Tired of learning?

Every student knows this feeling before a/some very important exam/s: You are tired, do not want to learn and maybe cannot even look at the subject material anymore. Additionally, there is this unpleasant feeling that you still need some more time as given to get all this knowledge into your head which is already packed. With this post I did not want to upset you, on the contrary, I am going to give you some tips how to survive this unfortunate time of constant learning. Here we go:

• take care that the air in your room is fresh while learning
• drink a lot
• try to keep your thoughts positive
• learn step by step (try to not think all the time about all the things you still have  to learn)
• learn that much, so that you do not regret your laziness afterwards. Even if you fail, the feeling will be better because you know that you have given your best.
• make pauses!!! Do not overwork yourself all the time, because in that way you will get very unhappy. I can tell you from my own experiences, that it is better to make some pauses where you have fun with your friends or just relax. You will be a lot faster at studying afterwards.

I hope this tips help you somehow...

Now I have to study ;) -J

dubbing

Hey everyone!

The last post was all about the translation of movies and series. Now I want to focus on dubbing. Also in this category there are sometimes moments while watching a movie or series, when I think that something sounds weird. Here you have a list of examples:

• “native” languages, accent: What often sounds very funny to me is, when I am watching a series in English and then they are suddenly speaking German. In their opinion it is supposed to sound like native German but for me as a native German speaker the accent is clearly to hear. 
• Last time for example I watched Breaking Bad in  German and in one episode there were some people talking German with an accent... So I thought: oh, okay that is definitely because they are synchronising the accent as well. After a while the police showed up with the writing "Polizei" on their uniform and it was clear to me that they let the "native" German as it was in the English version. To be completely sure I also watched the English version of the episode. (season 5/ episode 2)

• The next series I would like to concentrate on is Modern family. At the beginning I watched a few episodes in German but soon I realized that the English are better  because of Gloria's accent when she is talking (and by the way it is an opportunity for me to learn English). It simply sounds so nice and likeable and the fact that she does not blame herself to talk a lot in spite of knowing of her accent can be a good role model for all language learners. Comparatively, watching the German version of Modern Family is not as funny as watching the English because the accent of Gloria speaking German has not the same entertainment value.
• Gloria - English
• Gloria - German

• switching language: To turn to an other subject, for certain you have already experienced how it feels when you are switching the languages. The characters are suddenly getting a different character and seem to be softer, more confident, more insecure, and so on. The voice is simply telling us something about the qualities of a person and suddenly seem to appeal to us less or more. Personally, I was surprised by the voice of Brick when I switched from the German to the English version of the series the Middle because he had a voice which was a lot lower (at least in the later episodes) than in the German version.
• Brick German (0:30)
• Brick English

What do you think about this topic?

Have a nice evening! -J

The art of translating series and movies

Hello friends of language learning!

This post is going to be all about translating of series and movies. First of all you need to know that I like it a lot to watch them and usually also loads of them. (except when I have to study for some big exam/s). Accordingly, I have already seen some mistakes in translating (that is my opinion, maybe other people do see it differently) like:

• wrong usage of "Sie"-form in German movies and series which have been translated from the English. As we all know, there is nothing like the polite phrase in the English language but in the German language there is. As a result there are a lot mistakes happening in translation all the time. For example:
• Breaking Bad: Despite the fact that Jesse and Walter White know each other for a long time, he is still calling him “Mr. White” like in former times at school. Therefore, it should be “Sie, Mr White” and not “du, Mr. White” because if we speak to our teachers in school in Austria or Germany we always say “Sie”. That is the reason why this combination does not work for me. It is like a combination of the personal and the impersonal form of address.
• I have seen this problem also in a lot of movies and books, where the people are still saying “Sie” even though they know each other already some time. That is why it would sound better and also more personal in the German version if they would already say “du”.  
• As well as that I have noticed this mistake the other way round. The people say “du” even though it would sound more polite to say “Sie”.

