Crossed Teas and Dotted Eyes

[steepholm]

If I mark in a café I'm always rather grateful when the people at the next table speak in a language I don't understand, as it's less distracting. (The marking is why I've not been posting here recently, by the way - but I'm almost done now.)

Anyway, I was happy when a couple of middle-aged Polish women sat nearby this morning. Except that they then started throwing random phrases of English into their conversation. "Chaos theory", said one, in the midst of an otherwise impenetrable sentence. My ears pricked up. "Climate change", rejoined the other a few minutes later with a knowing chuckle. Of course, I couldn't help listening out after that - perhaps more than I would have had I been able to understand every word.

I'm used to this sort of thing when I'm in the presence of Welsh, but I've never had it before from a Slavic language. I hope the quality of my marking didn't suffer too much.

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I would never do any serious work, or reading - anything involving sustained attention - in a cafe. Unless any other place available to me were even more noisy and distracting. I am baffled as to why people do it when they have quieter alternatives. I don't even listen to music while working any more, unless the work is purely mechanical.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

It's strange, I admit, but I find cafés far less distracting than either silence or music, for the most part.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Going to a cafe with work is generally suboptimal no matter what languages are being spoken -- but it keeps me a bit more honest if it's a week where I am finding motivation hard to come by.

What kind of teaching do you do?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I teach English literature at a university.

ETA: One of the attractions is being able to escape the temptation of the internet. My regular café is the only near here that still doesn't have wifi.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

I dislike Polacks. I know bits (Korva = f**k) and most seem to use it as every second word. On a Nipponistic note have you heard "Sukiyaki" by Sakamoto (1960's hit)?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

None the Poles I have known - and there have long been quite a few in Bristol, because of the maritime connection - have been like that at all. (In fact, my Japanese class is held at the Polish club.)

No, I don't think I know that - by name, at least. I might if I heard it.