2011 The Last Hurrah

As I read the last of the year posts by my buddies at WordPress I marvel at all they have accomplished and their memories of 2011 which then prompted me to look at my own adventures. My year, like most, included events that were happy, sad, miraculous, mundane, motivational and the odd time downright irritating, and or downright silly. All in all I am not sad to be bidding adieu to the year as a whole.

So in as few words as possible and as many languages as possible (just to make sure you get the message 2011:

　

Goodbye – English

creole- ba bye

Farewell – English (formal)

Bye – English (casual)

totsiens / tot siens – Afrikaans (standard)

tot weersiens – Afrikaans (informal)

tot wederom – Afrikaans (informal)

wederdom – Afrikaans (informal)

koebaai – Afrikaans (informal; derived from English “Good-Bye”)

ghoebaai – Afrikaans (informal; derived from English “Good-Bye”)

baai – Afrikaans (informal; derived from English “Bye”)

arriewarie – Afrikaans (informal; folk etymology from “Au revoir“)

tatta / tata – Afrikaans (children’s language)

vaarwel – Afrikaans (formal)

elalleqa – Arabic

khodaa haafez _ persian

aabar dekha hobey – Bengali

Donadagohvi – Cherokee

Hagoonea’ – Navajo

Ahoj – Czech

Ja ne /

・ｶ・・・ﾋ (informal) – Japanese

Ja mata ne /

・ｶ・・・ﾜ・ｽ・ﾋ (formal) – Japanese

Sayonara /

・ｳ・・・ﾈ・・ (if you will not see them for a long time) – Japanese

Auf Wiedersehen – German

Bis dann – German

Tschüss – German

Ade – German

Tschau – German

Bis Spater (Bis Schpaater)- German

Viszlát! – Hungarian

Arrivederci – Italian

Addio – Italian

Ciao – Italian

Buona sera – Italian

Adieu – French [add-ee-uh] (farewell) very formal

Au Revoir – French (aw reh-VWAH)

À bientôt – French (see you later)(ah bee-EN-toe)

À demain – French (see you tomorrow)(ah deh-MAN)

Hejdå – Swedish

Aloha – Hawaiian

Le’hitraot – Hebrew

Shalom – Hebrew

Aavajo – Gujarati

Punha Bhetu – Marathi

Sampai Jumpa – Indonesian

Adios – Spanish

Paalam – Filipino

Zai Jian – Chinese, Mandarin

Zoi Geen (the “g” is pronounced like geek) – Chinese, Cantonese

Farvel – Danish

Namaste (same as hello) – Hindi ( this video shows you how to pronounce namaste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXlcpjgyrOg )

Fir Milenge (see you) – Hindi

Alvida (Goodbye, bit formal) – Hindi

Ayo – Papiamentu

Rub Rakha – Punjabi

Feri bhetaula (lit. we’ll meet again) – Nepali

Do zobaczenia (see you) – Polish

Żegnaj – Polish

Adeus – Portuguese

Tchau – Portuguese

Do svidan’ya/До Свидания (until we meet again, formal)- Russian

Poka/Пока (pronounced pa-ka, informal) – Russian

Do vstrechi/До Встречи (until we meet again) – Russian

Selamat jalan – Malay

Selamat tinggal – Malay

Tot ziens – Dutch

Dag – Dutch

Doei – Dutch

????

– Chinese

Yasou (YAH-soo) – Greek

Hwyl fawr – Welsh

Annyeonghi Kyeseyo(if the person you’re talking to isn’t leaving) – Korean

Anyeonghi Gasyeo(if the person you’re talking to is leaving) – Korean

Näkemiin (See you) – Finnish

Hyvästi (Farewell) – Finnish

Hasta La Vista (see you later) – Spanish

Adios – Spanish

Te veo despues – Spanish

Vale- Latin (to one person)

Valete- Latin (to more than one person)

La revedere – Romanian

Veloma – Malagasy

Sige la – Pangasinan

Khuda Hafiz – Urdu

zai jian – Chinese

Ha det bra – Norwegian

Ha det – Norwegian

Sees – Norwegian

Snakkes – Norwegian

Vida parayunnu – Malayalam

Vidaiperukiren – Tamil (very formal, in fact no one uses this)

