I cut my teeth on typing letters like that - mainly in French, having qualified in German and Russian - the IOC also had this thing about 'originals' at the time. Either a standard reply to people complaining that pairs skating was too sexy, that Moscow shouldn't hold the Games (or should, depending on who they were...) - the list is endless. I also typed up minutes (also French as well as English) before graduating to taking them. It was their idea of 'breaking in poor English post-grad expats' - those who survived went on to better things, while the others took themselves and their damaged pride (you want us to do TYPING???) home again.
Thanks for the dictionary names - duly noted. Much as I love the Net, I'm excessively old-fashioned and like 'real' dictionaries for specific areas, which line my office. My husband (and business partner) prefers the online stuff.
Yup - wine. Published by the Office International de la vigne et du vin, and an absolute treasure found in a local (Swiss) flea market. Massive, five languages, and truly amazing as I translate a fair amount on wine. Watchmaking too (this being Switzerland) - for which the 'bible' is a socking $800 *if* you can get one.
I ramble. Happy Soyuz, but let me leave you with this: I was in Kalinin (now Tver again) in - I think - 1976? during the Apollo-Soyuz mission. The student hostel being basic, we read most of the thrilling reports on it in Izvestia and Pravda in the form of small squares... kindly provided as toilet paper. Sometimes, that is.
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So familiar...
Date: 2002-05-07 08:55 am (UTC)Thanks for the dictionary names - duly noted. Much as I love the Net, I'm excessively old-fashioned and like 'real' dictionaries for specific areas, which line my office. My husband (and business partner) prefers the online stuff.
Yup - wine. Published by the Office International de la vigne et du vin, and an absolute treasure found in a local (Swiss) flea market. Massive, five languages, and truly amazing as I translate a fair amount on wine. Watchmaking too (this being Switzerland) - for which the 'bible' is a socking $800 *if* you can get one.
I ramble. Happy Soyuz, but let me leave you with this: I was in Kalinin (now Tver again) in - I think - 1976? during the Apollo-Soyuz mission. The student hostel being basic, we read most of the thrilling reports on it in Izvestia and Pravda in the form of small squares... kindly provided as toilet paper. Sometimes, that is.