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allthingslinguistic · 4 months ago

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Summer 2024 travel plans and Language Guinea Pig Diaries

In August and September, I'm doing a bunch of travel to various European countries. In order, they are:

Glasgow, Scotland for World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon), where I'll be on a panel about Languages as World-Building and doing assorted meetups

Helsinki, Finland for the Societas Linguistica Europea annual meeting

Tartu, Estonia for a colloquium talk on Applying Linguistic Methods to Linguistic Communication at the University of Tartu and a two-part workshop on lingcomm for participants of Methodological Excellence in Data-Driven Approaches to Linguistics (MEDAL)

Nijmegen, Netherlands for some meetings with linguists

Florence, Italy to visit friends

Madrid, Spain for the publication of the Spanish translation of Because Internet by Pie de Página

I hope to run into lots of interesting people at these events! If you're already in one of these places and I know you, including from the interent, feel free to reach out and see if we can fit something in!

This whirlwind list of events and places has also gotten me thinking: this trip is going to be a fun chance to learn some more about some languages! I'm already fairly familiar with Spanish and Scottish English (I doubt people will speak much Broad Scots to me with my Canadian accent), and I'm confident on my ability to brush up on them by a bit of exposure and possibly watching a relevant movie on the way there, but the other four languages are going to take a bit more doing. Here's my initial situation, in order of familiarity:

Italian - I studied it for two years in undergrad and spent about a week in Italy shortly thereafter, and by the end of the week I was finally beginning to feel like it was starting to "click" but then I haven't really touched it since then. So I feel like it would come back with exposure but I wonder if there's something I could do in advance to help it come back sooner/faster rather than taking the whole week of being there again

Dutch - I went through the whole Duolingo tree on rapid-speed back when you could skip through lessons for new material only and not practice drills over about a year in 2019-ish just for fun and as an excuse to look up lots of Germanic roots (I studied German before I knew any linguistics so it was fun to triangulate there). Never actually been anywhere Dutch was being spoken but I did find I could get the gist of youtube videos about linguistics in Dutch so it probably needs "activation" similar to Italian

Finnish - No background except for a few linguistics factoids (case! vowel harmony!), and that it's a Uralic language (related to Hungarian but not to any of the Indo-European languages, so this is a fun chance to learn some things about a language family that's unfamiliar to me)

Estonian - Also no background, also Uralic, clearly the fun thing to do would be to learn enough bits of Estonian and Finnish that I could compare them with each other (also since I'm meeting with linguists in both countries, this would be a fun topic for small talk conversation)

At the same time, there are a lot of language learning strategies floating around out there, and I have two nearly matched pairs of languages on this list: Italian and Dutch, both of which I am pretty good at cognate languages for and have studied some a while back, so I could test two activation strategies, and Finnish and Estonian, both of which I have essentially zero familiarity with, so I could test two strategies for getting somewhere near a basic functional ability.

I have about a month until I start this cycle with a flight to Helsinki. One month, four languages. What could possibly go wrong?

Here's my tentative plan so far:

Activation, Italian and Dutch - I'm pretty sure what I need for these languages is largely as much audio imput as possible (given what's feasible around like, all the other things going on in my life). I've decided to aim to watch one or two youtube videos in Italian per day, focusing on relatively concrete, daily life topics (such as gelato making) and to listen to one episode of a podcast in Dutch per day, aiming to get through the back catalogue of Kletsheads, a podcast about multilingual children.

Why these strategies? Well, I'm meeting up with linguists in the Netherlands but not in Italy, so it makes sense to try to learn more linguistics vocab there. Also, I'm curious about the effect of medium between video and podcast: will being able to see people talking and what they're talking about have much of an effect on how much I can understand? Will I find it easier to integrate one or the other of watching videos vs listening to podcasts into my life at a practical level? Plus, will concentrating on a single, more academic topic vs watching a scattered, unsystematic list of videos have effects on my vocabulary?

Basic function, Finnish and Estonian - I'm probably looking for some phrases to say to people in shops and restaurants and the ability to pronounce things written on menus adequately and match heard words/placenames to written versions on signs. I started doing a very minimal one lesson a day on Duolingo for Finnish in January, when planning for this trip started, for the very simple reason that I was already familiar with Duolingo and it doesn't have Estonian, so I decided to just start by doing a thing I was familiar with until I got around to doing more research. I've been casting around trying to figure out a source of basic Estonian phrases online when a friend mentioned learning French on tiktok, so I searched for "learn estonian" and voila! I think I'll also aim for a video or two of Estonian phrases per day but I want to do more rewatching than with Italian or Dutch, since I'm aiming to remember specific common phrases. So maybe one rewatched video and one new video, per day? They're shorter on tiktok than on youtube.

Why these strategies? This is a comparison of Duolingo's more systematic approach with lots of repetition and gamification and word-by-word translation in a relatively sterile environment versus a more organic and free-styling approach with more grounding in real people and faces and full phrases where I'm not really trying to understand the individual words. There are lots of factors to compare and it's not a completely fair comparison since I started Duolingo in January and I only thought to start the TikTok idea this week, but hey, learning anything still counts as progress.

Summary: I have four languages, each focused on a different app: YouTube, my podcast app, Duolingo, and TikTok. Hopefully for the video apps, this will help their algorithms kick in and start recommending me further useful videos. The difference between the two video strategies is that for Italian, I'm watching monolingual videos that are aimed at people who already speak Italian and just want to learn something about the topic, whereas for Estonian, I'm watching bilingual videos aimed at English speakers who want to learn some words or phrases in Estonian.

Am I going to get these four languages mixed up? Probably! I'm hoping that choosing a different app/strategy for each is a little bit helpful on that front.

Do I think these strategies are optimal? Probably not! But I'm aiming to choose things that feel relatively clear to implement consistently, rather than getting bogged down in researching language learning methods instead of actually getting exposure to the languages. I'll probably do a basic "look up some key phrases and try to learn them" a day or two before entering each place too. And maybe shift other aspects depending on how things are going, stay tuned!

At any rate, I figured it would be more fun to blog about my attempts to use myself as a guinea pig for a few different language learning strategies here than to just do it in my own head (and hopefully help me with staying motivated). And maybe people will have tips of either language learning strategies that have worked for you in general or specific ideas for these particular languages, so this is the beginning of a series that I'm calling #Language Guinea Pig Diaries and future posts will also be posted under that tag!

#linguistics #languages #language learning #learning languages #foreign languages #language guinea pig diaries #italian #dutch #finnish #estonian

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cognitivejustice · 5 months ago

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Self-sufficient organic Finnish farm grows its own fuel and a greener future

An award-winning farm has teamed up with Helsinki University to create a symbiotic food production system that is self-sufficient in energy and nutrients. It’s a trailblazer in sustainable agriculture.

