EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Stepping in poop would imply that the poop has engulfed your foot (or more). Stepping on poop would imply that there was a smaller amount of poop and it is only under your foot, rather than around and on the sides.
English question, because I have problems with prepositions.
Do you step IN or ON poop?
We usually say "I stepped IN something" if you stepped in poop/paint/mud etc, even if you only stepped ON a small amount.
Stepping IN something applies it was a large pile, and/or it was something that will stick to your shoe, I think. It's not 110% clear though, and yeah, if you ever said "I stepped on something" I don't think it would really matter all that much.
This reminds me of the time one of my friends from college, who was a native Spanish speaker, told me that all the English "directionals" were really hard to figure out, since they were never super clear. She gave me a bunch of examples, but I remember things like "print OUT", "take ON", "UNDERtake" were all hard to remember. It's something I'd never even thought about before she told me that!
I maintain that I'm super happy English is my first language, because it seems like an absolute Jerk of a language to have to learn.
+2
EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
reminds me of The Chaos, a poem by the dutch poet Gerard Nolst Trenité.
It starts like this:
Dearest creature in creation
Studying English pronunciation,
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse.
I'd say I'm pretty good at English for it being my second language, and the Americans I've met mostly think I'm (quote:)"just a dude."
Every now and then, though, I realize I've been saying a word wrong for my whole life. The last one was the pronunciation of "Yosemite" I think, and in my teens I often had run-ins with the likes of "hyperbole" and "thoroughly."
I find that the level of English most people can speak when its a second language for them makes our education system look like shit. I passed all my french classes and I still cant construct a sentence in it. The only words I know are the ones that are really similar to their English counterpart.
I always tell myself I'm going to pick it back up, but I could spend tons of cash on it, but not having the commitment will always kill it.
Right there with you Iruka, I took 5 years of spanish - 3 in High school and 2 in college (one class away from getting a minor in it). Always got good grades - all that and my grammar is still atrocious, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I haven't practiced enough, but my grammar was never great. But, I'm an american so all I need is that there English because it's the greatest.
I'm not sure where exactly the fault is in the system, either. Is it easier to immerse yourself in a language as prevalent as English? Are we just really bad at teaching other languages? I guess most education starts kids in languages way earlier than we do, but I feel like I had some Spanish mixed into my elementary school classes to no effect.
It could also be that I'm just shitty at it, so I don't 100% blame school.
Last week a girl that I had fallen in love with decided that it was time for us to break up. In response, I am going to keep drawing every chance I get until I feel better. It seems like a win/win idea.
Red Raevynbecause I only take Bubble BathsRegistered Userregular
I don't think the American system really tries. In my school (and those of the Americans I've known), the language courses are treated as a novelty or splash of culture to expand your horizons - nothing you'll really use, except maybe on vacation. My impression of other countries is that they teach English to actually learn it.
That you can go so many places and have folks that speak at least English doesn't really help English speakers' motivation, either imo.
10ish years of French from kindergarten to grade 9, could not hold a conversation if my life depended on it. If you don't use it in normal conversation occasionally outside of class, it's not going to stick or get better.
My experience with kindergarten to second grade Spanish Immersion was that we spent so much time trying to 'learn' (using that word generously, considering it was pretty early in the educational process) other subjects with a language barrier that no real linguistic education took place. Basically, we did math in Spanish and occasionally looked at flash cards with Spanish words on them.
Really not giving me a lot of hope that my French Duolingo lessons are going to pay off, guys. (Pretty sure I only could claim to known any French in the specific context of matching words in Duolingo, and nowhere else.)
Not that I thought it was going to, since I really have no actual utility for learning French- only a persistent feeling of feeling I must be some kind of dummyhead for not knowing at least one other language. I don't live near Quebec, I don't know any French people, I'm not really a fan of movies in the 'Ennui and Affairs' genre. I mean, I hear tell they got some good comics over there, but I don't know what they are. (The only French-language comic book I ever bought, which I bought back on a vacation there back in high school was...a Dragonball manga).
