A Brief Americana

We were asked in our first ESL class what had been our biggest surprise concerning America. I couldn't help and had to tell about my impression when I saw how people didn't feel a necessity to lock their doors here. For my suprise, one of my classmate's husband, a native Arizonan who has lived in Midwest for a short period, told that the same thing had impressed him too and this was why he especially liked Midwest. I guess, it's not universal here either, we just live in a really good community.


A woman from India pointed out the individuality of the American society compared to Indian. India is much more family-centered - decisions are made in family, people depend on family. I think, in this regard, Estonia is somewhere between.


The wife of the Arizonan, an Ukrainian woman told how the American dispersed (scattered) settlement impressed her. In Ukraina there are either big cities or big villages, no scattered settlement. I've got the same impression of Ukraina according to my two visits there.

Lapsus

I made a terrible spelling mistake in a yesterday's post using "mashine" instead of "machine" for three times. I remember while writing it, it sounded awkward, still "c" didn't seem correct to use either. And I was evidently too lazy to stand up and take a dictionary from a shelf or use some online dictionary. Today, after waking up, it was almost a first thought in my mind: Oh, my, I made such a silly mistake yesterday! :) So here it is in its correct form for me to remember forever - MACHINE. (I wonder if this lapsus has a meaning too. What would Mr Freud say?)

On learning languages

For the last few weeks I've spent most of my free time studying. In the beginning Peter thought that I could learn to programm. So I picked up HTML. It was quite amazing feeling how you are really capable of building some basic pages of only after an hour. I'm still a bit excited about it, although apparently nothing will come out of it. And I've also picked up French again. From the very beginning and it's fun. Pimsleur listening method is really terrific, makes you hear the language differently, more correctly, I hope.
Today we went to the collage library with Priit as I wanted to take some English books and met a lady in the campus. She gave me an email of a woman who teaches ESL classes in the town and introduced us also to a man whos wife is from Ukraine and also a doctor. We arranged to meet up at 7.30 on the playground today. I hope Priit will enjoy other children's company although he can't really walk yet. The man told that they have learned quite a lot about getting a doctor's licence here, perhaps it would help me to make up my mind too.
Fortunately, Priit's foot is much better today, almost not swollen at all anymore. And yesterday he used it pretty well while playing with Brooke and Sydney in the backyard. But it's evidently still really sore to walk on it. We had a row with Pete about Priit's foot and the necessity of the X-ray yesterday. I totally freaked out thinking that it might have been still broken. Ah, I wish I could have managed to hold myself back better.

My learning English

• on a spree - pummeldamas, lõbusalt aega veetmas
• to get thorough - üle elama, taluma, vastu pidama
• to make out - to do, to manage, to to handle affairs, to be successful
• to move ahead - edasi liikuma, edukas olema
• mixed up - segaduses
• to count on / eeldama, millelegi lootma

Hot weather

After raining almost every day, it's hot and dry now. The trees are all green now. Time to go on a picnic. We actually saw lot of people in the park, having a picnic. Lot of mothers with their children.

• on a picnic - piknikule minema

We are going on a picnic.

My learning English

• to waddle [wodle] - paterdama, taaruma

The mother duck was waddling proudly across the street all his siblings in a line after her.

• dubious - kahtlane, kahtlev, kõhklev; kahemõtteline

I'm dubious of his suggestion.

• frumpy - halvasti riietuv naisterahvas

Years ago housewives were considered frumpy.

Adjusting

We've been here for more than a month by now. And I have to admit that we've adjusted quite well to my mind. Still some adjustment is going on, is a permanent process.
I heard Priit saying yesterday in a very good Englsih: Come on, Gray Cat! It was nice.

My Learning English

Here are some words I learnt from a book which I read to Priit - "Pie Rats Ahoy".

• on the prowl

saagijahil

There were pirates on the prowl.

• point

neem

He sailed around the point.

• doom

hukk, saatus

"Prepare to meet your doom" said the pirates.