Photo above: Farmer Markus Eerola shows visitors the biogas plant that helps make his farm an energy producer rather than an energy consumer.Photo: Wif Stenger

Organic Knehtilä Farm provides its own nutrients and energy, thanks to careful long-term planning and a small onsite biogas plant operated by energy utility Nivos.

The biogas powers his tractor, pickup truck and cars, and is available to others at a commercial filling station on the edge of the farm, although vehicles that can use biogas are still relatively rare. It offers a valuable alternative to meet the growing need for affordable, clean domestic energy.

Demand for organic food continues to grow. “The price gap between organic and standard production is narrowing, partly because we don’t need fertiliser. Our farm has its own product line of oat and buckwheat products, which are produced here using a proven cultivation method known as agroecological symbiosis, where nutrients and energy are efficiently recycled.”

The sprawling 380-hectare farm’s carefully balanced circular economy has developed over a decade and a half, earning a WWF award in 2015 as a model of nature-friendly agriculture. In 2021, the Finnish Organic Association chose Knehtilä for the honour of Organic Business of the Year.

“Biogas production can convert farms from being energy consumers to energy producers, and play an important role in the transition away from fossil fuels. When it’s done in a smart way, it’s also possible to increase biodiversity in farming systems.”

Knehtilä forms part of the Global Network of Lighthouse Farms, a project led by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, involving commercially viable farms that offer “radical solutions to address sustainability challenges.” International visitors frequently come to Knehtilä to learn about unique system.

The rich, vibrant cycle of life at Knehtilä is visible in not only the lush fields, but also in the insects and frogs that frequent them, and in a few animals such as horses, sheep, goats, chickens and rabbits. The farm is also a lively event venue; a high-ceilinged, 80-year-old barn has been converted to a space for up to 100 people for weddings, theatre performances and concerts.

#solarpunk #solar punk #indigenous knowledge #reculture #self reliant farming #agroecology #biogas #finland #organic farming #design

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stratossphere · 2 years ago

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mopey

ville doesn’t handle no sleep and a lot of stress very well.

warnings: gn!reader, ville is angsty, reader is a little angsty too, mige being annoying, fluff

word count: 4.9k

tags: @asskickedbygirl @lieutenant-cinnamon-roll @kissofdawn666 @brandons-wife @valos-venus-doom @ghoulishguns @h3artk1ller

— —

If one thing could be said about planning sessions before a music video was truly put into motion, it was that Ville did not handle the stress of it very well at all.

He'd been up for most of the night on the phone with his management team, the band, and a production company in Helsinki, so he was tired, and when he got stressed along with being tired, he was basically out of commission emotionally. So, as a result, he'd been floating around the apartment for most of the morning like a silent vampire, barely uttering a word to you as he shifted between smoking, working on his laptop, or just plain sitting and suffering. It was a little frustrating, because you knew he wouldn't talk to you or break the cycle until he was ready, but you understood, so you gave him his space.

But, misery loved company, so although you were doing your best to give Ville space, he was not doing his best to allow you to give him space.

You’d spent the last half hour or so lying in bed and organizing your notebook full of loose video ideas into something that you could put into an organized outline after you'd gotten sick of feeling the misery radiating off of your boyfriend in waves where he'd been on his laptop on the couch, when said boyfriend came into the room. You looked up to him with as much subtlety as you could manage, but he barely even glanced in your direction as he turned away from you to start digging through one of the drawers in his dresser.

He did so for about a minute before he slammed it shut with a fresh pack of cigarettes in his hand, ripping it open with his teeth and then sticking one between his lips as soon as he had the top flipped open. You then watched as he sat down at the edge of the bed, taking a long drag once his cigarette was lit before he slouched forward and put his face in his hands.

He sat there for a good few minutes, during which you were unable to focus yourself back onto your notebook due to the fact that, once again, his misery was radiating off of him in waves, before you finally gave up on trying to leave him alone completely. Words couldn't hurt too bad, right?

"What did the team say?" You tried, setting your notebook on the bed next to you and then waiting for him to take his face out of his hands.

He never did.

You sighed, sitting forward in bed and wondering whether or not it would be helpful to touch him at the moment. "Ville, honey? Is there anything I can do for you?"

A deep sigh, but no response. About what you expected. You then decided you would try your luck a little further, crawling to the end of the bed where he was sitting. You saw him visually tense at the movement of the mattress, but you continued until you were sitting behind him so that you could wrap your arms gingerly around him from behind. He didn't resist, but he also didn't show any signs of acknowledgement, so you couldn't decide whether or not to take it as a win.

"Are you doing okay? You're worrying me a little bit." You mumbled, feeling his back rise just slightly as he inhaled off of his cigarette with no hands before smoke was clouding up around his head.

"Yes." Lo and behold, you earned yourself a one word answer. It wasn't much, but it wasn't nothing, either. He had only answered the bare minimum of what you'd said to him, and you tried to will yourself to have some patience with the process of opening him up.

"Can I do anything?" You asked again, your finger dancing over his smooth skin on his arm where he was resting his elbows on his knees. Another sigh.

"No." Oh, so that's how this was going to be. Patience is a virtue. You really tried to remind yourself that as you watched him ash his cigarette right onto the floor in front of him.

"I think you should take a break from work until tomorrow, babe. We've got like, another month to plan this out." You said decisively, being patient but also putting a stop to the thing you knew was making him so morose. You leaned off of him then, turning around and leaning your back against his before stretching your legs out and crossing one over the other. He gave no complaint, so you got comfortable like that. "Let's do something else. You wanna go for a walk?"

"No." Great. Helpful and cooperative, as always.

"We could go out for drinks." You offered instead, trying to play into things you knew he liked best. Once again:

"No."

"I could...suck you off." As soon as that popped into your head, you were pretty satisfied with the idea. If you couldn't pull him out of his bad mood, you could at least suck him out of it. Or so you thought.

"No." Jesus Christ. That always worked. You paused for a second, frustration taking over momentarily as you almost snapped out in impatience, but you quickly regained your composure before you tried your last resort.

"We could take a shower together and then nap." That's usually what you both did when he was stressed and couldn't relax in the mornings before his shows, and it always worked to at least bring him down to a level where you could actually get more than half a sentence out of him. So, thank fucking god, he didn't immediately veto that idea.

"...in a minute." Well, that was more than the word 'no', so you were counting it as a win. You then decided to sweeten the moment a little bit, sitting up and then getting off the bed before you were circling around the side and standing in front of Ville, who had finally taken his face out of his hands and was instead just staring forward while looking deep in thought.

He finally looked up when you stepped between his spread legs, your hands sliding over his shoulders and then cupping the back of his head as you slowly coaxed his cheek against your stomach. He relaxed a little bit into you as you hugged his head against you, your fingers carding gently through his hair in your best attempt to calm him down at least a little bit. He then reached out and set his cigarette in the ashtray on the bed that you'd been using before he wrapped both arms tightly around you and let out a heavy breath.