Ok maams – Tamil (very informal, use with mates only)

Poitu Vaarein (Taking leave but will visit again)- Tamil (standard fare)

Vaarein (Will come again) – Tamil short for Poitu Vaarein

Slan – Irish

Aavajo – Gujarati

Чао – Macedonian

Doviđenja – Croatian (litteraly means “Until we see again”)

Bog – Croatian ( litteraly means “God”, but can be pronounced Bok! so it is differencianised from the word “God”)

Ćao – Croatian ( Primarily used in Coastal Croatia, because of it location very close to Italy, where you would say “Ciao” and the prounanciation of Ciao and Ćao are similar, if not the same)

Mattae Sigona – Kannada (Used for meet you again sometime)

Chao – Serbian/Bulgarian

Nawatha hamu wemu – Sinhalese (This means “Catch you later”)

Subha dawasak – Sinhalese (This means “Have a nice day”)

Nasvidenje – Slovene (Formal)

Adijo – Slovene (Bye)

Čav – Slovene (Also čao and is pronounced as italian ciao

　

Thanks to: http://www.wikihow.com/Say-Goodbye-in-Several-Different-Languages

I Got Waylaid

I Got Waylaid

The Help

At precisely 3:45 pm yesterday I picked up the book ‘The Help’.  This was one of three I bought a couple of weeks ago and left it for the last primarily because the other two authors were established favorites.  I read ‘The Help’ largely because so many friends recommended it aware that it might just be fashionable because of the subject matter and hype.

A few sentences into the book I stopped, wondering if an editor had done a particularly poor job.  Rereading I discovered this was the tone and language and decided to continue through at least the first chapter.

Then it happened….I was so gone, immersed in Kathryn Stockett’s world of the southern sixties and I did not come up for air until 5pm today when I finished it.

Midnight came and common sense demanded I sleep.  Shut off the light for all of five minutes.  Woke up this morning determined not to touch the book until affairs of the day were looked after.  This was a day for running around chores and the book went with for it all.  I read in line and at the restaurant I lunched at.

‘The Help’ is gripping right down to the last sentence.  There wasn’t one paragraph or page I skipped through lightly.  This is my WOW book of the year!

It got me thinking about how social change takes place and how all the small things that seem small at the time become part of an unimaginable result.  It made me wonder if I have ever contributed anything to social or environmental change.  Social change occurs through rebellion, refusing to accept the status quo and I have had times of such but I am not sure it had a favorable impact on anything or anybody.  Oh….of course none of those Mississippi folk had any idea of their impact either…hmmmm…maybe…just maybe.

10 Please Come Back TV Shows for Mama Kat

Well that Mama Kat hit it pretty good this week with her list of prompts which includes 10 TV shows you’d like to see back. I figure the list will reflect the age of each blogger and therein lays a lot of the fun!
 
My Wish List is:
 
1). Annie Oakley 1954-1957 and starred Gail Davis as a big sister to Tagg her brother who were orphaned and lived in Diablo Arizona with their uncle who was the sheriff. That girl could ride, shoot and each week captured some outlaws all the while wearing exactly the same fringed cowgirl outfit and being adored by the deputy Lofty. She was savvy, smart, and set a pretty good standard for young girls everywhere.
 
2). Father Knows Best 1954-1960 and starred Robert Young as the all wise Jim Anderson. Jim and his wife Margaret parented Bud, Princess and Kitten. Both parents and children made mistakes and learned from them and each show taught us something about values. It’s funny that I heard criticism in later years that this series created unrealistic expectations for those of us growing up. I guess it was better to have shows like Married ..with Children that taught kids and parents to be rude, crude and mouthy.
 
3). The Ed Sullivan Show ran for an incredible 23 years from 1948-1971. We watched it every Sunday night. Other than the jugglers and plate spinners it was the best entertainment anywhere. That’s where I first saw Elvis, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones. No chat just pure live performance.
 

