Kiemelt témák

Hi Livia,

Just read back a bit. If you go all the way to the top under the archive (November) you'll see how and for what reason this topic started. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Agi

Hi Agi,

Thanks a lot. It seems you know each other quite well.
Anyway, what do you do?
I study at ELTE/TFK, Hungarian and Educational Organising. Now I`m in Cambridge at a family, where I used to be an au-pair 2 years ago. They`re going on holiday soon, so my friends can come from Hungary. But till that time I have to look after the child and do the housework, and things like this. I don`t really have the time to see the city while they`re here. I find it boring a bit, but at least I can practise my English. I really should.

Livia

HI Joel,

Where do you exactly live in England? How do you like it? Coping with weather is difficult for me. In Cambridshire it is always raining and no sunshine at all. I hope, only in these days.
I`d like to study in England, but it`s quite expensive.
Where do you study?

Livia

We only got to know each other through this topic so don't think this is a really tight group where you can't fit.
How long are you going to stay in England? Do you like it there? How old are you?

Agi

I`m going to spend 2 month here, only for summer holiday. I might say, I work here as a babysitter for 2 weeks and then as a dogsitter for an other 6 weeks. The family is going on holiday soon and they need somebody to look after the 3 dogs. In change for I get some money and can invite my friends while they`re not here.
I like it here, apart from the weather, people are nice,but if you don`t go out, to pubs especially, you don`t meet others. Now I am on my own, feeling a little bit lonely. I often go to the centre, but I used to live here a whole year long, so it`s not as exciting. I visited all the museums and colleges, botanical garden and so on. It`s just not the same when you`re alone.
Anyway it`s all right. I have lots of things to do. At least I have time to plan our visitings to London (only 2 hours by bus from here), and to the North sea.
I`m 21 years old.

Livia

Dear Livia,
I think it is a good chance for you to be in England and speak the real English what I do not think is possible to learn in Hungary. I was always planning to go to England for half a year or so, but because I have a 3 years old doughter I can not get a babysitter job in an agency. Is it hard to find a good job there? Do you think someone would hire me with a kid? It would be very good for her too to study more English because she knows some but not uses it to speak only to listen and understand.
Unfortunatley I work now but I am going to finish this job the latest in December and I thought I could go to be a babysitter for a while in England. Is this a crazy plan?
Bye,
Andi

Sorry for my spelling mistakes.....
Andi

Hello everybody!

Would you help me, please! How can I say it in english "orrszívó"? Unfortunatley I don't know it, but it is important for me.
Thank you.
Vero

Hi Vero,

The word is 'nasal aspirator'.

JF

Hi Judit, thank you!
Vero

Sziasztok!
Bocs, hogy nem angolul, de még nem érzem a helyzetet érettnek arra, hogy belevágjak.
Találtam nektek olvasnivalót, ha még nem ismernétek!
www.babynet.com, olyan, mint ez, csak nem ilyen jó! De igazi angolokat olvashattok !

Kíváncsi,
My English is not good as should be but actually I dare to write .
And, thank you felhoztad this topic .
Zsóka

Zsóka,
you shouldn't be ashamed beacause of your English. Or, perhaps, did you want to help me?
Anyway, thank you for all! (Na most vegyél egy nagy kosarat, hogy összegyűjtsd a hibákat! )

Kíváncsi,
my English is poor (as we used to say in the English course ). I understand everything but my English is sometimes (or always) is terrible...
Zsóka

Zsóka,
just like mine! Some years ago I took the advanced degree in Rigó utca (the A only - or B?), but unfortunately I forgot almost everything...
Kíváncsi

Hi girls and boys, and welcome my dear Kíváncsi!

I am Sheila, and I writing soo poor and so little English, but I want learn quickly sooo!
I have three children: two boys /at 17 and 10 years old, and a sweet girl at 15 months old/
and I have much mistake!

Can you help me??

