Wild Blue Yonder

[† Emotional Outlet]

And should you ask, "Why, EO, whatever does your topic title mean?" I shall reply, "Why, it's the Air Force song." And you may ask, "Why, EO, why did you come back?" And I shall reply, "Because I got an e-mail."

For you see, my dear children, I have ventured on my own after high school and joined the Air Force. I vanished from the earth for many weeks until I was allowed to use a phone and let people know I was not brutally murdered at Warrior Week. I trudged through seven weeks of humiliation and torture, thinking the whole time, "If only I had never volunteered for KP duty." Because let me tell you, waking up at three in the morning, and not being able to sit down until midnight because you also got EC duty right (where it is also verboten to sit) after getting back from KP is not fun. It makes you want to hurt people.

Basically, it was a whole lot of standing and swearing. And if you weren't swearing out loud, you sure were doing it in your head. In the end, you realise you don't have to like any of the lunatics in your flight, you just have to survive and to Hades with honour flight, because nobody cares how well you did in basic.

After making it through basic before it was switched to an eight week program (الحمد لله), on my last day of basic, I was to be woken up at roughly dark o'clock (about midnight or one, I can't remember), and after a series of painful, annoying, and oft times hilarious events, I make it to my next stop in my military career--DLIFLC, often referred to as the Desperate Love Institute. Or, in truth, the Defense Language Institute.

If you could not tell, those random squiggly lines amidst the familiarity of the English alphabet is, indeed, Arabic. For it had been decided by some cosmic force, or perhaps just the Air Force, which is well on its way to becoming a comsic force, assuming space travel continues along its path, that Airman EO should be required to learn Arabic.

And let me tell you, people fear me when I speak Arabic in the book store.

[Citizenmanman]

Welcome back, hope you can stick around. People would probably fear you if you could just speak jibberish and make it sound like Arabic I would venture to guess.

[badomen121211]

well welcome back, and I'm glad the military has been such an entertaining experience thus far. as far as Arabic goes, im sure you do scare people ive heard a few blurbs of Arabic once and it sounded kind of freaky. but W/B and have fun.

[Mitz]

welcome back lolz

speaking arabic huh? thats cool lolz

[Koby]

O.o

*speechless*

*meh nvm*

Sounds very... tough... I don't think I could go through all that.. urm.. actually I know I can't lol.

---------------

It's the EO? I didn't think you would be back.. Email? lolz.. was it my friend request?

[† Emotional Outlet]

Yeah, it was your friend request thing. I was waiting patiently for my stuff to be mailed to me.

Well, in some sense speaking nonsense may or may not bother people, it's just that when thrown together with some of the harsher, if you will, sounding letters that involve phlegm and various wicked noises a girl like me should not be making, people tend to lift a brow. God knows I did when I was introduced to the ghayn and 9yn, which are so harsh sounding.

We share many basic stories. It is as such because you learn pretty quickly, the choices in any given situation tend to be weep in a corner or laugh. We choose to laugh, most times. At the time, of course, we were scared right out of our filthy tan combat boots, but come evening, we were laughing our heads off about it. Most of what I went through was a mind game anyway.

At DLI, Arabic is a category IV language and is meant to last 63 weeks. However, a lot of people end up getting rocked out (id est, failing right out of the course) or rolled back (being sent back several weeks in the course and you get to start right on over from that point--people have rolled from week 40 to week 1), so it becomes quite the variable number of weeks. All of the languages are like that, of course, because the amount of stress they place on us and the level they expect us to perform is beyond obscene. It's no wonder DLI has so many people committing, or attempting to commit, suicide. I cannot become fluent in a foreign language in two weeks, I'm sorry you crazy people seem to expect that I would know how to speak Arabic by week three.

On another note, DLI is an Army post and Army food blows. AF, by far, has the best food. Plus, we're snooty and have nice dorms while the Marines and Army roll in the mud. We get manicures and fuzzy slippers.

[Koby]

Yeah, it was your friend request thing. I was waiting patiently for my stuff to be mailed to me.

Well, in some sense speaking nonsense may or may not bother people, it's just that when thrown together with some of the harsher, if you will, sounding letters that involve phlegm and various wicked noises a girl like me should not be making, people tend to lift a brow. God knows I did when I was introduced to the ghayn and 9yn, which are so harsh sounding.

We share many basic stories. It is as such because you learn pretty quickly, the choices in any given situation tend to be weep in a corner or laugh. We choose to laugh, most times. At the time, of course, we were scared right out of our filthy tan combat boots, but come evening, we were laughing our heads off about it. Most of what I went through was a mind game anyway.

At DLI, Arabic is a category IV language and is meant to last 63 weeks. However, a lot of people end up getting rocked out (id est, failing right out of the course) or rolled back (being sent back several weeks in the course and you get to start right on over from that point--people have rolled from week 40 to week 1), so it becomes quite the variable number of weeks. All of the languages are like that, of course, because the amount of stress they place on us and the level they expect us to perform is beyond obscene. It's no wonder DLI has so many people committing, or attempting to commit, suicide. I cannot become fluent in a foreign language in two weeks, I'm sorry you crazy people seem to expect that I would know how to speak Arabic by week three.

On another note, DLI is an Army post and Army food blows. AF, by far, has the best food. Plus, we're snooty and have nice dorms while the Marines and Army roll in the mud. We get manicures and fuzzy slippers.