• “native” languages: Another thing that seems very funny to me is, when I am watching a series in English and then they are suddenly speaking German which is supposed to be “native German” but the grammar is not correct and there are also some English words mixed by. For example:
• Scrubs: On of the main characters - Elliot speaks German with a “native German” patient (link). The grammar of the patient and his brother is completely wrong, there are some English words mixed by and they are hard to understand. It seems to me like the main point for the director of the series was to make it just sound like native German for non native speakers. Elliot is speaking better German than the “native Germans” and also the grammar is correct. Be that as it may, it is still very entertaining to see the Scrubs characters talk German. Here are some other links of Elliot speaking German:
• “Nimm meine Leute nicht auf den Arm, Carla!”
• Romeo and Juliet
• Scrubs (German): Another aspect I would like to focus on is that Elliot can speak Danish in the German version of the series. I think they have done it very well in this example because it would definitely feel weird if they all would be talking in German but still the colleagues would ask Elliot to translate what the patient is saying. If this translation and dubbing sounds native tor Danes is a question I cannot answer. Do you speak Danish? Does it sound native to you? 
• “Flodde Pedder”
• Danish patient

For sure, I could give you plenty more examples of mistakes I have noticed over the past few years watching all kinds of series and movies but I hope that these examples gave you an overview. Bye. -J

Picture frame with mosaic - DIY

Hey everybody!
Today you are going to find out how to make a picture frame with mosaic on it all by yourself.

I already made two of them and they are a really cool decoration for your room or a nice gift for somebody you love. Before you start to make this picture frame, you should ask yourself if you have enough time and patience for such a handicraft because it will cost some of your time and energy.

You need:

• Simple frame out of wood or metal
• Mosaic (you can buy it in an arts and crafts shop or on the internet)
• Mosaic glue or a hot glue gun
• Joint compound
• Palette knife
• Sponge

Instead of the mosaic you can also use an old mirror or an old CD. The CD you can simply cut up in pieces with a pair of scissors. On the other side, if you choose to use the old mirror for the frame you should be a bit more careful. Break it into pieces by using a pair of pliers or a hammer. Admittedly, it would be the best to wrap an old blanket around the mirror while doing this so as not to cut yourself on the small fragments.

1. Paste your mosaic onto the picture frame in a sample which you like (this can take a while, especially if you have such small pieces of mosaic as I had. I would suggest listening to some good music while doing this)

2. Let it dry

3. Next mix your joint compound together with some cold water so that it becomes a spreadable mass. It is for your best if you take some container you will not use anymore for anything else. (If you want, you can add some tinting or acrylic paint to make your frame more colourful.)

4. Now distribute the joint dimension over the entire surface with the palette knife. Spread the mass into all of the gaps between the mosaics. Remove the mass which lefts over.

5. Let it dry for about 30 minutes and then wipe away the rest of the joint compound from the mosaics with a damp sponge. If you realize that you remove too much of the joint sealer, let it dry some more time.

I hope that you will be happy about your self-made picture frame. Good luck! -J

George Orwell - 1984

Hello!

Today I would like to tell you something about the author George Orwell and his book 1984.

George Orwell 

was born under the name Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, Bengal, India in 1903. His father worked as a civil servant for the British consulate. The Blair family moved from colonial India back to England when Eric was just a young boy and he remained there until after his lackluster academic career was over. Like many notable authors, Orwell began writing at a very young age but despite the quality of his work, he was not immediately able to make a living from his passion. Unable to attend more college because of his lack of winning scholarships, Orwell moved back to India and secured a job working as an administrator for the Indian Imperial Police. He worked this job for only a few years as he began to notice the inequities inherent to colonial rule.