"Didn't sleep. Feeling a little psychotic right now." He mumbled out his explanation for his mood against the fabric of your shirt, and you silently wondered if he realized that it was glaringly obvious anytime he hadn't slept enough. By his own words, he became schizo if he didn't get enough sleep (which was why he napped so much), and it didn't take much to throw him completely out of whack when he had anything else going on that interrupted that schedule. But, that's what you were there for, so you only hummed in acknowledgment.

"That's okay. I just want you to feel better." You said softly, rubbing his back softly with the hand that wasn't wrapped around his head. "Do you want to shower? Or just lay down?"

"We can shower." He caved, not moving from where he was quite yet and hugging you a bit tighter to tell you that he didn't want you to, either. "In a minute."

You then slowly moved to slide into his lap, drawing his legs closed just enough to sit on top of them as you wrapped your arms completely around him in a tight hug. He let out a soft sigh at that, his head resting heavily on your shoulder as you combed his hair back behind his ear with the hand that wasn't still rubbing his back.

"I love you." He muttered, burying his face completely in your neck and then exhaling enough to warm your skin. "I don't understand how you do this fucking bullshit for a job."

"I said I'd take over. I'm used to it. You're not." You reminded him, trying not to make it sound like you were boasting. In reality, your whole job revolved around odd hours, begging for money to allow projects, and planning out each and every minute detail of everything you did, so you weren't exactly new to the workings. Being a set producer was how you had met the man in your arms in the first place. Ville just huffed.

"But you always do it. I don't like leaving you with all of the work." He said frustratedly, his lips brushing against your neck with each word he spoke. "All I'm doing right now is probably making this harder for you."

"Baby, you're allowed to be stressed. I'm fucking stressed too. You just...handle it differently than I do." You reassured him, holding his head against your shoulder while you rubbed his back with your other hand. "Although, it helps when you don't say the word 'no' over and over again for half an hour straight."

He didn't respond to that, but after a second he finally broke away, leaning back enough to touch his forehead to yours before he was pressing a gentle kiss to your lips. He kissed you a second time before he spoke again.

"I feel like I should be doing something for you." He sighed, his lips moving to kiss gently at your cheek as he hugged you a little tighter against him. You smiled, leaning back in his arms far enough to where he was forced to hold you in order to keep you from falling backwards. You then cupped his face in both hands.

"Snuggle with me and all is forgiven." You requested, hooking your legs tightly around his waist and then pulling out of his arms so that you could lie back against his legs. He sighed again at your antics, hands resting loosely on your hips. "C'mon. Laugh a little bit. I can flash you, if you want."

"Just attempt to fucking behave yourself." He pulled you back up to sit, rolling his eyes as you danced off of him and then up onto your feet. "I can only let you baby me for so long before I feel nauseous."

"But you're my baby. Shut up and let me love you." As soon as he stood up, you were throwing your arms around him and pulling him down enough to pepper kisses all over the side of his face, avoiding his attempts to push you away while he started to laugh despite his clear intentions not to.

"Alright! Enough with the fucking kissing! You're spitting all over me." Ville groaned, finally getting you away from him by getting a grip on the back of your shirt and forcibly pulling you. You just snickered, managing to reach out far enough despite his hold on you to wrap your arms half-around him.

"You laughed. I win." You teased, slipping your fingers under the hem of his shirt so that both of your hands were holding his side against his warm bare skin. "Give me a kiss."

"No." The hint of a smirk just barely pulling at his features told you that he was just playing games, and the second he let your shirt go, you were right back in his personal space. You tucked your head under his arm so that he was forced to accept your embrace.

"Please? I love you." Your chin fell against his shoulder, and you gave him the most convincing, pleading look you could muster as your fingers danced on his skin under his shirt. He scoffed to cover his laugh as he dipped down, but you were already meeting him there as you stretched up and caught him in a kiss with one hand moving to cup the back of his head.

You knew he had been going in for a quick kiss, but you slowed it down and dragged it out, licking into his mouth just slightly as his arm stayed wrapped around you. He sighed softly against your lips when your hand moved further under his shirt and up his chest, but just as he was really starting to lean into your touch, you pulled away before holding his face in both hands.

"I love you. You're smart, handsome, funny, and the best work partner I could ever ask for." You said seriously, breaking your joking mood because you knew that even though he was playing around with you, he was still feeling the stress of an overbearing workload. "So don't be grumpy."

"Yes. I love you too. Whatever." He grumbled, pouting in your touch before you gave him another kiss and let him go. He was ignoring the 'don't be grumpy' part of your words with confidence, but he pressed his lips to your forehead momentarily to show you that he was in fact acknowledging what you'd just said before he turned away to go for his dresser. "Well, if you insist on taking over, I will suggest you take Mige’s call in a few minutes, because if I have to listen to his bullshit ideas for another half hour, I'm going to blow a fucking nerve."

Ugh. you were willing to take over some of the work, but not that portion. As much as you loved him, you hated listening to Mige even more than Ville did, because he'd offer ideas to Ville, but he'd demand them to you. But, you were trying to help, so you sighed and nodded.

"Fine. But I get to be little spoon, deal?" You held out your hand for him to shake just as he turned back with a fresh pair of underwear (score!), raising your eyebrows in anticipation because you knew he wasn't going to like that idea. He let out a heavy breath, staring at you for a long second before he caved and accepted your handshake. You beamed at him. "Thank you, honey."

"Don't thank me yet." He then fished his phone out of his back pocket before handing it over, leaning in and kissing the top of your head. "I'm going to start the shower. Call him back."

Mige literally picked up on the first ring. Usually it took about three phone calls to get him to answer you. Figures. Before you could even open your mouth to say anything, he was already talking.

"So I called around a little bit, and I know Y/n said that we weren't allowed to shoot in America, but—"

"But what?" You interrupted. Seriously. It was like sometimes they all purposely tried to make your life harder by doing every single thing you asked them not to. There was a pause, because he had obviously just been startled by your voice, before he huffed.

"Give Ville his phone back, asshole. I didn't call you." He said after he got ahold of himself, spitting venom because he'd been caught red handed trying to go behind your back. Which wouldn't have worked anyway, considering Ville would've told you the second he got off the phone. You rolled your eyes as you headed towards the closet to borrow a shirt for yourself and grab a pair of your underwear off the shelf above your head.

"If you book a set in America, I will send Ville to the studio in the most god-awful mood I can manage. I told you it's here or nothing." You threatened lazily as you dug through Ville's clothes, coming up victorious with his Turbojugend t-shirt.

"I don't wanna do it here. It’s so boring here and I want to go to Texas." And there he went whining immediately. This was exactly why Ville had passed the phone call to you. You scoffed.

