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Post by 3piggles on Sept 20, 2019 20:49:50 GMT
Wow, that is difficult! While Americans have a lot of different accents, and some local/regional colloquialisms, if we talk slowly, we can usually understand each other. The deep south, southeastern US, is the hardest. Even though I've heard the accents my whole life, I still often can't tell what they're saying. Even in the deep south, if you're in the city, you'll find people who don't have the accent at all. I hope your moms eye surgery went smoothly, and she's healing quickly I'm glad you two have the connection, even if you didn't know that about her dreaming about knives. It probably would have made you feel better
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Post by Bean on Sept 21, 2019 7:12:38 GMT
I hope your mum's on the mend now, Amber, and feeling more relaxed as she recovers.
That is hard about the different dialects. When you learn a new language, it's always much easier to be able to learn to ask a few questions than actually have a chance of understanding the responses! But that's a whole extra level of complication. You've done really well to persevere with it and now be able to understand different dialects so much better, I shall use you as inspiration as I try to learn German!
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Post by amber89 on Sept 21, 2019 19:41:33 GMT
Yes, thank you! Mom is doing well. We unfortunately cannot chat now as much as we usually do, since she needs to take it slow. But she is well and happy that she can see finally much better.
Oh, Bean, you praise me too much! I am only able to understand Viennese/ Bavarian dialect. If i would visit Tyrol, Voralberg or Saxony i would have a hard time understanding the people. And i had some advantage, since i was already speaking German at a decent level when i arrived to Austria, i "just" had to get used to their words and abbreviations.
Example of classical Viennese dialect: "I hob nua mehr 75 Cent ghobt , jetzt hab i mi entscheiden miassn zwischen an Feuerzeug und ana Hüsn - ich hoff der Tag wird ned no schlimmer"
Translation into formal German: Ich hab nur noch 75 Cent gehabt, jetzt hab ich mich entscheiden müssen zwischen ein Feuerzeug und eine Bierdose - ich hoffe der Tag wird nicht noch schlimmer"
Translation into English: I had only 75 cents left and i had to decide between a lighter and a bier can - i hope the day will not get any worse.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 21, 2019 22:24:01 GMT
I see what you mean about subtle differences in the language. That's good that there are dialects that are only subtly different. Would a born and raised German from, say, Berlin, be able to understand all the dialects? I ask because a French Canadian friend went to France, and found they could only understand or be understood by the people in the cities. The people in the cities said they couldn't understand half of the dialects in rural areas, either. I wonder if it's the same in Germany. Oh, so glad your mom is on the mend, and happy to be able to see again That's a huge weight off your mind. It's so hard when we can't be there to help or even to be kept up to date about what's happening.
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Post by amber89 on Sept 23, 2019 18:08:39 GMT
Sometimes those differences are anything but subtle. There even exists a Lexicon only for the Viennese dialect. I am pretty sure that a person born and raised in the norther Germany would need a period of getting used to the dialect. If a remember correctly my husband's paternal grandmother and great-grandmother came to Vienna after the fall of Berlin and they needed some time to get used to the dialect. The grandma was able to understand it after some time, but she was never able to speak it. She always spoke her Berlin German. Unfortunately I cannot ask her anymore how her transition was...she can't remember anything anymore. Had on Sunday the weekly check up for the pigs... Wednesday Pufu and Marshmallow will be seen by a vet. Marshmallow ist constantly gaining weight (100g in 70 days) and Pufu has quite some dandruff on his bum..
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 24, 2019 18:20:43 GMT
I hope Pufu is okay. I've had pigs with skin problems, and they just needed bathing/soaking in a special shampoo. I made it into a fun time, but feeding them celery leaves. It's sad when people get old and forget so much. We know they knew it, and may be the only ones still alive who did, but they can't tell us any longer I would have trouble in England, but probably not in New Zealand or Autralia, just because of the grammatical differences. I've noticed Australia has some of them, too, but New Zealand doesn't seem to. As for moving around the US, I can understand pretty much everyone. Some people from the very deep south seem to have their own language, but I think it's more how they pronounce things. I don't think anyone who speaks English would have much trouble anywhere in the US.
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Post by Bean on Sept 26, 2019 10:55:32 GMT
Oh I'm looking at those sentences and thinking 'What?! I could learn German and then have people say that to me?! I wouldn't have a clue!' haha!
