Lessons in English

[ballvalve]

Life alternates between Joie de vivre and ennui. And then we die.

The Czechs have a most beautiful word, Litost, Milan Kundera wrote quite a bit about it, and no language has a comparitive phrase with such sad nuance to it. Czech has elements of romance and sadness, that it can make French look like a african language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boo...and_Forgetting

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...20-%20toast%5D

And finally, one that can be insantly translated into French, with a detailed explanation. I am afraid that not many will appreciate or be interested in this magical insight into human nature.

http://translate.google.com/translat...26prmd%3Dimvns

[Ian Gills]

This all went a bit mad yesterday, didn't it?

I still feel uncomfortable with this notion of illegal immigrants.

In 1776 you were all illegal. And tax hoppers to boot.

And now you're starting to whinge about exactly the same things as the English did when you stole the King's land.

Yes, you were here first. But the English were here before you. And the Indians before them.

[Cookie]

I cheated. I used Babel.
Although, I studied french in high school 4 long years. Kind of hard to remember, maybe, we should push the "french" buttons on the ATM. A refresher course so to speak.

It is what it is. All we can do is make the best of what we are dealt. Votre français est bien meilleure que la mienne j'il étudie en Junior High, a obtenu un 93 sur le test de NY État régents, mais n'a jamais vraiment eu la chance de l'utiliser. Your French is much better than mine I studied it in Junior High, got a 93 on the NY State Regents test, but never really got a chance to use it.

[Cookie]

Hola, si.
here is a picture of a new statue that is in a town, where my dad grew up. It is beautiful the statue is, not the small town itself, (it is runned down) but the statue, overlooks the city and its river. You can see the city in the background.
http://www.photodom.com/photo/2223647
I was standing in a store, a kind of offbeat stoe a couple of years ago with a girlfriend, she wanted to buy healing stones, and, the owner's friend, an old woman came over to me, saying, " you are a beautiful squaw, lovely cheek bones and hair" and started to touch me, my face, my hair and I started to pull away. lol. But, the weirdest thing she did do, which was so strange, was she started to say ( and you cannot tell by looking at me at all, at least not now or back then) " you are sick...and, started to touch me again, lol. But, this was so strange because she said, " your arm, your neck, your chest" and, I stood there while she stopped touching me, ( thankfully) but, now was gliding her hands over me, with like air between us, saying, " you are so sick" and, started to cry, saying, " you are a strong squaw" but, one so sick. What was weird was, it is my arm, my neck and my chest. She continued gliding her hands over me, and stopped at my ankle, looking up at me, saying, " it is here" and, she was right. I had long pants on, she couldn't see the surgery scars on my ankle so, no way she could had known. I don't limp, or drag it like Egor ( Igor) either. Just an interesting picture, and kind of interesting story.

This all went a bit mad yesterday, didn't it?

I still feel uncomfortable with this notion of illegal immigrants.

In 1776 you were all illegal. And tax hoppers to boot.

And now you're starting to whinge about exactly the same things as the English did when you stole the King's land.

Yes, you were here first. But the English were here before you. And the Indians before them.

[BobL43]

I cheated. I used Babel.
Although, I studied french in high school 4 long years. Kind of hard to remember, maybe, we should push the "french" buttons on the ATM. A refresher course so to speak.

time to repent for me too. I used bing translate as an aid. I know a few words, but putting them into a meaningful sentence may come out like "I like chicken soup on wednesday" instead of "I understand how you feel"

[ballvalve]

You should all be filled with harsh feelings of 'litost'.

[BobL43]

You should all be filled with harsh feelings of 'litost'.

nah, just a little verklempt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXEgBh0TF0

[TJanak]

I'd rather be filled with kolace.

Or kolaches as we have Americanized it. I even grow my own poppyseed.

[ballvalve]

A Janak would understand litost and kolace and poppyseed. But be careful, lots of recipes for how to get very "high" on poppyseed on the net these days.