"I couldn't give less of a shit. You’ve lived here your whole life, so you'll survive." You said uninterestedly, throwing Ville's shirt over your shoulder and then heading out of the room where you could hear the shower running. "Can you guys all chill? Why does everything have to be done today?"

"Because he wanted it all done today. I don’t want to phone call either." Mige revealed irritatedly, and in that moment you suddenly lost a lot of the animosity you had originally held in his direction. You let out a slight groan, running your hand over your face as you purposely leaned far away from the bathroom door so that your boyfriend couldn't hear you.

"I’ll convince Ville that Texas would be a fun end-of-tour trip if you promise to ignore all phone calls and emails from him for the next two days." You said lowly, offering a compromise that you knew you couldn't lose with considering it didn’t matter to you either way. There was a pause, then a sigh.

"Fucking deal. I don't even want to be apart of this anyway." He agreed easily, and you could've fist-pumped right then and there. Less work for Ville meant less agitated Ville for you. "Did you call instead of him because he's being a bitch? Because he was being a bitch on the phone last time I called."

"Yeah. Like, majorly. Understandable, kind of, but still." You tried to speak inconspicuously as you stepped into the bathroom where Ville was already in the shower, not aiming to trash talk him in the same room as him.

"Not understandable. He told me to 'shut my fucking mouth so that he could actually think thoughts' and then hung up on me like, a minute later." Mige tattled, only making you laugh because you'd actually heard Ville say that when you'd been in the kitchen and he'd been in the living room. Ville stuck his head out of the shower at the sound of your voice, frowning at your laughter. You just waved him off as you sat down on top of the closed toilet lid, drawing your knees up to your chest.

"Well, did you deserve it? Because I can't defend you if you were being annoying." You said honestly, shrugging it off before turning slightly and realizing that Ville still hadn't pulled his head back into the shower. He was just standing there (super creepily) staring at you. When you threw a hand in the air in question, he reached his own out to you. He was totally lying about hating being babied.

"I totally didn't! You need to reign that cunt in." Mige complained in your ear as you reached out and took Ville's wet hand to hold. Reigning the bitch in question in wasn't exactly an easy task, but you had a feeling you were about there. He tucked his head back in then, and you could tell that he had accepted you were going to be busy on the phone, but wanted to be with you regardless. You couldn't help but grin at the fact despite the water droplets running up your forearm.

"He told me to do the same thing to you, so I don't know what to tell you." You teased. At your friend's irritated huff, you laughed again. "It's not my job! You guys are adults, aren't you? Do you not know how to have professional business phone calls?"

"Is this what you call a professional business phone call?" Mige's tone was snarky, and you could practically imagine the sour look on his face as he argued with you over the phone.

"We conducted a form of business. So yes." Technically the only 'business' you'd done was breaking the communication line between Mige and Ville for a few days, but it was business nonetheless. "You know what I do want you to do, though? Come up with some wardrobe ideas for Ville and whoever we decide to play the other part. I've got nothing so far."

"I'm not wearing fishnets or thongs." Ville said from the shower, talking loud enough that Mige definitely heard him on the phone and making you chuckle.

"Fine by me. I’ve seen that enough, anyway." Mige said dismissively, which was pretty hard for you to believe considering some of the things you'd seen those two say and do to each other. You scoffed.

"I would love to see that. Remember who you're talking to." You reminded him, speaking for the pure sake of hearing his snicker, which is exactly what came in response from the other end of the call. You also assumed that Ville had an unimpressed look on his face at your words. "Come on. Get creative and find like, mid-century vampire robes or something."

Mige continued to ‘brainstorm’ and find problems with every idea you had for another fifteen minutes, during which Ville finished his shower before you could even get in. Which was fine, seeing as you'd already showered that morning, but you'd completely missed out on getting to be naked and pressed up against him. All because of his friends, as always.

When you finally hung up the phone, you let out an irritable huff, frowning deeply as you watched where Ville was now wrapping a towel around his hips after he'd stepped out of the shower. He glanced over at you, a hint of a grin on his lips.

"Yeah, see? I told you why I was pissed off." He mused, reaching out to brush his thumb over your cheek before he turned to face the bathroom mirror so that he could get the immense amount of snarls out of his hair. With his fingers. "I do feel a bit better, now."

"I'm glad you do." You muttered, running both hands over your face and thanking the heavens above that you'd suggested a nap. Your patience level had already been wearing thin before taking over Ville's call to Mige, but now it was pretty much nonexistent. "Mige is a fucking piece. He thinks he’s running the shoot or something."

"Intimidating intelligence makes a small man squirm." Ville said, once again sounding like he was reading from some philosophy book. You blinked slowly.

"Say it normally." It was no consolation to you if he was just making up sayings while you'd been literally holding him and rubbing his back when he'd been annoyed. He shot you a quick side-eye before then turning to fully face you.

"He doesn't think it's fair that you're smarter and you're better at it, so he throws a fit instead of being helpful." He rephrased, jabbing a finger at you like he was reminding you of something that you didn't already know. "I do that all the time."

"Yeah, but you just complain. He wants to do all these weird things that we don’t have money for." You groaned, letting your face fall against your knees before you let out a deep sigh. "Can you baby me now? I have a headache."

"I'll consider. After you stop whining and let me put some clothes on." See? About the least comforting a person could get. You let out another huff with your face still in your knees, mostly just because he'd told you not to whine and you hated it when he said that. This was making you more and more glad that you'd made him agree to be the big spoon. He tutted. "Jesus. Is this what I sounded like?"

"You are so mean. I'm nice to you all the time, and this is how you treat me." You pouted, staring at him despite your complaining as he dropped his towel to change into the underwear he'd brought with him. It's not like he was paying attention.

"If you would have some fucking patience, then I'll rock you like the baby that you're being right now in a minute." Ah, tough love. So incredibly helpful and reassuring. You hoped that the smudged eyeliner around your eyes made the death stare you were giving him more intense as you refused to respond to that statement.

He only took another minute or so before he grabbed the clothes that you had set down on the counter and motioned for you to follow him, forcing you to begrudgingly pull yourself back up to stand before you were coming after him and out of the bathroom.

"How long have you had these?" You might've been in a bad mood, but you couldn't help but laugh at how many holes were in the underwear Ville was wearing as you snapped the waistband with your finger. He whipped his head back to shoot you an irritated look, brushing your hand away where your fingers had been pretty close to his ass.

"Long enough for them to be comfortable." He said pointedly. When you tried to snap his waistband once again, he caught ahold of your wrist and forcibly yanked you forward. "Keep your fingers to yourself."

"I love you. You're so funny." You spoke sarcastically, trying and failing to get out of his grip as he pulled you into your room. In reality, his sensitive temper was pretty funny at times, but you wanted him to wrap you in his arms, give you a million kisses, and tell you how much he loved you. Not yank you around like a misbehaving toddler.

