I consider myself highly blessed that I have other friends outside class that have not only come upon appreciation for the language (a good amount of people in the college of music are not only familiar with the language, some are even fluent.). We feed off each others knowledge and have fun with it. Just a couple of weeks ago, my college of music friends and I got together at our house for a sleepover and one of them who had come from a Europe tour the past summer brought a card game from Germany called Phase 10. It was similar to our local "Tong Its" with different twists.... and those twists were for us to discover! The instructions to the game were all written in Deutsch, and aside from playing the game, we found thrill in decoding the manual until we finally played the game as it was supposed to be played: half the night was spent altering some rules so we could play despite the seemingly incomprehensible instructions. But our minds kept working (despite it being past midnight) until we finally decoded what the special cards truly meant (instead of all of them becoming immediately a "lose a turn" card because we didn't know what they really meant).
Another thing I consider myself blessed to have are friends who are based in Germany that have been more than willing to help me with my Deutsch. I can't believe it didn't dawn on me earlier that they were based in Germany, but know that I know... things must be fun :)
My previous substitute ballet teacher is now based in Lüneberg, Germany and is now making a living as a dancer in Theater Lüneberg. He'd just recently celebrated his birthday and my greeting him (and his response) reminded me that he was actually all the way in Germany. I'd informed him that I had taken a German course for this semester, and I was glad to know he was willing to help me with it :)
me (leftmost) and Kuya PJ Rebullida(4th from left) and our dance studiorecitalists and teachers- it was a show he directed :)
my convesation with Kuya PJ. (Random, really, everything from his birthday,
to dance, to my recent ACL injury to me learning German. It warmed my heart to
see (and understand!) the phrase "Du kannst dein Deutsch mit mir üben"- You can practice
your German with me.
Other than Kuya Pj, I had met a certain Lillian Rosales-Eder last year during my grandmother's wake. She was my aunt's best friend and happened to have married a German. She lives in Munich, Germany with her family. Once she'd left for Germany after my grandmother's burial, she'd been messaging me a couple of German phrases that have come in handy for me during this class.
All in all, it's been fun to learn this amazing language with amazing people. Though the will to learn comes from inside us, it never hurts to know that we're learning with other people, whether they be on the same or levels above us. Having Language Learning Buddies gives us EVERYTHING to gain and nothing to lose :)
-----
and here, for our regular German classical piece fix.
Leise flehen meine Lieder
Durch die Nacht zu dir;
In den stillen Hain hernieder,
Liebchen, komm zu mir!
Flüsternd schlanke Wipfel rauschen
In des Mondes Licht;
Des Verräters feindlich Lauschen
Fürchte, Holde, nicht.
Hörst die Nachtigallen schlagen?
Ach! sie flehen dich,
Mit der Töne süßen Klagen
Flehen sie für mich.
Sie verstehn des Busens Sehnen,
Kennen Liebesschmerz,
Rühren mit den Silbertönen
Jedes weiche Herz.
Laß auch dir die Brust bewegen,
Liebchen, höre mich!
Bebend harr' ich dir entgegen!
Komm, beglücke mich!
An english translation from www.asortofnotebook.blogspot.com
"Ständchen" ("Serenade")
My songs quietly implore you
through the night;
down to the silent wood
my love, come to me!
The tree tops whisper
in the light of the moon;
Don't be afraid, my love,
no-one will observe us.
Can you hear the nightingales?
Oh! They implore you,
their sweet lament
pleads with you on my behalf.
They understand the yearning I feel,
they know love's torture,
with their silvery notes
they touch every soft heart
Let them touch yours, too,
sweet love: hear my plea!
Trembling I await you,
come, bring me bliss!
We learn of love's sweet side to the German's this time. :) What poetry these Lieder are! I'm falling in love with their music over again.
Til next time,
Liya
All in all, it's been fun to learn this amazing language with amazing people. Though the will to learn comes from inside us, it never hurts to know that we're learning with other people, whether they be on the same or levels above us. Having Language Learning Buddies gives us EVERYTHING to gain and nothing to lose :)
-----
and here, for our regular German classical piece fix.
Leise flehen meine Lieder
Durch die Nacht zu dir;
In den stillen Hain hernieder,
Liebchen, komm zu mir!
Flüsternd schlanke Wipfel rauschen
In des Mondes Licht;
Des Verräters feindlich Lauschen
Fürchte, Holde, nicht.
Hörst die Nachtigallen schlagen?
Ach! sie flehen dich,
Mit der Töne süßen Klagen
Flehen sie für mich.
Sie verstehn des Busens Sehnen,
Kennen Liebesschmerz,
Rühren mit den Silbertönen
Jedes weiche Herz.
Laß auch dir die Brust bewegen,
Liebchen, höre mich!
Bebend harr' ich dir entgegen!
Komm, beglücke mich!
An english translation from www.asortofnotebook.blogspot.com
"Ständchen" ("Serenade")
My songs quietly implore you
through the night;
down to the silent wood
my love, come to me!
The tree tops whisper
in the light of the moon;
Don't be afraid, my love,
no-one will observe us.
Can you hear the nightingales?
Oh! They implore you,
their sweet lament
pleads with you on my behalf.
They understand the yearning I feel,
they know love's torture,
with their silvery notes
they touch every soft heart
Let them touch yours, too,
sweet love: hear my plea!
Trembling I await you,
come, bring me bliss!
We learn of love's sweet side to the German's this time. :) What poetry these Lieder are! I'm falling in love with their music over again.
Til next time,
Liya
That sounds wonderful. It's always fun to learn languages with friends. One of the best ways, too, apart from moving to the country itself. :)
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