First Day of Russian

wow, Kent is a rather big scary place. It wasn't that I had trouble finding where I was going, it was just the sheer number of people that was scary. I thought I was going to be late, but I arrived at one. (class starts at 1:10) The class was interesting and I think I'm going to enjoy it. We started learning the alphabet today.

Something I forgot...

I forgot to tell you. This year, I'm taking English AP, which is advanced placement which means it's like a college class that you take at High School but get college credit for. Anyway, we had a ton of homework over the summer for it and you'll be pleased (maybe) to hear that I'm not done with it! And High School starts the day after Labor day! One of the things we had to do, was read the book Beloved By Toni Morrison, take notes in the margins, and highlight things. It's a 320 page book and I'm on page 100. Now, I'm an extremely fast reader but it takes me forever to take notes and highlight. Plus, I'm still trying to figure out why this book is a college bound book when it is the most stupid thing I've read since Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible AAARRRGGGHHH! Everytime I start to get into the story, something stupid happens. We have to write an essay on it the first day back at school, and I'm hoping Mrs. Haynam will ask us to write our opinion as part of the essay because I'm thoroughly going to tell her how much I hate that book! I mean if we're going to read a college bound book let's at least read a classic! And if you want more of a modern classic then what's wrong with Clan of the Cave Bear? I mean, at least there's some point to it, and it's interesting. Gah! Okay, this has definitely turned into a rant...sorry...I think I'd better go to bed before I hurt myself.

Monday Afternoon, and A little updating

okay, so this blog has been idle almost all summer due to the fact that I don't really do anything much with languages over the summer. However I thought It was time to post considering my RUSSIAN CLASS starts Monday! hooray! yeah, I'm also fixing the little thingy on the side that tells who everyone is. I don't have Mr. Shields this year, I have Mrs. Bugansky aka Señora Bey. For Russian my prof. is professor Barber, I assume that she is a native Russian speaker though because her first name is Svetlana which I think is an awesome name.

I'm a little nervous about the first week of Russian for one reason...I'm missing two classes due to the Fair. (I show goats on two days) So yeah, that's the only reason I'm a little apprehensive. I'm also rather redundant. Anywho...That's about it and I'll Let you people know about what happened the first class or two asap. (It'll be a little hard 'cause I'm living at the fair for the week but I might be able to post after class, but before I leave for the fair Monday.)

Nifty Little Quiz

You Should Learn Swedish

Fantastisk! You're laid back about learning a language - and about life in general. Peaceful, beautiful Sweden is ideal for you... And you won't even have to speak perfect Swedish to get around!

What Language Should You Learn?

Dad sent me this nifty link. So I took it and as you can see, it told me to learn Swedish. *Giggle* Anyway, just thought I'd share it. If you take it, leave a comment and tell me what language it tells you to take. (the link is up above)

Awarded

Last night was the awards night at school. I got two certificates and a medallion for taking the National French Test and getting 6th in the state and 8th in the nation.

Music?

I asked Madame if I could borrow her french cds because I can't find anything good at Borders she said to call her over the summer and I could come over and she'd make me copies. Sounds good to moi.

The poem in the last post is the one from the french text book. I'm not going to translate it though actually I think it would be okay translated (not like the other one I posted which definitely isn't as good translated) but I'm too lazy to do it. It would be good practice if I'm going to be a french translator but like I said, I'm too lazy.

...I just found this site that has some different French poets who are living. It has examples of their poetry in french with the english translation next to it.

France-Poetry International Web

René Philombe "L'homme qui te ressemble"

Click Here for my English Translation


L'homme qui te ressemble
J'ai frappé à ta porte
J'ai frappé à ton coeur
pour avoir bon lit
pour avoir bon feu
pourquoi me repousser?
Ouvre-moi mon frère!...

Pourquoi me demander
si je suis d'Afrique
si je suis d'Amerique
si je suis d'Asie
si je suis d'Europe?
Ouvre-moi mon frère!...

Pourquoi me demander
la longueur de mon nez
l'épaisseur de ma bouche
la couleur de ma peau
et le nom de mes dieux?
Ouvre-moi mon frère!...

Je ne suis pas un noir
je ne suis pas un reouge
je ne suis pas un blanc
mais je ne suis qu'un homme
Ouvre-moi mon frère!...

Ouvre-moi ta porte
OUvre-moi ton coeur
car je suis un homme
l'homme de tous les temps
l'homme de tous les cieux
l'homme qui te ressemble!...

Hooray!

