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chut-je-dors · 2 years ago

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Hello! Do you happen to know any good resources for learning Finnish? As basic as possible, I literally started on Duolingo half an hour ago:) I know, I know, I'm a poser for learning Finnish *after* Käärijä, but the language sounds soooo interesting (although I've heard the grammar is quite difficult...). Thank you in advance and also love your blog:)))))

Hi!! So very very ecstatic that you've decided to learn Finnish! No reason to feel ashamed that you'd only start after Käärijä... believe me, in Finland people are just altogether very taken if a foreigner wants to learn Finnish, no matter the reason. (And all reasons for learning a language are good!) (And we're SO SO PROUD of Käärijä, he's done a monumental job of bringing our language to the public eye more than ANYONE ELSE BEFORE so, yup! He's a VERY good reason to start learning Finnish!!)

I'm not sure if I'm the right person to point you towards any resources... But I tried finding some for you! I've checked out the Duolingo course and it's a good place to begin! Here's also a drive folder that has some Finnish language books as PDFs.

Also here's a page for beginner's Finnish from our national news media Yle (it's like our version of BBC).

Here is a "picture book" kind of a page for learning names for objects, good to start with!

Here's an online course for beginners! This has grammar too, and links for further reading and studying.

Finnish is also notorious for having it's written language differ drastically from how people actually speak. We don't have accents per se, but dialects instead, which don't just affect the way we pronounce words (=accents, as in English) but the way we form them. So for example, the written Finnish "I am" is "minä olen", but in spoken Finnish it can become e.g. "mä oon", "mää oon", "mie oon", depending on where you live (and there might be some more variations as well but these are the most common ones.) Many foreigners find themselves in a spot where they can read and understand written Finnish pretty well, then the moment a Finnish person opens their mouth it's a bloodbath. But don't let it deter you! And Finnish people are more than happy to switch to written Finnish if you don't understand them. I found this website for learning the basics for spoken Finnish!

A good place is also good ole Youtube! Just type in "Finnish for beginners" and you're set to go!

Finnish is a difficult language to learn because of the grammar and lack of prepositions if your language has them... but look at it this way, I struggle with them in any language that uses them cos I haven't grown up using them. I still occasionally mess up with in/on or for/to (it's even worse with French and Swedish). Doesn't stop me from writing 100k fics in English apparently!

Welcome to learning Finnish! Remember that the most important thing is to learn the swear words, you'll go far with those. Just drop in a perkele and it's always the right thing to say haha.

Jokes aside, I'm very happy to hear this! Finnish is a very beautiful language and a very inventive one as well, which allows for more word play and creativity with the language than, say, English for example. And while Finnish is difficult, you'll find that once you've learnt the rules, there are no exceptions to them or the kind of hassle with the grammar as there is to English or French. I've known exchange students who've learnt near perfect Finnish in less than a year!

If anyone knows and wants to add more good resources here, go ahead!

#suomi #finland #finnish #eurovision #käärijä #i was so glad to receive this ask!!#i hope you have a good time learning finnish #welcome to the party it's crazy <3 #also check out spotify lists of finnish songs! you might find some artists you like #bless you nonnie!!#anonymous #answered

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outfoxt · 6 months ago

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Another Käärijä Research Project

aka: käärijä style-shifting project

as a preface, here are my (non) qualifications for this project and the circumstances under which it happened:

I am a linguistics student, and this past semester I took a course on sociolinguistics. the goal of this project was to become familiar with the concept of and analyze style-shifting (it's more commonly known as code-switching online but theres a difference and this is style-shifting), specifically by analyzing the speech of one person. We had the option to study oprah or to have someone else approved by my prof, so you know I had to ask my prof if I could study jere. This project is solely my intellectual property; even though I had a tutor help me a lot, everything written in this paper and on this post was my work alone.

now, on to the actual findings! the full paper and transcripts will be linked at the end :D

the actual variables (words or sounds) that I studied were the pronunciation of r, and use of the word "the".

to make things a lot easier from the get-go, i'm going to introduce you all to one of my favorite websites, ipachart.com (the international phonetic alphabet [ipa] chart is a big chart with an entry for every sound that exists in a language. this handy dandy website has an audio recording for each one of those sounds).

go to this website, and then scroll down to the table. go to the column labeled "post alveolar" and then click on ɾ and ɹ. those are the sounds i studied in this paper! ɾ is the finnish r and ɹ is the american r :)

so basically what i did to find instances of my variable was i just looked up a bunch of esc interviews and listened out for use of the different r sounds. i also transcribed the entire dinner date live because i love torture apparently :) the specific interviews and lives/stories are in the bibliography of the paper :p

after i transcribed all the interviews and lives/stories i went through and highlighted every instance of the r sound. then i calculated the ratios of ɾ to ɹ based on the context they were spoken in. the two contexts i looked for were formal contexts (sit-down interviews) and informal contexts (literally anything else).

i found that jere uses ɹ WAY more often in formal contexts than he does in informal contexts, and the same in reverse with ɾ.

i then went back to the transcripts and looked for all instances of the word "the". i also looked for instances where i thought it should be present, but was omitted. i calculated the ratio of present vs omitted "the"s in formal vs informal contexts and made some charts.

