when someone whips their head to me to ask me to translate kanji or spoken words and I say the answer seconds before it’s revealed on the show or whatever and I’m correct…ouuugghhh baby it feels SO, SO gratifying and like I’m a real big winner, winner chicken dinner

16.03.2026

Sunshine and reading

Yesterday I was outside for the first time since my wisdom teeth removal and I immediately organized myself a sun lounger. It was so nice.

Today the weather was more grey but I spend most of my time in classes or reading anyways. I can’t believe that I read a 130 pages book in Finnish in under a week. The power of a deadline…

Especially the last part of the book was super thrilling, although a bit gnarly. But now it can go back to the libary! I hope the person who reserved it also has fun reading it.

Another nice thing today was that I could expand my food choices again! It’s nice that mashed potatoes and tsatziki aren’t my only main meals anymore (although it still tastes the best and is easiest to eat…).

reading / listening

• Sarvijumala - Magdalena Hai
• UNIQUE - P1Harmony

✧ march 16, 2026

today was great.

i cooked gyozas, it took so long like 4 to 5 hours. but it was my first time. and i ate a lot of them so i was full. i think i was too stingy on seasoning because the meat didn’t have much taste. it was plain, fortunately i had sauce. if i ever am motivated enough to try it again, i will probably do better.

i studied korean, it’s weird because i feel like i forgot most of the vocabulary i learned last week, so i will have to come back again. i must not rush it all.

i hope i won’t forget my night skin care before going to bed!

1h walk ~5km, caloric intake great, slightly less protein and fat overall today because i ate a lot of gyozas and i didn’t eat my usual food. however, i still felt satiated throughout the day.

korean output practice, corrected version

오늘 제가 교자를 요리했어요. 많이 먹었어요. 교자는 좋아해요. 하지만 이것은 맛있지 않았어요.

오늘 날씨가 시원해요. 그래서 집에 있어요. “흑백요리사: 요리 계급 전쟁” 보는거 끝냈어요.

재미있어요. 제가 한국어를 공부했어요.

Does anyone know any language learning apps that don’t use AI or require a subscription or to pay for anything?

I’ve been yearning to learn German again after I dropped Duolingo for their use of AI and everything I’ve found since has used AI or required a payment

Korean Journaling | 3/12/2026

I watched this video that made me realize journaling doesn’t have to be hard. I get very overwhelmed by taking notes and end up trashing them because I end up not liking the way I took them. As of now I will journal digitally in Korean and use a physical notebook for Spanish.

I reviewed Korean with Korean Made Simple. I started by writing a short self-introduction and posted it on HiNative to check if it sounds natural. After that, I reviewed the vocabulary from Chapters 1–4 and wrote a few example sentences using the grammar points and some of the more difficult words.

Finally, I highlighted the vocabulary based on whether I remembered it or not, which made it easier to see what I still need to review. Because I didn’t write any translations I will take another look in a week to see if I remembered anymore.

Instead of stopping to look up every word I didn’t know, I wrote what I wanted to say in English first. Below it, I listed the Korean vocabulary I needed (without exact English translations) and added two example sentences to practice talking about my job position.

I plan to journal daily. As of now I will go by the chapters of Korean Made Simple but will eventually talk about my day/plans or just answer prompts.

Later this year I want to focus on improving my Japanese handwriting and katakana recognition. I also want to work on my Chinese listening skills so I can better distinguish the different sounds and tones.

i’m going to start relearning french so i can function better in this kitchen. i was told that learner.org has a video series called french in action but unfortunately they’re sunsetting the website in july, so does anyone have any practical tips? 👉🏽👈🏽

Gerolstein

Gerolstein ist eine Stadt in Rheinland-Pfalz mit fast achttausend Einwohnern. Es befindet sich in der Eifel und bekam im Jahr 1336 die Stadtrechte verliehen. Die Stadt wurde fast viermal vollständig zerstört: 1691 bei der Befreiung von der französischen Besatzung, durch Brände in den Jahren 1708 und 1784, und durch Bombenangriffe am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Der Bahnhof liegt an der Eifelstrecke, und hat Züge nach Köln, Euskirchen und Trier. Es gibt mehrere Sehenswürdigkeiten in Gerolstein, zum Beispiel die Erlöserkirche, das Kreisheimatmuseum, das Buchenloch, die Burg Gerolstein, und die Burg Lissingen. Die Stadt ist außerdem der Hauptsitz von Gerolsteiner Brunnen, einem Hersteller von Mineralwasserprodukten.

