(no subject)

[gerbie]

no motivation to write.

Comments

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Yes, most bands from the late eighties have. *chuckle*

Are you sure it was just once? :P

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Oops! Had to read my own comment to see what you meant. Typical case of my brain going faster than my typing skills can afford. Where do you put a word in a sentence? Is it an excuse if I claim not to be a native speaker?

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

That's definitely a good excuse, although I've often done that myself. Englist is funny in the fact that our word order is very flexible. Usually it's a case of emphasis.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Don't forget that my native lingo has an even worse grammar than Englist. I'm used to it. There are even similiarities. I shan't use the excuse again.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

:D It would have been fine with me!

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

You're too kind.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Naw... I've lived in France.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Is that relevant?

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Yes. I know how frustrating it is to learn the subtleties of another language and culture andhow tiring it is to communicate in a language not your own.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

True. If it is a new language. Yet I pretend to be near fluent, having used English more than my own language since I started studying way back in 88.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Wow. You're right. You are fluent. And French stopped being tiring after the first few months or so. But these days I don't use it much. I did manage to have a conversation in German last week at church, though. I draw a lot of satisfaction from moments like that.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. I have the same when I make myself understood in Italian. I do not speak much, but using my spanish and some correct words, I can have a simple conversation. Good moments.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my German is rough, but managable.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Sounds horrible though, that language. Don't get me wrong, I can manage, I grew uo 30km from the border, my dialect is halfway there. Yet it doesn't sound like a friendly language. It doesn't help their image.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. Although a German accent in French sounds comical somehow.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Allo allo?

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

They always sound like theyre lisping.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

There is a big difference though between the youngsters and those who are a generation before us. Nowadays the youth learns languages much better.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

True enough. Did I tell you there's a genuine dutch person sleeping in my bed?

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

No you didn't. I hope not an intruder, though through the fact that you are telling me, I assume you've been welcoming.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

I am not in my bed. I am sleeping on the couch this week because Betty's mom (whom we call Oma) is sleeping in my bed. I learned to count to ten in dutch last night.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

You are too kind. Then again, one cannot be too kind to the Dutch.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Well, she's an old lady. I wouldn't want to make her sleep on the couch. Besides, as you pointed out, it never hurts to be kind to the Dutch. As all Ottawa residents know, if you're really nice, they give you lots of tulips.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

And as all old Dutch people will remember, those exact tulip bulbs were a delicacy during the last winter of WWII.

[sarahcarotte.livejournal.com]

Yup, I know. I like to learn things, so that knowledge is part of having lived in Europe and Ottawa. Tonight, I played Majong with Oma and Betty and Ellie. I learned to count in Dutch. I'm working on some other stuff, but it's hard. Betty isn't fluent enough and half the time, Oma doesn't know which language she's speaking. It's kinda funny.