the graph with the smaller black section is "use of 'the' in formal settings" and the one with the smaller green section is "use of 'the' in informal settings" (the images are transparent, sorry)

i found that jere uses "the" WAY more often when in formal settings! there were also some instances where he added a "the" where it was unnecessary, which is studied at length in this wonderful paper by @alien-girl-21

something i also noticed that i elected not to study because this paper took enough energy on its own was that in formal contexts, whenever the "or" sound came in the middle or at the end of a word, jere wouldn't pronounce the r. it stuck out to me mostly because i heard words like "performance" turning into "perfomance", which i thought was an interesting quirk.

unfortunately i was somewhat limited by both my brainpower and capacity to do more work on this paper in the relatively short timeframe i was given (2 weeks) and the fact that i was given a 5 page MAX for this paper (not including a bibliography). i had a lot of fun doing this though and am definitely planning on studying jere for for academic credit again in the future if given the chance!

also i would like it to be known that i spent an hour searching for that 5 second clip of the urheilucast where jere said that he used to sell kitchens and understands english better than he can speak it.

link to a google drive folder with the actual paper i wrote and the transcripts of the interviews with notation:

please feel free to send me asks and dms with questions or comments about this paper! i absolutely love rambling about linguistics :3!!

#i think this is everything!#it always feels so much shorter than i think its going to be #both because of how much effort i put in #and also because i was constantly comparing myself to cyns paper 😅#my irls kept reminding me that i didnt have to and in fact wasnt allowed to write 43 pages analyzing jeres speech #but i kinda wanted to #i also wrote this paper on april 2nd #i remember that because the previous day i spent all day booping #and then i literally worked all day from 9.30 until 23.30 on stuff for my linguistics class #because i had this paper due on friday or saturday and i had a research summary due on that thursday (the 4th)#it was so much work that made some things worse but god was it worth it #linguistics my beloved <3 #käärijä #into the tag you go #i reserve the right to edit this post if i realize there are any problems #linguistics

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spanishskulduggery · 8 months ago

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My Spanish course has started using the phrase '¿Qué quiere decir ...?'. For example, one of our current weekly questions is: '¿Qué quiere decir la frase “si nuestros hijos aprenden quechua van a continuar viviendo en un país sin ser parte de él”?'.

From what I've seen online, both '¿Qué quiere decir ...?' and '¿Qué significa ...?' have been translated to 'What does ... mean?'. Am I right to assume that although they both translate to the same English phrase, they aren't entirely interchangeable? My first instinct is that '¿Qué significa ...?' is more about the literal meaning of a word or sentence (e.g. '¿Qué significa "el hijo" en inglés?'), whereas '¿Qué quiere decir ...?' is asking about the underlying meaning something is trying to communicate.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question!!

This is a little difficult to explain since some of it is based on feeling

But basically significar is usually more impersonal and said of things not people - at least in this context

You're basically talking about "what does this mean?" and "what is its meaning?" if that makes sense

querer decir as "to mean" is "what is trying to be expressed" and it is more often spoken of in terms of language, what someone says or does, or what something is trying to communicate

significar is talking about "meaning/significance"

...

If you saw a sign on the wall and it didn't make sense you could easily use ¿qué quiere decir? and ¿qué significa esto? for "what does it mean?"

If you were talking to someone though you would say ¿qué quieres decir? "what do you mean?"; using significar would be done in 3rd person like "what does that mean?" or asking about a certain word, more impersonal

...

The other issue is that when significar is used with people it means "to hold significance" like significas mucho is "you mean a lot" like "you are important (to someone)"

...

Otherwise I typically use significar for definitions/meaning; and I use querer decir for intentions/meaning

As in if you're specifically looking for understanding ¿qué significa? can sometimes be ¿cuál es el significado? "what is the meaning?" - more so said of things and concepts

And if I want to know specifically what someone is trying to say or what they mean by their words it's more ¿qué quieres decir? or sometimes ¿qué pretendes decir? "what are you attempting to say?" [which can sometimes be a bit spicy in context like "oh what's THAT supposed to mean???"]

#asks #spanish #learning spanish #langblr #learn spanish #spanish grammar #spanish language #long post

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princesssascha · 10 months ago

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The best thing to invest in (aka yourself)

I'm sure everyone has thought about their current or future finances many times, and I'm also sure that you'd love to make a lot of money. Sure, you can spend hours searching the internet for the best business idea or the best college majors that you are not even interested in, but how about taking the easy route? A low risk, high reward and easy way to be financially free. Isn't that just a dream?

One of the most recent as well as most popular ways to earn money is investing. Although it can be a great way to earn money, 99% of the time it will only make you a lot of money if you're already rich! But there is one thing that you can invest in that will never fail you, yet no one talks about it. YOURSELF. The most valuable thing in the universe.

Define your goals

Ask yourself: What are your goals? If you want to be a business owner, learn skills that will be helpful in that field, for example marketing, so you can advertise your products, which will increase your revenue. Once you decide what your goal is research what skills are valuable and educate yourself of those topics.

But what if I don't know what I want to do?