Can a smart person explain to me why I’m better at Russian when I’m exhausted example

Struggling to comprehend sentences all day but can respond to texts, read said text, and listen to conversations perfectly fine at 6am or very late at night

Sometimes I’m like ‘oh man teaching people a language is hard when they’re asking intricate mechanics questions and you have to figure out a way to explain it using the mechanics of their starting language’ and then i have to teach someone from zero and i realise that no, the hardest part about teaching a language is the very start where only 2% is sticking and the rest is sliding off.

Reinforcing the same six things over and over until all of them stick while ALSO trying not to demotivate the student is so fucking hard dude. I’ve worked jobs where i have a time limit, life or death outcomes, and extremely hazardous work conditions all at once but the brain exhaustion from teaching someone basic conversation blocks from zero is… unreal. I could read a book after work in the engine room, but after this? I’m just on my back mentally wiped unable to do shit.

모서리 edge, corner

상수로 waterworks, water supplies

마방진 magic square

단면도 cross section

Inspiration in Language Learning

Review: In Other Words

By Jhumpa Lahiri, 2015

This is a memoir specifically focusing on the author’s experience with learning Italian, not because she had any inheritant connection to the language or culture but because she felt inextricably drawn to it. That seems like a very simple premise for a chapter in one’s life, yet it’s anything but. By the point at which she’s writing, Lahiri was an established English-language author whose craft and identity are expressed through her voice as a writer and she beautifully articulates how your whole sense of self is subsumed when you need to start from scratch in a new language. She outlines the journey of switching from being a master craftsman of words to a small child barely finding their bearing. She also talks about how her different languages exist as different parts of her life, seperate but foundational to her lived experiences and interactions with others.

The book is actually very short, because Lahiri wrote it in Italian and every page spread is one side Italian, one English. This was also part of the story, because she didn’t translate it herself, she needed to allow her weaker language to stand on its own with its particular voice, rather than render it more fluent through native knowledge.

This also isn’t a straightforward narrative of starting to learn, getting past the plateau, and achieving mastery. Not only does Lahiri interweave her impressions, but a lot of the book is highly metaphorical, it’s about what this journey feels like and what it means to her. I haven’t read a lot of poetry, but this poetic perspective on something that I can relate to really resonated with me, especially as she, like myself, is a child of immigrants and is estranged from her mother tongue.

I recently resumed studying German seriously, by taking evening courses at the university. I live in a German-speaking country and I have little love for this language, so it’s an entirely practical decision. But I wanted this experience to be more than labour, I wanted to feel a connection with my learning and integration, which is why I read this book right before starting this difficult process. It was very inspiring to me and I would recommend it to other language learners.

I’ll leave you with her words on embracing difficulties, “How is it possible that when I write in Italian I feel both freer and confined, constricted? Maybe because in Italian I have the freedom to be imperfect.”

육지 ground, land, continent

평균 average

해안평야 coastal plain

구릉 hill

산맥 mountain range

따위 et cetera

해저 sea floor

The truth about language consistency. Stop feeling GUILTY!

learning thai alphabet now…there’s so much of it

¡Hola!

Hice esto blog para practicando español. Empecé a aprender español hace tres años. Yo no hablo bien español. Por favor, corregid mis errores. Tuvo que usar google y mis notas para escribir esto 😅, pero yo tengo que comenzar en algún lugar :)

Me llamo es Ellie o El

Me gusta:

Taylor Swift

Música en general

Kpop

Percy Jackson

Comedia (de situación)

Agentes de S.H.I.E.L.D.

Arte y dibujo

Yo quiero algún para practicar mi español con. (Sobre tumblr mensajes no en voz alta). Yo no sé suficiente para hablar mucho (o realmente cualquier) español pero si algún estaría interesado en hablar conmigo, contactar mi por favor :)

14.03.2026

It’s been a while…

Hello to my first proper update of 2026! In March… Gosh, time flies.

I have missed updating here but somehow I haven’t managed to do it for two and a half months. So much has happened.

