Once a Spanish teacher was explaining to the class that in Spanish, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine, unlike English.
'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'
A student asked, "What gender is a 'computer' then?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether a 'computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
Needless to say, the women won!
Special Note: What better way than to end the year on a humorous note. ;) So i guess i'll see you all in 2011, a very crucial year for me! Wish you all a very happy & idyllic 2011!
