#betoning

[luninosity]

Quick Evanstan fic rec -

what was to be (G, 5k) by betoning  - seriously, this is pretty much exactly everything I want in fic: luscious language, pining and clumsy emotions, beautiful imagery, sweetness, concerned Chris, love confessions - just everything. It’s so good I’m envious. You should read it. <3

[luninosity]

may i ask what the fic you loved is called so i can give it some love too this weekend? i'm looking forward to diving into your latest chapter of 'the sound of rain' but it would be nice to have more to read after and i trust your opinion :D

YES INDEED it is the lovely Evanstan fic a heart to be a part of by the wondrous @betoning and it is 4k of beautiful heartwarming love-confession fluff and feels and you should read it immediately. <3

[phootoom]

#kadıkoy #kadikoy #yıkım #yesilbahar #yeşilbahar #destruction #yıkımaltında #underdestruction #istanbul #collapse #byebye #bunuyıkıyoruzbunuyapıyoruz #newconstruction #beton #betoning #like4follow #like4like #likeforlike #statigram #instaweb #instalike #instadaily #milliondollar

[bristolianswede-blog]

Lost- and found - in translation.

On the long path towards fluency in Swedish, it is always amusing (and a bit of a relief) to hear the tiniest of errors when my Swedish aquaintances translate their thoughts into English.  What is most satisfying is that my own growing knowledge of the language is allowing me work backwards and understand their thinking process.  Hence, there are things both lost and found in translation.

For example, my neighbour advised me to do something: "when the clock is six."  

He was thinking: "När klockan är sex" but translated so literally it sounds rather quaint in English. 

There are many examples of a hard "j" of English turning to a soft "ya" sound.  It was hard to keep a straight face I was told:

"I like the Wii Fit but I'm not really up to the yogging!"

I am saying all this while making it abundantly clear: most Swedish people speak English to a really high level.  Their mistakes are very minor and I am sure my blundering Swedish may make me look either stupid or, on a good day, "sharming." That's another one, by the way.  The "ch" sound doesn't exist in Swedish, so you hear: "sharming," "shildren" or "shocolate."  In fact, "choklad" is the correct word for that yummy stuff but is pronounced "shocklad."

To get a Swede tongue-tied ask them to say "thorough" - the "th" sound again is absent in their language and it is literally awkward for them to get their tongue and teeth around it.  This difficulty with saying "th" pehaps accounts for why my Swedish mum called my English dad "Art" from the outset, rather than struggle with the "th" sound in "Arthur."  

When I speak with friends and neighbours they kindly say that "I can learn them English, while they learn me Swedish."  This common mistake is from the reflexive verb "lära sig" - as it means both to learn and teach (oneself.)  

Jag lära mig svenska. (I am learning Swedish).  

Han lära mig svenska. (He is teaching me Swedish.)

And on the other side, trying to perfect Swedish? Well the English speaker has to quickly make friends with 3 new vowels: å (awwww), ä (ehhhhh), ö (urghhhh). This involves putting any feelings of self-consciousness aside while performing various ridiculous mouth positions to create these sounds.  

The other thing that is a constant work in progress for me while speaking is finding the right "betoning."  The right emphasis and stress on the words is vital. It is this that makes Swedish a very "sing-song" language with lots of natural rise and fall.  

I must admit, I do find it immediately very "sharming" to meet a quietly-spoken, modest Swede with a natural melodic shape to his "betoning" when speaking English.  It brings new life to words that are familiar to me but pronounced with a new melodic shape and occasionally formed in an odd turn of phrase to make me smile...