I’m learning a second language: German*. But I already mentioned that before.

Why? Because it was on my annual review this year. It went something like this: “What are your goals for this coming year?”

I thought hard — we always do something like, technical training, learn the newest technologies from Apple and Microsoft, become a school teacher. I had to do something different. I wrote something to the effect of, “Because we are an international company, I believe it’s important that team members explore alternate languages and cultures. This year, I will focus a portion of my energies on learning, to a conversational level, two foreign languages.”

I’ve been working on German since late February. Usually about an hour each day. Just last week, I was feeling that my German skills were sub-par. Genders, verb forms, syntax — I was feeling lost. But, Rosetta seems to think that I’m keeping up reasonably well.

Yesterday, I started my third language, 中文. All I can say is: Ow… my brain.

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* I took a year of German in High School — twenty(mumble) years ago. It was very basic. I wouldn’t say now that it was a solid foundation or that it prepared me for anything. I think there were some bad habits picked up then.