Where are you all from?

[Gabez]

That's very close! And very good photos -- especially the second one because it doesn't have your shadow.

 

It helps if you can be somewhere where there aren't any other people, of course. And I think that luck also helps -- and keeping your eye open of course.

[Ray Jones]

I was born and live in Berlin, Germany.

 

I only left my country once for Czechoslovakia and once for Spain, and four times for the British Island to go to Eastbourne, Brighton, Harrington, and for a bike trip mostly though Wales with two of my brethren, my dad and uncle about 700 km down the Atlantic coast starting from Liverpool:

 

Guess which of the strong, well shaped, young men aged 14, 15 and 17 is me. ^^

[Gabez]

The one on the right?

 

That's a lovely photo - I'd like to go to that place m'self.

 

Did you like Wales?

 

I've only been to Germany once -- to Berlin fior a week. I thought it a very vibrant and interesting city! I'd like to go back, but I'd also like to visit the German countryside and castles. See where all those fairytales came from.

[neon_git]

I'm going to go for the one in the middle, the one who appears to be wearing a skirt.

 

I spent a weekend in Berlin but I have to say it wasn't really worth going for such a short period of time - I hardly got to see anything, and what I did see was all the touristy places. I definately plan to go back some time, anything that you'd recommend seeing?

[Ray Jones]

Wrong and wrong. ^^ The right one is the second oldest, and the one with short trousers is the third oldest of us. I'm the one on the left, whose legs look a bit like Goofy's I just recognised. It's around June/July 1993 btw. I mean 14 years...didn't realise it's that long ago.

 

Wales is great, especially for a bike trip. Less great was that one day we drove like 80 km uphill. I also have a photo of Llanfair P.G. train station somewhere but somehow there are the only two photos of the whole trip that I could find. Fortunately my uncle is supposed to have them all since he took them and he's a photo nerd. Oh and what I found really cool was, we drove along that canyon, and suddenly two colourful painted F-5 jets (I think) appeared and did some acrobatic flight training there, diving into the canyon, shooting out again and stuff. I could like take a look into their cockpits. Whoa.

 

I've only been to Germany once -- to Berlin fior a week. I thought it a very vibrant and interesting city! I'd like to go back, but I'd also like to visit the German countryside and castles. See where all those fairytales came from.

In Potsdam near Berlin we have Sanssouci Palace which is pretty awesome. Also my grandma lives near Castle of Schwerin, where you can see a huge and impressive collection of weapons and hunting equipment a couple of hundred years old. On a class trip to the UK we visited an old castle containing similar stuff, including amour and very old books. Can't remember the name though. When you want the total countryside style, for pure relaxation or some walks through nature go to the Schwarzwald, Harz or Mecklenburg.

 

 

I spent a weekend in Berlin but I have to say it wasn't really worth going for such a short period of time - I hardly got to see anything, and what I did see was all the touristy places. I definately plan to go back some time, anything that you'd recommend seeing?

Oh, we love all the tourists at all those touristy places. As for recommendations, hmhm. What have you seen already? What are you interested in? Some folks come to live Berlin by night, some come just to see the town. We have this Nazi time crap, an "ancient" atomic bunker in the city, museums, and of course...partey!

[neon_git]

Oh, we love all the tourists at all those touristy places.

 

Yeah, I'm not really into that sort of stuff, but I was with my friends and it's what they wanted to see so ... what can you do? I don't generally like to go out and party all night when I go travelling, I can do that anywhere and the experience is usually pretty similar. I'm more into the culture of places; I love historical museums, and I understand Berlin is supposed to have some pretty good art museums too. I tend to steer clear of the nazi type stuff, I went to the nazi museum in Nürnberg where they held all the rallies and that was way more than enough for me. I got through about 2/3 of it and I just had to leave I felt so sick.

[Joshi]

Originaly, Northampton, England, but right now, Sunderland.

[itchythesamurai]

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, currently attending university in Austin, Texas. I spend my summers in Singapore though, if that makes up for it.

[neon_git]

I spend my summers in Singapore

 

Oh that's really cool, do you have family out there or something? I don't really know much about Texas beyond the sterotype of people with big hats and guns, do people have big hats and guns? I'll be very upset if they don't.

[Ray Jones]

Oh, he he, be assured Mr. Samurai here owns a very beautiful and impressive gun.

 

It's handmade.

 

Several times per day.

 

 

But no hat. No. His golden, arm long, flowing hair needs air to breathe.

[itchythesamurai]

Some people have big hats and guns, not me though. I'm more of a sharp and pointy objects kind of guy.

 

And my parents are in Singapore for my dad's work.

 

Incidentally, how'd you know that I'm not a hat person, Ray??