I'm trying to remember to stick on a 'learn German' CD when I'm walking to places (not every time I go out, just now and again!). Even if it's just 10-15 minutes a couple of times a week, it just gets me used to the sounds of the language. I'm used to the second verb tagging onto the end of the sentence anyway - that really threw me at first!
Good luck at the vets with Pufu and Marshmallow, let us know how you get on.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 27, 2019 2:43:40 GMT
I never thought to listen to it just to get a sense of the language, but it's basically like the language labs we did in high school.
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Post by amber89 on Sept 27, 2019 7:39:27 GMT
Fixed the last picture. Now you can see the VIE-DE dictionary that my husband has ) Yes, listening actually helps a lot. One gets used to the pronunciation and it doesn't sound so alien anymore. Good news for the piggies. They are actually healthy. We are just worrying too much. By the time we went to the wet there was no dandruff on Pufu anymore. The vet initially said that it's a sign of lacking diet...but when they heard what veggies they receive they dismissed the idea. They told us that as long as he is not scratching himself excessively it's everything fine. We should still observe him. Maybe being for one week int our room while my family in law was visiting stressed him a bit too much. About Marshmallow they said that they don't feel anything, no tumors and no cysts. Most likely she is finally reaching her normal weight after the ordeal of two pregnancies and her abandonment, starts to feel at home and eats more. To celebrate the good news, everyone gets to see more or less recent pictures of the 3 furry potatoes Pufu is not so much of a "chicken leg" piggy. Marshmallow is the queen, so when he does it, it's immediately photographed. This one is more recent, around 1-2 weeks old... one of the evenings, when, after coming home from the library I stopped in the small garden and got for them some "green spaghetti". I know, it's quite blurry
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 27, 2019 21:25:21 GMT
Aw, it's great to see them, and yes, that's a great leg picture I cut grass for the girls, when I don't have anything else. For now, we're inundated with carrots/carrot tops, so I have a glass full of carrot tops in water, so the girls have plenty of greens
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Post by Bean on Sept 28, 2019 7:18:19 GMT
It's great to hear they're all fit and healthy, very good news indeed. And they're certainly all looking very well. Great foot shot of Pufu, the contrasting colours of his feet make it even more special!
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Post by amber89 on Oct 7, 2019 6:41:29 GMT
We clipped yesterday all their nails. Unfortunately hubby cut too much of one of Cupcake's nails and got the quick. Poor piggy, she now hates us.
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Post by Bean on Oct 7, 2019 8:26:33 GMT
Aww I've kicked myself when I've done that, but they soon get over it - don't let her milk it for extra treats for the next month haha!
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 7, 2019 20:07:55 GMT
I think I feel worse than the pigs do, when I get the quick. I give them their favorite treats to get back in their good graces. I haven't gotten the quick for quite a while, which I think is why they were more relaxed about getting their nails clipped, this last time. One slip up, and I've undone that trust I'm sure they will forgive you and hubby!
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Post by amber89 on Oct 8, 2019 12:42:23 GMT
They received yesterday a nice portion of fresh grass...our way of trying to be back into their good graces. It might be one of the last times they get grass, the cold is coming and it doesn't grow anymore.
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 8, 2019 16:41:56 GMT
I've grown grass indoors over the winter, but it's hard. If you have a really sunny window, you can probably grow a pot at a time. Wheat grass is what's available in stores over here, and it will grow in pots. They'll forgive you. They always do. I'm sure the fresh grass will really help them feel forgiving
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Post by amber89 on Oct 8, 2019 18:17:46 GMT
We have sun in our apartment on both sides (when the holy sun decides to shine over Vienna) , but the window sills are way to narrow. They are close to un-usable. We can't have any blooming plants, because there are not enough sunny places in the flat.
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 9, 2019 0:19:36 GMT
That's too bad, if you like plants. You might have noticed I do 🤗
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Post by amber89 on Oct 17, 2019 19:45:06 GMT
The pigs got today two twigs, with green leaves, of an fig tree. I have hanged them in such a way that they need to do a bit of sports in order to eat the leaves. In that way they don't soil the fresh twigs either.
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 17, 2019 22:09:18 GMT
Nice🤗 I didn't know they could eat fig leaves. As we don't have them here. Love their area. Lots to do, and space to do it ❤
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