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Deutsch!
I make a smooth transition from Hindi to German.
Since German and I already have a long history, I will spend one month on it rather than the usual two. Today was the first day of my review month, but I didn’t have time to start right away,…
When German Grammar Attacks
German can come across as a little scary.
I woke up and promptly started in on Pimsleur again. The Level II lessons that I am doing are for the most part too basic for me, but I need the practice in pronunciation as well as noun and adjective…
The Death of Little Germany
A century ago, a German community in Manhattan was shattered.
In 1912, the Titanic was heading to New York City from England when it sank and more than 1,500 passengers and crew died. It would be hard to find people in this city who haven’t heard of the Titanic. By contrast,…
The Capricious German “The”
Definite articles stymie students of German.
One of the great gifts of the English language is the word “the.” No matter what, the definite article is “the.” Subject? The. Object? The. Plural? The. Gender? Irrelevant. The the the the the. Head over to German, however, and…
Appointment at the Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut offers a window into German culture. Plus it's cool.
Last night at 11:00 (being able to shop around midnight is one of the reasons I love New York City), I went to Barnes & Noble and bought some McGraw-Hill German books as well as some SparkNotes flashcards. I love flashcards.…
I Can’t Take Care of Myself in German
My German vocabulary tends towards the abstract rather than the practical.
The reading glasses that became necessary after I began this project—which involves a lot of squinting at unfamiliar alphabets—recently broke, yet again. The New York City Subway: A Great Place to Cross Paths with German Speakers Well, “broke”…
A Good Day
Today was a good day for German and other things.
Today’s Journal Exciting news for “Words and Worlds of New York”: today an article about the project appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The response of family, friends, and even strangers has been positive and encouraging,…
German Music Lessons
In which I go to Carnegie Hall.
Yesterday evening I attended a performance of Brahms’s A German Requiem at Carnegie Hall. Performing alongside the soloists was the Collegiate Chorale, of which my sister Rebecca is a member. It was beautiful. This is not the…
I Think I’m Improving
I speak German for two hours straight and my head doesn't explode.
Today I went for a second time to the Goethe-Institut, where I enjoyed a lovely couple of hours chatting with Joanna, the German university student and Goethe-Institut intern I mentioned last week. SoHo Traffic on the Way to the Goethe-Institut …
A Pimsleur PR
I shatter my previous Pimsleur record.
Yesterday I achieved a new Pimsleur PR. PR means “personal record”; in running, it is your best time for a given distance. Speaking of which, I haven’t talked much about running lately because (1) although I am obsessed with…