That's completely fine! Instead of thinking about a specific niche, think about what you want your life to look like in general. Do you want to earn a lot of money? Google some of the most paying jobs. Do you value creativity in your work field? There are jobs for that too! It's ok if you can't find something that intrigues you. It's a journey and you don't need to find something that you'll do for the rest of your life right away.

Learn about money

Something that you can do regardless of what you want to achieve in life is learning about money! Unfortunately, most people don't know much about it except that it can buy you things. I can assure you that if you spend even just one week learning about this topic, you will know more than 90% of people. Robert Kiyosaki, who wrote the best seller "rich dad poor dad", is a great author that can teach you a lot about finance. I highly recommend all of his books, I'm sure you'll find something that peaks your interest.

Courses & school

Whether you are in school or not, you need to educate yourself! Everything can be monetized. Literally everything. We live in incredible times where if you just have a phone and access to the internet EVERYTHING you could want to learn can be learned online for free. Just go on YouTube and search something along the lines of (topic) 101, (topic) masterguide, etc. the possibilities are endless and I assure you that you will find something. If you don't mind spending money for courses try skillshare to unlock all courses available on their site or Udemy, they often do 80% off sales so you can get their courses for like $5.

Learn languages

I can't stress this enough! This is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself! Learning a new language can open so many doors for you! It can help you get a higher paying job, give you countless new opportunities and help you meet incredible people who speak that language. There are no right or wrong languages to choose, but in case you have no idea what you want, here are some of the most important factors:

Amount of speakers: This will be your main factor if your main goal is to reach as many people as possible, for any reason. This includes languages such as: Spanish, French, English (duh), or if you're up for a challenge: Hindi, Mandarin or Arabic.

Enjoyment: I think this should be important to everyone. You can't learn a language if you don't enjoy it. Try to learn the basics and see if you like how it sounds and how it feels.

Travel/domicile: if you know your dream is to move to a different country, where another language is spoken, it might be a good idea to learn it. Also, if you're interested in some country's culture you might also find it to be a great reason to learn it.

Job opportunities: although, as I mentioned above, pretty much every single language will give you many opportunities, it might vary depending on where you live and what your field of work is, for example if you live in the US, the most beneficial languages for you to learn will be English and Spanish. If you work in a company that works with Japanese companies, then Japanese might be a good choice for you. Of course, the most popular languages will have benefits pretty much anywhere in the world.

Other ways to invest in urself

Honestly, it would be difficult to fit all the resources in this post since that would make it ridiculously long, and I want to include many things so that everyone can find something that they enjoy, so I will make a whole different post about all of this in the future, because of that reason I will briefly go over a few other ways to grow:

Read

Reading is incredible! It has countless health benefits and it is a great way to learn about new things or expand your vocabulary. And no, you don't need to read educational books, although it sure is even more helpful. If you want to learn new words reading any book at all could help. I can say that as someone who grew up constantly reading people are often shocked at my vocabulary (in my native language), even since I was 5 years old, so yes, it works.

Mindful scrolling

Instead of just sitting on your phone all day watching stupid videos, pay attention to what content you're consuming and how long you spend on your phone.

Self care

I'm sure you guys already know that, so treat this as a reminder. Take care of yourself! And remember, looking out together can help you a lot in life. So put that face mask on, buy that new perfume you like and most importantly - prioritize your health!

Now you know exactly what you need to set yourself up for success. No more excuses!

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communist-ojou-sama · 1 year ago

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Please tell us about learning Japanese!

Sorry to get to this really late I've been absolutely swamped with work lately so I haven't been able to answer this but yeah let's talk about something actually enjoyable!

I started learning at 18 when I was having a bit of a crisis of confidence after starting music school, and personally I literally just used one of those online kana quiz sites to learn kana in about a week (I did Not know best practices lol) as I mentioned before I used a memrise course before it started sucking to learn the meanings of all of the Joyo Kanji in about a year, and I used Tae Kim's grammar guide for grammar, but mostly what I did was watch a lot, lot, LOT of anime. For a while I entertained pretensions of doing some anitubing so I kept abreast of basically every show of interest every season for a long time, and somewhere along the line I really mastered the trick of hearing the language itself as it's spoken and then checking the meaning with the subs in a running fashion.

For some ungodly reason my very first endeavor into reading JP was doing a side-by-side of the English and Japanese translations of Tower of God. Why do a side by side of two translations of a manhwa originally in a third language? I have no earthly idea, but it somehow lead to my reading ability developing pretty quickly and this is actually a major recommendation of mine: take a story you really love in your target language, especially if it uses a lot of naturalistic, conversational language, and re-read it side-by-side with your native tongue. It really helps you get a natural feel for the spoken vernacular that you'll never get from didactic materials.

After that, I mean, it really was just a lot of unglamorous practicing and reading. The first thing I ever watched entirely in JP without subtitles was Liz and the Blue Bird, the first novel I ever read entirely in JP was the first volume of Otherside picnic; I passed the jlpt n2 in the summer of 2019 and the N1 at the beginning of 2020. Oh also becoming a vtuber sicko will help you a ton

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m3r1m4r5u333 · 8 months ago

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A quick tale of what it's been like, to be me, a queer, european fan of the tv-series 9-1-1!! Alternatively, "How to create a monster!"

I go on the internet, randomly hear about the show and it's queerness, immediately become interested because yay, that sounds super queer! Obviously the perfect show for me!