 

4). I love Lucy in it’s original purest form ran from 1951-1957. What’s not to like…ditzy wife, good looking husband stirred together with the original BFFs Fred and Ethel.
 

 

5). Bonanza 1959-1973 starred Lorne Greene as Pa Cartwright with 3 adult sons; Adam, Hoss and Little Joe. Every teenage girl loved Little Joe but I never went for the obvious cute guys. It was Adam, Pernell Roberts dark and brooding in black that rang my chimes and covered my bedroom wall and ceiling.
 
6). The Andy Griffith Show 1960-1968 was just such a laid back wholesome break with Andy, Opie, Aunt Bee and Barney at the core. Barney as Andy’s deputy could not be trusted with a loaded weapon and was allowed to carry only one bullet – in his pocket.
 

 

7). Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In 1968-1973 was the best consistently comedic show of all time and truly was a laugh in. We got to meet Goldie Hawn for the first time and added new phrases to our every day language like, Sock it to me, Verrry interesting and Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls.
 
8). The Saint, The Avengers, The Man from U.N.C.L.E All classy spy and anti spy adventures! Whatever happened to class and finesse??
 

 

9). Hawaii Five O 1968-1980 the original with Steve McGarrett sayingBook em Danno weekly. Nice scenery, nice cops.

 

 
 
10). Ben Casey 1961-1968 with Vince Edwards made hospital whites very very hot as well as a large portion of the female audience.
 

 

 

Thanks Mama Kat what a nice trip down memory lane!

Castle to Dubai=Checkmate -Winning Moves

 
Wisdom comes to us in many forms. It may be an epiphany, gut, inspirational, learned, or it may be the pure luck of finding wise women and men who cross our paths and we in our own wisdom are smart enough to linger and learn.
 
There are a lot of purveyors of wisdom out there. Most make sense although not always, most are inspiring but not always and a few actually emulate what they preach. A few walk the walk, talk the talk and believe, not just telling us but showing us, living the message, not preaching the message.

Susan is

 
These unique individuals live the ‘Why’ of Simon Sinek knowing it is not just the ‘what’ or the ‘how’ of what we do but the why and being able to communicate the why. (check him out on Youtube)
 
Susan Castle is Susan The Coach at susanthecoach.wordpress.com and at
www.outwiththedots.com .

Susan is

 
Having the privilege of handing out awards of recognition to fifteen people over the next couple of weeks I have taken a little twist on tradition by listing seven things about each awardee. I wouldn’t know where to begin for fear of minimizing the greatness contained there in.
 
Instead I have copied a comment Susan sent to me regarding my post on integrating into a new culture, which really has nothing to do with empowering people…to unconventional wisdom, but is a good introduction to Susan the person. No crazy hype here just wisdom on becoming. If you do just one nice thing for yourself today then click on the links.
 
Submitted on 2011/06/29 at 3:48 am
Moving to Dubai from Edinburgh was a huge culture shock but not as hard as it could have been because, even though its not the official language (Arabic is), English (or at least some form of it) is the universal language here! I arrived in July to temperatures of 46 degrees centigrade, on the day I left Scotland it was hovering soggily just above 10!! At least the sogginess was familiar – humidity was over 75%!
The great thing about Dubai is that 85% of the people here are expats – we’re all in the same boat so for the most part everyone is very open to new friendships. The less great thing is if you’re not careful you can end up stuck in a group of your compatriots and never really experience the wonderful diversity that Dubai offers.

Susan is

 
Congratulations Susan for being consistently Versatile, Stylish and Irresistible!

How Well Would You Integrate Into a Foreign Culture?

Some folk now and then will pull up roots and head off to some foreign land. I did it in the mid nineties without realizing it was truly a foreign land when I headed off to Texas.  I know, I know. How different can Texas be for a Canadian girl?  I figured since it was the same land mass and we all spoke English it could not be too different.  But it was.

 Locals for the first few months continually corrected my pronunciations of just about every word out of my mouth. Within a few months I was fitting in pretty good and the only give away that I was Canadian, or so I was told, is that I used the phrase ‘out and about’.  I embraced all things Texan and even though I have been back on Canadian soil for a few years I left a big part of my heart there in that fabulous state.

