Tag: personal

thefridayfive@DW

1. Can you diagram a sentence?

I used to be able to, but not sure now. We did this a lot in school but that was in the 1980s and I haven’t done it since. I think I could if I reminded myself of all the appropriate terms.

2. What word do you always spell wrong, no matter what?

Not always, but half the time I switch “c” and “s” in “decision”. It’s the bane of my existence.

I can also mix up “z” and “s”, and whether it should be “o” or “u” or “ou”.

I’m also convinced that the word “iriscandent” exists – never mind I can’t find it in any dictionary I’ve checked online and that google, duckduckgo etc. try to insist that I mean “iridescent” actually.

3. What word always looks like it’s spelled wrong to you but isn’t?

I can’t think of one.

4. Do you have any little memory games when it comes to similar words, like principle and principal?

Nope, I don’t need to. They’re all very clearly separate words. I read somewhere that native speakers are more likely to do this mistake, and I’m not a native English speaker. I usually see a new word written first, or see it written and hear it pronounced simultaneously – so in my mind there’s always a clear delineation between similar sounding and/or looking English words right from the start. We were also taught in depth the pronunciation rules of the English language and I think that also helps with this.

5. Was grammar something you enjoyed or detested in school?

Learning my mother tongue’s (Finnish) grammar was neutral, I wouldn’t say I loved it but I didn’t mind. I thought it was necessary. But I’ve always loved reading and writing so I’m predisposed to like learning grammar. As for the English grammar… I loved it. I loved everything about learning English. I was good at both Finnish and English grammar.

1 – June is Audiobook Month: Do you use audiobooks? If yes, do you use them exclusively, or do you also read ebooks or physical books? If you don’t use audiobooks, why not?

I use them if I can’t get it as a physical book or an ebook. I prefer physical books first, then ebooks. I don’t like audiobooks because I don’t like noise (migraine thing), and also I can’t get swept up in an audiobook like I can with reading text.

2 – Donut Day: Do you like donuts? Have you ever made your own? If/when you buy donuts, what it your go-to place — is it a major chain (Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons, Krispy Kreme, etc.), or do you have a favourite independent bakery?

They’re okay. Never made my own, only bought from grocery stores sometimes. We don’t have donut chains, some of the few big (country-wide) bakeries we have – that make most everything and sell to all the shops huge and tiny – do make some donuts too but they aren’t good and always taste kind of cheap crap IMO. Probably not what donuts are in the US. Or at least I expect donuts to be approx. million times better and tastier in the US – nothing else explains why they’re so popular there. I don’t think any independent bakeries (the ones that sell from their own little cafes and not in the grocery stores) make donuts except maybe occasionally as part of a theme. A few years ago it was a fad to bake oven donuts! You do see some recipes for donuts around baking groups, but other bakes are a lot more common and many of those have dozens of different recipes. Donuts just aren’t much of a thing here.

3 – World Bicycle Day: Do you regularly ride a bike? If yes, is it mostly for fun, or do is it your main mode of tranportation? Does your town/city have good bike infrasctructure, e.g. dedicated, safe bike paths, etc.?

I don’t bike, I don’t own one. Biking is encouraged here, and it’s a common form of transportation. I used to bike when I was a kid and young adult but when I hit 20 I stopped. I now regret it. Continue reading Jo’s Daily Questions – June 1-15, 2023

Answers to this week’s question over at https://thefridayfive.livejournal.com/214890.html

1. What is your favorite meal to order in a restaurant?

Lehtipihvi (leaf steak, a steak that is about 3-5mm thick and large) with French fries.

2. What is your favorite home cooked meal?

Fried vendace and mashed potatoes, as made by my Mom and her SO. Mom fries the fish just right, and her SO makes the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever tasted.

3. What was the best meal you ever ate?

I’m not sure. It’s not the food through, it’s always the company that would make it #1.

4. Do you ever try to re-create a meal you’ve eaten that someone else cooked?

I’ve tried to re-create many of the foods and meals my Mom makes. I just can’t get them to taste the same even though I do exactly like she does. They taste good, but not the same.

