This morning I telephoned our friends at the stables near Hanover, the first time I have spoken to them since Hans died, although we have been in touch by email.

Of course the subject of the Vitus came up and nobody in the area has had it.
I said I was afraid of being ill because what would happen to Motley if anything happened to me and the answer came back immediately, "we would come and fetch him".
It was as if a ton weight lifted from my shoulders, Motley loves it there, they all love Motley and I know he would be happy with them
Thats 98% of my worry gone.


Another thing was, she didn't know who it was because I spoke in German to her to start with and after I said it was me she told me what I had said was perfect and that was why she didn't recognise my voice.
So today I will be preparing to leave sometime this week to see my friends.

Good for you Jan.

What a lovely comment/compliment...…..' what I had said was perfect and that was why she didn't recognise my voice'
Give my love to Celle if you pass through....spent 5 years there so my grammar is very good but the words/meanings are a bit sparse to say the least.

Celle is not far away from them Ted. I have been doing this Babbel course in German and it drives me crazy because it is all grammar and every German I tell says "Grammar spielt keine Rolle" we will know what I mean if I say hat hatte hast or haben, you will learn by speaking and listening.

I am really excited now and can´t wait to get going, but some things to do first so it will be a few days before I am off.

I have a granddaughter at York Uni doing German and some other unspeakable languages and by far my biggest stumbling block is 'Du'.
She lets me get it wrong half of the time!

Even i can get that right but start falling apart on irregular verbs.


My Father who worked as a Civilian Engineer for BAOR with German staff for 20 years could not care a **** for Der, Die. Das.


I think it is OK to make mistakes but wrong to not care about trying to get it right.


It hepls if one knows Latin structure of genders and tenses.


Geoff

I´m too old to get anything right Geoff and as long as I can be understood, at the moment that will do me and the people I speak to are very happy about it.

Der, die, das is a pain in the rear end.
Du and Sie are not as important as they used to be anymore, nobody bats an eye lid when I address them with Du.
der Mond die sonne das Fahrrat all mean the so I tell em, I´m gonna say everything is d if I can´t remember it

I´m not entering any exams, or teaching a language, but I am improving every day.


By the way Geoff, how much Polish do you speak?

Just to barge in uninvited, in any country/language, trying to express yourself in their language is generally always appreciated

I don’t know what your problems are. I spoke German before I was 2 years old ( yes it’s a joke and we all know that Humor is a very serious business if one is a Kraut)

Sorry, just seen your post.


Almost none, but then all around me speak English - Basia, Son and DiL downstairs(They lived in US), other Son in Australia(been working in English for 20 years) and Basia's Sister in Turkey(Lived in UK for 20 years.) I do not work and come into contact with few people who do not speak English, including 3 Doctors and one husband, who are our main social contacts.


Add to that the language has little relationship to Western/ Latin-based languages, even German.


So I am not sure where I would get practice without being a slow PITA to them.



Verstehst du?


Geoff