Okay so I got a letter from Kent State today. I kept it folded and looked at like the first three words it said "we are pleased..." so I know I'd been accepted. This means that I get to take Russian next year!! I have to sign up for my class, but first I have to go back up to Kent and get my ID card. School's almost done. It's a good thing because I'm ready to be done. It's a bad thing though because that means no more French or Spanish for a few months. Oh that reminds me, We had to do projects in French class. Everyone had to study four things. My four things were: Le Sénégal, La Fête des Rois, Grasse et l'industrie de parfum, and Jean Lafitte. I was kind of nervous though I don't know why. Then I misspronounced the famous perfume, Channel No. 5. It's definitely not pronounced like T.V. "Channel" number 5. I felt really retarded but there was nothing I could do but laugh. My mom always says that no one ever died of embarrassment. Anyway. I've got some cool links that go along with what I had to talk about some are in English, some are in French. I also found this nifty poem in the back of my French book but I didn't bring it home so I can't post it yet. Okay, Enough distraction. On to THE LINKS!

Crime Library-Jean Lafitte This site has a complete biography on the lovable pirate.

FAQ du protestantismeA little about La Fête des Rois (also called Epiphanie) The coolest thing about this site is the excerpt about the three kings from the gospel of Matthew In french!

Virtual Visit to Gorée Island Gorée is an island in Sénégal where slaves were kept before being shipped off. This site has a nifty virtual tour of a slave house. They have a photo tour and a ten minute video tour(cool). (you need realplayer for the movie)

Enchanted Learning-French This site has nothing to do with my French Project but it's neat. It has different pages that you can print out and color and practice your french with (and I mean a bunch of pages) Even if your older (like sixteen *cough cough*) It's worthwile to color if it's for a good cause like learning french! :-P

That's all I've got for now and when I bring my French book home for the weekend, I'll post that cool poem from it here.

Post Secondary

I'm hoping to be accepted at Kent State for Postsecondary which is where I take a couple of college classes and get both college and high school credit for it. If I do get accepted, I want to take a language class but I don't know which one to take, Kent has like ten or fifteen languages!!

On the national French test, I got sixth in the state.Shana, another girl who took it got first. She only missed two!

Russian stopped. It was rather discouraging. we only had three showing up regularly and it felt like we weren't learning anything.

On the other hand, I've been having fun with french. I've been going to Yahoo France and Amazon France and looking at all the interesting things. Tomorrow we have a test in french and then we're doing a unit all about culture. I can't wait!!!

Chatting

I'm having lots of french fun lately. My friend Joye and I have been speaking french like all the time the past week. It's really amusing. Today we had a conversation about boys. Cheap entertainment.

I live in...

Aleta and I had an entire conversation in French yesterday. It was about coats. We talked about how I was cold outside because I didn't have a raincoat or a regular coat. Aleta was like "I don't have a raincoat, I have a coat." It was really entertaining. Yesterday in class, We started a unit on the house. I need to go thorugh and write all the french words on duct tape and stick them on things like the 'fridge. Yeah, I know I have no life. Wanna know how much of a life I don't have? Here you go.

J'habite dans une boite

J'habite dans une boite dans le jardin.


The first one means I live in a box The second one means I live in a box in the garden. Both of these phrases will be put in the "GTUP" Which by the way there is a link at the bottom of the page on the left that says places. Under it, is a link to the Guide to Useful Phrases. I just thought I'd let you know incase you want to get there fairly easily.

In Russian yesterday, We got lists of new vocab. Lots of clothing! It's a hard language because they don't use the same alphabet we do. Grr... Aleta is thinking about dropping Russian. I don't want her to!!!

Spanish phrases that I learned the other day that are pretty interesting:

En su sueños

Puedo ir al baño?


The first means In your dreams. The second one means Can I go to the bathroom? I'm thinking I should really start a guide to useful Spanish phrases but I learn so few of them that it doesn't seem worth it. French is a different story. I learn an interesting phrase in that class almost every day! (touts les jours)

Oh and while I'm thinking of it. Last night, I had been thinking about French a lot and I started singing this song from Annie get your gun A play I was in a few years ago. What was scary about it was I was singing in English but for some reason my head was still in French Mode so every time I came to a phrase I knew in French, I would sing it in French. Rather scary, non?

Essay En Français and Two Poems

OOh I had so much fun in French on Friday. I dislike how we always have to write out sentences that are basically what the language books tell us to write. On Friday, we got to write Essays!! It was exciting. Except that I didn't get done which made me sad. It takes me a long time to write essays in French. I'm not sure why. I think maybe it's because I have to think about otherways to say what I want to say becuse I don't always know how to say it En Français. When I get it back, I'll post it.

