Greetings from the Swamps of Jersey

Mistress-Liriel · 04-27-2006, 02:27 PM

My name is Elizabeth. I'm a writer , a mother, a wife, and I dislike most of the assumptions tied to each of these characteristics. I also dislike the born-again Christians that seem to invade our block at least twice each week, but that's a whole different issue.

I have lurked here a bit, but finally decided to post.

Please feel free to flame, welcome or ignore me at your leisure.

Vielen dank,

~L

Bete Noire · 04-28-2006, 01:09 AM

Welcome.
Try answering the questions in "For the Newbies".

Hope you're not offended that I skipped the ignoring and flaming.

Mistress-Liriel · 04-28-2006, 05:21 AM

Thank you, Bete.

Hmmm...questions? Like a job application? I hate job applications.

But out of respect, and to not be accused of not playing nicely, here we go.

1. What do you do? (Hobbies, job) - I write. I read. I chase around a two-year old. Sometimes I change the order to make things exciting. I take German classes, watch German programming on satellite, and visit Germany at least twice a year. When I have five minutes to myself for frivolous activity, I may be found playing Rubies of Eventide or listening to Rammstein or Oomph!. As a 'job' I run some websites from home, and do some contract work for an educational testing company in which I get to read exam essays from elementary and high school students and grade them. This job is depressing because it amazes me what passes for 'working' writing skills in eleventh grade. Let's just say that most people I know wrote better than this in third grade....

2. Where are you from? - Refer to subject. I live in North Jersey, about 20 minutes outside of NYC. I used to live in South Jersey, near Philadelphia.

3. Who is your favorite author? - Well, I suppose saying Poe is too cliche, so I would have to say that Lovecraft and Tolkien are my favorite authors. However, I also LOVE Douglas Adams and have recently started reading J.K. Rowling. Some runners up would be R.A. Salvatore and Flora Fraser.

4. What are your favorite films? - Anything with Vincent Price, the LOTR trilogy, Run Lola Run, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and too many others to name. I also like the Phantasm movies. That is one set of movies that still freaks me the hell out, low budget or no.

5. What music do you want played at your wedding? - I missed the boat on this one. I'm already married, and we had no music playing. We eloped to Niagara Falls (Canadian side). If I were to get married again, I would have to say 'Stirb Nicht Vor Mir (Don't Die Before Me)' by Rammstein.

6. At your funeral? - Heh. 'Azsche zu Azsche (Ashes to Ashes)' by Rammstein and if I'm still married, 'Heirate Mich (Marry Me)', by the same. Nothing says I love you and I'll miss you like a good, old 'marry me, dead lover' song.

7. This IS a gothic website, so... how do you want to die? - Die? Surely you jest. I plan on living forever, even if it means freezing my head.

8. What kind of casket would you want? - None. Stoke up the funeral pyre.

9. What's your FAVORITE outfit? - High, black leather riding boots by BORN, dark denim jeans, and a black sweater with these sort of lace up sleeves.

10. What's one thing you miss about being a little kid? - Dreaming.

11. What's your favorite band? - For those that didn't get it from my previous answers, it's Rammstein.

12. What kind of education do you have? What is/was/will be your major? - I have a B.A. in Communications.

13. Why did you join? - I like to actually have intelligent interactions with people on the Internet. This seemed like a logical response to that need. I abhor l33t speak...

14. If the first 13 questions didn't give it away. What is your gender? Well, female, unless you ask my husband, who believes that I must be a man trapped in a woman's body. He seems to think I'm a 'tomboy'. There are worse things.....

My own comments/questions:

Why German? - I am German on my mother's side, my husband is a German citizen, and now my son is as well. Besides, I have a greater love for Europe in general, than I do for the US. Sorry if that's offensive, but it is how I feel.

What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? - African or European?