Studying

I have already finished my first two courses of the year in January and February. And they were definitely challenging - in a good way!

I gave my first ever presentation in Finnish! And another one in English, and prepared another one in Finnish for a workshop (that got cancelled). In the past I hated giving presentations. Speaking in front of people is so nerve-wracking - even in my mother tongue! But now I feel so much more confident in presenting.

I was so nervous during my Finnish presentation but it went well! And I also had so much fun creating the presentation because we got to choose our own topics and I got to do a presention about a passion topic!

Then I had my English presentation and I noticed how I was so much more confident and calmer because I am so much more fluent in English. Dare I say, it even was fun?? I would have never thought that giving a presentation would be fun for me.

But I guess the course did it’s job because now I am definitely more confident in both speaking Finnish and also giving presentations in general!

Then I also had a report as our big graded assignment for the English course and omg, it was so much fun.

I read like 10 scientific papers about sustainability in tourism and then wrote a 2500 word report about it… I am still awaiting my grade but the experience alone was enough. It was pretty challenging to write it from time to time, but it was a good challenge. My brain gets so happy when it gets positively challenged by academic stuff.

I have the same phenomenon with Maths at the moment. This month we started Maths in Finnish and before I was so anxious. Because first of all, I haven’t done any maths in like 5 years, and second of all, it is in Finnish…

But honestly, the topics we have are not so hard and I am getting positive experiences with maths again (my last year in school with maths went pretty bad…).

Job and future studies

The first three months of the year in Finland are so stressful for students… It is summer job application time, as well as applying for university.

Luckily my summer job search was pretty short. I messaged my boss from last years summer job and got a place again - even with more working hours and for more months (yay, money)! I am so grateful because the job situation is bad in Finland. I guess it does have some advantages to live in the countryside where there are not as many applicants.

Soon also starts the application period for the university I want to apply to. I finally found the perfect university and now I just need to do as well as I can in my last courses, and then I hopefully get a study place and get to start my studies in autumn. (Fingers crossed!)

Life stuff

In January and February we had an average temperature of like -17°C… It was COLD. But now it finally gets warmer!

March and April are honestly the hardest months for me in Finland because my body is still used to the German timeline of weather and hates that we don’t have spring yet…

But now it finally starts to melt, the sun is getting stronger and we have above 5°C! Yay!

Sadly I couldn’t really enjoy the warmer weather this week because I have mostly been in bed to rest after my wisdom teeth removal… That was an experience… But now I have only one wisdom teeth left! When that one comes out? No idea. But at least it is just one.

I have used my excessive time in bed to watch some Ghibli movies I haven’t watched before and also to read a book in Finnish. All while constantly cooling my cheek. I have currently reached the stage of a very yellow-green jawline… At least the swelling went down.

<3

I am excited to post more frequently from now on. I kinda miss taking pictures and having this kinda digital diary. See ya!

this week’s

reading / watching / listening

• Sarvijumala - Magdalena Hai (selkokirja, spooky story)
• Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo (I finally started the trilogy!)
• Porco Rosso (3/5, nice for a one time watch)
• When Marnie was there (5/5, fell in love with this movie)
• The boy and the Heron (4/5, amazing movie (art and fantasy wise) but I don’t have a clue what is going on… which could come from me being half-asleep for most of it…)
• Pom Poko (3/5, funny and also important topic, but definitely not my favourite)

Listening gets its own section because there have been so many good songs the past two months.

• MONO (feat. skaiwater) - i-dle (literally made me cry the first time I heard it)
• BANG BANG - IVE (a BANGer)
• Liekinheitin - Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen (I am proud to say that I only needed to translate 8 words in order to understand everything)
• Skin cleared - Ashnikko (such a yummy instrumental)
• Afraid of The Dark - Motionless in White (not a fan of the beginning, but the rest is soo good, also amazing lyrics)
• NASA - ATEEZ (the concept, instrumental and dance…)
• ROCK THE BOAT - XG (the choreo is addicting, I wanna learn it)
• When The Dark Dresses Lightly - AURORA (I love her music so much)

Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show also gets its own section. He also send me down a wrestling rabbithole (it all started with Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest) and now I am somehow watching woman wrestling… Always good to learn about stuff I have never had anything to do with before! It is very impressive.

