, the patron saint of bridges and waterways, in the town center of Trakai.

Some more impressions of the town of Trakai:

Many of these houses were along Karamių Street, the Street of the Karaim or Karaites, who originally came from Crimea in the 14th century. They speak a Turkic language – although only a handful of active speakers are still alive – and have their own faith, based on the Old Testament. Some explanatory signs in Trakai said that the Karaim faith “has Islamic elements”, but I noticed much more resemblance to Judaism as soon as I saw the Karaim “church” which was called “Kenesà”. This word is strikingly close to the Hebrew “כנסת” (“knesset”), meaning “assembly” which in the Hebrew term “בית כנסת” (“beyt knesset” = “house of assembly”) is the word for a Jewish synagogue.

And indeed, later when I was walking off the beaten path, I stumbled across an old Karaim cemetery deep in the forest, which surely enough looked very much like a Jewish cemetery, with Hebrew inscriptions on the tombstones.

Stumbling across these reminders of Jewish culture reminded me that Lithuania had once been a major center of European Judaism but had then, under Nazi-occupation, played an especially grim part in the Holocaust.

Deep in thoughts, I continued my walk through lush forests and past lonesome houses.

The only living beings that I encountered for a long time were these very cute ducks.

As I have only had a first glimpse of a part of Trakai Historical National Park and because it is so close to home in Vilnius, I will certainly return more often to explore it more deeply.

(C) for all photos: Andreas Moser on 6 July 2012

Posted in History, Lithuania, Photography, Religion, Travel | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Child in a Balloon

Posted on 2012-07-07 by Andreas Moser

I find children annoying. I assume even most people who have children find them annoying sometimes. Each year when you embark on a holiday, you therefore face the question: Lock them in the basement, send them to a summer camp with the Scouts or – if all other options fail – take them with you.

Today at Trakai Historical National Park in Lithuania, I saw the solution: You can take your children with you and still keep them at some distance, so that they don’t disturb you when you finally have time to read all the books you brought with you on holiday.

I suppose that after a while the child might suffocate. Be careful!

Posted in Lithuania, Photography, Travel | Tagged | 3 Comments

A Place to Smoke Cigars in Trakai

Posted on 2012-07-07 by Andreas Moser

Today, during my day trip to Trakai in Lithuania, I saw this sign:

My Lithuanian is still very bad, but I am sure that “cigarų klubas”, the second sign from the top, means “cigar club”.

However, I had already found a much more beautiful spot in Trakai Historical National Park to engage in exactly this kind of activity:

Actually, it was far too hot yesterday to smoke a cigar. But I will surely return.

Posted in Language, Lithuania, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lithuania celebrates my Birthday

Posted on 2012-07-06 by Andreas Moser

I feel really honoured: I have only been to Lithuania for one week, and already the whole country put up a huge display of affection by celebrating my birthday today (6 July). All over Lithuania, people put up flags and gathered in the evening to sing.

Thank you! Ačiū!

For him or for me?

 

Disclaimer:

Others claim this was for King Mindaugas, who was crowned as the only King of Lithuania on 6 July 1253. But this was so long ago that I doubt this could possibly justify the festivities today.

Posted in History, Lithuania | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Where is Lithuania?

Posted on 2012-07-05 by Andreas Moser

Maybe it is because I keep moving to small countries, or maybe it is because I keep moving around the periphery of Europe, but sure enough my latest move has already led to the question: “Where is Lithuania?” being posed regularly.

After the dozens of times that I got a similar question when I moved to Malta, I was prepared for the worst. I have been positively surprised. More people seem to know where Lithuania is than where Malta is. Or maybe they have just learnt from my previous dismissive comments about people’s geographic knowledge that it’s better not to ask.

So, here is a map of Europe, indicating the location of Lithuania in the small square.

Lithuania is at the north-eastern periphery of the European Union of which it also is a member state since 2004. Lithuania is also a member of the Schengen Agreement which means you don’t need a visa and there are no border checks if you travel from any of the other Schengen countries.

Lithuania is one of the three Baltic countries, with the other two being Latvia and Estonia to the North of it.

Lithuania has 99 km of coastline with sandy beaches. The country is relatively flat and green with lots of forests and lakes.

According to one calculation, Lithuania is actually not at the periphery of the continent, but is home to the centre of the geographic gravity of Europe. In my view, Lithuania is however clearly in Eastern Europe.

Lithuania lies between latitudes 53° and 57° North. When I will go to the North of Lithuania, I will be as close to the North Pole as never before in my life (except in a plane), although I will get closer still on my planned visits to some of the neighbouring countries. (Previously, my walk along Hadrian’s Wall in Britain was my northernmost experience.) Because my southernmost trip was to Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia at around 35°50´ South, this is also the closest I have ever been to either of the two poles.

Now that you know exactly where I am, you are welcome to stop by if you are ever in Europe!

Posted in Lithuania, Travel | Tagged | 17 Comments

Tom Cruise’s Secret Plan for Scientology

Posted on 2012-07-04 by Andreas Moser

I admit that I like Tom Cruise, probably because he played the leading part in one of my all-time favourite movies, A Few Good Men.

“You never believed that I really believe this shit, do you?”

To many, Mr Cruise is a red rag because of his membership and active involvement in Scientology. Admittedly, Scientology is a crazy club with weird beliefs. A big waste of time and money at best, something more dangerous at worst, but certainly a ludicrous undertaking. [I can feel a lawsuit coming my way.]

