Language of the Heart, Language of the Soul

Have you ever thought about what makes you happy, really happy? What could you spend hours doing without noticing the time passing? I thought about this last night when I couldn’t sleep. I’m very lucky in the sense that I have been given the possibility to occupy myself with activities that really make me happy.

One of these activities is language learning. More specifically, translation. I can sit for hours analysing and translating a text. It’s fun and it keeps the brain young. There are two languages above all others that appeal to me: Russian and Hungarian. Hungarian is like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s about finding the right pieces in a myriad of grammatical structures and rules. Russian, on the other hand, is possibly the most beautiful language in the world. It’s as simple as that really. I hear it, I read it, I feel it and that fuzzy warm feeling appears in my stomach.

Understanding the mind and understanding society are two other things that I like to spend my time on. One question that has been occupying my mind lately is whether an individual can be held (morally and ethically) accountable for his actions if those actions are the result of societal pressure. What do you think?

I have a dream: sitting in my own library. It’s got high ceilings and big windows. It’s colourful and light. And there I can write and philosophise. And translate Alexander Blok and all those fantastic Hungarian writers. The other day I wrote about not feeling like being good enough: I think this feeling stems from the fact that I know my own limitations. I won’t seriously be philosophising in any library because I don’t have the intelligence to do it. I have secretly checked out different PhD-programmes too, because life without learning and taking it to the next level isn’t an option. I don’t really know what to focus on, though: politics? International relations? Psychology? Political psychology? Social psychology? Sociology? Continue with Russian? And of course, all of the subjects are equally tempting. First I need to finish that dissertation, though. The first draft is due in a couple of weeks and I have set the deadline in June.  

And – lately I have found myself longing for Russia. I’d really like to walk down the streets of Moscow again, soon.

Last but not least, a tip for all of you out there who’d like to listen to Russian radio. I found a site where it’s possible to listen to many different Muscovite radio channels. Go ahead, check it out:

http://www.moskva.fm/stations