Busy, busy day...and I discover that I dream in three languages.

[randomness]

Last night was the first time I remember speaking and understanding French in a dream. I was in a cafe, sitting with the proprietress. Just minutes earlier she had been berated me for peeling a boiled egg my parents had given me while I was (unwisely) squatting near one of her sidewalk tables, saying she'd have to charge me for using a table. Making the best of things I sat down and asked for a bottle of fizzy water, at which point her demeanor completely changed. She sat down, as did two other middle-aged women, and we started chatting. In French.

My French was as rusty in the dream as it is in real life, but it seemed to please them that I could speak it and understand it as well as I did.

So that makes three languages: I had a dream several years ago where I was arguing with my Mom in Mandarin. And, of course, I generally dream in English.

There's always some word or phrase in the language that sticks in my head after I awaken which lets me know that I'm not simply translating after the fact. Otherwise, I could simply dream I was speaking Albanian, Esperanto, or Xhosa, none of which I speak.

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Two enormous parties this afternoon/evening, both with live bands, both with firespinning, both guaranteed to be jampacked with people. Fortunately, the one that starts later is close to home, because I anticipate I'll be up until 4 again tonight, as I was last night helping one of the parties do their extensive redecoration work. (Most of what I was doing was to be perky and keep the art staff amused when everyone was dragging, but I guess I was useful.)

From what I've seen so far, the art staff and lighting crew have done a fantastic job, and I'm looking forward to seeing the full effect tonight.

bedfull_o_books is just finishing our Hawaiian shirts, bless her heart. The later party has a Luau theme and we're all asked to come dressed accordingly. The earlier one is a pool party, so I figure I'll wear the shirt to that one, too.

Comments

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

When there’s English in my dreams, I don’t remember the actual words, the sound (or look) of them. I know in general what I said or what somebody told me — the facts or feelings, but not the actual words.

I have those dreams, too, but I also have dreams in which exact phrasing is important. Most of those are in English, and I can hang on to dialogue from them afterwards, just like the ones in other languages.

(Also, it’s very rare for me to dream in a foreign language I know well, like French or Spanish. I’m a lot likely to have a few words turn up of a language I can’t speak at all fluently.

I have never had dreams in languages I have no particular facility with. So far, I've only dreamed in my best three languages. I'm not sure what that would be like.

In general, the language is peripheral to the social interaction I'm having, and I think my mind chooses the most appropriate language for that interaction.