The epidemic outbreak has finally reached me… Reinier got me. Fortunately, as with a vaccination, Reinier has reduced some of the symptoms (from 5 down to 3…) So now I’ll have to disclose three (3) things that hardly anyone knows about me, and tag three (3) more bloggers. Here we go.
1. I created my first language when I was six. Ok, to be fair, I had some help from a nerdby friend of my elder brother (or rather, he created it for me and gave it into my custody). Anyway, it had its own letters (syllables consisting of a noun with some consonants on top), its own grammar (featuring five cases and an weird subject-object-predicate sentence order), and some vocabulary. Aside from being completely fascinating at the time, it also gave me a head start when it came to learning real foreign languages, and an awareness of the construction of language.
2. I started programming when I was six, on a Sinclair ZX 80 (predecessor to the better-known ZX 81). It certainly looked like a dummy – when we unpacked it, we wondered: maybe the real computer is below that piece of plastic? as it turned out, the piece of plastic was the computer. It came complete with a BASIC interpreter, graphical block characters and TV output. RAM was so limited that retyping your program every time was no problem at all. Essentially, I watched every keystroke my elder brothers would make when they played with the thing, and later try to do it myself. As a child, you are not wasted yet by that strange affection called “originality” – I was completely content just imitating.
3. Up to the age of about 17, I tried to optimize my physical presence by moving and straining as little as possible. The theory was: moving or standing (instead of sitting) requires energy, and losing energy is bad for you. Fortunately, I got floppy instead of fat (thanks, genes.) Then, somehow, I started slipping into the martial arts world, taking short courses in Gatka, Taek Won Do, Iaido, Capoeira, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and finally Aikido. Beware, it might happen to you, too.
Exposed enough? So I can pass it on… Mernst, Janhoo, Christian, you’re it!