So to me, learning it is kinda the same idea behind learning one of the more mystical martial arts that's more about chi or whatever than just going and punching dudes: gaining a sense of internal enrichment, while also being perfectly aware that if shit really came down to it, I'd get my ass beat.
I think that for the pure aspect of getting your brain to work in a different way, you are probably doing a good thing, AOB. I bet If I had apps like duo lingo in high school I may have at least retained more vocab.
Well, you could try it now if you want, since it's free and stuff.
Probably the fact that it tracks to see how many days in a row you've done has done a lot for me sticking with it. (Current streak: 84 days in a row, woo!) I just don't know what I'm going to do once I run out of lessons, because I doubt that means I've officially learned all of French now and forever with ultimate master proficiency. Maybe try to puzzle my way through a Le Monde article every day, I dunno.
Maybe if they ever add a Japanese program I'll do that as well- again, not because I have any actual need to do so, but because I took a class in it once and it basically defeated me*. (It was the only class** that offered 5 credits, the minimum amount I needed to not get kicked out of my dorm) So one day maybe I'll get my revenge by managing some very basic comprehension. I'll show you some day, already thoroughly translated popular anime!
Assuming it's still free. Otherwise, screw it.
*Except for my one fleeting*** moment of glory when I gave a monologue in the guise of a Japanese-speaking pirate, complete with pirate voice. I've never before or since managed to make a middle-age Japanese woman literally fall out of her chair laughing.
** Well, Chinese History also offered 5 credits. Which I attended exactly one class of- because I didn't know anything about it but it sounded interesting in theory.
And I still don't know anything about it, because the teacher started their lecture with, "If you don't really desperately want to know Chinese history, get the fuck out right now", so I did.
*** The moment was fleeting because I then had to answer questions about said speech from the class and it quickly became clear that I did not comprehend anything they said, and that I got through the speech through pure memorization.
Red Raevynbecause I only take Bubble BathsRegistered Userregular
Duolingo's great, it's all I've used for Spanish and I get by in Latin America when we go! Not conversations or anything deep, but I can interact with all the people I need to.
I have the same feeling as you for my language learning - did a year of Mandarin in college and still study it in spurts, just because I like it. It's exciting to be able to read it though, when I can.
I need to language more. I've always wanted to learn German for some reason. As far as retaining stuff I've heard that you pretty much have to immerse yourself in it from day one. Watching and listening to broadcasts in that language, songs, books, that kind of thing. Otherwise, it just doesn't seem to stick.
But the only words I know in a different language are curse words so...
On an unrelated note: my apartment has bedbugs now. Deciding whether I should tell the landlord or just cut my losses and burn the son of a bitch to the ground.
Oh man languages on this trip are wacky. In Thailand people just spoke Thai and sometimes some English, but Malaysia is a different story. Most people speak Malay and at least a little English, and then more depending on their demographic (there are 3 main ones- Malay Muslim, Chinese, and South Indian). My host in Penang spoke Malay, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and the local Chinese dialect called Hokkein. People speak Malay to eachother but the South Indians will speak their languages to eachother, etc. I've met almost no other travelers from the states (surprisingly), so most travelers I meet are speaking French and German to eachother. I have only met one couple that spoke Spanish, which is the other language I know, so I'm feeling very linguistically dumb, haha. When I first got to Thailand though my brain's reflex kept being "oh English doesn't work, well here's how you say it in Spanish!" And it took time for that reflex to go away as my brain realized I'm not at home or in Ecuador this time and that strategy isn't going to work over here :P
My goal with my kids is to teach them Spanish, English and Japanese. I speak only Spanish to her, my wife only Japanese, but I let her watch as much English TV as she wants.
If I can pull this off with my kids, I can die happy.
Unrelated, but the more I listen to Neil Degras Tyson, the more arrogant he sounds.
MagicToaster on
+1
EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
One more day and then i'm free of this prison that binds me! Being jailed has bothered me more than it probably should.
0
gavindelThe reason all your softwareis brokenRegistered Userregular
Young multilingual children will usually code switch wildly. Its all the same language, basically. Then one day they'll realize that not everybody speaks a bedeviled mixture of languages, and their mind will be blown.
