The Periscope was originally conceived as an English-speaking Subtask. The choice was almost “natural.” Having been educated (past high school) in English speaking countries (US and Scotland), and having worked close to 20 years in an English-speaking environment, my brain is “wired” to think English about almost everything save issues defined as Greek only (e.g. communication with Greek public administration).
Recently, I began keeping a diary in Greek and, unsurprisingly, I found myself almost struggling to commit thoughts to paper in my mother tongue I learned in the sixties—and which has been repeatedly stabbed and traumatized by clueless “progress” and the laughable complement of “modern” smartphone-and-vape Greeks.
My daily contact with Greek news is a struggle. I’m amazed at how we have managed to take one of the most sophisticated languages on earth and turn it into a rather horrific idiomatic hodge-podge we have come to identify as “spoken Greek.”
Nothing and nobody escapes this form of “progress.” Greek mass media is now completely transformed into a linguistic merry-go-round that deserves to be eliminated completely. Even the old μαλιαρή (the everyday spoken version of the language deployed by the ‘lower classes’ in days past) sounds “educated” in comparison to today’s woke Greek that borrows, without much ado, everything that “garbage” English has to offer. Consequently, reading the press, and bravely watching television “personalities” stabbing modern Greek every step of the way, reinforce a sense of despair that refuses to retreat.
Hence, and beginning today, a return to English only will be applied consistently and without exception—and any information originating in Greek media will be appropriately linked, but it won’t be quoted verbatim in the body of the post. This change will reduce my struggles with trashy Greek and make continuing to post a much easier and enjoyable job.
PS: Podcasts will continue using Greek.
Say it isn't so, my friend! Forsaking the mother tongue....Zeus will never forgive you, νεαρέ!