As you may remember from one of my previous posts, these days I’m something of a vexillologist, which doesn’t mean that I study how to vex people (I manage to do that quite naturally at times), rather… Vexillology is the “scientific study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.” The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum (“flag”) and the Greek suffix -logia (“study.”) I fall into the latter category. In fact I collect flags from around the world – not actual flags made of material but the little flags which appear on my website stats informing me, at a glance, of the various countries that the visitors to my site come from.
For some time now the Russian flag has appeared almost daily on my stats, making me think that I have an avid Russian fan (it is so nice to be modern, multicultural and sophisticated!); of course, there could be lots of Russians hitting on my site… a different one each day, but I prefer the notion of my one devotee. So whoever you are, Добро пожал (welcome) and Спасибо (thank you) for being a regular.
Speaking of Russia, my son James took Russian as one of his foreign languages when he was a schoolboy at Torquay Grammar. One evening we were watching an old Bond film together (can’t remember which one but it may have been “From Russia with Love”) when one of the bad guys spoke in Russian and there weren’t any subtitles.
“I understood that Mum!” Jim seemed surprised.
“Oh, Jim,” I began, rather proud of my twelve-year-old genius, “really? How clever you are!”
“Don’t get too excited,” he laughed, “he only told him to sit down!”
Which reminds me of my own extensive knowledge of the Arabic language… Didn’t you know that I speak Arabic? Have you seen the film “True Lies”? Perhaps you’ll remember the bit when the Mercedes is careering over the bombed bridge and Jamie Lee Curtis is fighting with the female Middle Eastern antiquarian-arts dealer inside the car? And the bad-girl art dealer calls out, “Aetini!” Well, I know what she’s saying – “Give it to me!” Now really, there’s no need for you to be so very impressed; one of my dearest old friends, an urbane Egyptian, once taught me “the only Arabic words you need to know when you’re in the desert” – “Aetini ma’!” “Give me water!”, of course.
A сейчас до свидания! Bye for now! (Isn’t the Internet wonderful?)