Two emails in a row here. Another contrast is to Hebrew and Arabic: I would MUCH RATHER learn Latin than modern Hebrew and/or modern Arabic. Chinese isn't really a fair comparison because I've already sunk so many years into it.
Gail,
You know, if there were anything positive I could do within Canada, I would do it:
I bought a huge stack of books on Latin (i.e., the ancient language, literature, history and politics) because it seemed like the only positive thing I could do if I continued to be trapped here in Victoria (i.e., there is a classics department at UVic, etc.).
If I believed there were a program in Cinematography worth doing, if I believed there were a program in "agenting" worth doing, etc. etc.
Anything…
If there were anything positive I could do under any heading (learning Chinese, learning how to bake bread, anything) I would do it.
But there isn't.
I don't know what you expect me to do from here: we could (both of us) literally enroll to get university degrees in Latin at UVic…
but that would then create a new crisis at the end of the program / degree (several years from now) when we'd have to ask all the same questions again (we'd still have no home, no possible way of earning an income, etc.).
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The thing is…
I have a much more sincere interest in Latin than I ever had in Chinese or Japanese…
it is REALLY interesting to me, and it would be REALLY rewarding for me…
(in terms of history, philosophy, politics, etc.)
but it's impossible to be optimistic about (1) the Canadian university system, and (2) any kind of employment ensuing thereafter.
Melissa asked me once (within the last few months) what I'd do (with my life and career) if we broke up and I was living here (in Victoria) alone and my answer was that I'd probably re-activate my student status at UVic and study Latin (and again: the huge pile of books on the subject is visible in the middle of our one room apartment at all times).
What's a worse use of my time, at age 44: studying Latin vs. studying cinematography, given that the university system is garbage either way?
And given that the film industry is (now) dying, in the same sense that book publishing (and magazine and newspaper publishing, etc.) died within my lifetime.
E.M.