Of course I want to watch! I am basically target audience!! How can I watch,

take my money!!

So.. I try to find an easy, legal way to watch the show as soon as the episodes air!

... I find out that I can't.

I think ✨wtf✨

I keep searching for a way. Whoever the fuck makes these deals about how, where, and when to broadcast the show is like:

How about ✨no✨

You're not from the US so... Who cares about your money! Not us! You're european, that's only like an entire continent of potential viewers, why would we care about you?

Me: I know I'm not from the US but pleaaase I'd really, really like to watch this show!

As it airs, legally!!

See, I HAVE THE MONEY, I AM LITERALLY WILLING TO PAY FOR THIS!! You guys like money, right?!

Just please, please, give me a legal way to watch this show, as it airs!

Them:

Me: WHY?! C'mon, we live in modern times, why can't I watch this show sooner?

JUST GIMME THE SHOW,

TAKE MY PINK FUCKING MONEY!!!

I am your target audience, this show is super queer!

Them:

And so the years pass...

Then the series moves from Fox to ABC!!!

I feel a glimpse of ✨HOPE✨ Maybe... finally I can subscribe and watch the episodes legally, AS THEY AIR,

YOU KNOW,

LIKE SOMEONE FROM THE MODERN ERA, WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION!!!

I try to find out if I can.

ABC: It's on Apple tv! 🤪

Me: What... even is Apple tv?! And what do you mean it's on Apple tv, I don't own an Apple device, I don't even own a freaking TELEVISION! How does that work?

Them:

Me: And are you even sure the show is really available to the Europeans?! I can't find it in my region. When is it available?

Them: Ooh, a squirrel! Nice talking to you, bye!

Me: Please, don't do this again, it would be so much easier and better for us both if I could just watch the show, as it airs, legally, and once again, I'm actually willing to ✨pay✨ for this option, I'd even pay you happily, as I genuinely want to support this content!

See, you get this money: 💸,

I get to watch: 👁️👁️. Win-win?

Them: Hmmph. Fine. European fans can watch it on Disney+👌

Me: Well is it available in my country though? When?

So... I go on my local Disney+ website. For some bizarre reason btw, it's not even in my country's most spoken language - No, the website is in swedish - which is the first language of only about 5% of my fellow finns. (We do learn swedish at school, but only for a couple of years nowadays, for most of us english is the stronger second language. English starts in 1st/2nd/3rd grade, swedish in like... 7th. So. I studied swedish yes, do I understand it? No.)

To my relief I notice there's an option to browse in english, I switch to english. The website is useless, Disney+ just vaguely promises lots of great content.

Me: WHAT content? When?

Disney+:

The information I find online is so poor that I finally turn to my fellow countrymen, and pester my friends to find out if there's someone with a Disney+ subscription who could tell me if the Disney+ in our region even broadcasts the show. A friend tells me yes, it does!

Does it release the episodes as they air? No. When will they air? Who knows! (As of today it only has season 6!)

Me: *screaming in frustration* Why won't anyone take my money!!!

The Show, probably:

Me: WHAT MESSAGE?

djdjdbnfnf What even is this show's and network's motto; be gay, do crime?!

Them:

Me: Why is there no option to watch this show legally as it airs! I am a fan, I am not immortal and endlessly patient!!!

Them:

Me: For fuck's sake I'm not twiddling my thumbs and growing a beard as I wait for an episode to drop in my region some random year in the future. I'll just find another (probably illegal) way to watch.

Anyway! I guess the only way I have to support the show right now is to honk about it like a demented goose, to let my freak flag fly to get it free promo.

Anyone actually stumbling on my tumblr, probably: *is very alarmed by the demented goose, backs off slowly*

The show: Yeah anyway, look, another Top Gun reference, how fun!

Me: Yes... I know the movie. I know how to tag myself here. I am Goose.

Some of the fans displeased with me, a bisexual, for not shipping Buck & Tommy:

You're not a real fan! And you are doing bisexuality wrong!

Me:

#911 abc #911 on abc #tv: 911 #abc 911 #The insanity is both a choice and the end result #honk honk motherfuckers #let the freak flag fly #fandom #black sails

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konamicodex · 1 year ago

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BASICS

FULL NAME: BADIN HIRANWONG

» MEANING: Badin [means "king" in Thai.]; Hiranwong [หิรัญวงศ์ Thai; from Thai หิรัญ (hiran) meaning "money, silver, gold" and วงศ์ (wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty."]

NICKNAME: Kinna [from kinnari (Thai: กินรี), usually spelt 'kinnaree' is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like costume. The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, and should enable her to fly between the human and the mystical worlds. The most popular portrayal of kinnaree in Thai art probably the golden figures of kinnaree adorned the Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, which describe a half-maiden, half-goose figure. A kinnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association with music and love. Believed to come from the Himalayas, they often watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger.]; Kinna was given this nickname by his mother when he was born as she was overcome with so much love when she held him for the first time. Kinna is also known as Kona in the gaming world. Kinna also uses Kona as his rent-a-boyfriend name...

AGE: 21-years old.

DATE OF BIRTH: 2002 February 14th, he picked the date.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Bangkok, Thailand.

