English how about just conversation?
A Sunny Hello to you
Here I hope to hear from a dear Lady named Kräuterwabbla.
She would like to write here and above all, she will tell us about South Africa. And I hope much more!
Well come to you and hello to you all here just waiting to start talking (writing) again.
Take care all of you
Love Yoli
Hello Yoli,
happily back again from luxury Cos ? Apparently you are alright and have not encountered that nasty
Covd 19 nor have you gained weight with all that nice "all inclusive" meals and drinks ! ?
We have never booked "all inclusive" because we prefer to be free in choosing local restaurants and above all to have plenty of time for visiting sights and museums and all the interesting points of a place.
But grown older I'm afraid, we'll have to reduce our activities because of my spine and all the frail bones and muscles. A friend of ours - just the same age as my husband's - has died a few weeks ago, which makes us aware that the end might be near.
Well, I don't want to be or make others depressive. So I listen to my favourite music and play cards with my husband - he is mostly the winner - that distracts me from sadness and I feel better then.
And: For me the SeniorenTreff is a splendid distraction from being sad.
Thanks to many members with their wonderful contributions, thanks, too, to Karl and Margit, who take care
of a good comunication.
Greetings to all - Rosemarie
Dear @all,
it had become a bit quiet here, but now things are happily picking up again.
We are getting into the pre-Christmas season and everyone seems to be trying to get their spirits up. I still havent't come to a decision, whether to bake Christmas cookies or not. Friends are staying at home and that would mean my eating all the cookies myself. I figure that around Easter I would not fit through the door anymore 😄.
@yoli: If I find a recipe for Pina Colada cookies, I will send it to you 😄!
I spent the last days composing my Christmas cards. That was hard work because of my beginning cataract. The eyes tire quickly and then headaches start. But there are worse things in life.
Hopefully, everyone is healthy and will stay that way.
Best,
Virginia
Hello Virginia,
what a nice surprise to have you here in the Englisch thread together with Yoli, who can always contribute interesting topics. In former days there used to be an English chat-forum with quite a lot of members.
I wonder, where all of them are left! Anyway we'll try to do our best, won't we?
Concerning X-mas: I have dropped baking cookies since the two of us are alone most of the time, which means to eat all the stuff ourself. The Corona-lock-down has already spent me a few kilograms, because my fitness-studio is closed. And just walking on the streets is really boring besides the fact, that I cannot walk easily anymore. (My spine is on strike) It is better to do the work-our with professional machines with the help of physio-therapists. Lets hope, that the worst will be over by spring 2021.
Have a nice evening! Greetings from Rosemarie
They made e a big impression on me.
Dalai Lama
It’s in our best interests to create a happier world. In the face of crisis, it would be foolish to foment further conflict. The fact that all religious traditions teach the importance of love and compassion, tolerance and forgiveness means that there is a basis for harmony between them. But since we all have to live together, I encourage taking a secular approach, so that we live simply as warm-hearted human beings.
Good Morning,
My name is Claudia (Kräuterwabla) and I am glad to be here and practise my English. Dear Yoli introduded me already. Please forgive my grammatical errors I am not that good in English.
More than 40 years ago In 1976 I decided to immigrate to South Africa.
23 years old I was and eager to conquere that new country. Let's say I was turned down in my enthusiasmus a little, as it was difficult to get a job. First my immigration organisation let me help out a little bit but this
was not enough for me.
I wanted to be a part of South African Society. So I studied the paper and at last I found an advertisement were a job for manageress for a boutique in Johannesburg was offered. To my surprise - O god how naive my thinking had been, the nice personell manager of this company thought that I was not fit enough for this kind of job and tried his best to convince me to accept a job as a shop assistant in one of the boutiques.
This sounded good to me and so I happily took on. Next thing I needed a flat, luckily another German girl was looking for a second person to share a flat, so the deal was completed. The great difficulty I had was my rudimentary English. The government offered me English lessons, so twice or three times during the week in the evening I tried my best to improve my English. But the main problem was my job as I had to talk to customers in English and of course understand what they wanted. It was a real trial - never thought how many words you can use for a pair of trousers etc. Every day I was in great troubles as I understood hardly anything. Luckily we got a new manageress for our dependance and she saw my troubles and helped me as she explained to customers that this German girl needed a little help and if they please could speak
slower and accentuated. In the end it took me 1-2 months and I was fit for the job and started to
enjoy country and people.
