Beyond Europe

 I have started learning Japanese!

Up until I was four years old I was bilingual

I was a native speaker of both Greek and English

However, after my parents divorced and I moved to England I no longer used my Greek

So I soon forgot it

I forgot it all

I've tried re-learning it, but with only very limited success

It's all gone

And I don't think I actually need to know it - any Greek person I'd ever need to speak to would speak English! 

So what would be the point?

I tried my hand at Esperanto, but it just feels too artificial for my liking

It is not a proper language

I am no longer an Esperantist

It's a nice idea and all...

...but nope.

But I am now learning Japanese and am enjoying it very much

I intend to travel there some day

Now that Britain has left the European Union we are a free people

Freedoms "From" and Freedoms "To"!

We are no longer so very much tied to Europe

And I'd rather learn a language spoken on the other side of the globe more than I would a language spoken by one of our neighbours!

I believe that the destiny of my country involves us reaching out, to places beyond Europe

Indeed I would go as far as to say that the European Union is parochial

And stifling

I believe that the EU held back the UK from being all that it could become

I have always regarded myself as being a citizen of the world

I remain a citizen of the world

But no longer a citizen of the EU

The world is so much bigger than Europe

And I think many Europeans don't appreciate this

I am going to read up on and absorb as much Japanese culture as I can

I think that without Brexit I wouldn't have had the imagination required to do this

I am so glad we left

And I have a confession to make:

I voted "Leave"

And yet certain sections of the liberal media would say that because of this I am inward looking and xenophobic. That's rich coming from them!

The EU is a Napoleonic abomination

Britain did the right thing by walking away from it

And we always will be European

And whilst I'm on about the EU, let it be said that the UK joined the EU to get rich, not for all that "ever closer union" nonsense

Anyway, enough ranting for today

Also, something funny has started to happen:

Since I've been studying Japanese characters the characters of the Roman alphabet seem less familiar, I am looking upon them with new eyes!

おやすみ