OCCUPATION: Kinna is a professional gamer. He also dabs in rent-a-boyfriend gig; he makes a lot of money doing it and it gives him pleasure seeing people fall in love even for a short time. Also, they only do dates in this company, no sexy time please... Well, it depends. Yes, he started the company which was modeled from those Japanese-based companies of the same nature.

ORIENTATION: Pansexual; Panromantic.

GENDER: Cisgender Male.

VERSES: The Meaning of Forever; Night Shift

POWERS: Cupid's powers, of course... He can make people fall in and out of love. He's got very good intuition, SUPER high alcohol tolerance, this is important coz he apparently LOVES to drink. He's also a great singer... His mother wonders where he got it from coz she can't sing for shit.

PERSONALITY

STRENGTHS: Progressive, Original, Independent, Humanitarian

WEAKNESSES: Stubborn, Sarcastic, Temperamental, Uncompromising, Aloof

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Saint Paramee Mahatthanadul.

HEIGHT: 5′9 [175 cm.]

WEIGHT: 139 lbs. [63 kg.]

BUILD: Lean.

GAIT: Relaxed.

HAIR COLOR: Black.

EYE COLOR: Dark brown.

BIRTHMARK: TBA.

OVERVIEW: » SCARS: Some from growing up, nothing major. » TATTOOS: Bow and arrow. Do not ask.

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Bangkok, Thailand.

RESIDENCE: Bangkok, Thailand.

NATIONALITY: Thai.

ETHNICITY: Asian.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Middle class.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Uni student under the Faculty of Communication Arts in Chulalongkorn University

DEGREES: Degree in being handsome, he said.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: He is cupid so he speaks the language of love... -_- He speaks Thai, English, many Asian languages, some French. His mother loves French films, apparently.

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Dara, single mom. She tells Kanni she doesn't know who his father is but Kanni doesn't really care coz he knows who his father is... Well, at least his name. He's still alive.

SIBLINGS: None.

CHILDREN: None.

PETS: None.

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS:

» Kinna is very close to his mother.

FAMILY HISTORY: Kinna is Cupid's iteration. He was sent to the modern world as part-human to make people fall in love again and make babies coz young peeps aren't partnering up. Kinna realized right away WHY - everyone's broke and it's too expensive to have kids. But he's not reporting that at the moment as he is finding his human life a bit entertaining. He thinks humans are weird and funny.

Kinna was born to a single mother who was an aspiring actress. She now runs a hotel near a beach down south of the country.

Kinna as Cupid is pretty low-key; he's not the star of the show and would rather be in the background, just pushing things to happen. That's why he enjoys online gaming which, he found out, he's very good at...

ROMANTIC HISTORY: Kinna has no time... He's got a mission to accomplish and games to complete.

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS: Kinna is friends with that mute kid, Zero, who is moody and always grumpy. Good thing he can't talk...

THOUGHTS ON LOVE: …

HEALTH

PHOBIA(S): None, clinically.

HANDICAP(S): None.

MENTAL DISEASE(S): None... Maybe he developed some anxiety dealing with humans.

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): None.

PREDISPOSITION(S): N/A.

#{ character sheet: kinna }

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arsenic-catnep · 10 months ago

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Character Bio

Demographics

Faceclaim: Zoe Colletti

Full name: Hope Nicole Jones

Birth date: June 16, 1999

Age: 25 years old

Zodiac: Gemini

Ethnicity: White

Nationality: American

Spoken Languages: English, non fluent French

Height: 5'3 / 160cm

Weight: 160 lbs/ 73 kilos

Eye Color: Hazel Green

Hair Color: Chestnut Brown

Identifying Marks: Freckles all over her body, most prominent on her face, arms and shoulders. A small black stick n poke butterfly tattoo on her left hip. Pierced ears.

Scars: A few she got on accident from falls and such, a large scar on her left calf from being tripped down the bleachers in high school. Small self harm scars on her thighs that have been healed for a few years. A long thin scar down her middle torso from her clavical to navel, as well as scars on her knees and elbows, courtesy of her kidnapper.

Occupation: Pharmacy Technician

Gender Identity/Pronouns: Female, she/her

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual, though she's on the ace spectrum due to trauma.

Backstory

Hope grew up in a small town in Indiana USA. Her father wasn't around much and her mom basically raised her on her own. Her brothers are both nearly a decade older than her and she was the only child in the house by the time she was 9.

She's always been interested in movies, theatre, musicals, and modeling. She'd beg her mother to buy her the magazines on the rack at the grocery store just so she could look at the pretty women.

Despite having such a high regard for herself at a young age, she was still relentlessly bullied in grade school. By the time she hit high school she became a bully herself, often talking down to others and developing a superiority complex.

Hope did have a few friends though, and doesn't consider her experience in school to be that awful. She says it could have always been worse.

She graduated on the honor roll and was class president of her senior year. Despite being able to get a free ride scholarship to Indiana University she turned it down to pursue acting. She tried online college but eventually dropped out.

She remained at her job at the local movie theatre and started to promote herself on social. This brought the attention of a Canadian man, Jonathan Weaver. Or at least that's what he called himself.