Most annoying misconception about Goths - That all Goths 'look' Goth and think they are vampires. I avoided the term Goth for a long time because I felt like even the Goths I met had no clue what Goth was. They simply thought it meant you watched horror and dressed weird. Um, yeah. Of course the more enlightened of my friends told me in no uncertain terms that I was Gothic and should be proud, because it meant I had a bit more sense than the average humanoid, and was very creative. Maybe. I will say that on most days, I do not 'look' Goth. I wear Calvin Klein jeans, t-shirts, Doc Martens, and silly socks. (I have an unnatural sock fetish - the weirder the better.)

Well, I hope this was enlightening for everyone.

Thank you for reading!

~L

Blushing Heliophobe · 04-28-2006, 05:33 AM

You know what? I like you. You are awesome.

Fellow Rammstein fan! I have to say Herzeleid is my favorite. I wish I could speak German! I've read the translations so I know kind of what I'm singing along to, but I wish I was fluent

I also like a German band called Kalte Sonne, but they're a bit softer. Listening to Rammstein also kind of puts me into the mood for Within Temptation whom I love so very much.

The translated Rammstein lyrics are...poetry.

I don't like when he sings in English, though. Loses the beauty. I love when the off and on female vocalists sing in English though, like in the Engel song.

What's the best way to learn German, you think?

Anyways...welcome!

Mistress-Liriel · 04-28-2006, 05:58 AM

Heh, thank you.

With Rammstein, or any German band, it's so hard to get the meaning with the literal translations. Sadly, my German is intermediate at best, and while I can communicate in Germany, and understand quite a bit, I have trouble with their play on words and special expressions. Till Lindemann is a brilliant poet, and a very nice, sensitive, shy man. (Sorry to any females that imagine him to be rough and hardcore.) And I was so happy when he published a book of his poetry. It's quite good, and sad.

I agree about the loss of beauty in the English songs. German is really the true language of poetry. I am learning that through reading some of the most popular German poets. As English speakers, we can't imagine that there is a more descriptive language than our own, but German is. For example, instead of saying 'love' in different contexts, as in English, Germans actually have several different words or phrases, depending on who they are speaking to or about.

Learning any language takes immersion. I have so many CD-ROMS, DVDs, CDs, etc., but these are only good for some basic words and phrases. My suggestion is get a good, basic German language learning set up, and as many German television shows and movies that you can. Watch repeatedly. Until you want to shoot the television. The best set that I have found for me is this BBC language program, MUZZY (http://www.early-advantage.com/), which is a cartoon - a children's program, but it works! We have Dish Network which offers a German channel package (two channels) that I watch often. One of the two channels even shows the same shows later in the day in English, so you can compare and learn that way.

If you really have an interest, you should jump into it. I can not tell you how excited I am everytime I realize I understand a German song better. It's exhilirating. Nerdy maybe, but exhilirating none the less.

I will have to check out Kalte Sonne. I have heard them mentioned before, but never listened to them. Have you ever listened to Oomph! or Das Ich? Both are very cool.

Blushing Heliophobe · 04-28-2006, 06:22 AM

No, some of the members on this board are Das Ich fans but I have never gotten around to listening to them yet.

He has a book of poetry? I didn't even know that. I'm going to have to check it out

Well, I live in England and their cable (SKY) is a bit different here. I'd like to look into the Muzzy. Maybe listening to CD's while in the car?

In any case, good to see you here and hope you stick around!

Mistress-Liriel · 04-28-2006, 06:35 AM

Thank you!

Btw, chances are you will hate Das Ich at first. We did, but when we saw them and met them at a club in NYC, we got it. The lead singer can't sing, but sings well for what they do. I know, doesn't make sense, does it?

His book is entitled 'Messer'. I mentioned it just recently on my site . It is difficult to get a copy now though. I ordered it from Amazon.de around Christmas, and it was about $65 dollars.

I would guess in the UK you may have other ways of getting some German programming...? As for CDs, try anything by Berlitz. They do excellent language CD sets. More useful than most I've tried. I learned basic Japanese through one of their sets as well.

Again, thank you for the warm welcome, and I apologize for the long winded German response. I get a bit like that when I'm passionate about the subject. Didn't mean to bore you...

~L