With Japanese, I feel like I have really good days and then horrible days when I can't seem to click. There are still moments when something makes sense and your mind is blown. I wonder if this also happens to @Red Arremer
So this year has been crazy and it seems like its all culminated to this week where it just hit me at once. Hasn't been too great but I think it's given me a little perspective and I've decided to make some pretty big changes. Or at least start seriously thinking about making these changes.
Specifically, quitting my job, moving back home and spending a year just focusing on my art.
I've been stuck in a loop where I haven't been necessarily satisfied but comfortable, I guess. I've used work as an excuse to not try things and take chances for all the clichéd reasons you can imagine. I've been talking about making art my thing for years and I feel like its time I put up or shut up.
I'm going to try and get through the next couple of weeks, see about finding someone to swap subleases with me and then make a move.
I'm trying to figure out how to price myself. To friends. A friend asked me to shoot her baby's baptism. I shot a mutual friend's baptism for free, but that's because I've known her for a long time and it was in lieu of a gift.
This mutual friend saw the photos and loved them, and now she wants me to shoot her daughter's baptism and is asking me how much it would cost. I'm more inclined to give a flat fee - like $50 or $100 or something, which may or may not sound low to some of you, but I'm just really getting into professional photography.
Another couple of people are asking to buy prints of photos I took at a bday party and how much a family shoot are. I'm more inclined to price the latter based on # of edited pictures/etc.
Any advice? Not necessarily particular advice. I don't want to scare her away with a high price but I don't want to undervalue myself. I'm semi-willing to do it for free. But someone pointed out to me recently that pricing yourself professionally and allowing for a monetary transaction actually provides some kind of closure for your client so they don't feel indebted to you, especially for friends-of-friends. That seems logical.
Decide on an hourly rate, and calculate based on that. Its usually the simplest way to go for anything, but especially with events. I generally do both, I let I client know I calculate by the hour, and I give them a reasonable ball park for the time that it should take for their project. This give you a little more control if say, they suddenly want a bunch of edits on the photos, you can come back with "I'm about at my time limit on this project to still fall within our original estimate, did you want to readjust?"
Posts
I'll never look at this thread the same, ever again...
My Portfolio Site
now let us never talk about fairyland again
Yeah, cannot unsee
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
(Also a drawing contest)
I'm sorry!
it's fine, turns out the longer title fits fine
I was late getting this put up last month so I didn't quite think it out I guess
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Do you step IN or ON poop?
(Real answer: 'in' is most usual, but I don't think anyone would blink twice at 'on')
We usually say "I stepped IN something" if you stepped in poop/paint/mud etc, even if you only stepped ON a small amount.
Stepping IN something applies it was a large pile, and/or it was something that will stick to your shoe, I think. It's not 110% clear though, and yeah, if you ever said "I stepped on something" I don't think it would really matter all that much.
This reminds me of the time one of my friends from college, who was a native Spanish speaker, told me that all the English "directionals" were really hard to figure out, since they were never super clear. She gave me a bunch of examples, but I remember things like "print OUT", "take ON", "UNDERtake" were all hard to remember. It's something I'd never even thought about before she told me that!
I maintain that I'm super happy English is my first language, because it seems like an absolute Jerk of a language to have to learn.
It starts like this:
I'd say I'm pretty good at English for it being my second language, and the Americans I've met mostly think I'm (quote:)"just a dude."
Every now and then, though, I realize I've been saying a word wrong for my whole life. The last one was the pronunciation of "Yosemite" I think, and in my teens I often had run-ins with the likes of "hyperbole" and "thoroughly."
I always tell myself I'm going to pick it back up, but I could spend tons of cash on it, but not having the commitment will always kill it.
My Portfolio Site
It could also be that I'm just shitty at it, so I don't 100% blame school.