This is a little introuduction on how it all started in case you want to hear more I will happily go on.
Dear @all,
@yoli: If I find a recipe for Pina Colada cookies, I will send it to you 😄!
Best,
Virginia
Hallelujah Claudia.. Thank you, I felt with you all the not so nice things you endured.
It was very brave and you got there just by taking your time. Yes please let us hear more about your experiences in South Africa.
It brought to my mind, my start in England so many years ago.
When a have time and leisure I will write some of them down as well.
Rosemary, how nice to hear from you. You are a faithful contributor in this threat.
Virginia, you know I would love to be there with you when you do your handy work.
You are truly talented.
Where are our other friends here?
Let’s get started again.. as Biden sais
NOW!
Love and good wishes
Yoli
A year and a half before EIIR, Elizabeth, very young was crowned Queen in 1952.
16 years old. I got the chance by the "Brücke" organisation to spend Christmas and the New Year with a London family. I had to join a group of young students travelling together by train and ferry .from Bielefeld via Oostend to Dover and on to London Victoria Station. Some weeks before departure I was invited to a meeting where the participants were given details about the trip, some knowledge about Great Britain and, most important, good behaviour abroad.
First I had to go from the village where I lived to Bad Oeynhausen, take the train to Bielefeld, meet the others hop on the train to Cologne, change for Brussels, wait a long time at the Germn-Belgian border for the police and customs to do their job. "Ättwaas dzu wärsollénn?" Nothing to declare.
At Oostend we missed the ferry by four hours and had to wait for the next one. Lots of porters offered their services to take our luggage from the station to the harbour. We declined, being young and strong enough to do that ourselves.
Three hours later we were aboard. The ferry, however, could not leave because the captain considered too dangerous the situation with the wind blowing almost at force 11. Eventually he started the risky passage through the jetty. Instead of eight hours it took almost twelve to reach Dover. The water splashed against the windows, the ship rolling heavily. The rows of suicases sliding noisily from side to side. I got awfully seasick. Every five minutes I had to find the loo. Nobody was allowed to leave the saloon for outside and fresh air.
The pullman train took us to London´s Victoria Station, where we arrived three hours later. Our arrival had been expected at 3pm. We, however, got there much later.
Hello Udo,
I loved to read about your trip to England at the age of 16. This was the time, when a few of my schoolmates went to England. I wanted to go, too, very strongly but - my mother didn't let me go nor did she have the money for me.
After school I found an employment in a bank, but secretly l searched for an "au-pair" place anywhere in England - and finally I found one in Gloucester. The difficulty was, that I was only 17 years old and needed permission from my mother - otherwise the police wouldn't give me the allowance for the trip. So I fixed every details in England: the assurance at the family, the enrolling at the college for the English class and then I told my mother all about it.
Mum was extremely upset but with the help of my grandpa she gave in and even bought the tickets for the train, the ferry to Dover and the train from London to Gloucester. The fees for the college had been paid from my host-family.
Mum and grandpa took me to the station in Munich and I landed safely at night in Gloucester, where I got collected by my host
We drove through the nightly city and arrived at his mansion. The lady welcomed me shortly and took me at once to my room upstairs where I went to bed immediately being awfully tired.
Not until next morning I was introduced to the whole family: That was the old coouple, their son and daughter in law with their 6 year-old daughter and a baby.
My job was to help in two housholds (it was a very big duplex house), do all their laundry and ironing and - after lunch go to school for all afternoon.
Well, I loved the school where I met youngsters from all over Europe. Our teacher encouraged us to go to the IFL = International Friendship League. We met there once a week for chatting, dancing, having fund and making plans for the weekend.
I certainly loved the community and - in spite of much work - I would never miss this
English year of mine.