[Sven_Q45]

I am from Schwaikheim, Germany. Near Stuttgart. Southern Germany

[Ray Jones]

Germany, hm.

 

"Mir Schwäble könne allesch, nua kee hochdeeusch."

 

Incidentally, how'd you know that I'm not a hat person, Ray??

Don't know, female intuition?

 

 

 

What's your dad's job, inchy? Is he rich or something? Will he pay the money when I fake kidnap you and we gonna hide in Hawaii, doing drinks and girls?

[Shmargin]

Everett, WA its near Seattle and all of Microsofts evilness.

 

Lived in Las Cruces, NM for about 5 years, until recently, but was born in rainy Everett.

[itchythesamurai]

We're upper middle-class. He's in the oil industry, I think his title is something along the lines of Senior Principal Financial Engineer. Really a glorified accountant is all. I'm always game for your schemes, El Ray!

[Shmargin]

Ah yes, I remember upper-middle class...

 

Then I moved out, and now, I would say "lower class" fits my life now. At least it feels like it. My son lives a first class life though, the kid owns more clothes and toys than I do, and I have a 24 year head start....

 

But I still occasionally mooch off of mom and dad.

 

Wait, why am I posting here instead of Samandmax.net....And why am I posting in someone else's conversation...

[Thriftweed_]

London! England!

 

Originally from Lancashire, North England.

 

I'm from London, England too..

 

Originally from Staffordshire. :- P

[neon_git]

Nottinghamshire, England, UK.

Lancashire, North England.

Lancashire

Staffordshire

 

Looking at the evidence, I don't think I can get so angry now when Americans think we all live like Hobbits.

 

My county is Buckinghamshire by the way. :S

[Sven_Q45]

Germany, hm.

 

"Mir Schwäble könne allesch, nua kee hochdeeusch."

Yes.

 

Aber ich kann hochdeutsch.

[Gabez]

Did somebody say "Aber"?

 

What does that word mean in German?

[Emma]

It means 'but'.

 

But I think in terms of British geography in towns, i.e. Aberdeen, Aberystwyth, Abertawe it means 'over' followed by the river the town/city is on.

 

As for me, I live in Cardiff, Wales, though I am from the north-east of Scotland.

[neon_git]

Did somebody say "Aber"?

 

What does that word mean in German?

 

Yeah that confused the **** out of me went I went to Germany. It's pronounced Ar - ber rather than Ab - er, at least in Bavaria. Maybe a real German could comment on what it's like in whatever the German equivalent of RP is. I know there's a few knocking about ...

[Sven_Q45]

Yeah that confused the ****

The **** what?

 

Bavaria is not Germany, Bavaria is Bavaria. No that was a joke. Bavaria is Germany.

I say a-ber.

 

And what is a "equivalent"?

 

Wikipedia:

"Aber and Inver as place-name elements

 

Aber comes from a Brythonic word meaning confluence or river mouth and appears in Welsh, Scottish and Breton place names. Standing alone, it is the popular short form of the following Welsh place names:

 

* Abergwyngregyn

* Aberystwyth"

 

and:

 

"Other

 

* Aber Diamond, a Canadian diamond mining company.

* Aber is also the name of a company that makes photo-etched brass detailing sets for model military vehicles.

* Aber is the German word for "but".

* ABER is an abbreviation for abduction with external rotation, an important position of the arm for MR imaging of the shoulder

* ABER can also be an abbreviation for abercrombie"

[neon_git]

Bavaria is not Germany, Bavaria is Bavaria.

 

Joke or not, you have no idea how many times I've had this conversation with someone from Bavaria. I don't know if this is representative of the views of the majority, but so many people down there say Bavaria should be independent from Germany as a whole. And Franconia should be cut off from Bavaria too.

 

Anyway, by a "German equivalent of RP" I mean the correct way to pronounce things in German. In English, for example, we have Recieved Pronounciation (RP) also known as the Queen's English. This is how rich/posh people talk and it is considered to be correct. Since I learned German in Bavaria I have a Bavarian accent and I don't know "Proper German". Which is why I suggested I could be wrong.

 

EDIT: I guess that would be the hochdeutsch you were talking about earlier.

[Sven_Q45]

Hochdeutsch is not only for rich people. It´s an accent. Hochdeutsch is the "normal" german, that you find in an english-german/german-english, spanish-german/german-spanish, french-german/german-french and so on... diktionary. Or in a book, movie or what else.

 

@Bavaria

Yes, i know, but you can´t chance it. Bavaria belongs to Germany. But it WAS own. From 555 to 1871. Since 1871 it belongs to the German Reich. Today Germany. Since 1949 it belongs to the Federal Republic of Germany.