Sheila

Dear Sheila,
if you want to learn English, especially quickly, please, don't wait for me! I've slowly forgotten even my name in English... So, unfortunately, I can't help you...
Kíváncsi

Hello Everybody,

Based on many years of experience, I can sadly claim, that there is no quick way to learn a language .
On the happier side, if you practice,you'll get there - eventually

So, if you want to chat about anything in English, I am here, ready to talk!

I can't wait to get to know you girls better

Take care


Barb - Mommy to Christopher ( Nov.18,2002)

Dear Barbus,
Yes, there is a quick way - the quickest (and the only one really quick, I think): you should be move to the U.S. or Britain or so. Just this way a little bit expensive .

Dear Kíváncsi (or Dear Curious? )
I thought of you pretty much 'cause I read many Englishlanguaged website nowadays and often I don't understand anything. I read advertisements and there are lots of abbreviation in them. By now I understand what br/ba mean (bedroom, bathroom) but I have no idea what c/w mean...
later,
Zsoka

Dear Zsoka,

I will have to argue with you a little bit. Even if one comes to live to an English speaking country, that does not guarantee anything. I live in the NY area and I know many people whose native langage is not English. Unless they make an effort and enroll to a GOOD English course, many of them struggle with the language. I am not saying that nobody learns English here, but it really depends on the skills, the age, and the situation of the person.

A good website in English:

http://pregnancyandbaby.com/

This is my favorite one. I love the message boards. For example, there are boards for mommies who are expecting their babies in the same month, or for mommies who have babies born in the same month. Even if you don't feel confident enough to participate in the conversation, it's fun to read them. Yes, there are abbreviations, but after a while you'll be able to figure them out.

c/w ... I have no idea either,maybe if I saw it in context...

Take care

Hi Barb,
Christopher is really gorgeous!! Do you teach him Hungarian?
I live in Bristol, UK with Liliom (13 months). She understands me if I talk English but not Hungarian. How is she ever going to learn it if I'm the only person speaking it?
Do you have any tips on that one?
Kat

Kati,
if you ever want Liliom to speak Hungarian, that's the only language you should use with her.
We live in Hungary, my husband is American and he speaks English with the kids. He read somewhere that only if you are consistent, will the child learn that he/she has to USE that language (and not just understand it). He made the mistake of speaking some Hungarian to our second child (hoping to get the message accross faster) for a few years, and now we can definitely see a difference between him, and the other two. Mind you, the kids know that Dad understands Hungarian, they even hear him speak H. to others, but not to them, so the oldest and the youngest really make the effort to answer him in E., while the middle child doesn't.
So I don't think it's too late for you to switch to 100% Hungarian, when you speak to her. She'll learn slowly, obviously, since everything else around her is in English, even the conversation between you and your hubby, I take it, but don't despair. Take lots of time to read her stories in Hungarian, since they use a kind of language that you otherwise wouldn't use.
Don't let the baby "blackmail" you. (I'm not a freaking nationalist, don't get me wrong.) :-)

szilvi

Zsoka,

c/w means "comes with".

Kati, I agree. The only way for your daughter to understand and speak Hungarian is to use Hungarian ALWAYS when you talk to her. It works for us!

Szilvi,

For how long your husband's been living in Hungary? How long did it take him to learn Hungarian well?

Agi

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies. I don't really know why I worry. My mum's German and managed to bring us up bilingual. But now that I am trying to do it it seems like mission impossible.

Szilvi,
Good idea about the stories, I'll make sure I stock up on childrens' books when we come home for Christmas!
What does being a Waldorf mum mean? And how did you find giving birth at home? Lili was born in a hospital, but I believe in carrying babies, long term breastfeeding etc. Would love to chat to a like minded mum!

Kati

Kati, where did you read, that Szilvi gave birth AT HOME???? I can`t find it! Help!!!

Girls,
sorry for not replying earlier. Several reasons. One was the arrival of the phone bill. It's cramping my style. I've never lived in the US, but FREE local calls sound like fun. Then again, I might neglect the kids.
Also, I somehow didn't notice the new pieces in this topic.