"I love you. Lie down." He released your wrist as soon as you were in reach of the bed, and he held up your clothes that were still in his hand as an explanation for why he wasn't joining you quite yet. A satisfied grin fell onto your face then, both because he'd told you he loved you and because he was going to change your clothes for you, before you plopped right down on your back.

"You look so handsome when your hair is wet. You should shower more often." You joked as he leaned down to hook his fingers into the waistband of your sweatpants, lifting one foot up to rub against his bare side. Maybe you would've helped your chances a bit by not making fun of him when he had literally just taken both your pants and underwear off, but you couldn't help yourself. And clearly your words didn't amuse him, because he was already yanking the new pair of underwear up your legs before you could even try to spread them for him.

"You have to pick one. Either I brush my teeth or I shower. Not both." That was clearly a shot back at your teasing, but it was a very real threat, and you wrinkled your nose as you lifted your hips so that he could finish pulling your underwear up.

"Why do you have to make me choose? I would kiss you more if you brushed your teeth." You groaned, sitting up and then pulling your shirt over your head. You then threw it at him. "You could brush your teeth in the shower."

"Do you think I'm fucking schizophrenic?" He muttered, clearly vetoing that idea as he helped you into the shirt you'd borrowed from him. He motioned to the design on the black t-shirt, giving you an unimpressed look. "You know, you have your own clothes."

"But I like yours. They smell like you." As you spoke, you shifted back so that you were fully in bed, throwing your notebooks on the floor and then splaying out as Ville came around the side to get in next to you.

"So what." This, coming from the man who sometimes smoked your cigarettes (his least favorite brand), just because the smell reminded him of you. You grinned as he slid under the covers and then drew them over you, turning in his direction and moving a hand to cup his cheek.

"I love your smell. I could sniff you all day." You crooned, your arm wrapping around his neck just as both of his wrapped around your waist and dragged you into him. "Mm. Especially after you shower."

"I thought you were in a bad mood." He sighed, barely finishing his sentence before you kissed him with one hand at the back of his head and your fingers just pushing into the damp strands of his hair.

"I can't be in a bad mood, because yours is always worse, so I'm giving up." You mumbled as you nuzzled your face into his neck, pointing out his lack of sympathy in general. He shushed you then, wrapping his arms tighter around you and then running a hand over your hair.

"My poor love. I don't know how you're still managing to hold it together." He hummed, his voice holding a bit of a teasing tone as he set his chin on top of your head. You slid a leg over his hip, letting out a deep sigh.

"I'm not." You whispered, relishing in the smell of your joint body wash on his skin as you pressed a soft kiss to his neck. One of his hands moved to rub up the leg over his hip while the other arm stayed wrapped tightly around your waist.

"Well, then let's fuck when we get up." He may have not really known how to properly console anyone, but he sure as hell knew the direct path to your heart. You couldn't help but grin at that, because that was your version of Ville's shower and nap.

"Okay." You fell asleep pretty easily after that, the only sound in the room being Ville's deep, slightly congested breathing. Consider the bitch tamed.

#ville valo #ville valo x reader #ville valo fic #ville hermanni valo #HIM #his infernal majesty #mige amour #jackass #jackass imagine #jackass movie #jackass mtv

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starlene · 8 months ago

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I go on a little emotional roller coaster every single time I think about Moulin Rouge! the musical:

I feel happy to have seen the brilliant Stockholm cast

I miss them

I contemplate making a last-minute trip to Stockholm to see them one more time

I remind myself that wouldn't be wise, financially or otherwise

I remember that MR! is coming to Helsinki in the autumn and feel a slight amount of consolation

I remember how thoroughly I disapprove of their casting of Zidler, which makes me feel upset and annoyed

I remember how heartily I approve of the casting of Zidler in Stockholm, which fills me with glee and bittersweet longing

The cycle repeats

siiiigghhhh

#Moulin Rouge! posting

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beardedmrbean · 1 month ago

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Educators are weighing in on linguist Janne Saarikivi's widely-read column in Helsingin Sanomat from this week, where he argued that highly educated immigrants are reluctant to learn Finnish.

According to Saarikivi, Finns also do not require Finnish language skills from highly qualified immigrants in the same way they do from immigrants with a lower income.

In a reaction piece by HS, Johanna Komppa, a docent of Finnish language and senior lecturer at the University of Helsinki, agrees with Saarikivi that the discussion about immigrants' Finnish language skills has two layers.

However, she refutes the notion that Finnish language skills are not required from the educated middle class. She notes that while there may be initial optimism about getting by in English, a long-term resident who does not speak Finnish will eventually draw scrutiny.

Saarikivi in his column had also criticised the English-language master's programs at universities and wondered why Finland is investing in educating people who have no prospects for employment here.

"There has certainly been a degree of tunnel vision in Finland at some point," said Komppa, who believes universities should engage international students in discussions about their career goals and the language skills needed for employment during their studies.

Päivi Vartiainen from Tampere University of Applied Sciences highlighted that foreign students face challenges securing jobs in Finland due to a lack of Finnish language skills. She noted that foreign IT students can find it hard to even obtain internships, despite proficiency in English.

In his piece, Sarrikivi claimed that "lower-paid workers" might possess better language skills than highly educated experts and tend to have a more open attitude toward learning Finnish.

Outi-Maria Kultalahti, who teaches Finnish to immigrants for a living, agreed and said she has had experiences where some of her students have only learned to read and write as adults, but their motivation to learn Finnish can still be strong.

Kultalahti believes Saarikivi's column highlighted some very "twisted" language attitudes in Finland, where some foreigners are referred to as 'migrants' and others as 'international experts', with different expectations set for each group.

Vantaa tram project gets green light

Vantaa is now one step closer to getting its much-awaited tram line, tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reports.

On Monday, the city council officially approved a land use, housing, and transportation agreement with the state for 2024-2035, taking the tram plans into the development phase. Construction is expected to begin next year.

Mayor Pekka Timonen said the tram will create 30,000 jobs and accommodate 60,000 residents.

The city council approved the tram line project in May 2023, after defeating a proposal from the Finns Party to revisit the issue by a vote of 41 to 26.

The tram line will be 19 kilometres long, running from the Mellunmäki metro station in Helsinki through Hakunila, Tikkurila, and Aviapolis to the airport. The route will primarily follow the existing 570 bus line and utilise the current street network.

Alongside the tram project, Vantaa plans to upgrade traffic lanes as well as pedestrian and cycling paths.

The estimated total cost of the tram project is 594 million euros, with the state contributing 30 percent through a commitment of 144.1 million euros and land transfers totaling 14.5 hectares to Vantaa.

Pirkkala tram line

In more tram news, Aamulehti reports that Tampere's neighbouring town Pirkkala also approved the construction of a tram line in a late-night meeting on Monday.

The decision follows the original plan to build a route from Pirkkala to Linnainmaa in Tampere in phases. The first phase runs from Sorin Square in Tampere to Partola in Pirkkala, with a future extension to Suuppa dependent on state support and municipal approval.