I had a revelation on Thursday night. Why spend three or four dollars on a deck of playing cards when you can buy one for 98 cents and customize it yourself? That's what I did. I had a deck of playing cards and I took a permanent marker and wrote "Les Cartes Français" on the back of each one. On the front of each card, I'm putting a french phrase. They're rather amusing. I've also named each Jack after one of the Three Musketeers. Which by the way I'm supposed to be reading in french but I haven't actually started yet. I got distracted what with OGT and everything. (I'm very glad that's over by the way!)

The other day I wanted to post something new in my AIM profile. I wrote a random poem and I thought I'd post it here. Except be forewarned. This poem is ©2005 Abigail.

I close my eyes,
I'm far away
Another time,
Another place
Away from troubles
You have brought me
You don't exsist here
Never will

Okay so that's it. Not one of my better ones. I still think My best poem I've yet written is Rain. I haven't posted it here though. *digs through pile of old papers* Ah! here it is! I suppose that I'll post it. I mean I know this is a language blog, but English is a language and besides, poems pertain to language. If you have a problem with it, too bad. It's my blog! *evil laughter* Okay, seriously. Here you go. Rain

document.write('');Rain,
Falls.
Gently,
From the trees.
Upon,
My upturned face.
Cooling,
My anger.
Cleansing,
My hate.
Part,
Has gone with you.
Never,
Will it return.
Hearts,
Will scar over.
Wounds,
Close forever.
Though,
One piece will always be missing.
One,
Simple piece.
Tears,
Run down my cheeks.
Rain,
Falls.


(Both poems contained in this entry are © 2005, Abigail)

Post Test Report

It was hard but wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Listening was hard. There was a part where we had to figure out which picture went with the conversation, Then there was a part where I had to choose which phrase best completed the conversation. The hardest part was the listening passages. There were two passages and afterwards there were questions. HARD HARD HARD!!! The reading was fairly easy. There was a story that We had to fill in the blanks for. Grammer type stuff. Then there was a ticket, a birth announcement, and an advertisement. All with questions following. It wasn't that bad.

In Russian yesterday, we worked on counting. We also went over the greeting people vocabulary. Shields told us that maybe next time we meet, we'll start a new lesson. We aren't meeting next week because Shields has a meeting.

Ohio Graduation Test next week.

In French we've been learning how to say things like "I wash myself" Since, I can't brush my teeth without thinking: "Je me brosse les dents avec une brosse au dents et du dentifrice"

I've added more to the "Guide to Useful French Phrases." Which from here on out to save typing time will be called GUF.

TOMORROW DUN DUN DUN *scary music*

I'm taking the National French Test tomorrow. Last time I posted, I updated the Guide to Useful French Phrases and I have more to add but I can't right now because I have to get off.

Poem by Jacques Prévert

Okay so not last week at the french thing because I wasn't there, but the week before we worked on listening and reading. There was a poem in the packet that we didn't work on. I wanted to read it though and last night I dug it out and read it. It's really sad. It's by Jacques Prévert and it called Déjeuner du matin Here it is.

Déjeuner du matin
By: Jacques Prévert

Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mist le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et it a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il a allumé une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et it est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder
Et moi, J'ai pris ma tête
Dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré.

Isn't that sad? Okay, sorry if you can't read it. Get a dictionary. Translating to English doesn't do it justice. It has to stay in FRECH!! STAY! Seriously. I'm okay. I think I should memorize this. I kind of feel for the girl.

In Russian yesterday, We learned how to say I'm in (insert place here) and I live in (insert place here) Russian is so much fun! Jon-Michael and I have been speaking it this morning.

OOh I almost forgot. On Friday (last) Madame set this whole bag of french books infront of me! I 'bout fell over!! YAYAYAYAYAyA!!!!! It made me so happy! and THEN, she let me borrow ALL of them!! WHEEEEE! I'm on my second one. I read an abridged version of Journey to the center of the earth and now I'm reading another short one called "The ghost of white lake" YAYAYAYAYA! Sorry, I'm just really excited. I'm not excited about the National French Test though. It's next week. On the 9th. I'm going to do bad on the grammer part. Grammer is not my strong suit.

Abigail's Guide to 'Useful' French Phrases

C'est ma faut-It's my fault

N'est-ce pas?- Isn't it?

Montrez-moi où sont les toilettes s'il vous plaît!-Show me where the bathrooms are please!

Ne ma touche pas!-Don't touch me!

Les fesses- In a word, butt. We've been learning body parts

Une fessée- a spanking

Excusez-moi Madame, mais ton chien a mangé mon mari!- Excuse me madam, but you dog has eaten my husband!

La foire- The fair

Je donee à manger aux chèvres-I feed the goats

Pourquoi pas?- Why not?

Ce gratte!- It itches!

J'habite dans une boite- I live in a box

J'habite dans une boite dans le jardin.-I live in a box in the garden.