That you can go so many places and have folks that speak at least English doesn't really help English speakers' motivation, either imo.
edit: also everyone needs to read more of the comic enc posted, YES DO IT, it is my favorite
Not that I thought it was going to, since I really have no actual utility for learning French- only a persistent feeling of feeling I must be some kind of dummyhead for not knowing at least one other language. I don't live near Quebec, I don't know any French people, I'm not really a fan of movies in the 'Ennui and Affairs' genre. I mean, I hear tell they got some good comics over there, but I don't know what they are. (The only French-language comic book I ever bought, which I bought back on a vacation there back in high school was...a Dragonball manga).
So to me, learning it is kinda the same idea behind learning one of the more mystical martial arts that's more about chi or whatever than just going and punching dudes: gaining a sense of internal enrichment, while also being perfectly aware that if shit really came down to it, I'd get my ass beat.
Twitter
Probably the fact that it tracks to see how many days in a row you've done has done a lot for me sticking with it. (Current streak: 84 days in a row, woo!) I just don't know what I'm going to do once I run out of lessons, because I doubt that means I've officially learned all of French now and forever with ultimate master proficiency. Maybe try to puzzle my way through a Le Monde article every day, I dunno.
Maybe if they ever add a Japanese program I'll do that as well- again, not because I have any actual need to do so, but because I took a class in it once and it basically defeated me*. (It was the only class** that offered 5 credits, the minimum amount I needed to not get kicked out of my dorm) So one day maybe I'll get my revenge by managing some very basic comprehension. I'll show you some day, already thoroughly translated popular anime!
Assuming it's still free. Otherwise, screw it.
*Except for my one fleeting*** moment of glory when I gave a monologue in the guise of a Japanese-speaking pirate, complete with pirate voice. I've never before or since managed to make a middle-age Japanese woman literally fall out of her chair laughing.
** Well, Chinese History also offered 5 credits. Which I attended exactly one class of- because I didn't know anything about it but it sounded interesting in theory.
And I still don't know anything about it, because the teacher started their lecture with, "If you don't really desperately want to know Chinese history, get the fuck out right now", so I did.
*** The moment was fleeting because I then had to answer questions about said speech from the class and it quickly became clear that I did not comprehend anything they said, and that I got through the speech through pure memorization.
Twitter
I have the same feeling as you for my language learning - did a year of Mandarin in college and still study it in spurts, just because I like it. It's exciting to be able to read it though, when I can.
But the only words I know in a different language are curse words so...
On an unrelated note: my apartment has bedbugs now. Deciding whether I should tell the landlord or just cut my losses and burn the son of a bitch to the ground.
facebook.com/LauraCatherwoodArt
If I can pull this off with my kids, I can die happy.
How long do you think it'll be before they figure out that it's not the case that everyone has their own personal language that they just made up?
Twitter
Unrelated, but the more I listen to Neil Degras Tyson, the more arrogant he sounds.
Also, my Japanese is shamefully bad now.
So this year has been crazy and it seems like its all culminated to this week where it just hit me at once. Hasn't been too great but I think it's given me a little perspective and I've decided to make some pretty big changes. Or at least start seriously thinking about making these changes.
Specifically, quitting my job, moving back home and spending a year just focusing on my art.
I've been stuck in a loop where I haven't been necessarily satisfied but comfortable, I guess. I've used work as an excuse to not try things and take chances for all the clichéd reasons you can imagine. I've been talking about making art my thing for years and I feel like its time I put up or shut up.
I'm going to try and get through the next couple of weeks, see about finding someone to swap subleases with me and then make a move.
This mutual friend saw the photos and loved them, and now she wants me to shoot her daughter's baptism and is asking me how much it would cost. I'm more inclined to give a flat fee - like $50 or $100 or something, which may or may not sound low to some of you, but I'm just really getting into professional photography.
Another couple of people are asking to buy prints of photos I took at a bday party and how much a family shoot are. I'm more inclined to price the latter based on # of edited pictures/etc.
Any advice? Not necessarily particular advice. I don't want to scare her away with a high price but I don't want to undervalue myself. I'm semi-willing to do it for free. But someone pointed out to me recently that pricing yourself professionally and allowing for a monetary transaction actually provides some kind of closure for your client so they don't feel indebted to you, especially for friends-of-friends. That seems logical.