Diariklub - Easy Text - Happy Families - Things Have Never Been Better!

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Hungary 2013 - Nigel A JAMES

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Happy Families

Some thinking about truths that never have been!

Times used to be different! Families used to sit down together for lunch every day and everyone always had time for each other. They were the good old days. Now things are different.

Or are they? The idea that families were units of permanent happiness is nothing more than a dream. People never had time for each other, and, family lunches were seldom more than weekly occasions. It was a question of circumstances. There was always something more important to do, and work was on the top of the list.

And, family lunches were never the heart of family life! They were, instead, occasions of forced traditional values. In many families, children weren't allowed to speak, and in other homes no one was allowed to eat before the father had finished his share (usually the biggest). In the main, family lunches were occasions of order and rarely good fun.

But of course, as we all know, things have now changed for the better. We still may not see each other so often, but, it's more fun when we do. And, thanks to modern methods of communication, families are closer than ever!

The good old days may have been fun, but give me today – things have never been better!

Vocabulary

circumstances – Umstände

forced – gezwungene - (I was forced to tell her the truth)

had had – hätte gehabt

in the main – hauptsächlich (In the main, it was a wonderful day)

Or – oder

occasions – Gelegenheiten

order – Ordnung

permanent – ständig/dauerhaft

rarely – seldom

seldom – selten

share – Teil (His share was the biggest)

used to - was früher wahr war (I used to live in London)

unit – Einheit

values – Werte

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naj - 2014

Christine Prokupek and Her Group of 87

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Christine Prokupek - by Nigel A JAMES

Stepping Out – Christine Prokupek's Stand for Equal Equality

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Sexual molesters, it seems, have no regard for the common sense understanding of normal behaviour, and, there is something about them that most people find totally disgusting. But, unfortunately there is often nothing that can be done about it. Because, more often than not, these practisers of evil intent are in positions of power and authority. But, even they can be beaten, and, when things got too much at Christine Prokupeki's office, she was the one who stepped out of the crowd!

It was 1987. Christine was well on her way up the ladder at the large Austrian organization where she worked. But, being a woman, things weren't easy and smooth. There were the usual batterings of loaded double meaning comments, there were the advances – both mental and physical, and there were the promotional blockings, and so on, and so on. And, so it was, that, together with 10 of her colleagues, the group of 87 was born. And, from that day on things started changing.

The differences were small to begin with, but then, as word spread to the rest of the company, the subtle pressure that was growing began to show teeth. And, gradually a following on an unthought of scale began to emerge. And within just a short space of time an active network of more than 2000 women had begun to make itself heard! And, it wasn't only the management that woke up.

Everyone else started stretching and opening their eyes. Soon, more and more people started understanding the fact that bad behaviour was not only a thing of the past, but, also a matter of consequence. Thanks to Christine's Group of 87, the promise of disciplinary hearings became a reality. New rules were the rule, and they were to be reckoned with. And, funnily enough, the first person to be officially disciplined at Christine's company was a woman! Female section heads can also be bad! Equality, too, has to be equal.

And then Christine's ideas went national! Word about the Group of 87 spread to Austrian law makers, too. And, when new anti-sexist legislation was passed into law, it had with it some of these fine ladies' principles.

And now, life in the office is fun and correct. The monsters have gone. And it's all thanks to Christine and friends who stood up and said that enough was enough!

Vocabulary -

advances - Angriffe

batterings – Schläge

branches - Zweigestelle

beaten – geschlagen,

common sense - Hausverstand

crowd - Menge

differences - Unterschiede

disgusting - abscheulich.

disciplinary hearings – Discipline verfahren

evil intent - Bose Absicht

molester - Belästiger

unthought of scale - unvorstellbare große

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Diariklub - Easy Text - Greatness

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Diariklub – Greatness!

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There are many people who can make others happy. But, how many? And, to how many do we give joy? Usually just the people we know – or – those who know us! But, there is a certain group of people who can bring happiness to many, and they are composers, and they are unique.

They are not only limited to the times of their lives, they are eternal. And, the people they touch with their greatness are not only those who they know, but everyone else as well. And, Mozart is the perfect example.

