<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 23 December 2007 - Volume 04
</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Song Contest: <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/contest/">lowlands-l.net/contest/</a> (- 31 Dec. 2007)</span>
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<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">
<a href="mailto:foga0301@stcloudstate.edu">foga0301@stcloudstate.edu</a></span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">from snowy Minnesota, USA --RE: LL-L "Contests" 2007.12.22 (05) [E]<br></span><p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Hello Ron and Marcus and listers wherever you are,</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> Thanks for the topic you've raised—beauty contests. I've
been reflecting on beauty in human speech. I teach English, but I love every
language. It's true we can have favorites; but I find that some people, in
whatever language, are able to make their speech poetic; to play with their
words for the joy and love of speaking. It's in those words that I find the
most beauty. Like in Urdu, they play with "senseless" rhyming words that are
not in the dictionary. For example, the word '<i>teek'</i> means '<i>good</i>,'
but they say '<i>teek tock</i>' when they're really happy about something. Also
in Spanish, they play with people's names when they really love someone. Guadalupe
becomes Lupe and then Lupita. My very white Swedish sister-in-law was raised
near Mexico with this influence around her and calls her daughter Delany, then
Lanie, then Lanie Lou, then LouLou. Get the pointless point? Knowing how to share
language in intimate play is really the most beautiful thing. We can all do
that, if we try. Shouldn't this contest focus on this art of spreading poetic
senseless joy? </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> Oh, and about "closed-mouthed" speaking—here in Minnesota it's
reasonable in the winter, yes. The cold bites you in the throat when you go
outside. But every spring, that changes... You can't keep things closed up for
long in any culture. We are made for the love of each other. It's important to
fully develop this inner goodness. Yes, ethnic differences can create
prejudices (blinders) that make it harder to imagine how words can be
beautiful. We've all experienced rejection, and we are lucky if we can learn to
return evil with good. True beauty comes from inside; and yes, it is tied up
with this gift of speech. But it's a struggle. Some words really are ugly. The
point is to foster beauty—to practice adding love to speech. In and out of
season, warm words add joy to life. It's a universal gift, but not everyone practices
it artfully to the full. We forget how. Words are more basic to humanity than
the gift of fire, but we lose the ability to play. We close down, imprison our
words. Perhaps that's why Christmas and other celebrations of 'hidden inner light'
come in the darkest time of the year (in the north at least)—to remind us that the
WORD we share is this mostly unlikely miraculous gift—a light coming out of
darkness. Words are holy, and wholly human. Let us practice the beauty of it. It's
not a pointless exercise. It's the most sacred and universal gift that humans can
give each other no matter how cold it is outside.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Wishing you peace (and warmth),</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Gael Fonken</span></p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">
sassisch@yahoo.com</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: Language perceptions<br><br>Hello, Gael!<br><br>Welcome to Lowlands-L and its speakers' corner! I'm happy to see you here.<br><br>And peace and happy Christmas to you!<br><br>Regards,<br>Reinhard/Ron<br>
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