English Purpose of this subforum

Hello Rosemarie,
hello Yoli (if you surfe the web during your holiday),

on Monday I got a very sad piece of news. In the night from Sunday to Monday the company of my son was demaged by a fire. An unknown arsonist has set fire to a rubbish container. The flame has spread to the building. The roof is complete destroyed. Luckily the interior decorating wasn´t affected, only damaged by the water of the fire brigade.
I hope the arsonist will be catch by the police.
Years ago there are a burglar. He has never been catched.
Now, my son has l lot of anger and trouble.
It makes me sad.

Greetings, Bärbel

what a big desaster! This brings a lot of trouble to your son and his collegues I guess. I do hope for you, that this doesn't mean the ruin for his company. At least it will cost nerves and time until the insurance is willing to pay for the loss. Can the employees still go to work or has your son herewith lost his job?

Poor Bärbel, I hope, things turn out alright soon!
Bye for now - Rosemarie

Dear Rosemarie,
it dindn´t mean the ruin. The employers didn´t lose theier job. They have to clear up inside the buidling. The damage of the water was bigger than expected.
Thank God no one was hurt by the fire.
Nevertheless there are a lot of trouble. The negotiation with the insurance are flowing. It´s not yet possible to say.
Greetings, Bärbel

Hi altogether,
hi Rosemarie (I have missed you),

today is the 13th August. This day reminds of the contruction of the wall in 1961. The aim was to persuade GDR citizen that West-Germany was trying to lure them into West under false pretences. So a rubbish. The citizens were in a rage. I remember with horror and rage. Most affected were the population living in Berlin. I think they felt like a bird in a cage. Thank goodness it´s over.
There are enough horror reports, for example the Middle East crisis or the Ukraine-conflict and so on.

I hope to hear of you again.

Greetings, Bärbel

For me August 13th, 1961 was a day quite normal. I was happy to have a good job in an American company in Munich. We had no TV at home. So I heard the news only on the radio when I switched it on in the evening. And I just couldn't believe that this was really happening and nobody would do anyting to stop them. And they went on building the wall right through the middle of Berlin, continueing over the landscape. The shock was present in every conversation, every newspaper. Your comparison of Berlin with a bird-cage is very suitable. The time after we experienced the American bombers which supplied the enclosed population with everything they needed. And then the refugees, some of who were successful and many were either killed or imprisioned.
All the years after we had a great deal to pay for supporting Berlin Those who moved to Berlin had many advantages, much support... For that reason many people with a low social status took the chance.
And the native Berliners had to cope with it.Thank godness, it's over now!
The Middle East situation frightens me - war is coming nearer and nearer. It is unbelievable, how they massacre each other "for God's sake". This is worse than in the Middle Ages. In my opinion all the religions ought to be kept out of any policy. I don't think we shall witness this in our lifes. I pray that our children needn't go through any war in the future!
Still - have a good time, Maxi! Greetings from Rosemarie

Dear Rosemarie,

The political situation in the world, above all in Middle East frightens me, too. I don´t think of the separation of religious fanatics and the policy. I agree with you, the situation is worser than in the Middle Ages. Althougt the crusade in the 11. - 13. century also weren´t human.
You never know what the future will bring. I hope our children and grandchildren are allowed to live in peace.

Have a nice weekend.

Greetings, Bärbel

Hello you too lovely ladies
I hope you don’t mind if I only read in some the topics. I was in England at the time (until 1977) and did not get much news. After coming back the time was so quick living and always something new happened that I just stopped being well informed.
Now about the wars raging in many parts of the world?? I don’t know if it has always been like it and we just did not know about or it is really getting worse.
IT is just impossible to think that people kill because of a God.
One wonders if there are just nasty folks behind it all creating a bad atmosphere.
I just feel sorry about the ordinary people who just want to survive.
Bärbel, that is bad news about the company of your son. Does he work there or does he own it?
The insurance always takes so long until they eventually pay. I do hope all goes well there.
Elsass was just beautiful. We were lucky with the weather too.
As we had been there before we took almost no fotos.
Have a nice Sunday. We will have friend later for a visit.
Till later
Love Yoli

Hello Yoli, hello Rosemarie, hello to the others,

welcome back, Yoli. I´m glad to read of you again.
To your question. My son is the owner of his company, but the building don´t belongs to him. For that reason there are problems with the insurance.

The other days I spent a lot of time in front of TV. I´m interested in sport, so I watched the athletic highlights of the 22nd European Athletics Championships daily. Furthermore takes place the football-cup-matches (DFB-Pokal).

I would like more wright about the political situation. But I´ve still problems to put words at English in a simple way. It would be nice if the errors are corrected by you or another participants like suggestion of "Hannover".

Love, Bärbel

Hello Bärbel,
I must confess I honestly adore your peristence in learning English.
And you are really doing well! Of course there are a few situations when your grammatic is a bit queer - but mind, nobody is perfect - and I am not perfect in any way! But as you have asked me already a few times, I will try to correct some striking words or sentences, as far as I am able to:
The building (don't) does not / or doesn't belong to him. (This sentence is negative) Or the positive way: the building belongs to him.
...football = soccer! Mind the construction of your sentence: S-P-O = subject-predicate-object! "takes place the football-cup..." is wrong; right is: the soccer-cup is taking place (Verlaufsform, weil er z.Zt. stattfindet und noch nicht beendet ist)
And: you would appreciate if someone corrected your errors.

Dear Bärbel, it is almost impossible to make corrections here in this forum. So I will try as much as this forum allows it and when I have enough time. Perhaps you ask "Hannover" to correct here. Maybe he knows better, how to do it.
Have a good learning - that's what keeps you young!
Love from Rosemarie

Dear Bärbel

maybe it is not so great to correct your writing. We understand perfectly and to be honest it would interrupt the flow.
If some words could be chosen to describe something better, we can of course do so. That is my opinion.
I have tried to write in Spanish here as well. But because of my short comings I have stopped. You will learn a lot by just doing and by reading our scribbles 
Bärbel you are doing well believe me.