In my view, this is Mr Cruise’s personal business. If he wants to listen to sermons of Xenu and work on becoming a thetan in his spare time, that’s his decision. None of my business. Or yours. It doesn’t make Tom Cruise sound very smart, but then he is an actor and not an intellectual. Secondly, while the Scientology story sounds crazy, it doesn’t sound much more crazy than a lot of the Bible or Quran stories. And nobody asks for a boycott of Christian or Muslim actors.

But then, after remembering the film Valkyrie again, it suddenly dawned on me that Tom Cruise has a little secret.

“And if it will cost me my other eye!”

Connecting the story behind Valkyrie with Tom Cruise’s unusually active involvement in Scientology, I begin to understand:

Tom Cruise is playing a double game. He is working his way up the ranks of Scientology – just like Claus von Stauffenberg did within the Wehrmacht – to get as close as possible to its ultimate leadership. Then, once he will have gained their trust, he will blow them all up. If my theory is right, this will happen on 20 July.

Better luck than in 1944!

Posted in Cinema, History, Religion, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Keira Knightley stole my Sweater

Posted on 2012-06-29 by Andreas Moser

I used to have a beautiful blue sweater, which I can be seen wearing in this photo during a visit to Buskett Gardens in Malta.

And then one day, it was gone.

For months, I had been wondering where I had placed it, when I might have given it to a poor freezing soul at the side of the road or who might have taken it without my permission.

Until today, when I spotted Keira Knightley, clearly wearing what used to be my favourite blue sweater – although it looks like she washed it a few times too many.

Unbelievable. Keira Knightley not only took my sweater after our encounter (about which I have only a very vague recollection, I have to admit), but she even shares it with Steve Carell in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

Other people would be happy that their sweater made it into a movie, but I honestly don’t have that many clothes. If I’ll be robbed by a few more actresses, I’ll be walking around naked. So, Keira or Steve, whoever of you has the garment now, please return it. Thanks.

Posted in Cinema | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Football Germany vs. Greece

Posted on 2012-06-22 by Andreas Moser

Tonight, at 2045 CEST: Germany meets Greece in the quarter finals of the European Football Championship 2012.

In a sense only a football match, this encounter is completely overcharged with expectations, hopes and fears. After years of the financial crisis in Greece and the German help in the fighting of – depending on one’s view – this crisis or its aggravation by the German insistence on austerity, the relationship between the two countries and nations is fraught with tension. Germans believe that their retirement cheques is becoming unsafe because Greeks pay no taxes. Greeks on the other hand think that the Germans only pretend to bail them out, while in reality they only give financial injections to their own banks. The inevitable clichés of the “lazy Southern European” on the one and Nazi comparisons on the other side abound.

A miracle will be expected of both national teams tonight. A fair draw would be the best result to ease political tensions, but is not an option in the quarter finals of a European Football Championship. One of them has to win. Worse, one of them has to lose and has to return home in shame. Some in Germany – mainly those who don’t usually show that much interest in football – almost demand a loss of their own team for the sake of European unity.

Because of these excessive expectations, the match between Germany and Greece was secretly brought forward and was already played yesterday. Here is the exclusive report about the match:

(Es gibt auch eine deutsche Version dieses Artikels mit einem deutschsprachigen Video des Spielberichts.)

Posted in Germany, Greece, Sports | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Moving to Lithuania

Posted on 2012-06-18 by Andreas Moser

The journey of your favourite vagabond that began in 2009 with my move to London and last saw me move to Malta continues. I am on the move again after I had briefly returned to London for a few weeks. Even more so than previously, I find London unbearably loud, crowded, noisy, dirty, smelly, polluted, stupid and outrageously expensive. It’s high time to leave this hell hole of a city behind me.

After three years living on islands, first Britain and then Malta, I return to the mainland. I want to have the flexibility again of visiting neighbouring countries by spontaneously hopping on a train or a bus; and the insular mentality also showed in both the UK and Malta.

I have decided to remain in Europe for now and for two reasons: As an EU citizen, I don’t need any visa or residence permit to settle in another EU member state. Also, I find it saddening that in the course of my travels I have been to almost all continents of the world, but I still haven’t seen half of Europe. Most of these as yet unvisited countries are in Eastern and Northern Europe.

My choice fell on Lithuania. I will move to Vilnius on 1 July 2012.

I was drawn to Lithuania because I have never been to the Baltic states. Indeed, I have never even been to any of its neighbouring countries. I plan to visit Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia during my stay in the region. And yes, I will have enough time for all of that.

After living in a metropolis and on a barren rock (which had more charm than this description would make you believe), I was longing to return to a green country. Lithuania promises to be just that.

I am looking forward to going hiking, cycling, camping and just walking through endless forests. And I won’t need to miss the water either, both sweet and salty.

Lithuania should also be an interesting country for a history buff like me, both dating back back a millennium and the more recent history of the 20th century. Independent between the two world wars, then first occupied by the Soviet Union, then the German occupation in 1941, before it finally fell back under Soviet rule three years later and only regained freedom in 1990, Lithuania is a perfect case study for the European history of the last century. Under Nazi-occupation, Lithuania, once a major centre of European Judaism, also played an especially grim part in the Holocaust. The Nazis – and quite a few Lithuanian collaborators – murdered almost the entire Jewish population of Lithuania.

Lithuania even has so much sense of history to celebrate my birthday on 6 July as a public holiday. (Still looking for a present? See here.)

So, in two weeks I’ll be sitting here, reading a book and smoking a cigar:

Why don’t you come for a visit?

Posted in History, Holocaust, Life, Lithuania, London, Travel | 38 Comments