Anyways, whenever I hear Spanish music it is weird because I kinda understand it but also not (the brain cells from my six years of Spanish in school get tickled).

My favourites that I am still listening to by Bad Bunny:

• NUEVAYoL
• Tití Me Preguntó
• EoO
• DtMF
• Yo perreo sola

I think that is enough for now. After not updating for two months, I had a lot to talk about…

guys i NEED to learn polish. so bad.

ignoring the fact that language learning is NOT AT ALL my strong suit. i need to learn that language so i can actually talk with my grandma.

duolingo sucks ass (sorry guys. it hasnt helped me much. and its ai. and i fucking HATE AI. fuck ai fuck ai) and everything else is paid. lessons are most often for little kids when i go to learn. and im TRYING to get a tutor but thats beside the point.

genuinelg i want to learn so many things brooo its so frustrating. anyhow. sighh. i crave to learn. unless its ib FUCK IB OHhh my god.

양초 Candle

미미하다 trivial, insignificant

삐딱하다 crooked, twisted

흰자 egg white

노른자 egg yolk

Chinese structures: A不B Part 1.

Chinese has many everyday phrases built on this pattern, like 输不起 and 舍不得. They can be confusing as some are literal verb phrases e.g. 忘不了(unable to forget), whereas some don’t have the exact same meaning e.g. 了不得 (amazing or incredible).

Here are some of the most common ones:

• 看不起 - kàn bu qǐ/瞧不起 - qiáo bu qǐ - to look down on, disdainful, to despise, to think little of
• Example: 别看不起别人 - Don’t look down on other people
• 买不起 - mǎi bu qǐ - can’t afford to buy
• Example: 这房子太贵了，我买不起 - This house is too expensive, I can’t afford it.
• 输不起 - shū bu qǐ - can’t afford to lose, can’t accept defeat/losing, a sore loser
• Example: 他输不起，会生气 - He can’t handle losing, he gets angry.
• 伤不起 - shāng bu qǐ - can’t afford to get hurt but also has the meaning of unbearable, something being just the worst
• Example: 最近工作太累了，真的伤不起 - Work’s been exhausting lately, I really can’t take it anymore/can’t bear it
• 对不起 - duì bu qǐ - sorry, to let someone down
• Example: 对不起，我迟到了 - Sorry, I’m late.
• 玩不起 - wán bu qǐ - can’t afford to play, can’t handle the consequences/stakes
• Example: 你要是玩不起，就别开始 - If you can’t handle it, don’t start.
• 了不起 - liǎo bu qǐ - amazing, impressive, remarkable etc
• Example: 他每天五点起床跑步，了不起。He runs every morning at five, that’s admirable.
• 惹不起 - rě bu qǐ - can’t afford to provoke, don’t dare to mess with someone/anger someone
• Example: 这种客户太难搞，我惹不起 - Clients like this are too difficult, I don’t dare to get involved with them/mess with them.
• 忍不住 - rěn bu zhù - can’t help but do something, can’t bear
• Example: 那只猫忍不住坐在我刚叠好的衣服上 - That cat can’t help but sit on my freshly folded laundry.
• 憋不住 - biē bu zhù - can’t hold back
• Example: 他憋不住秘密 - He can’t keep a secret.
• 戳不住 - chuō bu zhù - can’t bear, can’t stand firm, slang meaning of being incapable/incompetent of doing something
• Example: 他戳不住别人说他 - He can’t handle people criticizing him.
• 打不住 - dǎ bu zhù - this has a few different meanings: 1. insufficient 2., something exceeding the standard/budget/limit 3. something is uncontrollable/can’t be stopped
• Examples: 这顿饭十块钱打不住 - Ten yuan definitely won’t be enough for this meal.
• 这么点时间打不住 - This amount of time isn’t enough.
• 这事要是打不住，就麻烦了 - If this situation can’t be brought under control, it’ll cause trouble.
• 靠不住 - kào bu zhù - unreliable
• Example: 天气预报有时候靠不住 - Weather forecasts aren’t always reliable.
• 备不住 - bèi bu zhù - perhaps, possibly, used to also indicate uncertainty
• Example: 你再想想，备不住还有办法 - Think again, maybe there’s still a solution.