Not sure about half of what you said.. rofl. I took Latin, Spanish, and French in School though, and well my French and Spanish teachers were suck assholes that I spent most of my year either skipping their class or being in Detention for failing to do my work (I had a habit of not doing anything in classes where I didn't like the teacher, lol). Still managed to pass all of them however, though I'm not sure how. I still can't speak none of those language and totally forgot everything that I did manage to learn. All well, I was always pretty good in school even while skipping. I had offers from Duke University and a few other colleges by the time I finished 4th grade because of aceing all the state tests at the end of the year and continuing to do so through every year. They had me take an SAT (seemed like mostly common sense questions, if you as me) test when I was in 7th grade.. and I passed it too, everyone was shocked but I couldn't even understand the score sheet they sent me, lolz.

Anyhow I'd really like to take a course, or two, or three (however much it'd take me to learn, haha) in Japanese as I'd really like to travel there someday. I discovered there is a town called "Kametsu" (go figure) and would like to visit there (not sure why, or what'd be there.. but yeah)... as well as visit some local tourist attractions and well the ocean.. lolz. I've never even been to the ocean (yeah wtf.. I know lolz).

Well enough rambling on.. I tend to do that so much lately, lol. Anyhows, are you and Mujklob still hanging out much? Doesn't really sound like you have much free time... O.o If you have heard from him lately.. hows he been? Haven't heard from him in well... nearly half a year when I last spoke to him on myspace.. LOL..

Oh and manicures and fuzzy slippers? haha... seriously? =P

[† Emotional Outlet]

DLI is a different breed from high school and college. The final test we have to take? Native speakers of the language have failed the DLPT (final test) in their language.

Every course, no matter how long at DLI, is equal to, and oft times greater than, taking four years of a language at college, and definitely greater than taking four years of a language at a high school. It is an intense course, and even very bright, very talented people who didn't have to try in high school, feel the pressure of having to learn over sixty words a day--at a minimum. You're getting a firehose of knowledge turned at you and when you start screaming, "Oh my god, I can't take any more of this language," they turn that hose up and tell you it's not over yet.

If you make it through DLI, and can make it through the training--because, mind you, in addition to language training, which portends all the studying and homework you must do as it is your military obligation, you also have your military duties weighing upon you--you will come out of here knowing more about a language and culture in a year in a half than most any college student with four years education, and you will get there faster. Mostly because during the day, it is the only subject you have. No math, no science, no US history oriented classes. Everything is about your target language.

There are so many bitter rock outs, here.

Muj and I are still together. He's just getting through university. And not really, but I've heard that Air Force dorms at other posts are much nicer than the Army standard ones we have.

ETA: Also, I forgot, the stuff we learn in class? Some people don't even understand or know how to talk about in English.

[Koby]

From the sounds of it... I don't see how anyone could pass, and I don't see why anyone would want to put themselves through all that voluntarily. It sounds like torture to me. To be honest, I've never once thought of joining the Army, Navy, Air Force, or any other Military organization. Well anyhow, you must really want to do it, if you are putting yourself through all that, or you just didn't know what you were getting yourself into when you signed up (lolz)... so good luck and I hope you succeed.

[Anooxy]

Why did you join the military in the first place?

[† Emotional Outlet]

Another e-mail, another return. And also I was being Facebook stalked, dude.

For anyone who remembers me from the olden days, or even just this thread, I graduated out of the Arabic course with a 2/2+/2 and am awaiting my next course start date so I can be another step closer to actually being operational. Because damn it, I'll have been in training for almost two years while other people I went to basic with have been operational for that time period. The joys of becoming a linguist.

Although it's late to be replying (a year later, even), I joined the military because it was easy and logical for me. I come from a poor family and I wasn't about to suck up to people for scholarships and stuff. I don't need experience to join the military--which most jobs require, resulting in a sick catch-22 of reality--just a clean record. And my dad was in the Navy for twenty years. I intend to do my twenty as enlisted, because screw being an officer.

[Koby]

Another e-mail, another return. And also I was being Facebook stalked, dude.

For anyone who remembers me from the olden days, or even just this thread, I graduated out of the Arabic course with a 2/2+/2 and am awaiting my next course start date so I can be another step closer to actually being operational. Because damn it, I'll have been in training for almost two years while other people I went to basic with have been operational for that time period. The joys of becoming a linguist.

Although it's late to be replying (a year later, even), I joined the military because it was easy and logical for me. I come from a poor family and I wasn't about to suck up to people for scholarships and stuff. I don't need experience to join the military--which most jobs require, resulting in a sick catch-22 of reality--just a clean record. And my dad was in the Navy for twenty years. I intend to do my twenty as enlisted, because screw being an officer.

LOL'd at your post. Facebook stalked? So you only return when you get an email... what if I sent out weekly or monthly updates, haha. Well anyways it's nice to see you're still alive and well.

[† Emotional Outlet]

I literally forget about Internet stuff unless I'm reminded about it somehow. Becoming a linguist has changed my habits, online and off. I've fallen so far off the Sims bandwagon that I don't even know anything any more. Oh well.

But maybe one day, when I am out of training and I'm not moving sixty times in the span of six months, I'll be a regular on the Internet again.