Baby: I mentioned it in my profile.

Ági, in January it will have been 12 years since my husband's been here. We met during his first summer. How long did it take him to learn Hungarian well? He doesn't speak WELL. He works as a copy editor for the HUngarian Press Agency's EGnlish language news service, so he never needed to speak Hungarian, beyond understandig the original articles, in case there was a problem with the translation. His Hungarian is sufficient enough, however, to communicate at the kindergarten, or have conversations with strangers (where he doesn't feel embarassed). He's quite self-conscious, since he speaks German perfectly (German Mom), and knows how much his Hungarian lacks.

Kati: Both homebirth and Waldorf are such big topics, I could talk about them for days, yet I'm afraid it'd be OFF topic, and I'd start getting nasty remarks.
BUT, I indeed enjoy the company of like-minded people (even if it's just virtual company), and also I gladly talk about any specific aspect of birth or child rearing.
If you'd like some thought on good books to buy, for instance.

Actually, you can find my most recent birth story on the net, at www.birth.hu, under birth stories, I guess, under my name. It's no high literature, or anything, and TODAY I would write it differently, but it's a fairly accurate account of how it happened.

And I have to admit, I can't help myself but to bring up the waldorf-aspect of things when I talk on other topics. And I don't mean to proslytize either, It's just that I am so grateful for what we got through homebirth and what we are getting through waldorf education.

So much for now, hubby's home, gotta feed him. :-)
cheers, szilvi

Agi,
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
Zsoka

I've been spending too much time reading your messages (and surfing the internet)when I was supposed to be working. I have been banned!!! Well, just enough time to check how you guys are before I 'clock-off'.
By the way, I think Lili does understand some Hungarian after all. I've been a lot better at not talking English to her, hopefully we can keep it up.
Got to catch bus now so bye
Kati

Szilvi,

The reason why I thought your husband speaks good Hungarian is because you said he used this language more than English with your second child. How does he like Hungary? When he first went there did he know he will be staying for good or he decided to do so after he met you? Was it ever in question for you to move to the States? Do the kids speak both languages equally well? Sorry about all the questions but I am curious because we are kind of in the same boat and hopefully we'll be moving back home in a few years. So I'm wondering how easy or hard it will be for my husband to adjust.

Agi

Hi everyone,

Are you doing anything nice for Christmas?

Kati

Dear Agi,
how easy or hard it'll be for your husband depends on him. Mine left America in 1992, to experience the then still "wild east". Because of his German mother he always had a European connection or affinity. He came, he loved it almost immediately, then he met me, then Hungary started becoming like America, i.e. not necerally changing for the better, then Alex was conceived, then we got married, then Oliver was born, then he applied to grad school, got accepted, but we couldn't have afforded it and instead of trying to hunt down grants and stuff, he decided to stay here. (We always thought, that if we went to the States we'd want to be back by the time the kids got to school.) Then 3 years ago we all went on a visit and he remembered why he'd left. Then 9/11 happened and he doesn't recognize his fellow Americans, and he feels he couldn't feel at home anymore, he's not "enough of a patriot" to put his moral standards aside, and he is disgusted with Bush... So this briefly explains, I think, why he doesn't miss living in the US. (Visiting more often would be great, but we had Abigail as well since, and travel with a family of 5 is not so easy.)
The kids don't speak the two languages equally well, but that's understandable, since they spend most of their time speaking Hungarian. But Alex is positively fluent, there is nothing he cannot express (on a 7-year old's level), and when he and Dad are alone they converse in English as the most natural thing. His English is not "perfect", but that doesn't worry us in the least. He'll advance. They all will.
As far as learning Hngarian for your husband: that will greatly depend on his job. Mine is a copy editor of the English language section of MTI's business news, so he never had to learn it beyond where he can understand some basic financial journalism. I know a Belgian woman, who came here to study at the music academy, people say she spoke Hungarian after three months! (And I believe that, too! But she's a musician...)
How old will your children be when you move? Consider, that the older they are, the more they would not want the change. Though it depends.
Well, I blabbered too long again,
cheers,
szilvi

