Category Archives: Language
Flowery Warnings on the Flower Islands
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
“How are you?”
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
Belgium goes into extra time
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
Easily Confused (66) Influencer
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
Testing a Client’s Sense of Humor
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
“Mindfulness”
I know something is a fad when I see it advertised in a really small town in Andalusia.
Spanish B1
So, it seems I can speak Spanish now. At least at the intermediate B1 level. But considering that you only need A2 to obtain Spanish citizenship, that’s not too bad. I was disappointed that I almost failed the written part. … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (21)
For writers, it must be saddening to see how ill-informed some people buy books. There seems to be a little bit of corruption in Montenegro. When I returned to university to study history at age 42, some were wondering what … Continue reading
The Millionaire Translators of Montenegro
Zur deutschen Fassung dieser Geschichte. Tivat is different from the rest of Montenegro: more glitzy, more shiny, more expensive, more show-off. All the things I don’t like. I only go there regularly because I am trying to visit the Maritime … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 