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Post by Liiisa on Mar 27, 2024 17:07:37 GMT -5
My mom and I watched a movie and had lunch before her appointment. Now we're eating potstickers that I bought at the farmers' market a couple of weeks ago and stuck in the freezer.
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Mar 27, 2024 17:42:45 GMT -5
The plumber turned up, yay! And I'm sort of sniggering, as it turns out to be a bigger job than expected, so the company that never returned my call have missed out on money. Serve them right,
Also waiting for fish to be delivered - sashimi for Good Friday!
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Post by rikita on Mar 27, 2024 17:48:48 GMT -5
brought a big bag of old books to the second hand book store. not sure how many of them can even still be sold, but they just took them all ...
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Post by tzarine on Mar 27, 2024 21:34:58 GMT -5
baking butter cookies
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Post by riverhorse on Mar 28, 2024 2:08:27 GMT -5
It's another dull grey day and supposed to be lashing down with rain later so unsure what will be on the agenda today. Possibly might go to the sauna place that is a part of school holiday traditions by now.
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Post by romily on Mar 28, 2024 3:07:07 GMT -5
Last day of work before 4 days off - can't wait for no alarm clock in the morning!
Working from home, sunny and beautiful outside, but like the last days by the time I finish work it will be lashing it down with rain. Gym at lunch, and evening just relaxing.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Mar 28, 2024 5:27:57 GMT -5
Work at my furthest school from home. They were having an Easter hat parade, so I managed to meet some parents and get paperwork I need for a child enrolling next year.
I had to drive trough the town with the cheapest petrol locally, so filled the car on the way home,
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Post by riverhorse on Mar 28, 2024 5:46:22 GMT -5
In a weather related turn of events, I'm now sitting in the train up to Cologne because the sun has come out! We're going to go to the botanical garden by the Rhine to enjoy the spring blooms
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Post by groo on Mar 28, 2024 5:47:37 GMT -5
To the Renal Physician in far off mystic Queensland to discuss my renes; on the way up I was phoned by my GP, who was going through recent blood tests (she was phoning from home, and that was nice) - seems she has found reason to send me to yet another bloody specialist.
Traffic around Porpoise Spit was abominable, as twas in Murwillumbah, but the Murwillumbah - Uki conurbation flowed freely. I think that I've forgotten what it was like to live in a city.
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Post by Liiisa on Mar 28, 2024 6:09:06 GMT -5
Yuck groo! Too many doctors.
Today I'm working (from home) and meeting with the arborist, which entails walking around the townhouse community property and taking notes about all the trees they're going to work on, which then I have to send around to the rest of the board in order to approve the arborist's estimate.
I'm hoping that retirement will make me hate these domestic things a little less.
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Post by sprite on Mar 28, 2024 8:35:12 GMT -5
rolling into hour 5 of a 6 hr online teaching day. Last one for... months, hopefully. I'm actually 1 minute early for this class, which is unusual, and the student is late--also unusual.
I have lectured myself repeatedly that I will not attempt to do any more work after the last student. Everything can wait until Friday morning! I know it's a holiday, so I shall work while watching bad mysteries or something. 25 presentation feedsbacks left to complete!
It's also diet day, but I need to update the grocery order tonight and that means looking through the freezer and planning meals. Oh well. It's pouring rain, so I don't mind being stuck indoors.
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Post by romily on Mar 28, 2024 10:47:07 GMT -5
Finally booked a lesson with a Spanish tutor online to start studying properly again as sorry, duolingo just doesn't get me anywhere. I need grammar and proper learning, and this one in Colombia comes recommended by a friend.
So preparing to get my brain used to proper learning again! First session is booked for Monday.
For sprite especially - would you recommend 1 or 2 lessons a week? Considering I work full time? I can afford it, just how much more progress will I make? Feel free to PM me so not t hijack the thread
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Post by tzarine on Mar 28, 2024 11:23:28 GMT -5
roms
listen to spanish pop & watch telenovelas really increases vocab as well as comprehension
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Post by lillielangtry on Mar 28, 2024 11:43:46 GMT -5
I like the Colombian accent and it seems to work across most of Latin America (unlike, say, Argentinian - I absolutely love the country but I wouldn't recommend a teacher from there unless you're specifically going there).
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Post by Liiisa on Mar 28, 2024 11:48:24 GMT -5
I've heard it said that Colombians have the best Spanish - not sure what that is in comparison to, but there you have it.
I need to take Spanish again too, a proper conversation class, not Duolingo. I'm losing all my vocabulary since I haven't really spoken it since I was in Costa Rica in Feb 2020. Pondering doing a course in Oaxaca.
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Post by psw on Mar 28, 2024 11:52:38 GMT -5
romily - As a former language teacher, I never found once a week sufficient. Meanwhile find some news programs and telenovelas to watch to get the general sound of the language into your ear, maybe also some songs to sing along with.
