Category Archives: Language

For my Chinese readers

Posted on 2020-09-28 by

Writing a blog for an international audience is very complicated. People in California are never awake when I write in Europe. People in Australia and Argentina are reading it upside down. And in China, when you want to access my … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Language | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

In the Foreign Legion

Posted on 2020-04-29 by

Diesen spannenden Insider-Bericht gibt es auch auf Deutsch. A few years ago, the desire for education reared its nosy head again, remembered the high school from which I had graduated decades before, and was in deep and mournful regret that … Continue reading →

Posted in France, Language, Military, Sports, Travel | Tagged , | 19 Comments

A Chinese in Vienna

Posted on 2020-04-25 by

During some meeting of some committee of some sub-organization at the United Nations in Vienna, I got to know a young lady from China. Qian was doing an internship as a simultaneous interpreter for Mandarin and English. Simultaneous interpreters are … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, China, Language, Statistics, Travel | Tagged | 9 Comments

Flowery Warnings on the Flower Islands

Posted on 2020-04-10 by

Diesen Artikel gibt es natürlich auch auf Deutsch. Einfach hier klicken. The Azores are also known as the Flower Islands, probably because belladonna lilies, bougainvillea, hydrangea, crane flowers, agapanthus, goldenrods and hibiscus are everywhere. But the language is at least as … Continue reading →

Posted in Azores, Health, Language, Portugal, Travel | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

“How are you?”

Posted on 2020-02-08 by

Someone: How are you? Me: Confused. Someone: Oh. I am sorry to hear that. Me: No, that’s OK. I am studying philosophy. When I first went to Israel on a youth exchange program, I stayed with a family in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Israel, Language, Life | 25 Comments

Belgium goes into extra time

Posted on 2019-09-12 by

Those who are familiar with the weather in Belgium will understand why everyone here wants to leave for vacation as much as they can. That creates an enormous demand for house sitters and cat carers. Hence, immediately after house sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in Belgium, Language, Politics, Travel | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Easily Confused (66) Influencer

Posted on 2019-06-21 by

People who call themselves “influencers”, but don’t influence me at all: What really influences me, although none of their authors would use such a stupid self-descriptive term: Influenza: The last one can be pretty influential, actually. It definitely impresses me … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Language | 2 Comments

Random Thoughts (24)

Posted on 2019-03-08 by

Good news: the days are getting longer. Unless you live in the Southern hemisphere, then you are doomed to darkness. And unless you live on the equator, in which case you are missing out on something fabulous. My sister asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Books, Brazil, Canada, Economics, Elections, Facebook, Feminism, Germany, Iran, Language, Politics, Religion, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Travel, UK, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Testing a Client’s Sense of Humor

Posted on 2019-02-18 by

Five years ago, an American lady contacted me about applying for German citizenship. She fell into that group of people who could qualify without living in Germany, but she would need to pass the German language test at a high … Continue reading →

Posted in German Law, Language, Law | Tagged , | 14 Comments

“Mindfulness”

Posted on 2018-11-13 by

I know something is a fad when I see it advertised in a really small town in Andalusia.

Posted in Andalusia, Language, Spain | Tagged | 6 Comments