Returning to England, Orwell moved from job to job before finally deciding he wanted to write professionally. He took his pen-name “George Orwell” and began to write his first novels including Out in Paris, London and Burmese Days.  It was during this phase of his life that he met and married a woman named Eileen O’Shaughnessy and his socialist views began to solidify in the wake of several worldwide events. After realizing his political views, Orwell left for Spain where he fought with the United Workers Marxist Party militia. Here he realized that he did not concur completely with the Russian brand of communism, but rather favored the English variety of socialism. Shortly after this experience, he served for the British in the Second World War as a correspondent and it was after this that he wrote Animal Farm. Shortly after, he released 1984 which finally gave him the critical and even commercial success he was looking for. Unfortunately, the majority of the recognition came too late with his death. He died in 1950 from tuberculosis.

1984 (warning! – spoiler alert)

1984 was written in the year 1949. The main characters are Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien and Big Brother.

In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania.  The world is divided into three countries that include the entire globe: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.  Oceania, and both of the others, is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even their thoughts.  Winston is disgusted with his oppressed life and secretly longs to join the fabled Brotherhood, a supposed group of underground rebels which is intent on overthrowing the government.  Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, something which is considered a crime.  One day, while walking home, Winston encounters O’Brien, an inner party member, who gives Winston his address.  Winston had exchanged glances with O’Brien before and had dreams about him giving him the impression that O'Brien was a member of the Brotherhood. Since Julia hates the party as much as Winston does, they go to O’Brien’s house together where they are introduced into what they thought is the Brotherhood.  Shortly afterwards they find out that O'Brien is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is actually a trap for Winston, a trap that O'Brien has been cleverly setting up for seven years. As a punishment for their offence, Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused of thoughtcrime.  There, they separate Winston and Julia from each other and torture him until his beliefs coincide with those of the Party.  Winston renounces everything he believed in, even his love for Julia. At the end, they release him back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin.

Enjoy the sun! (if it also shines at your place) - J.

Macedonia, Skopje – Македонија, Скопје

Hello everyone! Здраво!

Today I am going to write something about my journey to Macedonia. My family and I went there from August 25 until September 1, 2014 to visit the family of my sister’s boyfriend. They are living in a very lovely house in the capital city – Skopje. Actually, this trip really made my summer because the weather there was perfect: sunny and hot. In comparison, the weather at home was really bad. It was raining all the time and it was already something special when there were three days in a row without rain. Fortunately it was not too hot because normally the summers in Macedonia are. As a general rule it has over 40 degrees outside, so the people there have to stay inside all day not going out until the evening when it gets cooler. The most Macedonian I was asking how they are feeling about the hot summers said that they prefer fall. Compared to Austria’s temperature it is like our summer. To return to the start: my sister her boyfriend and I were going by bus to save money. The trip lasted about 15 hours and was very exhausting. On the other hand our conversations were very interesting and it was exciting to watch the landscape drive by and to follow how the surrounding gradually changed in nature and the buildings in architectural style. All in all, we had to pass three countries to come to our destination: Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. As we arrived in Macedonia, they welcomed us very nicely with something delicious to eat (very good spiced and special meals through all week - paradise!) and a nice place to sleep. The picturesque city appealed to me at the very first sight and also my family loved it. 

At the evening we were making a short sightseeing tour through the city. At first we went through the new part of the city and visited the main square. Frankly, this part of the city was not the prettiest for me because it was too kitschy. There had been a building project called “Skopje 2014” which was aiming for more sights and sculptures in a classical style with the goal to make the city prettier and attract more tourists. I think it would be better if they would have spent all the money in something which is helping the local population more, for example education. Also all members of my family (which were tourists – that means: the target group) said it was too much. Additionally, everybody I have met in the city and asking about their opinion did not like the new changes and said that this part of the city was looking better before. After a while we came to the old parts of the city, which I liked more, with tighter streets and all the shops and pubs very close together. We also ate “Ćevapčići” there and drank beer. To sum this part of the text up: it was astonishing how huge the difference between the new and the old area was.

