BLOGGERLIFE

bloggerlife | dear international readers…

luzia pimpinella | bloggerlife | insights of a part time biligual blogger

… todays posting is dedicated to you only! let me tell you that i so appreciate you all stopping by here at luzia pimpinella from all over the world! guess what… although you rarely comment, i can see you in my blog statistics. most of you are from the united states, very many come from the ukraine and also from france. not to mention the bunch of people coming from canada, russia, italy, turkey and many other countries. so hi, everybody! let me tell you some insight about my my work and feelings as a “part time biligual blogger”…

i cannot remember the point when i decided to write my blog posts in german and english as well. but the whole internet thing was always about being a part of a global community for me. i believe sharing inspiration worldwide is a good thing, so i started posting biligual. i knew and still know that my english isn’t perfect. i suppose that sometimes i write accidentally weird syntax, because my german mother tongue constantly tries to take over. and sometimes things really get lost in translation {especially when i write about emotions or technical stuff – both equally difficult! haha}. but i give my very best and i love the daily training! moreover…. the fact that you keep coming back gives me hope that my english is not toooo bad. nevertheless there are times when i have difficulties in keeping up my own standard of posting in two languages. sometimes it’s just the very time-consuming factor of a bilingual post. articles like the one about the tarangire national park in tansania for example really leave me happy but very exhausted, too. but to be honest… there are also days when i reach my personal limits and i feel i cannot perform a two-language-post. another reason for my part time translations might be that the topic of the post is such a very special german one {like reviews of german books or movies}, that it just makes no sense to spend time on an english version. well, yeah… and then there are times when i feel too much as a stranger stumbling in between english vocabulary to express what i really want to say. talking about personal opinions, beliefs and emotions in a foreign language {and not being misunderstood!} can be quite tough! so i sometimes dismiss my plans in writing biligual, although i feel sorry every time. 
i wrote this all for guys you to understand, why this is and will never be a 100% biligual blog. postings written in german only will keep popping up once in a while for some of these reasons. but i always hope that you, dear international readers, will keep up stopping by anyway, because you like this place. even if there are days, when you don’t understand a word. thanks for your understanding, every time i’ll skip an english translation in the future! :)

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  • LaLunaZ
    7. Oktober 2014 at 18:56

    Liebe Nic!

    Erstmal…ich finde dein schriftliches Englisch mehr als ausreichend und ich bin mir sicher, ganz ganz viele finden das auch. Ich persönlich freue mich immer, wenn ich in einem meiner Lieblingsblogs auch Englisch lesen kann…ich vermisse einfach den täglichen englischen Sprachgebrauch. Darum, mach weiter so. Wie es für dich passt!!
    LG und best wishes,
    Nicole

    • Nic
      8. Oktober 2014 at 13:01

      danke, nicole! :)

  • Allison
    7. Oktober 2014 at 21:05

    Over the years, I have met countless people who are orginally from other countires, attempting to speak my native language of English… and do you know what I always thought of them? Wow… how icredible it is that they can speak a second language, mine at that, and more perfect than they think they can!

    Having grown up in the US, since it is so vast, and our surrounding neighbors are not as diversified as one finds in Europe, the necessity to learn a second language is not really stressed. But now that I live in another country that is not my original homeland, and function in a language that is not my mother tongue, I hear and very much understand your what you are saying. Expressing feelings and emotions is extremely difficult in a foreign language, and can leave one feeling verbally handcuffed.

    But let me encourage you, even the smallest of mistakes that you might make, to the native speaker, they are just simply impressed that you can do it at all. I can assure you that those mistakes are glanced right over, and not even given a second thought… and what mistakes that are noticed are probably smiled upon, making your efforts that much more enduring. I could imagine that those mistakes, made in an honest effort to meet on common ground, are much more appreciated than you think.

    Keep it up!

    • Nic
      8. Oktober 2014 at 13:23

      "verbally handcuffed"… that is such a perfectly matching metaphor of what i'm feeling somtimes! thank you so much for you encouraging words, allison!