There is no-one on earth who has not heard of him. And, there are very few people who dislike his music. His music is timeless, and its effects are the same for everyone everywhere. Everyone loves it!

And, this is what greatness is. It's something eternal, it's something of beauty, and it's something that everyone loves. And, there's nothing else like it. Of course, books can also be great. Dickens is still very popular. But, Dickens's works, like all other books, are restricted by language and understanding. Music is not. It is free to go where it wants!

And, this is why the only greatness is music. It's free for everyone to love. It belongs to no-one, and neither time nor language can damage or change it. It's the same as it always has been, and its future is the same as its present! Music is timeless!

Vocabulary

composer – Komponist

damage – (to damage/damaged/damaged) – schaden

dislike – nicht mögen

effects - Wirkungen

eternal - ewig

greatness – Herrlichkeit

joy - Freude

language - Sprache

limited – begrenzt

neither .. nor – weder noch

popular – beliebt

restricted – eingeschränkt

touch – (to touch/touched/touched) – beruhen

timeless – Zeitloss

us all – und allem

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The Vanishing Village of Tilaj

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Tilaj

Children of Paradise

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There are places that feel like the end of the world, and the village of Tilaj is high up on the list. For this small Hungarian village has not only almost stopped living, it's disappearing as well, and where it is going is back into itself, for this is a place that should never have been!

Upon arriving in this small Hungarian village, one is met by a picture of life that has packed up and gone. Tilas's time was short and it finished a long time ago. And its sun started setting with its children who were leaving. For Tilaj had nothing to keep them. And from nothing comes nothing and Tilaj came from nowhere!

There were no old established families, nor any memorials to the plague, and non of the usual layers of time that can be seen in houses of varying times. Everything was built at more-or-less the same time, and, worst of all, there was no real church. Tilaj had never a heart and not even a school. It was simply for sleeping and bringing up children. And the last real shop closed a long time ago.

But, in a way, it was perfect for that which it offered. It was built to take care of needs. And, in those days, people were poor. And, a small house in the damp by the river in Tilaj was the most that many could afford. And life wasn't that bad! Everyone not only grew their own produce, but also kept chickens and pigs. Living in Tilaj meant never seeing hunger, and there was always plenty to drink. There were grapes in every garden and fruit on every tree. And, this was a paradise for children, and, in paradise the children were happy.

The long hot summers days were perfect for playing. With a river to splash in and a forest to hide in, there was all that was needed for hours of summer time fun. The kids were never at home,and that was good so. And, then, of course, came the winter. And, in those days the winters were hard and the snow it was much. And the very long evenings were for learning in front of the fire.

And, the children learned, played, grew up and moved on. And, where they once played is now the place of their past, and so Tilaj slowed down to how it is now. A beautiful spot of unspoiled nature with its river and forest and calls of the wild. And all on a road that's coming from somewhere and going to nowhere!

damp – Nass

Disappearing - verschwinden

offered – anbietet

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Diariklub Easy Text - The Future is Sharing!

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Sharing a Moment - Riga 2013 - by Nigel A JAMES

What's Mine is Mine and What's Yours is Mine!

The Future is Sharing!

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Last week, whilst walking around the streets of Vienna, I saw three reserved parking spaces. They were for Car Sharing Cars. And then I saw more such reserved spaces. The future is sharing and the future is now. People are not only sharing cars, but many other things as well.

And the advantages are simple. Sharing means only paying for the actual period of time for that the object is needed and one always has a choice. This is especially good when it comes to cars. And, of course, there is the question of responsibility – or no responsibility - as well.

So what can we share? This answer is almost everything, and there are already very many sharing clubs all over the world. One can share clothes, toys, building equipment, musical instruments, books, music, holiday homes, etc. The list is endless. And, sharing provides a very good opportunity to do good for the environment.

Sharing means less. Because of car sharing there are fewer cars on the road, and the sharing of toys means that there are fewer toys being made, and this of course means a return to quality instead of only quantity. But, sharing is human, too!

The best thing we can share is our time – and this we have been doing for ever. It's human nature. Meeting family and friends is the best we can do, and what's better than the sharing of sunsets and memories of times that have gone. Sharing will always succeed. Modern sharing is nothing other than an old habit with brand new dimensions.

