Introductions and Welcomes Showing 1,451-1,500 of 2,568

[Hill]

Hi everyone.I am a student in China.My major is Chinese Language and Literature.But my English isn't good enough.So I want to make friend from other countries and improve my English.If anyone is interested in Chinese Culture or wants to teach me your language,I will be happy.

[Ken, Moderator]

Welcome, Hill. We're happy to speak English with you. It's our specialty. In fact, most of us specialize so much that we speak nothing BUT English.

Debbie is in charge of the Queen's English (as spoken in England, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) and I am in charge of the Rebels' English (as spoken in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and a few other states around here).

Also, we have another member who is in China and checks in here as well. Good friend of Debs', in fact!

[Carol]

Hill welcome to the world of English speaking people , who joke around a lot. You will pick up all the idioms and idiots you could ever want .

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Ha! Well said Carol! Hello Hill.....Robyn IS a good friend of mine and she is teaching in Beijing! Big place, I know, but have you met? (Joke)!

[Ginny]

Hi! I'm Ginny ( hello, btw, Lord woolfie, from another group I'm in; I am NOT stalking u!). I live in Michigan and I freelance interpret for the deaf. i will be interpreting an English class this summer for a deaf client (as well as tutoring her in the subject!). I've been signing for about 20 years.

[Ken, Moderator]

Welkommen, Ginny. Your arrival is a good sign!

[Carol]

This is a sign for the future welcome Ginny.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Hi Ginny....have we met before?

[Ginny]

Ba da doom doom ching! My favorite'sign' joke is when I have to sign documents. People will say 'sign here, please' to which, of course, I have to do it, I sign 'here'. I easily amuse and humor myself. Thank u for the nice welcomes! Debbie, I'm not sure if we have met; I don't think so, but it's nice meeting u now!

[BD]

Hi I'm Zainab... but people tent to call me BD... I live in Australia but my background is Burmese... Hi Ginny Hi Woolfie (i like Ginny are not stalking you either :-P)

[Hill]

Hi everybody.My English is so poor that i have to look up some woods in dictionary.Forgive me maybe i can't understand your all meaning.However,i am so happy that many people reply me and you guys are so friendly.Actually ,i am a little surprised.
oh,i am a student in Beijing language and culture university.Now i'm trying to study English harder.

p.s. maybe you don't know there is a similar web site in China:www.douban.com(i don't if it's copy GOODREADER.Actually,it's a good web site in China,where there are lots of inferior web sites.)

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi Zainab. Welcome to L&G. Say hi to Ginny and Woolfie when you see them.

Hi Hill. Your English is good, considering you are just learning it. It is much better than my Chinese!

And I understand exactly what you mean when you say there are a lot of inferior web sites in China. Unfortunately, your country is not a big fan of free speech (as exemplified by the Internet).

[Carol]

Welcome Zainab and Hill.

[Hill]

Hi Carol~
Thank you ,Newenglang.I hope you can point out my language mistakes if i say anything in a wrong way.
As you all know,where i live is not a free land and it's undeveloped.This society has lots of problems in its economy ,politics, education,etc.Everyday i can find much uncomfortable appearance.For example ,we have just one "party" with about 79,000,000 members and it claims we have a good freedom and democracy...i love this country,but i am also sad because many people bring it into a wrong way.What's more,a great amount of Chinese aren't aware of this.
Maybe what i said is not clear enough.Above all,the real situation in China is not easy to be know by foreigners.

[Hill]

Last Sunday i had listened to BBC news report.Its speaking was too fast for me to understand...

[Cassandra]

Hello, I'm Cassandra. I hail from a small town in Minnesota. I'll be 20 in seven days, and I'll be spending it at one of the many lakes we have in this state.

I live in a beautiful house with my boyfriend and our mutual friend, Alisha. We have two kittens, Chucky and Lily. I also practically live at my parents' still because I visit them every day. They have five cats (Sam, Macbeth, Stripes, Prince, and Princess), a dog (Buddy), and 150+ fish. Sam, Macbeth, and Buddy are mine but unfortunately I can't bring them home with me.

I taught myself how to read when I was five. In no time at all, I surpassed all of my classmates in reading skills, and that's what I became known for: being the book nerd of the school. I'm not quite sure why they thought it would insult me - I'm proud to be a book nerd.

Some other things I enjoy are journaling; going on long walks; languages; history; and music. I have a very eclectic taste in music.

[Carol]

Welcome to you . A breathe of fresh air to the repartee.

[Jonathan]

Welcome, Cassandra! I was out in your part of Minnesota a few months ago (in St. Peter) and thought it was just beautiful--must be even nicer now that the weather has warmed up.

[Cassandra]

Today it's muggy, hot, and just plain gross. But generally, it is very nice.

[Jonathan]

If it's any consolation, the East Coast is plenty hot right now too.

[Cassandra]

Is the sky threatening to rain cats and dogs?

[Carol]

We are down right chilly today on the West Coast( So. Cal.)We could use a little of your sunshine. Maybe later today the sun will peek out.