Pirkkala’s share of the tram costs is estimated at 117 million euros, with 39 million euros allocated for the first phase.

World's most sustainable destination

Finland's capital has achieved its goal of being recognised as the world's most sustainable destination by 2025, Swedish language daily Hufvudstadsbladet reported.

The Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) index is based on the UN's global sustainability goals, assessing cities in four main categories: environment, social sustainability, tourism management, and supply chains. Over 100 cities participate in the annual rankings.

This year, Helsinki claimed the top spot in the index with a score of 92.43 percent, rising from fourth place in 2023. The capital excelled in both tourism management and environmental sustainability, with strong city support for businesses' sustainability initiatives and the development of eco-friendly tourist destinations.

Gothenburg in Sweden took second place, and Copenhagen in Demark ranked third. Stockholm, however, fell to 30th place, with a score of 75.57, down from 86.74 in 2023.

Overall, the Nordics performed well, with six cities in the top ten. Tampere also made the list, placing 23rd.

#nunyas news #updates from up north

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alpopkov-blog · 1 year ago

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I was cycling home and stumbled upon Terveystie in Tapanila, Helsinki. The local community brings Halloween, and, each year showcases its homemade decorations.

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rbf451 · 2 years ago

Video

youtube

Blind Channel - Emma Gaala 2023 Xamk (South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences) interview

What are your feelings now? N: Good. Emma Gaala today and we’re going to take it easy. J: We don’t have to stress about nominations or performing, so this is very fine. So you’re having fun today? Joonas: Yeah. Joel: Yeah. Niko: Yesshh How have you prepared for the evening today? N: We rehearsed how to present a award. J: I’ve been trying to remember the speech. Was it “Good evening Emma Gaala” or “Helsinki”. I still don’t remember but luckily we have a teleprompter. N: A totally new thing for us. What about your red makeup. Is there a some reason for that? N: It’s a teaser. J: When does this interview come out? Today. J: Then we can’t tell. N: But it’s related to our near future and how we start the chapter number five, that is, the cycle of the fifth album. So new music is on the way. N: Definitely. J: It’s quite natural when the band is relatively active... N: Think about if I would say no, we have instead a play coming up. Soon, in the near future? N: Depends on how you define near future. Joel: ...everything is...you can think about that...can’t know... Joonas: Everything is relative. N: We listened to our new music just before we came here. J: I guess we have to put it out at some point. N: We aren’t very good at keeping things to ourselves. So pretty soon probably.

#not in the bc tag #joel hokka #niko vilhelm #niko moilanen #joonas porko #alex mattson #aleksi kaunisvesi #emma gaala 2023 #interview #translation #(not a good one but i post it anyway)#video #youtube

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underthewingsofthblackeagle · 2 years ago

Photo

Foto: Panorama Helsinki / Finland - Cathedral and Place of the Parliament (by tap5a)

“We only do this for Fergus!” is a short Outlander Fan Fiction story and my contribution to the Outlander Prompt Exchange (Prompt 3: Fake Relationship AU: Jamie Fraser wants to formally adopt his foster son Fergus, but his application will probably not be approved… unless he is married and/or in a committed relationship. Enter one Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp (Randall?) to this story) @outlanderpromptexchange

Chapter 18: Visit to the Wartburg (III)

Now the castle guide led the small group into the Pallas and explained that it originally came from the middle of the 12th century. Dendrochronological examinations had shown that the beams of the basement could be dated to 1157/1158. When Mr Klaußner tried to explain what "dendrochronological examinations" were, Fergus beat him to it: "That is the study of the age of trees. You examine the wood of houses or furniture and then you can find out how old they are." "Exactly!" replied Klaußner and continued with praise, "You sure know your stuff, Fergus!" Jamie and Claire gave each other another knowing look, then Jamie said, "History is his hobby. We live in Potsdam and there ... you can find historical buildings, monuments... and castles, knights, princesses are of course particularly exciting. But Fergus is also interested in how to find out about all these things ..." Klaußner nodded in agreement, then pointed again to the Pallas and explained that the exterior showed borrowings from Roman palace buildings. The palace of the Wartburg is the only princely palace that has survived from that period of architecture. In the years from 1847 to 1870, it was comprehensively restored by order of Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who had recognised the importance of the building.

Pallas * Picture by Metilsteiner - Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10368103

The small group now entered the lowest of the three floors, the partial basement in the south of the castle. There they first went into the former armoury and then into the former horse stables. Via a stone staircase in the middle of the building, they reached the ground floor of the palace. Fergus, who was following Mr Klaußner on foot, could no longer escape his amazement when they then entered the square knights' hall. Claire watched him and thought that you could literally see what images were playing in his mind's eye. She was sure he saw knights in their armour and beautiful princesses embroidering or playing music. Then they reached the so-called dining room, but this they only passed through. When shortly afterwards they entered the bower of St Elizabeth, Fergus' eyes widened again. For the room had been completely relined with glass mosaics in the neo-Byzantine style by order and at the expense of Emperor Wilhelm II between 1902 and 1906 and transported the visitors into a fairytale world.

Elisabethenkemenate - Ceiling - Picture by Vera Belka - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73234203

Elisabethenkemenate - Ceiling, fireplace and interior - Picture by Von Holger Uwe Schmitt - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75603013 "The bower," said Klaußner, "has demonstrably borne the name Elisabethenkemenate since 1669. At the centre of the mosaic from the 20th century is the so-called Elisabeth cycle with nine depictions from the life of St. Elisabeth. The depictions also illustrate the descent of the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach from the family of the Landgraves of Thuringia." Fergus could hardly get enough of it and Jamie and Claire were also impressed by the room's mosaics. But at some point they also had to leave this fairytale room. Fergus, it was clear, would have liked to stay longer. They climbed a staircase to the second floor and entered the castle's own chapel. The castle guide mentioned that, according to legend, Martin Luther had also preached here, but that this could not yet be historically confirmed. The Singers' Hall adjoined the chapel. Klaußner referred to the frescoes executed by Moritz von Schwinds and explained that these took up the legend of the Singers' War.

Singers' Hall on the 1st floor of Pallas. The singers' arbour.* Picture by Jörg Blobelt - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116834397

"Singers' war?" asked Fergus in amazement, "What is that? Why do singers fight in wars?" The castle guide smiled, "The Singers' War, also called the Wartburg War, was a contest between minnesingers, It is said to have taken place at Wartburg Castle in 1207. Do you know, Fergus, what minstrels were?"

