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Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:08 pm
by Adrianslont
Amsterdam: cycle in the Vondelpark

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:22 pm
by PeterMollenburg
I totally recommend the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Don’t miss it if you enjoy high quality museums.

Walking alongside the canals, and jumping on a tourist boat to see the city from the water so you can take in the unique architecture is also worth doing, despite the supposed tackiness.

Also the Amsterdam Historisch Museum is great for getting an understanding of the city itself, how it was contructed, the influences on its growth and different periods throughout its development.

Stop off at Febo and buy some fast food out of the wall, even if its a one off (as its not highly healthy, not sure where your diet regime is at), otherwise just take a look. Great city! Love it :)

Get into Assimil ;)

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 5:35 pm
by Elenia
Ani wrote:Almost finished with season 3 of Good Witch...


Ani, what have you done to me? This show is so silly, and yet... I'm watching it?

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:49 pm
by Adrianslont
Adrianslont wrote:Amsterdam: cycle in the Vondelpark

I wrote that in a real hurry as I went through the door. Just to add, as PM has suggested, the Rijksmuseum AND the Van Gogh museum - both excellent if you are an art lover. The park and the two museums are all very close to each other.

And I also second PM’s canal boat suggestion. I think I took a one hour trip but would have happily taken a two hour trip.

Sit in a canal side cafe terrace in the afternoon to rest your weary feet after a day of sightseeing.

I only went to Amsterdam last year for the first time - it was better than I expected.

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 8:32 pm
by Denzagathist
I third the canal boat suggestion in Amsterdam. I did it during a long layover a few years ago and it was the perfect low-key activity.

You can also quite easily and quickly take the train from Amsterdam to a smaller town like Delft or Utrecht, which are calmer and very relaxing. It's lovely to sit in a café on the square sipping koffie, or to take strolls along the canals!

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 6:47 am
by Ani
Thanks everyone for the Amsterdam ideas! Sounds like that would be a great option for us. Museums, canal boats and cafes are just our style.

Elenia wrote:
Ani wrote:Almost finished with season 3 of Good Witch...


Ani, what have you done to me? This show is so silly, and yet... I'm watching it?


Haha. It's really lame but also awesome at the same time. I really like non-stressful tv.

PM-- I'm so tempted by Assimil is killing me. I've hated it every time I tried after a few weeks to a month and yet... I'm romanticising it still. I'm thinking of doing Using for French and Russian (WE?) at the same time...
But I have like literally zero desk time right now so I have no idea what I'm doing with life.. maybe I should go back to FSI and do MT for Russian.. maybe I can pay someone to install these languages in my head so I can just fully enjoy them without all this struggle.

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:54 am
by brilliantyears
Seconding all the Amsterdam suggestions! Especially the Rijksmuseum and the canal boats. The canal boat tours in Amsterdam are easily my favourite anywhere in the world. Took me 26 years of being Dutch until I went on one though :lol:
Van Gogh museum can be hit or miss depending on the current exhibition. I absolutely love Van Gogh and have had one amazing visit, and one very disappointing one when many of the pieces were on loan to another museum... You can never go wrong with the Rijksmuseum though.

Denzagathist wrote:You can also quite easily and quickly take the train from Amsterdam to a smaller town like Delft or Utrecht, which are calmer and very relaxing. It's lovely to sit in a café on the square sipping koffie, or to take strolls along the canals!

If you're considering this, may I add Leiden as another potential destination to the list? :D

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:53 pm
by Elsa Maria
Leiden is fantastic. Ani, I think you would enjoy walking around and discovering The Wall Poems of Leiden.

Any thoughts on the Sputnkik textbook? I have been tempted by it for a long time. It is so shiny :lol: Does the lack of an answer key detract from its usefulness? I am perhaps even more tempted by the companion site Metropolis since it is a bit difficult for me to justify buying yet another Russian textbook. But Metropolis looks like so much fun!

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 6:19 am
by Ani
Elsa Maria wrote:Leiden is fantastic. Ani, I think you would enjoy walking around and discovering The Wall Poems of Leiden.

Just got the news today and it's going to be PARIS!!!!
Don't know if I can convince DH to let me go yet but one step at a time :)

Any thoughts on the Sputnkik textbook? I have been tempted by it for a long time. It is so shiny :lol: Does the lack of an answer key detract from its usefulness? I am perhaps even more tempted by the companion site Metropolis since it is a bit difficult for me to justify buying yet another Russian textbook. But Metropolis looks like so much fun!


I haven't made much progress yet. I have like literally zero desk time but since it's been living on my night stand I feel well acquainted enough to share my feelings. It IS nice and shiny. It's got such nice printing I just like petting it. I haven't had trouble with the lack of answer key but there's nothing really confusing early on in the book. You can easily evaluate the content & level by looking at the site with audio. Almost the entire book is posted there . In fact, you could probably work most of it just by going through the audio & practicing writing the texts in cursive :) it moves pretty slowly and I'd think that you're probably past the first book, maybe all of it, idk.

On a sort of of related note, I did email -- in don't know if it was the author of the publisher-- about whether the would be a A2 level. Unfortunately, the answer is yes but not yet. Gosh now I can't remember if I posted that on my log yet. Sorry if that's a repeat.

=====

I'm making friendships in French!! I'm so excited.

I have my longest streak ever in Clozemaster for Russian. 9 whole days. I'm going to bump up my Russian log & post more about that.

Icelandic has been neglected :( it's my fun and since I've been stressed and cramming things I don't feel entitled to fun. Silly but whatever.

Re: Ani's 2018 Log

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 1:33 pm
by Elsa Maria
Thanks for the Sputnik info, Ani. I assure you that I am not beyond the first book! With Russian, I am like the rocking horse who confuses motion with progress. Oh, and I love practicing Russian cursive - I find it relaxing.