Pauvre bébé!- Poor baby


*Note* This will be updated as I learn more 'useful' french pharases.

Uh...*is lost*

We didn't have Russian this week. It's been a while since I've written so I have no idea what the last thing I wrote about was.

*checks*
Ah yes. The Spanish presentation. Patricia and I did fine. We had to go first which was't fun but it was alright. We got our fifteen points. hooray! *rolls eyes*

I've got Afterschool French this week. Jon-Michael is sitting here next to me Writing on his blog in spanish. (I'm at school.) It makes me feel like maybe I should be writing in french. This is after all a language blog. Or it's supposed to be.

In spanish today I learned about conjugating the verb juegar. Juego con tu hermano I play with your brother. Tu hermano es guapo! Your brother is good looking... *wink wink* No. I'm not really like that. *sigh* I'm really just sitting here killing time. My English project won't print out.

We had to create a brochure about a career that we'd like to go into. Mine was on Anthropology. I wrote a bit of information and used a bunch of pictures. Okay since I'm not doing anything else I could make that 'useful' french phrase guide I've been meaning to do... *ponders*

Spanish Performance

So on Friday in Spanish class, we have to give a performance thingy. We have to recite a telephone conversation. (we had to write it too.) My partener is named Patricia. Here's our performance:

Abigail: Hola?
Patricia: Hola, Quien es?
Abigail: Soy Elena
Patricia: Como estas?
Abigail: Estory enferma
Patricia: Que Lastima!
Abigail: Como estas?
Patricia: Estoy emocionada
Abigail: Pour qué?
Patricia: porque voy al concierto
Abigail: Que chevere!
Patricia: Te gustaria ir al concierto?
Abigail: Claro que si! Cuando?
Patricia: Manana a las cuatro
Abigail: Bien!
Patricia: Adios!
Abigail: Hasta manana!

I should really work on memorizing it. But at the moment I really don't feel like it! My grandma's in the hospital.

Jon-Michael and I practiced our Russian all during homeroom. It was fun to actually be able to say a few things like "straasveetsya" which is the best I can do phonetically. It means hello. We also practiced asking each other what our names were and how we were. It was rather amusing actually, not at all boring. Yay! it's fun to speak Russian because it sounds so cool. Hello is my favorite word to say other than Yabloko (apple) because it sounds the most Russian. Jon-Michael and I also got to learn how to write our names in Russian. YAY!

I really do need to post my list of "useful" French phrases. It seems like I get more and more everyday. Maybe I'll do that here in a minute. Sounds like something good. Though I really should work on chemistry...Nah!

Russian Wednesday(yay), Catching Up, and HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!

ick ick ick! Okay so My grandma's been having problem's and I haven't been able to get online much so the blog is seriously behind. I still havn't gotten into the template and added Mrs. McLaughlin to the people section.

6 in Russian today. We began to learn such useful (I'm being serious about this useful) phrases as: hello, good-bye, what's your name? and How are you? I would type them here because 1. I don't have a Russian font and 2. I don't want anyone making fun of me writing them phonetically in english. So sorry. Maybe in the future I'll work with it but for now, you just have to hear about it in English.

I've begun to collect a list of "Useful" French Phrases. When I get a chance which may be tomorrow because I don't have to stay afterschool for once, I'll be posting them. I'll periodically add to them either in the same entry or I'll just make separate entries. I'm not sure yet.

"Useful" Spanish Phrase of the Day: Deje un mensaje despues del tono Leave a message after the tone.

Estoy Enferma

Estoy enferma

Finally I learned how to say something cool in Spanish class. I actually learned it Thursday but forgot to post it in the blog! It means "I'm sick" I was happy to learn it because I've had a cold for the past couple of weeks.

I have to write a persuasive essay for McLaughlin. I have no idea what my topic is going to be either. We had to write a thesis statement so I made up a really bad one that's not going to be what I actually use.

The Spanish news is that Friday I freaked everyone out again (or was it thursday?... No, friday) we always have to make flashcards with our new vocabulary after we take a test so thursday night I did but I also had to type them up and IM them to a friend who had forgotten his book. Therefore, I actually wrote the words twice. Usually I can remember quite a few words just by doing the flashcards but Friday I was remembering them really well and of course all the people in the *cough cough*LD*cough cough* spanish class started freaking out they were all like "what did you do go and study 'till four in the morining." Well obviously they think I don't have a life. For their information I do and I can't help it that Language is my gift. So yeah I'm telling them "no I don't" and the whole time I'm thinking "Just shut up you idiots.." It's not that I was embarrassed I actually kind of enjoyed the attention. Yet in a way it's kind of annoying... ah well. I've got to get off and let my mom on so g'night all....