Hi Szilvi,

Thanks for giving me the details on your situation.
I only have one child so far,he is 3.We are planning the move by the time he should start grade 1. So 4 years. (He was born in October so he'll be 7 by the time he goes to school.)
Did your husband talk English to the kids from day one or does he use both languages with them?
I'm asking because I ONLY talk hungarian to Bence and his dad ONLY talks English. Now he is fluent in both languages equally.
Now that you said your husband works for MTI I'm wondering if he would know some people from the Sport department? A good friend of mine works there, she is a sport journalist and also she translates the English and German articals in some of the sports to Hungarian. AS far as I know she is the only woman in the Sports department. Do you mind asikg him? (Just because I'm amazed so many times how small the world is and this would be a perfect proof again.)
Where did you learn English Szilvi? You are really good!

Kati,
We have decorated the house for Christmas but we don't have a tree yet. (Most people have the tree up here a good month prior to Christmas)
Bence is really excited, he opens a window on his Advent calendar every day.
We actually combined the two traditions. I celebrate Christmas Eve and all the American/Canadian people celebrate Christmas Day. So we open some gitfs the night of Christmas Eve (just like home in Hungary) and then next moring Santa brings some more as well.
How do you do it in England?

Agi

Hi Ági
In England they also give presents on Christmas Day, the 25th. Mind you, I have only spent one Christmas over here, and that was by myself.
We're going to celebrate this Christmas in Germany at my mum's. I couldn't really say how different it is from Hungarian Christmas, as family traditions were a mixture of the two. Christmas Eve is definately the important one though.
I am really curious how Lili will like the whole thing. Although this is not her first Christmas, it's the first one she'll remember. We will try to drive to Hungary, if it doesn't snow, after Xmas. Otherwise we'll have New Year's Eve in Dresden with everyone having fireworks in the streets. She slept through that last year (whilst people made comments about that 'poor baby').
I hope this makes sence. I've just finished work and am a bit tired.
Have you been writing in 'kulfoldon elo magyar anyukak'?

Kati

Hi Kati,

I wish I could go home at Christmas time! This will be my 8th Christmas without my parents and family.
New Years is pretty dull here too because the country is so big that midnight hits 5 times in the different time zones. So there's no singing the National Anthem or anything like that. I truely miss the feeling of a New Year's party that we have at home.
No, I don't write too often to the other topic. Do you?

Agi

Hi Szilvi!
What do you mean: "Then 9/11 happened and he doesn't recognize his fellow Americans, and he feels he couldn't feel at home anymore, he's not "enough of a patriot" to put his moral standards aside.???????????
Do I wrong, that you HATE America? WHY?????
So sad!

Bev,
my husband doesn't hate America. How could he, he lived there for over 30 years. But the flag-waving, Bush-praising feeling is not his cup of tea. He's against the war, he's against the rule of the corporations, he's never liked the republicans and he feels, or at least FELT up to about a year ago, that if he'd expressed this to any average American living in the States, he'd be considered unpatriotic, or even a traitor.
You don't have to hate a country not to want to live there.
I hope this clears it up for you.
szilvi

Is everyone up to their ears in Xmas preparations?!?

Hi there
Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you all had nice holidays and a great Christmas.

As I said, we went to my mum's in Germany, where we spent two and a half weeks. I enjoyed not having to go to work most, and being able to spend all day with Lili. This was such a joy, as I wasn't tired from work and trying to get the housework done.

Unfortunately we only had a lot of snow the night before our departure, but Lili has seen it. I guess she's got plenty of winters ahead of her for more snow-fun..