He easily manipulated her, making promises of getting her into a modeling career. He began teaching her French and would send her money to buy specific clothes to model for him. Eventually he convinced her to move to Canada.

Hope's mother begged her not to go, but of course Hope didn't listen.

When Hope stepped out of the release gate at the airport, she met the man she'd been talking to for nearly a year. He looked like how he did in the photos, and acted like how he did online.

Unfortunately for her, he drugged the bottle of water he handed to her. He led her back to his apartment, chained her to a radiator and held her captive for 2 weeks. Dressing her up, photographing her, and raping her.

Hope was able to break a pipe and get free one day while Jonathan was out of the apartment. She ran from the building begging for help, barefoot and half naked.

Something in her broke that day and while she was being questioned by police, she lied and gave them false information. Hope wanted revenge on Jonathan, and not the kind that jail time could provide.

Along the way, she started becoming interested in the websites and forums she was posted on while in captivity. Her mind further broke, and she wanted to inflict that kind of pain on others so she wouldn't have to feel it herself.

Hope began making her own content, with any poor girl she could find. She started branching out and soon began to kidnap men.

After some research and digging she found out that a man named Jonathan Weaver didn't exist; At least none that looked like the man that tortured her. The apartment she was held in was abandoned and owned by the local government. There was no trace of her kidnapper.

She remained in Canada and got her citizenship, hoping to one day run into 'Jonathan' and give him a taste of his own medicine.

She works at a shady pharmacy in a downtown area and gets away with stealing small amounts of narcotics. She's gotten good at drugging people inconspicuously and is very active in the nightlife of her city. She's a regular at most of the bars and clubs.

Personality

Good personality traits: Ambitious, confident, friendly, intelligent, loyal, persistent, imaginative, bubbly, cautious

Bad personality traits: argumentative, stubborn, perfectionist, obsessive, spoiled, deceitful, untrusting, anxious

Sense of humor: 'dark', sarcastic, and dry.

Character’s greatest fear: going through what she went through all over again.

Life philosophy: We cannot simply sit and stare at our wounds forever - Haruki Marukami

Greatest strength: Her intelligence and quick wit.

Greatest vulnerability or weakness: Her desire to be loved and her desire for revenge.

Biggest regret: Letting herself be manipulated by a man she'd met online and allowing herself to fall victim to him. She considers herself smart, and felt so stupid when she woke up in that apartment.

Character’s darkest secret: her apathy towards human life. She tries to seem compassionate but in reality she couldn't care less what happened to most people. Hope assisted her friend in committing suicide the summer before their freshman year of high school. She helped string the rope up, and pushed the bucket from under her friend's feet. Hope then cut her down and held her until she turned blue. She has had an odd relationship with death ever since.

MBTI: ENTJ (Commander) is a personality type with the Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging traits. They are decisive people who love momentum and accomplishment. They gather information to construct their creative visions but rarely hesitate for long before acting on them.

Character Alignment: Chaotic Neutral- A chaotic neutral character is an individualist who follows their own heart and generally shirks rules and traditions. Although chaotic neutral characters promote the ideals of freedom, it is their own freedom that comes first; good and evil come second to their need to be free.

Enneagram Type: Type 4 The Individualist- The Sensitive, Introspective Type; Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental

Family and Friends

Hometown: Orleans, Indiana, USA

Current Residence: Canada

Pets: none but she'd love to have a cat, and maybe some chickens.

Mother/Relationship with her: Amazing when she was a child but once she hit high school it became somewhat strained. Hope always thought she knew what was best for herself and would ignore her mother or start small arguments over things.

Father/Relationship with him: Nonexistent. He was never around and eventually went missing. No negative feelings, just no feelings at all.

Siblings/Relationship with them: 2 brothers James and Brian, 8 and 10 years older than her. It's a pretty decent relationship with both but there's such a large age gap that they don't have much in common and don't talk outside of pleasantries and catch ups during holidays.

Spouse(s)/Relationship with them: N/A

Children/Relationship with them: N/A

Likes and Dislikes

Favorite Color: Pink, green and purple

Least favorite color: neon green

Favorite Music: pop, indie, and r&b

Least Favorite Music: Post modern country, dubstep

Favorite Food: strawberry cake, cheeseburgers, sesame chicken.

Least Favorite Food: any kind of leafy green. She is adament that she's not a rabbit. She tolerates spinach but only if it's in something like a dip or sandwich. Salads are off the table.

Favorite Genre: Romcoms, documentaries/nonfiction, horror/thriller

Least Favorite Genre: Action, sci-fi although there's exceptions to the rule. She enjoys Star Wars but doesn't like superhero movies.

Habits

Hobbies: reading, shopping, playing dress up, drawing/painting, dancing, jigsaw puzzles and watching movies

Smokes: She hates the smell of cigarettes and weed and is quick to preach the negative effects that smoking causes. She does smoke socially if it will get her close to a new victim though.

Drinks: Hope holds her alcohol well and it takes a few drinks for her to start feeling it. She really likes rum and coke, peach margaritas and lemon drop shots.

Other drugs: She steals half empty vials of morphine from her pharmacy and finds that's the only way she can sleep nowadays. She's done cocaine and molly on occasion with potential victims, but doesn't like that they skew her perception.