The boy nodded, then said, "They were men like these today ... they sing schmaltz like that." Again Jamie and Claire had to pull themselves together not to laugh out loud. "Exactly," replied Klaußner, who was also visibly trying not to laugh. And these ... crooners have fought a contest here at the Wartburg. We are told about this contest in a large collection of poems. We have various medieval writings about it. But since the Middle Ages it has also been disputed whether this contest was a mere legend or an actual event. Thuringian historians such as Dietrich von Apolda and Johannes Rothe from the 14th and 15th centuries respectively assumed that the poems referred to an actual historical event. It was not until the 19th century that Johann Rinne claimed that the events never took place. The poems of the Singer's War form an important collection of Middle High German literature and give us an important insight into the literary heyday at the court of Count Hermann I in the early 13th century. Both historical (Wolfram von Eschenbach and Walther von der Vogelweide) and fictional (Klingsor von Ungarn and Heinrich von Ofterdingen) minstrels are said to have taken part in the contest. We do not possess an original of the songs of the Wartburg War, but they have come down to us in various versions in the great song manuscripts of the late Middle Ages, the Codex Manesse, the Jenaer Liederhandschrift and the Kolmarer Liederhandschrift. In 1858 Karl Simrock translated and published a collection of these songs."

Singer´s hall in the Pallas of the Wartburg * Picture by Holger Uwe Schmitt - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75978574 "What are these poems about?" asked Fergus, who clearly still didn't have much of an idea of a singer's war.

"Well, the oldest poems, dating from the 13th century, describe the prince's praise and the riddle game. The Fürstenlob was a contest between six singers: Heinrich von Ofterdingen, Walther von der Vogelweide, Biterolf, Reinmar von Zweter, Wolfram von Eschenbach and Heinrich Schreiber. The six singers were presented to the Count and Countess of Thuringia to determine who knew best how to sing the praises of a prince. Heinrich von Ofterdingen was the most eloquent, but attracted the envy of the other minstrels, who used a ruse to condemn him to death. But Heinrich received the protection of Countess Sophia and a one-year reprieve, during which he went to Hungary and asked the sorcerer Klingsor for help. According to the legend, Heinrich and Klingsor then returned to Thuringia to resume the contest. What happens next is told in the second poem, the so-called riddle play. In it, we are told of the poetic duel between Wolfram von Eschenbach and the Hungarian sorcerer Klingsor. Wolfram proved himself capable and eloquent, and when Klingsor tired, he summoned a spirit to continue the duel. When Wolfram began to sing of the Christian mysteries, the spirit was unable to respond. So Henry of Ofterdingen and Klingsor lost the duel. Many people found the story so exciting that it was adapted again and again in other texts or songs over many centuries. Today I guess you would call that a medieval form of fan fiction." "Fan fiction?" Fergu's face was one question. "That's what it's called when people just keep writing or rewriting a story if they think the story or the main characters are great, in other words, they're 'fans'."

Fergus nodded, but Claire could tell by the look on his face that more questions had sprung up in his mind. She - or Jamie - would have many a question to answer later in the day or on the drive back. Of that she was sure. "There was re-writing and re-poetry on the Wartburg War right into the 15th century. The Lohengrin novel, which was later also set to music by Richard Wagner, is just one example of this."

Mr Klaußner led the small group further and explained that the 13 romantic depictions they saw had been designed by Moritz von Schwinds in 1855. They saw images of the works of mercy of St. Elisabeth, the fairytale legends and miracles of the saints. In the Landgrave's Room, they then looked at paintings of the founding legend of Wartburg Castle and other legends connected with Thuringia.

The Elisabeth Gallery at Wartburg Castle * Picture by Holger Uwe Schmitt - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75570703

Wartburg Palas, frescoes by Schwind (cycle of paintings on Saint Elisabeth) - Louis the Saint takes leave of his wife Elisabeth, 1227 * Picture by Moritz von Schwind - Wartburgjahrbuch 6. Heft, Eisenach 1928, Die Schwindschen Wartburgfresken, Bildtafeln; (Reprint) Photographische Aufnahmen und Bearbeitung durch Carl Zeiß Jena, Lithographische Bearbeitung durch Albert Frisch Berlin W35, Faksimiledruck bei Frommansche Buchdruckerei Jena., Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38597486

On the third floor, they were surprised once again when they entered the 40-metre-long banqueting hall. This had been added to the original structure later, after the Wartburg had become the residence of the Ludovingians. This large hall was used by the rulers of Thuringia as a place for festivities and meetings, and its furnishings were accordingly magnificent in the Middle Ages. Even then, three fireplaces heated the room and the richly decorated capitals are still supported by columns made of polished sintered limestone, a material that formed in the Roman water pipes and was considered a particularly precious material. The castle guide told us that today the hall was used for numerous concerts and other events."

Wartburg banqueting hall by Vera Belka - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73263449

Wartburg banqueting hall * Picture by J.-H. Janßen - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51083578 (You see the described benches on the right and left walls.)

Then Klaußner pointed to the walls and the gable construction. Claire, Jamie and Fergus raised their heads and looked at the landgrave ancestors and the wooden sculptures on the east side, which depicted the triumph of Christianity over paganism. Then they stopped at a wooden bench richly decorated with carvings. On it they saw eagles, lions, dragons, snakes, dogs and even squirrels and lizards. There was also a dog, and it was a dachshund."

Fergus looked at the animal and looked questioningly at Klaußner.

"Yes, yes, dachshunds have been faithful companions of humans for a very long time. The first written evidence of the breeding of Dachshunds dates back to the 16th century. But the precursors of our present-day dachshunds go back to the 2nd century and can be found among the Celts. The dog was even said to be able to heal wounds with its tongue. The fact that a wild cat appears on the second side rest was surely the intention of the carver, for as the saying goes, ''To be like a dog and a cat'' As with the large wooden sculptures, the symbolism in the smaller depictions and carvings was taken from manuscripts in which actual and mythological animals had been described and their characteristics interpreted in Christian terms."

Fergus was intrigued and reached out to touch one of the dogs depicted, but then withdrew it.

"Don't worry, Fergus, you can touch the bench. Just be gentle with it," Klaußner encouraged him. The boy smiled at him, then his fingers gently stroked the figures depicted. He remained standing by the bench as Claire and Jamie slowly walked on with Klaußner. The latter took the opportunity to address 'the couple' Fraser in admiration:

"Your son is really a special child," said the castle guide, "So interested and thoughtful. That is really quite remarkable for a child his age." Klaußner's words touched a special side of Jamie's heart. He couldn't help himself, put his arm around Claire and with a face beaming with pride, said in a whisper:

"Fergus is an orphan and has no relatives left. I met him during a stay in France and took over his foster care. He is a wonderful child. From time to time he is as cheeky as a little fox or raccoon, but that is nothing special at this age. We realised early on that he is interested in many things and we encourage his thirst for knowledge as best we can. We want to give him the best possible foundations for the rest of his life and we're also trying to adopt him."