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Post by sprite on Mar 28, 2024 13:04:44 GMT -5
Agree with PSW. Once a week is enough to remember what you've forgotten, but not really make a lot of progress. Twice a week should be ok, it will really depend on what you do during those lessons and what you try to do between lessons. You could also have 2x45 minutes; takes less energy and my students seem to finish those time slots with a bit more fizz. 60 minutes is just that bit more tiring, making it more likely that people are more likely to cancel a class after a hard day.
We met a real range of accents in Colombia, some of which (Costeno!) really defeated us. I'd love to go back and visit the Pacific coast, maybe some of the jungle. And gorge myself on empanadas. I let my travel companion talk me out of eating 6 a day, what was I thinking. If you're looking for a company to visit some less common places, Matt Waugh is a Scottish guy who's been living in Peru for over a decade, and he does great trips, including to Colombia.
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Post by lillielangtry on Mar 28, 2024 13:25:26 GMT -5
My employer once paid for a small group of us to learn Portuguese and we chose to have one longer session once a week. I think it was an hour and a half. Yeah, that was a mistake. Two shorter sessions would have been preferable. It was so hard to maintain the motivation after a full day's work.
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Post by sophie on Mar 28, 2024 13:33:53 GMT -5
An immersion course is the gold standard to learn another language. And having taken immersion (Spanish as well as French) it can be an adventure to have a great time wherever you are studying. The Colombian accent is considered excellent. Second is Guatemalan where I did immersion as Colombia back then was not a safe place for any sort of tourist. Oaxaca is a fabulous city.. don’t know anything about language schools there but Puebla has several excellent ones.
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Post by tinaja on Mar 28, 2024 14:28:41 GMT -5
I took a field trip to a town where there is a new vintage shop. Very nice but not much that I have not seen before. No desire to be a vendor. For the time being, live shows/markets are enough. Stopped in the thrift store and limited my shopping to 3 pieces, 2 for me. Nice day for a drive.
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Post by rikita on Mar 28, 2024 17:11:39 GMT -5
after work, went to the alpine association's center to pick up some gear we need for our trip - the other leader of our climbing group had reserved some via ferrata sets and helmets and i am supposed to bring them. first they gave me 10 sets and two helmets, and that seemed a lot, so i called her. she said 6 sets should suffice ... but even those take up a lot of space in my backpack (did some packing later at home but will have to repack). gotta see how i pack. might take a suitcase and a backpack ...
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Post by tzarine on Mar 28, 2024 18:38:10 GMT -5
Agree with PSW. Once a week is enough to remember what you've forgotten, but not really make a lot of progress. Twice a week should be ok, it will really depend on what you do during those lessons and what you try to do between lessons. You could also have 2x45 minutes; takes less energy and my students seem to finish those time slots with a bit more fizz. 60 minutes is just that bit more tiring, making it more likely that people are more likely to cancel a class after a hard day. We met a real range of accents in Colombia, some of which (Costeno!) really defeated us. I'd love to go back and visit the coast, maybe some of the jungle. And gorge myself on empanadas. I let my travel companion talk me out of eating 6 a day, what was I thinking. If you're looking for a company to visit some less common places, Matt Waugh is a Scottish guy who's been living in Peru for over a decade, and he does great trips, including to Colombia. after living in burgos, i came back to the states w the castillian lisp. it caused a lot of laughs. dont get me started bout argentinian spanish - frutilla? suerte w your studies *** went to the lab for a dexa scana had din w tzar reading garden of the finzi continis
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Mar 28, 2024 20:52:51 GMT -5
Good Friday service at church, then took the two Solomon Islander seasonal workers who were there home, and offered them a lift on Sunday, as they now live further from the church. Went to get fish and chips near where they live, and met one of our playgroup families while I was waiting for it. Having a much needed sloth for the rest of the day. I’ve nearly finished my current hardback, and hope to start a new “real” book.
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Post by groo on Mar 28, 2024 20:53:56 GMT -5
Pondering doing a course in Oaxaca. Great. Mexicans, from my experience, speak Spanish with an Australian accent.
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Post by Liiisa on Mar 28, 2024 20:57:21 GMT -5
Ha!
Chosen because they have the best food
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Post by psw on Mar 28, 2024 21:02:21 GMT -5
Yes! Menu words and restaurant phrases are essential!
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Post by tzarine on Mar 28, 2024 21:07:13 GMT -5
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Post by tucano on Mar 29, 2024 4:08:46 GMT -5
Going to go for a swim and have a beauty treatment later. It's great to be home.
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Post by riverhorse on Mar 29, 2024 4:45:29 GMT -5
That's great news, tucano! Already on the way home from the seafood run in Maastricht. Spaghetti alle vongole on the menu tonight! About to stop off at the big Albert Heijn supermarket in Kerkrade but as we're heading off on our roadtrip on Monday it will only be for a few weekend essentials.
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Post by Liiisa on Mar 29, 2024 5:31:16 GMT -5
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