5. What’s the first meal you tried cooking yourself?

No idea. I was always under hand and foot when I was a kid when Mom and Dad cooked or baked. I’d help them chop things, measure flour, sugar etc. I learned to cook and bake by watching them and helping them. I do remember that by the time we had home economics in years 8 and 9, and got the home work assignment to plan and cook a meal from scratch for the family, that I had already done that enough times that that I was an old hat at it (while some of my class mates never had cooked or done anything but eat in the kitchen if it wasn’t a home assignment and the full meal was very difficult for them while for me it was easy). Although even then I preferred baking over cooking, and did a lot of that on my own after school even when I was just like 10 or 11 years old and was alone at home.

My Mom used to say that she never knew what she’d come home to from work – nice and clean kitchen, or a little bit of flour on the floor, all baking utensil waiting to be washed and bakes cooling. I was better baker than cleaner LOL But I was never scolded for that – Mom said later when I wondered about it as an adult, that Dad and her thought it was better than I’d get used to doing stuff and using the kitchen and that in time I’d learn to clean better too; that it’s a good thing a kid learns to feel that the kitchen is theirs too! They were right – a friend of mine never baked or cooked as a kid except for home work assignments; her parents didn’t like her messing up the kitchen so she never learned except for school and never enjoys it 30+ years later. She eats mostly take out even though she likes home cooked food a lot. But she’s never gotten over the scolding and feels like she’s doing a bad thing if she messes up the kitchen even a little and no matter how well she cleans up after.

Answers to today’s questions @ f.riday5.com

1. How ticklish are you?

Quite ticklish. It’s also made more uncomfortable because the skin on many places on my body, if it’s tickled, can start to itch as the result of tickling. Fun (not!) feature of having atopic skin. Often tickling also feels unpleasant, or even hurts, if I’m having rashes. So people have learned not to to tickle me because I have made it clear I don’t like it; if they try to, everything ends there because I get seriously angry and I either leave, or kick them out. They don’t usually try a second time.

2. When did you most recently experience physical numbness?

This morning when I woke up. The fingers and palm of my left hand were numb because I’d slept on it. This happens all the time; one or the other hand is usually numb at some point when I sleep.

3. What’s caused you recently to squirm?

Nothing.

4. What recently caused you to gag?

Taking my morning pills this morning.

5. Which item in your wardrobe is most uncomfortable to wear?

All my bras are uncomfortable! And a lot of shoes rub my heels bloody unless I plaster them within inch of their life. It’s a toss up between the two.

17 – World Baking Day: Do you bake or are you more of a fan of watching others baking, for example, watching the Great British Bake Off or other shows of that type? If you do bake, what are some of your favourite things to bake?

I love baking! But I don’t watch baking shows except very occasionally while bored & channel surfing. The last time I watched some was years ago. I did once make a point of watching a Nigella Lawson baking show episodes if I was at home at the time, but that was like 15 years ago I think.

The last few years I’ve been making bread a lot, and even more recently, bread rolls and teeleipä (thin, flat scones? not sweet!). Back when I was healthy my favorite thing to bake was layer cake, with lots of whipped cream to top it off. But it’s too much these day, and all the creams have become bad and weird – they don’t make good whipped cream anymore and it just melts in a few hours. This isn’t just me – it’s a common topic in the Facebook baking groups – the hunt for a good whippable cream! So I don’t make layer cakes much anymore because of the cream thing.

I also love baking fruit and berry pies and chocolate cake.

18 – International Museum Day: When was the last time you visited a museum? Which one was it, and what was your favourite exhibit?

Museums are one of the things I can’t afford to buy tickets to. I don’t think I’ve been to a museum since our London trip in 2008 when we went to the Natural History Museum there. The Natural History Museum is always cool (I think – I’ve only been to twice!) but my all time favorite exhibit was from my first visit there in 1997 with my best friend. There was this huge full sized dinosaur skeleton in a hall which was simply awesome, and then there was this department with prehistoric like Stone Age scenes of animals, humans, villages and life that looked so real!

19 – World Meditation Day: Do you meditate? If yes, describe your usual practice. If not, is meditation something you’d consider trying?

I do mindfullness but I don’t meditate. And nope.

20 – Weights And Measures Day: Imperial or Metric or a combo of the two depending on what you’re weighing/measuring?

Metric all the way! Never learned anything else. Continue reading Jo’s Daily Questions – May 17-31, 2023