[Cassandra]

I can't offer you any sunshine. Not today. We're supposed to get some rain later. Maybe even a thunderstorm or two.

As if Minnesota didn't get enough thunder and lightning last week. At least today there won't be any tornadoes.

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi Cassandra -- Saw you on some other threads. Never been to Minnesota, but used to watch Mary Tyler Moore's show (joke -- only the intro was filmed in Minneapolis).

Anyway, I, too, am off for the lakes, only in Maine, and on Wednesday. I'll be off-line for a few weeks I think.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Noooooooooo.....take your laptop.....we need your pre-dawn lakeside musings.......

[Ken, Moderator]

Oh, I'm taking it, but I'm arranging for high-speed internet instead of maddening dial-up and the engineers have to connect it to the pine tree outside my camp. THAT, they claim, may take a few weeks. Guess I should've placed the order sooner.

[Carol]

So you are going 21st century finally.

[Cassandra]

I always find it so hard to believe that people still use dial-up.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Ahem.....I am on dial-up at home......

[Carol]

Are you isolated Debbie, like NE? We had dial-up a few years ago,but we switched because three people on the computer at various times made for no phone calls coming through.

[Ruth]

I had dialup for years and years in Redlands. Cable didn't come our way and we were too far from the phone company for DSL.

[Cassandra]

Heh. Sorry about that, Debbie.

[Ken, Moderator]

I have been isolated most of my life -- usually for misbehavior.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

If New Zealand can be considered isolated! Broadband is readily available here in my area and my daughter has been hassling me to get it for a few months (because it annoys her that she can't ring me when I am online!) I might do it these holidays if someone can be found to hold my hand and talk me through it!

[Carol]

It is so much better and faster Debbie. We upped our speed to 6mbs so we could play movies on line from netflix. If you are not going to be doing that, then 3 should be enough.

[Ken, Moderator]

Once you see Paree, you won't go back to the farm....

[Jonathan]

No need to. The farmers have brought the countryside to Paree.



The Young French Farmers Association recently "brought the sights and scents of the countryside to Paris as its members covered a long stretch of the Champs-Élysée with miniature fields of wheat and sunflower."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/wor...

[Ruth]

Debbie wrote: "If New Zealand can be considered isolated! Broadband is readily available here in my area and my daughter has been hassling me to get it for a few months (because it annoys her that she can't ring ..."

Before we had cable, we had two phone lines. One for us, one for the computer. And Debbie, you don't need hand-holding. All you should have to do is call the cable company and write the check.

[Isabella]

Hi- my name is Isabella and I am a Goodreads newbie! I joinded this grup becasue I am interested in . . .
Yeah. No really, I am interested in knowing more about correct grammar, so that perhaps I will be able to successfully edit my writing, plus I hate when someone corrects my grammar without giving me the reason behind it. I am really interested in words that are out of use and how word meanings have changed over time. Did you know that punk used to mean a burnt ear of corn? Fascinating. I also joined because you said you are the friendliest group and you're postings seemed interesting.

[Carol]

Welcome Isabella, you have come to the wright plase for speling. I am the worsted their is. They let me go for months spelling huge as hugh.

[Ken, Moderator]

Welcome, Queen Isabella. Punk also means a "fake cigarette" (or once did).

[Savvy]

Debbie...Here's my hand! :-)
You will be a 'happy-camper' believe me!
It's been years since we've had Dial Up and I can't imagine ever going back...

Suz (who reigns!)

[Jonathan]

Oh, it wasn't such a hugh mis-steak, Carol.

Hi, Isabella--and welcome!

[Carol]

Debbie you know you want DSL , we will all make a chain to the land down under with our hands.

[Isabella]

Thanks for the welcome :)

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Welcome Isabella.......and thanks all you hand-holders!

[Drora]

Newengland wrote: "Yay, Prabha. Ironically enough, some "second language" English speakers sometimes learn the language more precisely (according to the book) than native speakers. Plus they don't have that running..."
Hi -
I'm also new to goodreads and borderline addicted already. English is my third language. I love grammar and am a stickler when it comes to language use. I find it hard to take seriously someone who says something like "for you and I".
I bet there have been many threads on pet peeves in language use. I'd love to see some links to those.
My biggest pet peeve for the past few years has been "free gift".
Anyway, I'm happy to find a bunch of comrades.

[Carol]

Welcome Drora. Ask and you shall receive

[Ken, Moderator]

Hi, Drora. Yes, we have a pet peeve thread. Mosey around the joint and sit back for a read....

[Drora]

Thanks. I will. Glad to find out people who think there is something like language etiquette. My son has perfect pitch and has trouble listening to off-key music. I kinda feel the same in language matters.

I have a question to you all: do you mind the adjective "spectacular" when describing things like a fire or some other disaster? I think it sounds off. I mean, can we refer to, say, the Holocaust, and call it "spectacular"?
Now I'll go find out the pet peeve thread.