The next day we drove off to Ohrid to the campsite right next to one of the oldest and deepest lakes of Europe: the Lake Ohrid (Охридско Езеро). It is so wide that it nearly looks like the sea. We camped two days at this place having fun, swimming in the lake, eating a lot, laughing, playing cards ... it really felt like summer. As well as that we made a short journey to the Monastery of Saint Naum (Манастир „Свети Наум“) which was surrounded by a beautiful park, a lot of little shops and market stables. Lying next to the lake (the same as mentioned above) the view was amazing. 

Back in Skopje we visited the Matka Canyon. This experience was very special because the view was breathtaking and exhilarating. We floated with the boat between the mountains until we came to a cave which was a surprise for us because our hosts did not mention it before. I think that was very sweet and the cave was amazing. Coming there it was a lot cooler than outside.

At the evening some of us went out again. We visited a very nice pub in the second floor with a terrace. Sitting there, it felt like a very cool summer house party because everything was so cosy and the people were friendly and easy-going. The next days were funny and exciting as well, and I could write on and on but that would be definitely too much to read for you. Altogether, Macedonia is a very beautiful country and you would miss something if you never go there. 

Have a nice day! - J

Stereotypes

Similar to all cultures around the world, we Austrians have some stereotypes too. Although they are not certain, you hear them sometimes in everyday life. Additionally, I should mention that some people are using or understanding them differently. Some time ago the buzzword “Emo” was used a lot in my surroundings. The term “Emo” illustrates teenagers with a lot of hair hanging over their face. They dress in dark-coloured clothes and “pretend” to have a negative attitude. Nowadays, there is hardly any “Emo” in Austria because the styling trend and the buzzword are slowly dying out. After some time, there was a new buzzword called “Hipster”. Even though everybody understands something differently when hearing the word “Hipster”, people use it quite often, some as an insult and others have a positive view of the word. I think a “Hipster” is a fashion-conscious person who wants to attract attention to themselves. In addition, a male “Hipster” often has a beard and bold glasses. The word “Prolet” has existed for as long as I can remember. A so called “Prolet” is someone who is arrogant and self-important. They are often overstyled and most people think that they are self-righteous “wannabies”. Altogether, stereotypes are often mean and pigeonholing people, therefore I think we should see every person as an individual.

DIY - handicraft

Happy New Year, everyone!

This year for Christmas I gave a self made gift to some of my family and they were all very astonished and happy about that. In this post I am going to tell you, how you can make such a gift by yourself.

Key fob

You need:

• 12 pearls of the same kind and colour with the diameter of about 7-8 mm
• 24 pearls of the same kind and colour with the diameter of about 3-4 mm
• a little box of “Rocailles” pearls of the same colour
• a nylon thread or a “Perlon” thread with the diameter of about 0,25-0,35 mm and the length of about 1 m
• key ring

1. At first you put three big pearls on your thread so that they are on the middle of it. Then you cross the two ends of your thread in a fourth pearl, so that you have a circle of four big pearls.

2. Then you add one pearl to each of the two ends of the thread. After that you cross them again in one more pearl. Altogether you have 7 pearls on the string now.

3. Afterwards, you repeat this act once more, so that you have 10 pearls on the thread up to now. Add one more pearl on each end of the string. Then you cross the thread in the very first pearl which is already on the thread. Now pull on the ends of the string to get a ball.

4. Finally the small pearls are going to be used now. On every end of the string you are adding two “Rocailles” pearls (the really small ones). Then you add one of the medium pearls on each end of the thread. After that you cross the string in another of the smallest pearls. Now add one medium pearl and two of the smallest pearls to the string again. As a result you have sort of a flower now. If you want you can use a “Rocailles” pearl of a different colour for the middle of the flower to make your key chain a little bit more colourful. To make the construct stable, cross the thread in the next big pearl.

5. Do it again and again until you have finished one circle around the ball and then change your direction to the big pearls which have no decoration yet. When you are finished make a tight knot and fasten your key ring. I am sure that you know somebody who would be very happy about that gift.

In the end I have to mention that this "Do it yourself" handicraft is not my own idea. I found it on this webpage: http://www.mittags-pause.de/schluesselanhaenger-selber-machen/