 But what about people that settle into strange lands and languages not even remotely related to their natural backgrounds?  I guess you can do it kicking and screaming or you take hold and launch yourself forward to enjoy, embrace, laugh, screw up, and then blog about the whole thing, taking all your readers into the adventure with you.

 As you know this is day three of my handing out awards to fifteen bloggers.  There are three awards, The Stylish Blogger Award, The Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award and the Versatile Blogger.

The previous two winners were:

Colleen Brown at bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com

Tricia The Domestic Fringe found at http://thedomesticfringe.com/

 Even though today’s blogger has awards and FP falling out of her pores I absolutely have to recognize her great work.

She is Emily Cannell at amblerangel.Wordpress.com

She is Stylish

 My twist on giving out the awards (in addition to one day at a time) is that I will list seven things about her without trying to make stuff up!

She is Irresistible

 1)     She and her family really are in Japan.  Reasons unknown but a good thing for all of us.

2)     I first found her when the earthquakes hit and her ‘Hey from Japan – Notes on Moving’ became ‘Hey from Japan – We are being shaken and stirred’. Which gave all of us a rare inside look at what was happening.

3)     She has a section on her site called ‘Culture Lessons Learned the Hard Way’ that can’t be missed

4)     Her site has had 50.222+ hits

5)     She Hurdles down rivers

6)     She has embraced different art forms and is not shy about showing her own results

7)     Her family is depicted as The Clampitts.

 Above all she is brave, (I probably would have left if not at the first shake then at the Nuclear problems that ensued after), she is eternally funny and the girl has heart!

 

She is always Versatile!

Congratulations Emily!  I am happy to follow you anywhere…at a safe distance of course!

Headlines – “J.K. Rowling thinks of Harry Potter series as an ex-lover.”

JK hearts HP

“J.K. Rowling thinks of Harry Potter series as an ex-lover.”
 
“J.K. Rowling has just announced plans to launch a new interactive website Pottermore and she admitted working on site was like “casually dating” a former lover.”
 
This was reported on CTV this weekend and is probably one of the best attention getting lines I have seen for awhile. I miss the drama of good headlines and the only attempts today seem to be mags like the Enquirer and those we distrust as the lure is usually entirely fake to induce you to purchase said mag.
 
Okay, OneStop news may have the idea with today’s headline –http://onestop-news.com/june-27-2011-large-asteroid-approach-earth/925273.html/
But that too proves just a lure since it is 17,700 km away which seems very far away but in the world heavenly bodies it is really close, so I guess it is lure with substance.
 
That’s what I am talking about- Lure with Substance’. If you are going to reel me in let it at least be for a feast not just a fish sandwich.
 
When did we lose the drama of headlines that promise and then deliver? For that matter when did we lose the romance of words? As a child when I read The Greats I treasured each rambling descriptive phrase that evoked passion. Then writing took a turn for “cleaner” which doesn’t take away from a great story but it does absent ‘the flourish’, at least in my mind.
 
The one place where the drama for headlines does flourish is at WordPress.com and I’m loving it!
 
Just a few:
Who couldn’t love-
1) Break ins, Burglaries and Butterscotch Ice Cream. http://mjcache.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/break-ins-burglaries-and-butterscotch-ice-cream/
Just Freshly Pressed!
 
2) My Meeting With an Angelic Serial Killer http://thedomesticfringe.com/#!/entry/6247
 
3). Little Lamb, Mary reunite after falling out http://cassiebehle.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/262/
 
4). The Innocent Tunnel.
http://sumpix.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/the-innocent-tunnel/
 
5) Hurdling Down the Hozu-gawa River- Grandmama and Offspring In Tow
http://amblerangel.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/hurdling-down-the-hozu-gawa-river-grandmama-and-offspring-in-tow/
 
I could list forever but you know what I mean!

Awards For a Job Well Done Beginning with Colleen’s Chatter Blog

What do awards count for?  What is their value?