Nervous tics: Twirls her hair, bites her nails and picks at her skin when she's anxious or deep in thought. If she's wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater she'll often pull the sleeves over her hands and pick at the threads.

Traits

Optimist or pessimist?: She tries to be optimistic, but sometimes all she can see is the negativities.

Introvert or extrovert?: Mostly extroverted, but she really likes her alone time too.

Daredevil or cautious?: She was always cautious, and then the one time she decided to take a risk it ended badly, so she's back to walking on eggshells again.

Logical or emotional?: She'd say that logic rules her, but she's quick to fly off the handle if she thinks someone is using her or making fun of her.

Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat?: There is a method to her chaos. It appears messy but it's definitely not dirty. She knows where everything is at and hates when people try to help her clean up.

Prefers working or relaxing?: Hates working unless it's something she wants to do. If it doesn't strike her interest then she wants no part in it.

Confident or unsure of himself/herself?: Acts confident, though there is a little insecurity deep down. Especially about her place in the world. She always trusts her intelligence though.

Animal lover?: Yes, she loves all animals especially cats.

#Tins OC #OC #original character #character bio #oc bio

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kenny612 · 1 year ago

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Learn Kannada Easily with Online Kannada Classes by Bhasha.io

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spanishvidya · 1 year ago

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Navigating the Spanish Language Maze: Common Challenges and Solutions

Exploring the Maze of Learning Spanish: Common Problems and Fixes

Learning Spanish is exciting because it's one of the most spoken languages globally. But like any language, it can be tough at times. Whether you're just starting or have some experience, it's vital to understand these challenges and know how to tackle them. In this blog, we'll talk about common issues when learning Spanish and offer practical solutions. We'll also introduce you to SpanishVidya's online Spanish Language courses, a great way to overcome these hurdles.

Challenge 1: Pronunciation and Accent

The Challenge: Spanish pronunciation can be tricky, especially if you're not used to its unique sounds and accent marks.

Solution:

Practice, Practice, Practice: Consistent practice is essential. Use language apps, listen to audio resources, and say words and phrases aloud.

Watch and Listen: Watch Spanish TV shows, movies, or YouTube channels. Hearing native speakers will help you copy their pronunciation.

Use Accent Marks: Pay attention to accent marks (á, é, í, ó, ú) and practice emphasizing the right syllables in words. Here are few Spanish Pronunciation Tips and Tricks for Beginners.

Challenge 2: Verb Conjugation

The Challenge: Spanish verbs have many forms for different tenses, moods, and persons.

Solution:

Master the Basics: Start with common verbs like ser, estar, and haber. Learn how to use them in present, past, and future tenses.

Create Verb Charts: Make personalized verb conjugation charts or use online resources and apps that offer conjugation exercises.

Regular Practice: Include verb conjugation practice in your daily routine to reinforce your skills.

Challenge 3: Vocabulary Overload

The Challenge: Learning a new language means learning lots of new words.

Solution:

Use Flashcards: Create flashcards with Spanish words on one side and their English meanings on the other. Review them daily.

Learn in Context: Instead of memorizing words in isolation, learn them in phrases and sentences to understand how they're used.

Set Daily Goals: Try to learn a specific number of new words each day, but don't overwhelm yourself.

Challenge 4: Grammar Rules

The Challenge: Spanish grammar rules can be complex, with gendered nouns, irregular verbs, and various tenses.

Solution:

Grammar Resources: Invest in a good Spanish grammar book or online courses for structured learning.

Practice Exercises: Many language apps and websites offer grammar exercises and quizzes to reinforce your understanding.

Seek Feedback: Connect with native speakers or language teachers who can give you feedback on your grammar.

Challenge 5: Staying Consistent

The Challenge: Staying motivated and consistent in your language learning journey can be tough.

Solution:

Set Clear Goals: Set achievable goals and track your progress. Seeing improvement will keep you motivated.

Immerse Yourself: Surround yourself with Spanish as much as possible. Change your phone and computer settings to Spanish, read Spanish books or news, and watch Spanish content.

Join a Community: Connect with other Spanish learners through forums, social media groups, or language exchange partners to stay motivated and accountable.

SpanishVidya: Your Partner in Overcoming Challenges

If you're a parent looking to give your children a strong start in Spanish, SpanishVidya offers online Spanish courses for kids. Their courses make learning fun and interactive, helping kids conquer common language learning challenges. With experienced instructors and engaging lessons, SpanishVidya equips young learners with the skills and confidence to excel in Spanish.

In conclusion, while learning Spanish may have its challenges, with determination and effective strategies, you can overcome them. Whether it's improving pronunciation, mastering verb conjugation, expanding your vocabulary, getting the hang of grammar, or staying consistent, there are solutions to help you succeed. And for young learners, SpanishVidya's online courses offer a tailored approach to conquer these challenges and thrive in their language learning journey. Remember, every hurdle you overcome brings you one step closer to becoming fluent in Spanish. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)

#spanish learning #spanish #online spanish classes #spanish tips

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legolasghosty · 2 years ago

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I want to know about Willex Ikea meet cute please I am so intrigued. also any of the trans ones if you’re feeling up to it no pressure!

Hello Anon, yes of course!