  • Jen
    8. Oktober 2014 at 1:06

    Dear Nic – I so appreciate all the effort that you put into your translations. My children especially loved the photos from Tanzania – so you're not just touching us with your words, although it's wonderful that you want to share your thoughts and experiences with the world. I often show your travel photos to my oldest (she's 14) and especially photos from places in Germany, as she remembers fondly the 5 years we lived in Schweinfurt; she and I both miss Germany and the pace of life there. And occasionally I have shown my girls blog posts when you've created something new – they both are in love with so many of your embroidery designs. So your photos would continue to inspire me and others, even if you stopped writing bilingual posts. And for me, it's always fun to challenge myself to read the German-only posts. My German is not very good but I try. :) So thank you for the effort you put into your English writing. It's always well thought-out and I notice that you make an effort to find English equivalents to phrases that don't translate directly. Really, it is a joy to read and of all the blogs I follow, yours is one of the ones I look forward to the most. Even if I can't read it, the photos invariably make me smile and feel good. Perhaps it's the colors or maybe the joy with which they seem to be taken. Whatever the reason, they always make me feel inspired.

    • Nic
      8. Oktober 2014 at 13:30

      dear jen, thank you very much for your lovely words. it makes me happy, that you find this place inspiring. it's the best motivation to keep up my work… :)

  • Sandra WiWi your best friend
    8. Oktober 2014 at 6:06

    Liebe Nic,
    dein Blog ist seit meiner Anfangsbloggerzeiten einer meiner Lieblingsblogs und das lag vor allem auch daran, dass du viele Posts auch bilingual verfasst. Ich mag es, bei dir "englisch" zu lesen und bewundere deine Mühe, deine Posts größtenteils bilingual zu verfassen und damit viele an deinen Postings teil zu haben. Ich weiß, das kostet viel Arbeit und Zeit, obwohl es bei dir so leicht erscheint.
    Bisher schreibe ich nur meine Bewertungen zu Auslandsunterkünften von unseren Reisen bilingual, aber meinen Blog bilingual zu führen…dafür fehlt mir der Mut und Zeit.
    Bei dir merkt man, das du mit "Herzblut" bloggst. Bitte mach weiter so!
    I love it!
    LG Sandra

    • Nic
      8. Oktober 2014 at 13:35

      liebe sandra,
      ich freue mich tatsächlich, dass es leicht erscheint… ich wünschte nur oft, es wirde sich auch eben so flockig anfühlen! ;) danke für deine netten worte! :)

  • Alessandra Poggiagliolmi
    8. Oktober 2014 at 11:45

    ….. I understand your point!
    That's why, when I decided to start to blog, I wanted to write only in English, that is not always perfect, but it can reach more readers. As you, my feelings are better expressed in my mother tongue language, but having two kids in the international school, Italian it's not the only language in our home ….. and sometimes it's so stressful, especially in the evenings, when I'm really tired !!!!
    I'll come always to read, when possible, or look at the pics of your blog : the German language will never stop me to visit your colourful place Nic!!!!
    xxxxxx Ale

    • Nic
      8. Oktober 2014 at 13:38

      thank you, ale! i know that you can really understand.

      (what about hiring the boys for the translation job at days when you are too tired? haha… their language skills must be very profound after many years living as expats! )

    • Alessandra Poggiagliolmi
      9. Oktober 2014 at 6:45

      ….yes!!! They remember me that EVERYDAY !!!!!!! But I remember them that the important thing is not to speak a perfect English (at least for me!), but to make us understandable !!! This is what I've done in my last "4?" years…. ;oD
      xxxxxx Ale

    • Nic
      9. Oktober 2014 at 11:36

      haha… kids!!!!

  • merlanne
    8. Oktober 2014 at 15:21

    Ich kann bei Dir noch viel Englisch lernen :-) . Herzliche Grüsse aus dem kleine Luxemburg
    Claudine

    • Nic
      9. Oktober 2014 at 11:37

      :)
      danke, claudine!