I have been very fortunate at WordPress.com to meet an incredible group of people who each day takes to the keyboard to share parts of their lives, parts of themselves.  We have a delightful award system to recognize each other and to say thank you.

 

Irresistibley sweet

The idea is to accept the award, link back to the giver (me), post seven things about you, and to pass it on to 15 others.   The fifteen is time consuming but I want to do it justice.

 Some folk find it difficult to take the time because of busy schedules.  In the past I have selected fifteen and perhaps only heard from two or three.  What is important is that you have the award and may post it on your site (something I still cannot figure out how to do).  Even if you are unable to pass it on, you have still earned it.

 

stylish blogger

I have three awards given me by Elizabeth at Mirth and Motivation eof737.wordpress.com

Elizabeth, is one of those who is my daily inspiration whose site provides common sense doable strategies for living.

 My goal is to pass on these awards to one person daily.  There are people who have already won some of these and while I will be looking for new people I must still recognize others who regardless of previous awards cannot be left out.

 The first of these is Colleen’s Chatter Blog found at bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com

You will have to visit her site to see how this hardworking, hard running Irish woman who believes she is not witty but loves humour views every day life in Ohio.

 

versatile blogger

Congratulations Colleen!  Enjoy!

 Oh and my seven secrets?  I will post separately!

Friday! Freshly Pressed and Ailing Bloggers

Friday! Fresh Pressed and Ailing Bloggers!
 
Yes folks it’s Friday. Make of that what you will. Me when I was working I hated Fridays, having started my week with lofty goals, making Mondays wonderful, and having to face not reaching them 100% made Fridays my least fav day.
 
Freshly Pressed
But this is a day of joy for two of my fav bloggers made FP again! I have only been blogging with sincere dedication since March and both of these heroes in print have done it twice since then. I know, I know, there are some of you who have won more than that, as your humble brags pointed out. Well, if I were ever chosen I would do the humble brag too!
 
HEY FROM JAPAN – NOTES ON MOVING EMILY CANNELL
 
http://amblerangel.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/can-the-tokyo-tower-entertain-two-teenagers-a-driver-a-mom-and-a-senior-citizen/
 
Get used to the name because you are going to hear more of it. Emily shakes us up regularly with her optimistic and very humorous yet often not working out just right approach to life in Japan. Probably a side effect to the widespread damaging earthquakes she experienced and blogged on so successfully getting her first FP. I was pretty new then and could not figure out what her congratulatory comments about FP were.
The link to her most recent victory is above and is spectacular!!
And her first win?

 http://amblerangel.wordpress.com/category/were-being-shaken-and-stirred-in-japan/
 
THE GOOD GREATSBY PAUL JOHNSON is another up and coming name.
With your host Paul Johnson, a man whose mother raved about his comedic writing talents, describing his work as, ‘I don’t get it,’ and ‘Is the page with the funny part missing?’ I suspect that Paul has been a multiple winner but suffers from a severe case of humility so does not brag on the fact – much.
 
His first (that I saw) is:
Things I Carry in My Pocket for the Sole Purpose of Confusing the Police in the Event of My Untimely Death which was a killer post hahaha
http://thegoodgreatsby.com/2011/04/07/things-i-carry-in-my-pocket-for-the-sole-purpose-of-confusing-the-police-in-the-event-of-my-untimely-death/
 
His most recent is…http://thegoodgreatsby.com/2011/06/21/your-summer-swimsuit-strategy/
If you are not in reasonably good health I am not sure this material is for you as you are in danger of splitting a gut, rolling on the floor or performing a bladder voiding act due to laughter. Not ordinary laughter here folks and his site should come labeled with a warning – have your bladder checked or wear Depends, cause you are going to need it!
PS just a hint..his last pic in the swimsuit is not him..I can verify this as I happen to know he is addicted to a certain smoking jacket and would never wear anything else swimming!
 
I am so excited for these two mostly because I am in awe and learn from both and secondly I feel like I have a symbiotic relationship with them. Take that how you will but it means I get to bask in their glory by virtue of association!

