Great Onely Activities: Language CDs February 5, 2009
Posted by Onely in Great Onely Activities.Tags: car sauna, driving alone, Egyptian Arabic, Pimsleur
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“Ingleesi! Ingleesi!” I yell as I drive down Interstate 66. I’m answering the question the man in my CD player has asked me: “How do you say ‘English’ in Arabic?” He pauses, then says, “Ingleesi. Si. Gleesi. Ingleesi“.
“YES! I knew it!” I yell. “I AM A FREAKING POLYGLOT GENIUS!” I thump the steering wheel.
“How do you say, ‘I understand a little Arabic?’ ” asks the deep disembodied voice.
“Ana. . . Ana. . bema. . beha. . bef. . ” I stutter, gripping the wheel now.
“Ana befham Arabi shuaya”, he interrupts.
“Slow DOWN, you big jerk,” I snap, not at a fellow driver, but at the voice.
If I were a passenger riding next to me, I’d be digging through the glove compartment looking for something to stab me with. But because I’m driving Onely, I can shout and mutter and gargle ineptly at the throaty consonants, over and over and over. Also, it’s winter, and the windows are closed.
Copious Readers, do you find that the car is a good place to be Onely?
–CC
Onely.Org 
I use to when I had a car. I could, and would, sing at the top of my lungs 🙂
Yes.
I used to live in Madison, but I’d come back to Chicago to see family and friends almost every month.
Sometimes I’d listen to NPR or a book on CD, but mostly I’d just enjoy the silence. I’ve found that, even in the boring Midwest, you can find various interesting sites as you drive, as long as you’re willing to pay attention.
Almost meditative, in a way.
I give myself pep talks in the car especially when I am having a hard time. I just pretend to be my better self and cheer myself up outloud. I get a little self conscious at stop signs in the summer when everyone has their windows down. But hey, I could have a bluetooth in the other ear ya know?
What I really like is that my luck with the parking gods isn’t bad at all. At times it seems magical. The question is, is it a reward for my onely life or a consolation prize?