August 28 2007, 11:12 PM The Speed Of Light Is Low Tonight

One of the nice aspects of my employment is that I get to take classes on the very, very cheap. Somewhat true to my own form, I find myself ending up in courses that have nothing whatsoever to do with my job, but nobody minds that much. I've been taking Italian for some time now, and it's been marvelous fun.

(Non scrivo nella lingua qui; I do it over there, in the other one.)

Classes have begun, and we are now all deep into it; the course this year is far more free-form, conversational, and deeply frightening. No matter how much I know (which is roughly how much I think I know, depending on the day), nothing shines quite so bright a light on what I do not as casual conversation. About things. Timely things. I have far to go, but this is okay.

As a tip, our instructor gave us some links to webcasts of Italian music stations to listen to while we work, to fill the background with bits of language we're trying to better ourselves in. Listening to an Italian popular music station is a strange experience. Something odd and twisty happens to time. An example: right now, people in Rome are listening to The Spin Doctors.

Corollary: right now, I'm listening to The Spin Doctors.

I started poking around looking for alternate stations, and I stumbled upon a thing that purports to broadcast Italian roots music. The interesting thing about this is that all of the source works for the music they play seem only a scant two centuries old or less. Those guys have been making music for a lot longer than that.

It's good stuff, though. Folk music often turns out to be. Non è male, non è male.