  • Anonymous
    8. Oktober 2014 at 20:57

    Und dann sind da noch diejenigen, die zwar in Amerika wohnen, deinen Blog aber trotzdem auf Deutsch lesen – um sozusagen ein bisschen am "Puls der Zeit" zu bleiben. Liebe Nic, ich arbeite als freiberufliche Übersetzerin und suche immer nach Möglichkeiten, mein Deutsch "frisch" zu erhalten und deine Posts sind so gut geschrieben, dass es eine reine Freude ist, sie zu lesen.
    Da ich auch schon in verschiedenen Ländern (und Sprachen) gelebt habe, versteh ich auch nur zu gut, wie schwierig es sein kann, sich in einer anderen Sprache auszudrücken. Hut ab!
    (Und wenn du möchtest, kannst du dich auch gerne mal an mich wenden, wenn es denn gar nicht klappen will – ich schick dir gerne meine E-Mail.)
    Viele liebe Grüße aus dem sonnigen Boulder!
    BB

    • Nic
      9. Oktober 2014 at 11:48

      haha… liebe BB, wenn in den USA nicht blogtechnisch am puls der zeit seid, wer dann? ;)

      danke für dein lob, das freut mich wirklich sehr. auch dein angebot… vielleicht komme ich mal darauf zurück irgendwann.

      liebe grüße!

      p.s. boulder, da habe ich romatnische vorstellungen von bergen und schnee… muss aber auch immer irgendwie an das hotel von "the shining" und stephen king denken! :D ;)

  • Evi
    8. Oktober 2014 at 22:39

    Oh yes, I do understand!!! I am Austrian born but have lived all my life in Australia therefore English is my first language…..BUT I grew up speaking German with my parents and siblings and am reasonably fluent in that language as well. Not fluent enough though to really be able to bring across emotions, thoughts and feelings in written form. In fact, I taught myself to write in German as I got older as I just didn't have the need to do that when I was still living at home with my parents.
    I too, have blogged in two languages in the past and fully understand how hard and how time consuming it is to write a blog post in two parts, trying to convey the same meaning in both. I have stopped doing that but having read your lovely words makes me think that perhaps I ought to persevere, even just for my own practice!
    I admire you for writing in both languages, although for me it's no hardship reading your words in either one!

    • Nic
      9. Oktober 2014 at 11:54

      thank you so much, evi! :)

      to have some kind of daily practice is really nicht. to get in touch with international reaers is the best. but still,there are days, when i can't help thinking… "spirits that I’ve cited!". nevertheless i keep it up, because i love it!

      maybe you try it again, too!? ;)

  • papilionis
    9. Oktober 2014 at 9:43

    Den Deutschen tut das Lesen auf Englisch auch gut ;-) Ein Hoch auf die "world language"!

    LG
    papillionis

    • Nic
      9. Oktober 2014 at 11:35

      :)

  • Anonymous
    10. Oktober 2014 at 6:37

    …deine Mom kann leider nicht alles lesen!
    Freue mich dann immer, wenn jemand auf Deutsch bei dir antwortet! ;-)
    Knuddel Mom

  • _rheingruen
    10. Oktober 2014 at 16:36

    Liebe Nic – Du machst das fabelhaft. Ich lese alles bei Dir auch gern in englischer Sprache. Lieben Gruß zu dir Iris

  • Anne-Laure
    12. Oktober 2014 at 8:57

    Thank you so much for this special post for us! :D
    We understand the difficulties. I have, too, a bilingual website and it is so much work!
    I want to apologize not to comment often and thank you for your English translation and your amazing blog.

    Btw, I found a little trick that works well for me : I force me to write first in a English, before in French, my mother-tongue. If you try it, you will see that it's easier to write in English that to translate. ;) I hope it can help !

    Have a good day! :)