With his last sentences, Jamie had - consciously or unconsciously? - pulled Claire even closer to him and Claire, who in turn had put an arm around Jamie, had no problem snuggling into his embrace. Klaußner smiled and said softly, "I wish you and also Fergus success in this with all my heart. This talented child should definitely encouraged to go for all he can archive." Now Fergus rejoined them and the castle guide led them back to the exit of the hall. As they looked back once more, he said:

"In its long history, this room has witnessed a multitude of significant events. In 1817, more than 500 students from various fraternities gathered here and demanded that the ruling German princes create a united Germany. The gathering has gone down in history as the Wartburg Festival and even then the students carried a black, red and gold flag, which is our national flag again today. But when the students gathered here, the room was by no means as splendid as it had been in the time of the landgraves. The centuries had taken their toll on it. But just fifty years later, the simple, flat-roofed room had become the representative banqueting hall of the Wartburg that we see today. The composer Franz Liszt then performed his oratorio 'The Legend of Saint Elisabeth' here to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the castle. So, now let's go to the last section of the castle and then finish the tour."

Flag of the Original Fraternity (1816) * Picture by Wolfgang Sauber - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51794131

The small group followed the castle guide until they finally came through the western gallery, the Margarethengang, to the Vogtei. There Klaußner led them into the well-known Luther Room. Here they stood in the room where the reformer Martin Luther, under the name 'Junker Jörg', had found shelter from his enemies and persecutors from 4 May 1521 to 1 March 1522. What happened in this chamber, according to Klaußner, changed Germany more than wars and other deeds of powerful princes. During the time he spent in this chamber, Luther translated the New Testament of the Bible from Greek into German. In only eleven weeks, he wrote down a translation that soon found a ready market. He used a language that people understood. Klaußner explained that there had already been some Bible translations into German before Luther. But Luther had a special talent that enabled him to translate the Bible not only accurately but also understandably. Luther later said that he had 'looked the people in the mouth'. The printing press, which had been invented a few years earlier, helped to spread the work and make Martin Luther known. His work was to have a great impact on the German language. It unified it and made it a means by which the different regions of German-speaking people understood each other better. To this day, Luther's translation of the Bible continues to shape the German language as we speak it today. The Reformer initiated phrases such as 'casting pearls before swine', 'a book with seven seals', 'gritting one's teeth', 'blurting something out', 'groping in the dark', 'one heart and one soul', 'building on sand', 'wolf in sheep's clothing' and 'the great unknown', which we still often use today. He also invented the word 'mystery', which did not exist until then. But Martin Luther was not first concerned with language, but with a new understanding of a truly Christian life. He was born in Eisleben in 1483, entered a monastery in Erfurt as a monk and eventually became a professor of theology. He suffered for a long time from his conscience and from the question of whether God could love him. By studying the Bible, especially by reading the letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Romans, he realised: a person lives by God's grace alone, by God's love, which wants to forgive and help him. His faith is also a gift from God. It should not be guided by human teachings, but by the Word of God. That is why Luther also fought the sale of indulgences in his writings, which was very widespread at the time. According to the doctrine of indulgences, a person only went to heaven after death if he had bought a remission of his sin penalties on earth in exchange for money and prayers. But according to Luther, not a single word about this was found in the Bible. Neither Jesus Christ nor his apostles had taught such a thing. The posting of 95 theses, which Luther brought forward against these and other teachings of the Pope, at the Castle Church of Wittenberg on 31 October 1517 is considered the beginning of the Reformation. After Luther defended his teachings before Emperor Charles V and now faced persecution and his execution by powers loyal to the Pope and Emperor, he was hidden in Wartburg Castle by his sovereign, the Saxon Elector Frederick."

Luther Room at the Wartburg * Picture by Hans Weingartz - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23236869

One of the origional exemplars of the September Testament, title page (Württemberg State Library, shelfmark: Bb deutsch 152201)

Fergus nodded eagerly, then said, "Yes, that's what we heard at school and that's why I wanted to come here." "I think that's very good, Fergus. You should always make up your own mind about things that interest you" said the castle guide, patting him on the back in praise.

Claire and Jamie exchanged knowing glances when they saw the glow on Fergus' face. Then Mr Klaußner led them back to the castle courtyard, where he addressed them once more:

"Finally, I have a question for everyone: do you actually know where you are standing here? Well, you will say, yes, of course, in the courtyard of Wartburg Castle. That's right, but that's not all." Then it shot out of Fergus: "We are standing here in the centre of the whole of Germany. Well, not exactly. The geographical centre is at a farm near Eisenach. That's 10 kilometres from the castle. But they declared Wartburg Castle to be the centre of Germany. That's what we learned at school." The adults looked at the boy in amazement. Mr Klaußner was the first to recover his speech:

"Exactly. Many tourists visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, which has also become an icon through its use by Disney World. But most of these people don't know that King Ludwig II built his castle on the model of Wartburg Castle. But most tourists who go to Bavaria don't know that King Ludwig II built his Neuschwanstein Castle as a kind of new Wartburg. There are countless echoes of this model in his castle. For example, there is a replica of the Singers' Hall in Neu Schwanstein. But Neu Schwanstein was not chosen to be the center of Germany. The Wartburg was chosen, because the Wartburg is such' an important symbol for the unity of Germany. A Catholic saint lived here and the Protestant reformer. His translation of the Bible led to a unified language in the country and many centuries later the students here demanded the unification of all the German territories to one Germany under a black-red-gold flag, as it is still the symbol of our country today. We can be very grateful that our country has been one country again since despite its chequered and difficult history. And even though we may have many different opinions and speak different dialects, we all belong together, from the North Sea and the Baltic to the Alps and from the Rhine to the Oder and Neisse. Even if our ancestors may have come from another country. And together we can try anew every day to do the best for the good of all." Fergus beamed. But then his stomach spoke up with a clearly audible growl. "Well," said the castle guide, "I hear the young knight is hungry. Is it now perhaps time for a little meal at the gadem?" Fergus nodded and looked to Fraser. The latter nodded to him as well and said:"Why don't you and Claire go ahead, Fergus, and reserve a table for us. I'll join you in a minute." Claire, who had understood that Jamie still wanted to speak to Mr Klaußner, took Fergus' hand and said: "Come on Fergus, not that all the tables are suddenly taken. Let's get a good table. Goodbye and thank you, Mr Klaußner." But Fergus made off once more, went to Herr Klaußner and shook hands with the castle guide: "Thank you Herr Klaußner, I have learnt a lot from you today." "I'm glad to hear that Fergus, keep up the investigative spirit!" As he said goodbye to the castle guide, Claire grabbed his hand again and then pulled him away towards the Gadem. Jamie stayed behind with Mr Klaußner for a brief exchange of thoughts. Then he gave him his business card and also said goodbye.

#Outlander #Outlander Fan Fiction #Modern AU #Fergus Fraser #Claire Fraser #Jamie Fraser #Berlin #Wartburg #Thuringia #Martin Luther #Elisabeth of Hungary

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