Author Topic: What's everone doing today?  (Read 809583 times)

Michael Rolls

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5775 on: Sep 16, 2020, 01:35:29 PM »
well done! Many years ago a mate and I were cycling in South Wales using youth hostels (we were a  bit impoverished). Called into a village shop for sustenance. Two old dears therein conversing in English. Upon seeing us, switched to Welsh. To my dying day I will regret not asking them something in French - would I could have done.
Mike
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The older I get, the better I was!

Michael Rolls

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5776 on: Sep 16, 2020, 01:40:14 PM »
Oh and in the early days of lockdown, when it hadn't actually been announced, had to call at a motorway service station with a complicated system of getting fuel at the pump, so treated the communication device to a spate of French, whereupon some snooty  child came out to grudgingly assist this stupid foreigner. Worked out the system, paid her, and then thanked her in my normal perceived English!
Mike 😁😁👍👍🤣🤣
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GrannyMac

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5777 on: Sep 16, 2020, 01:45:22 PM »
well done! Many years ago a mate and I were cycling in South Wales using youth hostels (we were a  bit impoverished). Called into a village shop for sustenance. Two old dears therein conversing in English. Upon seeing us, switched to Welsh. To my dying day I will regret not asking them something in French - would I could have done.
Mike

My OH's family moved to Wales en route to Scotland.  Apart from what she said felt like constant rain, she disliked the isolation imposed by locals who switched to Welsh whenever there was an English person in the vicinity.  As a young stay at home mum, it wasn't a happy time for her. 


Quite a few English families then moved to Scotland together and were initially housed near one another, and several, like OH's stayed.  It was hard for the kids with English accents though, they were bullied until they learnt the local accent and dialect.  My OH can switch very quickly! And he still remembers a couple of words in Welsh he was taught at infant school.




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Hugh

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5778 on: Sep 16, 2020, 02:35:51 PM »
What you say is quite true GM they had a bad reputation for speaking in welsh when English people were near by. If it still goes on to this day I wouldn't know.

Hugh

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5779 on: Sep 16, 2020, 02:56:18 PM »
Manage to get quite a bit of work done in the garden got two brown gardens waste bins nearly full. Will have to wait a week tomorrow to get stuck in again. Wild birds are a real pest dropping seeds all over the place. I have an 8 feet high holly bush in one corner of the garden which I never planted. Roxy had her second walk of the day so now I can just relax and enjoy a tot of Highland Earl Whisky. It is sold in Aldi and £5 cheaper a litre than famous grouse and very little difference in taste.

Michael Rolls

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5780 on: Sep 16, 2020, 05:30:23 PM »
What you say is quite true GM they had a bad reputation for speaking in welsh when English people were near by. If it still goes on to this day I wouldn't know.
My experience was 60 years or more ago, so I have no idea if it is still the case
Mike
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The older I get, the better I was!

Alex22

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5781 on: Sep 16, 2020, 05:42:58 PM »
There's a bit of a gap between north and south Wales when it comes to rudeness.  :)
.

Michael Rolls

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5782 on: Sep 16, 2020, 05:48:42 PM »
I have bitten the bullet and ordered a replacement laser printer- after ten and a half years the existing one seems have given up the ghost. Were it not for the virus I would take it into a repair shop to see if it could be rescued, but I am avoiding shops as much as possible, and I reckon that after that long it doesn’t owe me anything.
On a roll, have also ordered an additional freezer. Needing to effectively live out of it, I really need additional capacity
Mike
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Coastal

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5783 on: Sep 16, 2020, 10:12:45 PM »
Languages, I only have the 2, English and the very occasional Foul they've got me this far and I have absolutely no intentions of ever going abroad again (not that I'd bother learning another language for a fortnight away) unless you use it in your job (or for regular visits or contacts) I really don't see the point, It's just my opinion but anyone who wants my business/money can learn English.   
Hell hath no fury like a woman .......

Michael Rolls

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5784 on: Sep 16, 2020, 10:22:27 PM »
I once had a chap  working for me who had been an officer in the Hungarian army and fled in the 1956 troubles. He said one of the things he admired about the British was their attitude to foreign languages  'Make bloody foreigner speak English!'
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Coastal

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5785 on: Sep 16, 2020, 10:45:12 PM »
Well in my opinion the choice is theirs, and as I said, if they want my money they need to speak my language, if I was after their money I'd need to speak theirs, it's that simple really.
Some would call it a closed mind, to me it's just obvious.
I've only been abroad three times with no language problems, but If I lived there (for even part of the year like some of my neighbours) I would learn it out of respect.
Hell hath no fury like a woman .......

biglouis

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5786 on: Sep 17, 2020, 12:02:23 AM »
When you buy and sell internationally languages do come in very useful. French, Spanish and German covers most of Europe. When people are spending hundreds or even thousands of euros they may want to ask questions beforehand. I know that I do. If the seller is based in another country then I consider it only polite to address them in their own language. If they respond in English all well and good.


I have some very good trade customers in Spain who dont speak a word of English so my Spanish is a definite plus. Some Brits who retire to Spain never bother to learn so no wonder the locals resent them.

Even if you dont speak the language and stick to short simple sentences its amazing what you can do with google translate.


Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

klondike

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5787 on: Sep 17, 2020, 09:51:31 AM »
Before trusting google translate for any reply that was even slightly important I'd put it through in reverse to check what English it gave. Whenever I have tried that it's usually more amusing than a game of Chinese Whispers (send three and fourpence we're going to a dance).

For instance in a (hopefully mildly humourous) reply I was making yesterday I wanted the Latin for "Falling Down Water". Putting the result back through gave "Rushing water" so I didn't bother on the unlikely offchance anybody else wondered what the name of my medicine translated to and tried it.

For Crabby's Hindi Get out of jail free card I didn't bother as I don't think he'll try using it anyway  :)
So long and thanks for all the fish

crabbyob

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5788 on: Sep 17, 2020, 11:37:24 AM »
thanks Klondike, its the thought that counts...lol...
i was in southern India where the language is Tamil, [no i hadnt heard of it either]
my Tamil friend and i were invited by one of his employees to visit their coconut plantation
so we basically spent the day drinking Rum and coconut water, late afternoon we decided to visit a restaurant, and mid meal the man was staring at me across the table and he said something to my friend, who laughed and said the man wanted to know how anyone could live in a country as long as i had without learning the language, i smiled and explained everyone i wanted to talk to already spoke English... i then asked what was the main language of India, my friend pointed out to me it was Hindi, so i asked him if a business man in the south of the country wanted to do business with a man in the north might he chat in Hindi, my friend frowned and said "hell no they would talk in English" i pointed to the fellow across from me "well owning a coconut plantation makes him a business man, why cant he talk English" we all laughed... i still cant speak owt but foul english
“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but as we are already here we may as well dance”

Diasi

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Re: What's everone doing today?
« Reply #5789 on: Sep 17, 2020, 05:33:35 PM »
We've put the new hedgehog house at the back of the shed, ensuring that the entrance isn't facing North as per the recommendation.
Make every day count, each day is precious.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal".  (Cassandra)