“Let me think about it,” was the response from my Toledo friends when I nudged them to come along to Madrid with me on Sunday for a Polyglot Meet-up. As if I couldn’t see their eyes glaze over with the red **NERD-ALERT** warning lights flashing behind…
So I went on my own.
I’d never been to such an event before. Social gatherings – hrrumpfh. But I quite fancied this one, not least because I would finally get to meet Alex Rawlings in person. I came across this personable polyglot a couple of years ago, when the BBC featured him in this video showing off his language skills. I started following his blog and we exchanged a handful of messages. Then, a few weeks ago, I was delighted to read that he was organising a meeting for language enthusiasts in Madrid.
I’d had no trouble finding the venue, although the restaurant seems kinda deserted when I walk in. I eventually find a member of staff fiddling with a table cloth.
Excuse me, I’m here for the polyglot meeting.
The polywhat…? What is that?!
I decide to take a different approach.
Some people have booked a room for an event here this afternoon. Has anyone arrived yet?
Well… there’s some people downstairs…
He points me in the direction.
I recognise Alex straight away. Unexpectedly, he also recognises me as “Lady Of The Cakes”. I’m not quite sure how or why… it’s been almost a couple of years since we exchanged those two or three messages on the blogs. He’s been hopping from country to country and must have met thousands of new people. I guess having a superhuman memory and being a polyglot go hand-in-hand. That would also explain why I’m not one.
The organisers have prepared tables with language flags and ice breaker games. But there is no ice to be broken: People arrive and they immediately start chatting to the next-best complete stranger. I notice that most arrive unaccompanied… evidently, I wasn’t the only one cruelly abandoned by their so-called friends…
Pretty much everyone seems to speak Spanish and English, the rest is potluck. I meet a Spaniard who has the best German accent I have ever heard. (From a Spaniard.) I chat to a young Israeli student, switching between English, Spanish and Portuguese. I ask him what he’s studying. Circus studies, he tells me. I blink. I confirm that I understood correctly. It’s like someone telling you they’re an accountant and you’re stuck for a response, but for the exact opposite reason. My brain is whirring with questions. Turns out his specialism is juggling, not lion taming.
My worst fear – that someone accosts me in French (this is my kryptonite right now!) – does not materialise. Instead, I get myself caught up in a maelstrom of Hebrew, until the speaker realises from my deer-in-the-headlights-stare that I’m not getting any of this. I point them towards Mr Circus.
Three hours go by in a flash. I only manage to nab a fraction of the people who I would have liked to interrogate have a chat with. I fix a lunch date for Tuesday with a lovely couple visiting from Vermont who had already been planning to come to Toledo.
On my way back to Atocha station, I’m thinking… I wouldn’t mind doing this again… and it didn’t even involve cake! I must be coming down with something…
Post Script: It has just transpired that the next Polyglot Meetup Madrid event will be held on 17 January 2016. Just in case anyone wants to “think about it”… ahem.
[Find Alex Rawlings’s language blog here: www.rawlangs.com]
So the meetup was a bit like juggling, and not as scary as lion-taming?
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Yup, that just about sums it up 🙂 Perceptive as ever!
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It sounds like a mixture between fun and terrifying (the going alone part = terrifying. I always make Jan come to meetup events with me so I’m not the idiot sitting there with nobody to talk to).
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Actually, I think going on my todd paid off… otherwise I may have clung to my friend’s side, cramping both of our styles. And then, you always worry whether the other person is having a good time or not – that can be very distracting.
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Maybe Alex remembered you for your fascinating insights and witty commentary 😉 And I knew you had it in you to be sociable – weddings next 😉
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I can be very memorable. But that’s rarely played in my favour.
Actually, I was thinking just how blissful it was to go to a social gathering where nobody rabbits on about their wedding, some home improvement project or how well junior is performing at school.
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Memorable? Well… obviously it’s the cake porn… gotta be the cake porn! 😉 Oh and witty retorts too.
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If only my memory banks for irregular verbs were at least half the size of those occupied by cake…
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Now… where is the fun in that? Hmm…?
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I speak English and double dutch, can I come?
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OK… you can come. The password, btw, is “gli”.
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aarrrggghhhh not ghi erh gleeee oh no!
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Sorry, there’s no room at the inn!
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noooo, Is there a stable?
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The donkey and the ox are refusing to share with a black sheep…
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Pah typical donkey, just let him know we eat donkeys in Italy
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It sounds like real fun…. I mean, sure, I’d love to attend one of these whatamacallits. But then everyone agrees I’m some kind of weird nerd. I speak English and 2 Indian languages? Does that mean I’m polyglot too?
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Yup, that’ll do just fine. Come along!
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Wait!!!!