Vocabulary

habit - Gewohnheit

nothing other – nichts anderes

One can – Man kann

opportunity - Gelegenheit

parking space – Autoabstellplatz

sharing – teilen

variety – Vielfalt

whilst (while) – während

Points for discussion

The principle of sharing!

Why is car sharing a very good idea?

The responsibility of sharing?

The variety sharing provides!

Sharing your home!

How does sharing work?

The economies of sharing!

Libraries as illustration for the success of sharing!

Why do people now need much less than they did 24 years ago?

What do you share?

The limits of sharing!

And, now the text again!

Sharing Something Exciting! Hungary 2012 - Nigel A JAMES

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Marika Horvat - Chicken is Cooking!

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Marika Horvat - by Nigel A JAMES

Marika Horvat - What's for Dinner Today!

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Good meals are the paths to everyone’s heart. This we all know. But, it isn't only taste that's important, it's that what's behind it as well. And Marika Horvat has it all at the tip of her fingers. For she has a garden and from it comes all that is good!

But good meals are more than just picking and cooking. There's much more to it than that! One not only has to know how to cook, but how to make the most of what's growing as well. And, Marika's an expert. And, today is casserole day and a chicken is needed as well.

And chickens and rabbits are part of Marika's Hungarian country life, too. And, looking after them and keeping them happy is not only a question of food, but care and attention as well. And, this is something one learns.

As a young girl, Marika's father taught her that red and yellow peppers grow better with a view to the south, while green peppers taste better pointing south-east. There are similar rules for all other crops, too. And, the same goes for rabbits and chickens as well. They never suffer from stress and always taste good if their pens and coups face the right way. They, too, like sunshine and rain, and, as Marika says, good food tastes of weather as well. And, there's plenty of weather in the wood that she uses for cooking.

She has a wood burning stove and the heat it gives off is not only just right for baking and roasting, but perfect for cooking as well. It's not dry like electricity, and it's more gentle than gas. But, Marika's real secret of excellent taste lies in three very short words: soft, gentle and time.

And these three are the most important ingredients of all! Marika always allows plenty of time for her cooking. And, what happens because of this is the soft gentle melting of tastes. And the results are always the same. A sensational explosion of delicious enjoyment!

And, Marika's example is easy to follow! Just think of her three little words. Slow down and give yourself time and stir and cut gently and softly. The rest will come on its own. Your meals will not only be good for your heart, but everyone else’s as well!

Slow down, cook and eat as you should, and you will be happy as well!

Vocabulary

picking – pflücken

casserole – Eintopf

attention – Aufmerksamkeit

taught – teach/taught/taught -

similar rules -

suffer – suffer/suffered/suffered -

pens – (rabbit pen) - Pferch

coup – (chicken coup /coop) - Hühnerstall

stove - Herd

soft - weich

gentle – sanft

ingredients - Zutaten

encourages – zumuten

melt – schmelzen

stir – umrühren

delicious – schmackhaft

enjoyment -genuss

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Diariklub Easy Text - Friendships

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Friendships – A Diariklub Easy Text

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Human beings need friends! And, for some people, the more the merrier. People enjoy being popular! But, what is a friend and what are good friends?

There are different kinds of friends. There are best friends, school friends, friends from work, friends we go to the theatre with, and so on, and so on. But, what are real friends?

There are no real answers to this question. Everyone has different ideas about this subject. The most popular idea is that a best friend is someone you can share your problems with! But, there are problems and there are problems, and sometimes even your best friend is your problem. Life is full of surprises!

And these surprises are not always nice! There are some very bad stories starring best friends. And, these range from deceit to stealing, and many things more. And, then what happens?

Best friends become enemies! And, it's instant! And, what could be worse? And, you, of course, don't understand it! How could a best friend do such a thing? But, people are people and emotions are sometimes stronger than friendships.

So, how many friends do we need? And, do we need best friends? Good friends are fun so why not leave it at that? Being nice to each other is important, and when people are nice to each other they turn into friends! And, that is the nicest of all!

