Dear People.
Real briefly (because it’s not Monday): I did something crazy yesterday and recorded a video of myself speaking Thai. And now I’m doing something even crazier and sending my face into your mailboxes.
If it sounds like I’m singing in this video, it’s because I am.
What I hope I'm singing is "Hello everyone. My name is Tanya. I am a writer and I like learning languages. I have been learning Thai for two weeks. I want to learn 12 languages in one year. I also want to write about these different languages. These stories are for everyone who loves learning languages. I hope you will read them."
However, I did not run this by any Thai speakers so maybe I’m saying something else entirely. That's ok too. At the very least someone out there will have a good laugh. I want us all to not be afraid to make fools of ourselves when we’re learning a language.
Disclaimer: This wasn't easy and it was not unscripted. I took a long time to think about what I was going to say (and to find the most flattering angle that doesn't show my double chin.)
I don’t know how often I’ll do this sort of thing (or how often you want to see my singing face in your mailboxes), but in the meantime, I’ve started a YouTube channel that will mostly be a place for me to make a fool of myself in public in different languages.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfyRJEE72yb9Gb99atm5pTg
One thing I can promise though: you’ll never see me saying anything into the camera in a language that I’m fluent in. Because that’s just waaaay too out of my comfort zone.
Make a Fool of Yourself