How come The Last Word can come and I can’t even sleep in the stable with the donkey and ox?
I will let you know I speak fluent rubbish.
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AND you like cats… that does go in your favour… let me meditate on it….
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No… Mrs Sensible likes cats, I tolerate them. Apart from Mishmash who is the coolest daftest cat there is.
PS. A person who is fluent in :-
Three or more languages is a Polyglot
Two languages is bilingual
One language is an Englishman. 🙂
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As long as there are no cats anywhere…. 🙂 Count me in!
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It sounds like an interesting group. I think people who study other languages and travel are a heckuva lot more interesting that people who simply happen to know someone who’s to be married.
And if you go again, send my regards to “Mr. Circus.” Anyone who’s that cute and can juggle too must be worth schlepping to Madrid to meet.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where, once long ago, we knew how to juggle.
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Mr C told me that it was a comprehensive 2-yr course, so I expect he’ll be around for a while. …but, Kim, may I carefully remind you that we are old enough to be his parents 😉
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That seems to be a growing problem…not sure what to do about it, especially as I don’t really feel old enough to be anyone’s parent. Hmmmm…..
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Well, you might yet do a Stephen Fry…
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Yep, I had to look up the polywhatglot. .. but interesting that you enjoyed a social gathering with no cakes involved so much, not the post I expected here 🙂 you are full of pleasant surprises! Glad you had a good time!
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I’ll be in Germany over Christmas and I’ll be compensating for this cake-free post from there, don’t you worry 😉
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Sounds more like you! 🙂
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I think Mr. Circus is cute. I speak English, Spanish and Rubbish – so I’ll attend if I ever get to Europe.
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And Fijhindi, or whatever it’s called 🙂 That would give you rockstar status!
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The great thing about the obscure languages is that no one knows how much you are faking it…. ha ha ha ….. oh yes, I am thoroughly fluent !
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I shall guard your secret…
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What a cutie pie is Alex 🙂 But now to the real question: what food did they serve and was it good?
Love your photos of the changing light in the train station.
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There was no food… wait, I think a couple of people ordered something and it looked pretty good. Then the kitchen closed! I guess the event was more about getting stuff to come out of your mouth rather than stuffing food into it. A weird concept, I know. Took a bit of getting used to…
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No food?? Dealbreaker! I hope there was drink, at least…
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I had two glasses of really excellent wine. Well, it was very smooth and I liked it, anyway.
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Mmm, that’s all right then 🙂
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I suddenly feel so inadequate. English with only a smattering of French.
It seems I’m just a glot with no poly.
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But on the other hand, you’re able to do your own accounts, while I’ve got to pay someone to do mine…
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Most true 🙂
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Now imagine how awesome these shindigs would be if they ALSO had cake?
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You’re telling me…!
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Oh wow! Thanks for posting! I am living now in Madrid and was wondering where polyglots were meeting up. 😀
See you in January!
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I sure do hope so 🙂
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3 hours flu by and no eating? Are you shure you dont eat a Wohle mushrome cake and tripped the hole jiggeli jiggeli thing?
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Na, Briaderl, i hoits grod amoi drei Schtund ohne Kuacha durch… aber koa Sekundn lenga 🙂
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In acht dog treff ma uns scho am Flughafen, dann grieagst glei an döner, dast woast jetzt bist in deitschland
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I konns scho go nimma dawatrn, davo draam i scho, vo dem döner, jede Nocht!
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und i hob a genügent böller pschdoid für sylfester.
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Gnua moanst…! Ma konn nia gnua Bölla hom…
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des weans auf mein grobstoa schreim
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Sounds like it was brilliant! Loved this post 🙂
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Thanks! I’ll be back for the next round…
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Don’t people have strange ways of enjoying themselves? 🙂 Aside from eating cake, of course. I took a quick look at Alex’ blog but he looks far too clever for me.
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He’s a sweetie… seems like a very laid back sort of a chap.
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‘Circus studies’ sounds like one of those made up majors that populate the curriculum at Brown University. #NoJudgement
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I think this one was more practical… they were actually teaching them how to swing from the trapeze hanging by one toe, etc 😉
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Love the title/subtitle of your blog. Love it.
This looks like a lot of fun!! What did you talk about? Was it a room full of linguist aspergians (this is a good thing), did you strictly talk about languages or did other conversations happen naturally?
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Hi there! Well, languages served as the starting point to every conversation, certainly, but then it naturally drifted onto other topics… and back to languages again, LOL. I had a great time, anyway. Also last Sunday, when we had our second meeting. Around 100 people came!
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I could talk about language for hours, I think. 🙂
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Yes, so could I, and that goes for probably 85% of the people at that kind of meeting 😉
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