Lol, the people have spoken, I guess the IKEA fic is the next one I need to finish. Basically, the premise is that Alex and Willie are both in an IKEA shopping for new bedframes(Alex cause Luke and Reggie broke his and Willie because racecar bed therapy assignment) and run into each other(literally). And then they hit it off and end up bed shopping together! SNIPPET TIME!

"How goes the search?" Alex asks.

"Not good," Willie sighs, leaning back against the fake wall. "I know they have them here cause I looked online, but I haven't found any yet and I've been here for an hour."

Alex winces sympathetically. "When did you get here?"

"Like… 11:30?" Willie answers.

Alex glances down at his watch, then back at Willie, then back at the watch. "Ummm, you've only been here for like 20 minutes then," he informs them.

Willie stares at him for a solid minute, then drops his head back against the wall and groans again. "I'm doomed."

Alex resists the urge to chuckle at the drama. "I promise you're not doomed," he replies. Then he glanced around. There are a lot of beds around… and he needs to look through them too for himself… "Wanna look around together?" he offers hesitantly.

And then let's see... I have a few trans ones... let's go with the Willex t4t high school one! That one is less of a single fic and more of an ongoing set of one shots. The original I ended up posting and you can find it here! But from there, it has expanded into a few other shots of Willex being cute in this universe!

The current one that is half done is good dad!Caleb giving Alex the whole 'you hurt my kid you die' talk. I just love the dynamic of them both loving Willie so frigging much and being like, "Okay we both love him. And would kill anyone who hurt him. We good? Good!"

SNIPPET!

“Ah, Alex, got a minute?”

Alex stops short at the voice of Willie’s dad coming from behind him. He turns around slowly, setting the two newly filled water bottles he’d been holding on the counter. Willie is still upstairs in their bedroom, working on some math homework. Alex had been trying to write a paper for English when they both realized they were almost out of water. So Alex had volunteered to come downstairs and get them both refills.

The whole thing should take five minutes, tops. But Alex knows this trip suddenly got a bit longer. He can hear it in Mr. Covington’s light but loaded tone.

“Sure, what’s up?” Alex says, forcing a smile.

“Lovely,” Caleb responds, resting a hand on the kitchen island and giving Alex a grin that seems tinged with danger. “I just wanted to have a quick chat. Please, sit.”

He gestures at a stool nearby, then turns and heads for a cabinet. Alex settles on the stool, twisting a silver ring around his left pointer finger to keep himself from freaking out. This is fine. Just a casual talk with his partner’s dad. Who could probably get away with all sorts of illegal activities on charisma alone. No big deal.

Thanks for the ask Anon! This was fun!

(Look through my list of WIPs and ask me whatever you want about them!)

#legolas tag #legolas ask #legolas answers asks #willex #I just love them okay?#I really do need to finish that IKEA one though...#it was on my list last time this ask went around too #so I've now been asked about it at least 3 times?#the people have spoken #they want IKEA Willex #Also if anyone catches the little Ordinary Days nod in that IKEA snippet #please tell me #cause I think I'm really funny and clever but probably no one will get the joke

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digital-lab-english-language-lab · 2 years ago

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Tips to Improve Spoken English

It is harder to understand spoken English than in written English. Even though it is difficult, listening to spoken English is a hugely important activity as it has many advantages over reading. It teaches to understand the speech, it shows the pronunciation of words, it teaches connected speech, etc.

Improving your English communication is just like how you take on your fitness program, where you need intense focus and positive mind-set to stay fit and get the physique you want. Learning to speak English fluently can’t be done in a day. It takes time and requires regular practice.

How to become fluent in English?

To become a fluent English speaker, one must study and master reading, listening, and speaking. Listening, as we know, is the skill of understanding spoken language. Listening is an essential skill, present in most of the activities we carry out throughout our lives. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is also one of the largest challenges in learning spoken English.

While learning English, it is very important that you are on the right diet and your diet here is to learn some (at least 2-3) new words every day to improve English vocabulary and use those words in regular conversation. If there is no one to talk in English, one can write one’s own conversation/thoughts by using those words or can also record one’s own voice to check if the pronunciation of the word is done correctly. An extensive vocabulary aids expression and communication.

Thinking about English instead of translating things

Preparing basic level Grammar, Choosing a topic, speaking about it and rectifying the mistakes made is a very good practice for improving communication. Most of the non-native speakers translate native language into English. It is very important to start thinking in English instead of translating things. In the beginning, it may be difficult, but gradually it gets habituated.

Tongue twisters are also a perfect way to improve diction and help learn how to speak quickly. Here is a saying on which one can start practicing: “The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday”. It may look funny, but by practicing a few minutes a day in front of the mirror one will learn when and how to use different expressions. One will also learn where you make most of the mistakes.

There are also many courses available online for learning English through which anyone can access these online classes at home. These courses focus on teaching students the basics of the English language, including the alphabet, vocabulary, syntax, grammar, sentence structure, and phonemic awareness. An emphasis is placed on students learning to read, write, and converse in English. Students work on their pronunciation and conversational skills as they participate in class discussions, collaborative projects, tests, and final exams.

So, improving Spoken English is not at all a difficult task, especially after online classes at home came into the picture. All one needs is just a passion to learn and a continuous effort.

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