Before reading

• My definition of a corpse refers to one who couldn’t move but was not dead. “Couldn’t move” is the focus. Dead fish may work but it sounds deadlier to me.
• My definition of a book includes articles and stories composed of 20+ chapters or pages. For example, a thesis would sometimes be regarded as a book.
• My definition of a sprayers refers to what others would call a trash talker. I used the word “sprayer” to describe a trash talker who is more infectious and polluting. In other words, a sprayer who will inflict more damage to one’s viewer and listener. More importantly, a sprayer usually has the support of a big community.
• My definition of the Internet sometimes refers to the audience.
• Note: one reason I started using the word Mandarin is because of a grammar error.

The Power Behind Language

Going straight into the topic without complaints, I have lived in a box since the beginning of 2020. Before my knowledge will rot and decay like a corpse struggling to make my way home, I wish to share my understanding of a few languages as well as secrets behind them. The secret of the languages that I am going to share are Chinese, English, and Japanese.

To begin, I should first talk about my background and relationship with languages. I know many different languages. I am proficient in both Chinese and English since they were considered as my native languages. In addition, I have read an ocean of books written in Chinese and English. If you want some numbers, I have read at least 6000 books for each language. I can speak in Cantonese and understand Indians. My hobbies include watching anime and listening to music in Japanese. I have at least watched the top 150 anime on my-anime-list, most of which without a subtitle. Regarding music, it was countless as it is something with an opening and an ending. To correct some misunderstandings, I also listen to other music in Korean and in German. If you consider computer languages such as Python or Java as languages, then I know a dozen more.

What about listening and speaking? You may skip this to the next paragraph if you have a bigger interest in the power behind languages. I am only writing because some people might want to know more about the basis of the topic: more background stories. I may be a great listener; however, I am not a great speaker. When I came into contact with the Internet, I came in contact with sprayers. It was stressful and gave rise to a feeling to do more harm. Nevertheless, I was able to control myself because of the education and the environment I grew up in. I didn’t hurt anyone, but people got hurt. Those, who were the same as me, were depressed. Some had the urge to kill, and some had the urge of dying. To relieve their stress, I had to listen. I needed to be careful with what I had to say. I have to filter what I upload to the Internet instead of speaking straight from my mind. It was better for me to stay awkward with others instead of hurting others. Being a good listener, I then noticed some power of languages when I was listening to music. It was the beauty of languages.

With these being said, let’s talk about the power behind languages. Since my audiences are English readers, I will first talk about the secrets behind English. Though, I would really like to go in order.

I wrote about Chinese, English, and Japanese. What about writing in English, Chinese, and Japanese? Should I write in Japanese, English, and Chinese instead? Do you see any problems with it? Personally, I found them to be uncomfortable except for when I was writing in alphabetical order. English has a huge impact on my life. The power of English is about pattern and sequential arrangement. This also applies to languages that are composed of alphabetical order. When the power of English hits you, it will grant you the power of sorting and it is not just limited to math. For example, you may find yourself better at arranging furniture than average non-English speakers. You may be able to memorize something in sequential order than someone who is usually good at memorization. The powers, which may come in many forms, will be better than average non-English speakers. This doesn’t mean one will be the top and special in pattern and sequential arrangement. Since the languages I learned aren’t limited to English only, pattern and sequential arrangement hit me harder. When I was coding, I spent more time trying to add lines and spacing (until “prettier” comes into play) than to actually code the program. That was why I found myself to be uncomfortable when listing something without being in sequential order. You may be able to see yourself in a different, yet similar situation.

Next, it is the power of Mandarin or the power of memorization. Mandarin has more characters than English. It consists of unique characters that draw and represent each object differently. If the character C is used to describe a cat, C will not be used to describe a cow in Mandarin. One will use a new character, such as - , to represent a cow. In Mandarin, Characters are pictures. Because of the number of characters in Mandarin, Chinese were considered smart because of their strength in memorization. However, this is partially correct. It is true that some people have good memorization because of the number of characters they need to memorize. Once they are used to memorizing, they are good at memorizing. Some have good memorization because of the imagery, not because of the number of characters involved in the language. It is a similar power with different forms. However, the power came in with another form for me. It is similar to imagery memorization, but there is something more to it since it is close to a photographic memory. I didn’t want to share this because I had only realized it after reading an ocean of books. It also came in with some struggling. Nonetheless, I might as well write it since there will only be a handful of readers reading anyway. I am considered smart because I am able to create something called a Memory Palace, which is also known as the method of loci. The method of loci is a memory enhancement technique, which uses visualization of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information. It is like creating a google search engine in another dimension. When you search for the word cookies, you could remember its ingredients as well as some events that came along with it. You could also remember its taste and texture because it is physically there in your place. All you need to do is to find the cookie in your palace. If there is another chance, I will write a little more about it. Let’s end this with the power of Mandarin.

Finally, it is the power of Japanese or the power of sounds. Those who watch anime and speak at least two languages, have you ever wondered why you would prefer to watch anime in Japanese? Have you ever listened to music in different languages? If you do, you might be able to resonate with two statements I am able to make. First, anime from Japan is usually better. Second, we will get stuck with Japanese songs after listening to music sung in different languages. This is the power of sounds. Japanese is considered to be unique because it is structured with sounds. Japanese has no problem including one English word in the middle of a sentence. It focuses on wavelength so it could easily resonate with emotions. If you know Japanese, you might find yourself to be a great speaker. Some people also develop a unique power to express themselves. On average, I believe Japanese anime and music are better than anime and music in other languages. It is difficult for me to explain this logically when preference itself is unreasonable. However, there is one thing I could say for myself. I am a good listener and sensitive to emotions. I have listened to music in many different languages. Even if I don’t understand the lyrics behind the music, I can still enjoy the music as if I am only resonating with it. I could hear the joy, the anger, the depression, or the regret presented by the music. However, it became obvious when the music was sung in Japanese. Ironically, I am not a good speaker even though I can somewhat understand Japanese. I guess I don’t have the power of sounds since I don’t know the language after all. Thinking optimistically, maybe it came in another form?

This summarizes my understanding and the power behind Chinese, English, and Japanese. This is supposed to be a blog, and I have written it like an essay….Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.