Vocabulary

answer - Antwort

deceit – Betrug

different – verschieden

enemies – plural of enemy – Feind

enjoy – enjoy/enjoyed/enjoyed - genießen

even – sogar

kinds – Arten

need – need/needed/needed – brauchen

question – Frage

share – teilen

sometimes – manchmal

surprises – Überraschungen

there are – es sind

the more the merrier – desto mehr desto glücklicher (merry – happy/lucky)

worse – bad/worse/the worst

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nj-2014

A Trip between Times - A journey by train to the south!

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All Boarding - by Nigel A JAMES

A Trip Between Times

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There's a train that goes to the south. It's a trip into peace, it's off the main line and its speed is a pace that's just above slow. It's a journey for they who have time; it's in Hungary, and it goes down to Veszprem from Gyor. And what it goes through, be it natural or made, is not only of beauty, but of great interest, too. For this is a journey of times!

Leaving Gyor, the train passes the Communist era straight through the middle. On either side of the tracks are the large monotonous blocks of socialist flats and only the cars and buses have changed since the 50s and 60s. But, when the train reaches the plain it becomes clear that there have been no changes at all! Things are more or less just as they always have been. This is the land of villages and farms, and, not only that!

High up on a hill and looking down upon this patchwork of settlements and fields is the once mighty but still imposing monastery of Pannonhalma. It's one of the finest schools in Hungary and is famous for its wonderful library. And so, in the shadow of this still important Roman Catholic centre, the train carries on through a string of small timeless villages until it comes to the start of the forested uplands. And these are impressive for more than one reason.

The Bakony is an place of extreme natural beauty. It's one of the largest unspoiled forests in Europe, and amongst its incredible nature there's something for everyone. It's not only perfect for hiking and other kinds of up and down foresty sports, but great for slowly unwinding as well. And the train takes you straight to its heart. And then, after leaving the shadows of the trees it's straight into Zirc.

And Zirc is special as well. Apart from a beautiful monastery, it has an incredible botanical garden and arboretum, too. And these alone are reason enough for getting off of the train. But, of course, one has to get back on to continue to Veszprem, and this little town is a gem!

It has everything! There is a wonderful castle with its history of old, a fine Baroque centre, many churches, and a cultural life that's incredible. Veszprem not only has traditional and modern theatre, but puts on a great summer programme as well. And it has a brand new concert house which is one of the finest I know! But, life in Veszprem is normal living as well.

It too has its plattenbau estates, and these, in their own kind of way provide a balance between times. Veszprem is a sandwich of ancient and modern with a filling of socialist taste in the middle. I find it of interest and enjoy going back. And as I look out of the window while journeying down I see the marching of seasons with their colours and feelings. No journey is ever the same. The times they may change, but the tracks will keep going for ever!

Vocabulary

era – Zeitalter

imposing - imposant

mighty – mächtig

pace – Tempo

settlements – Siedlungen

unspoiled – unverdorben

unwinding - relaxen

village - Dorf

Veszprem Sunset - by Nigel A JAMES

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..

Diariklub - Easy Text - First Impressions

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Foggy Impression - by Nigel A JAMES

First Impressions – Erste Eindrücke

Some very short thoughts by Nigel A JAMES

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a - Many people think that first impressions are the right ones. Everyone is a good judge of character. But, the truth is the opposite!

b -The truth is that no-one understands first impressions. They are not posture, smart clothes, shiny clean shoes or behaviour. Everyone can look nice and be nice for an hour or two!

C - So, where is the first right impression? Is it hidden in the eyes? No! Is it in the shoulders? Wrong again! We shouldn't be looking, we should be listening!

d - Our voices are the only reliable first impression. They are full of information. They can tell us if a person is arrogant, friendly, normal or bad! Our voices are with us wherever we go. We cannot change them!

e - And one more thing. First impressions are not a one-way street. People are making first impressions of us, too. Are they always right about us! How is your voice? Is it your character?

Vocabulary

a -

judge of character - Menschenkenner

truth – Wahrheit

opposite - Gegenteil

b -

posture – Haltung

behaviour – Benehmen

c -

hidden – (to hide/hidden/hidden) – verstecke

d -

reliable – verlässlich

e -

one-way street – Einbahn

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