And they get to use this button:

For the FP

 
Home For Ailing Bloggers
My dear friend and cohort in trying to navigate the waters of blogging, which will eventually end up on FP, Colleen Brown, and I have been under the weather. Sick you might say – me much worse of course as she has youth on her side so is stronger. She lives somewhere in a state not far from me and I think, as a nurse that I should offer to come down and care for her. Colleen all I require is a first class ticket to Paris, then Rome then to whatever your airport is locally. I just have to come up with a reason why I need this flight when she is probably only five or six hours away from me by car.
So please look her up and comment and help her get to FP at
http://bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com/
 
Oh I’m calling the Home for Ailing Bloggers THE LAST CHAPTER! Get it? Anyone? Anyone?

Bridgesburning is Comment Weary

Bridgesburning is Comment Weary

 

I love to read blogs and when someone takes the time to write their thoughts I love to comment. It’s an affirmation of your work. 

 The comment sections are driving me crazy with having to fill in so much information that has cut my commenting time way down.  Way down.  Actually the time is the same but the comments are fewer.

 Jumping hoops to comment?  I know much of it is to cut down on spam but holy cow!  There are some I try to comment on and then for some reason it won’t go so I just give up.  By the time I fill in my name, email and site I have forgotten what my brilliant comment was.

 Next I suppose we will have to provide photo ID to comment, or a blood test to prove we are human, or DNA at a cost of course.

 I am enjoying your posts but time is of the essence.  The ideal?  Comment, hit the button and move on.

 So to all of you I may not get to:

Great post! 

I’m with you on that!

Wow! That’s incredible!

Really? I didn’t know that.

Great pics I love what you did with light!

You made my day!

What a lovely tribute!

 Well back to commenting.  Today it was Mama Kats Prompts and I want to hit everyone but alas I won’t.  Nuts.  But y’all keep writing and I will find a way to comment!

An Open Letter to Stephenie Meyer – Twilight Saga, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, The Illustrated Guide and Midnight Sun

Stephenie Meyer

An Open Letter to Stephenie Meyer -Twilight Saga, The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner, and The Illustrated Guide and Midnight Sun
 
Dear Ms. Meyer. ..no …Dear Stephenie, (since I feel I know you in a personal way..not weird mind you, just ….no it may be a bit weird…but just in the most complimentary way.)
 
I visited your website again today, this time to search for an email addy as I wish to say a few words to you. Unfortunately your Webmaster Seth, who by the way is doing a great job, says you do not have an addy for fans.
 
Perhaps you could correct that although I do understand the reasons, so perhaps I should revise that suggestion and request instead just the teensiest little email strictly for my use only.
 
I will try to be concise as I know or can imagine how busy you are.
 
1) I find it of great interest that your books are targeted for YA (young adults). To put your mind at ease I assure you that even though I have a few decades on you I am young never having grown up. You do know there is a huge older audience that read, enjoy and perhaps are equally addicted. Speaking for myself anyway. Your stories are timeless and your characters are living beings that have become family.
 
2) I have read every book a number of times and was glad to see the Illustrated Guide. Your interview at the beginning is the best part. I picked up Twilight yet again and read from Chapter thirteen first imagining what it was like to start there with the meadow scene.
 
3) My son who is in his thirty’s says, “Mom, you know they are seventeen.” As though love, passion, intrigue and conflict should only mean something to YA. But it is ageless as are The Cullens et al.
 
The reason for this has to do with your discussion that as you write a sequel the public begins to create what they think the next story will be. It becomes their story and so when the next book comes out some may be surprised or even taken aback.
 
I for one make no assumptions. I trust you as the creator and what comes is meant to be. I simply embrace it. That’s pretty much all I had to say.

Now I doubt your schedule allows the time to peruse hundreds of thousands of WordPress.com blogs just to search for me, but if any of my readers know you personally, or anyone of your extended large family, then I ask you to pass this on.
 
Sincerely,
Chris King (No relation to Stephen, although he did trust me with his email addy. Well me and the whole world.)
And I am: Bridgesburning.wordpress.com
Just in case you did want to take a peek!