We got back to England last night. I can not believe how warm it is!! The sun is shining, and outside I wear a top and a cardigan. I guess, this makes up for the lack of snow. (The frequent rain however doesn't)

Szilvi,
I enjoy reading your messages about the US. I haven't replied to any before, I didn't think this was the 'Anti-Bush' topic. My opinion of America is entirely based on what I see of their politics on the news. I guess that is just as misguided as thinking everyone is rich and happy over there.

Kati

Does anyone still write in this topic??

Sure. We just seem to be busy with the other topics. Me at least.
Why?
szilvi

Just because I wanted to write but don't know where to start.
Ani

Right from the beginning...
Kíváncsi

Exactly. We're eagerly waiting.
szilvi

Once upon a time...

Helo everyone! What are you all up to these days?

Szilvi, I know you've been educating us all about Waldorf and co. Very interesting!! My little one's nowhere near school yet, which is one reason why I haven't joined in.
However, I don't really like what little I know of English schools, maybe something more alternative would be the answer. I am toying with the idea of home education, this is allowed in England. But that wouldn't leave much time for earning money, and being a single mum, that is also a priority.
The Waldorf topic is only a couple of weeks old, and already so much to read!! Well, better get back to it.

Kati

Hi girls!

May I join the club?

Kati, how long have you been living in England? I spent almost a year, as an au-pair, in London. It was about 10 years ago.
Memories pop up

Pirus

Kati,
this is my favourite site, might be useful to you:
www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com
I tell everyone: that woman is so perfect, I hate her.
She has EVERYTHING there, complete curriculi for each class, plus lots of PRESCHOOL stuff, like painting, toys, the right stories, daily rhythm, etc.
Enjoy!
szilvi

Szilvi
Thanks for that. I think I need a lot more time to read it, but I had a look at their homepage. I am just about to get internet access at home, bit worried, that my babanet addiction will get more serious. Well, can't be worse than watching telly for 2 hours every night..

Pirus
What a gorgeous little boy!

I was an au-pair too, six years ago in Bath. Lovely family, three kids (youngest was 4 months when I started). The parents talk to and never shout at their kids.

Funny thing happened one day. Their four year old was really pushing it, 'you don't live here' 'you can't tell me what to do' etc. To the point that I slammed the door shut and told her to leave me alone. To this, after a few seconds silence, she replied: 'you are like a child'. This just shows that in her eyes it's only children who throw tantrums, shout etc.

I really enjoyed living with them, and we stayed in touch. We usually turn up at the kids' birthday parties.

Kati (better get back to work)

Kati, thanks
And your daughter has a lovely name
Do you have pictures of her somewhere on the net?

I really enjoyed your story with the little one

I wasn't that lucky with my families Unfortunately...

But the last family I stayed with was really nice They had a little boy, aged like Zsombor. He was an angel! I really loved him.

I don't have too much time right now, but I'll come later and tell my stories if you don't mind.

Pirus

Found this in The Big Issue today. If I was any good at translating, I would post it somewhere else (as well).

- By Rainbows Leanne

Well, there it is, my littlest girl is not so little any more. Yesterday was her 16th birthday. There were lots of balloons, a treasure hunt and a meringue "cake", made of cream, wafer, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries and grapes.
She got engaged, too. Some will say I should have objected, shouted and raved even, with all the homilies trotted out. Well, no - not my style. Plus, they are both so young, both so lovely, and both so in love. Why would I object? Is it my life?
Of course not. All three of my children were brought up secure in the knowledge that when the time came to spread their wings they would have had the best time I could give them. Life is far too short to waste time with regrets and recriminations.
Whatever happens in the life of my daughter, I'll be there. Supporting your offspring has little to do with age, and hopefully she'll be helping me.
I'll be there for her, as I am for her siblings, ready to comfort, praise and offer plain good sense.

Pirus,
I'm working on it. trying to find out how to...

Kati

I see nobody has written since. Is it me? Am I boring you?

Well I just tell you anyway. I am sitting in the library. There's this little boy (?), maybe 11-12 months old, running around, tearing books off the shelf, squealing for joy and making loud noises. He seems so happy, it's a joy to watch.

Kati