Language barriers

Today in class we watched a TED video that talked about languages and the restrictions it places on people. But on the other hand it also can benefit us, if we want to protect our ideas from other people. I always wonder about that. When someone copies me, it is not "the sincerest form of flattery", I think it's stealing. But like the guy in the video said, if I communicate that I allow you to do it, then it's not stealing. It still makes me angry when I see someone take my ideas however..

Anyhoo, that's a little off-topic. My mom and I got in a tiny argument over dinner and while I could express most of my thoughts clearly, my mom had to improvise. Cantonese is not as specific as English is. My mom can definitely understand what I'M saying, but she can't fully articulate what she's thinking. And I don't know whose more at fault here for this barrier. One side is that my mom and dad did not exactly keep up with teaching Cantonese to me while I was taking ESL classes; the other is that I did not make more of an initiative to continue it as well.

It's mind-boggling how many languages there are in the world, and how these two in specific vary so much. Even as I was watching a Korean drama the other day, the differences between Chinese and Korean are huge. Korean would be very difficult for a native English speaker to even begin to learn. Romance languages aren't as hard because they have a similar root...but Asiatic language seems to be very hard. For one thing, you have to develop the "tongue" for it.

But I can't say any one language is hard. Funny how we deemed English to be the most universal language when really it is one that causes the most difficulties. But I suppose that's life right? Gluttons for punishment.