(no subject)

[xp_dust]

((voice to text enabled))

Hello. I am Sooraya Qadir. I am new at this school. I am using this computer to put something in my journal. Nathan is helping me to use it. He says this is a good way to meet the people at the school.

I am a girl from Afghanistan. I have been here for a month. I have powers like all people here. I have been studying English every day and I will take classes at the school too. Now I am living in the boat house but I am to be moving to the big house in not long.

Everyone here is very nice. Thank you for reading my journal.

Comments

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Wow. You -just- learned English? That's really .. wow. That's awesome that you're already this good at it.

I'm Kyle, and when you do get over here, I'd be the tall blond one with pointy ears and fangs and claws and no shoes. Which are my powers, sort of. The pointy ears, not the no shoes.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

Yes, considering how much you maim English already.

Hello Sooraya, I'm Julio. I'm the blond kid's roommate, the one that wears shoes.

I am very impressed with how fast you have learned English. My father taught me, but that's because he would speak nothing but English to me, and it was either speak it back or not get anything done.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

She's doing pretty well for not using the translator program either.

Good morning, Sooraya. I'm Forge, and while I'm no longer a student here, I'm the guy you'll probably have to see when you move into the dormitory rooms to get your access card, phone, and the quick explanation of the security protocols.

Please don't assume Mr. D. is a standard example of us adults here - not all of us are as unlucky or accident-prone.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Hello. I will follow all the rules. I do not want to be a danger here.

I do not understand who is Mr. D. I have not met him I think.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

Mr. D. is Nathan - I tend to shorten names a lot when typing, so "Mr. Dayspring" becomes "Mr. D."

I don't think there will be any problems - the only rules here are really meant to keep everyone safe.

So how do you like the school so far? What you've seen of it, anyway.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

The school is very nice. It is big and very green. There are many trees. Nathan says there are horses. I would like to see them.

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Pbbth.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

Now there's a response I'd expect from Rachel, and not her father.

Play nice or I'll paint your psimitar bright pink and put sparkly ribbons on it when you're allowed to have it again.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Nathan laughed very hard now. I do not understand this, but it is funny it seems.

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Sooraya just asked me what 'pbbth' means and Rachel demonstrated. This is very entertaining.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Hello. Thank you. I am not very good now. Nathan is helping me very much. When I am not sure I ask him and then he tells me how to say a thing.

It is nice to meet you.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

Trust me, after a month? You are doing very well.

Grammar is what always got me. English grammar is confusing, hard, and very dumb.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I do not understand what you are talking about tables. Everything is very hard now, but I am liking learning. I am worried for the classes I will take but I think I will like them too.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

Oh, my first language is Spanish, and in Spanish words are sometimes either male or female, because they end in an "o" or an "a". Kyle is just complaining because it is hard for him.

I am sure you will do fine in class. Do you know when they are moving you to the big house?

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

I think that Spanish is hard too. But not hard like English. I would like to hear Spanish.

Nathan says in a few days I will go to the big house. I must have a room mate. I wish it is a girl.


He says it is.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

I will be more than happy to speak Spanish to you. It is a very beautiful language.

Especially if you catch me before I've had any coffee in the mornings. I'm still stuck in Spanish until then.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

You are stuck? I do not understand.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

Sometimes when I'm not awake, it is hard for me to talk in English.

Luckily, people now understand "Dé café de Julio" means "Give Julio coffee"

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

I will try and remember this.

Café and coffee sound the same. Nathan says this is because they are related. That is interesting.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Hey. I do -not- maim English. I use a bunch of slang, but usually it's correct grammar and spelling. Nyah. Only class I don't need to study my tuckus off to get B's in.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

You do maim it. When you try to speak Spanish at me. You do that again and you get the broom.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

That's maiming Spanish, not English. There's a reason I got a C- in Spanish. It's confusing and words don't need gender. They don't have little word babies, they don't need to be girl words or boy words.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

No, it's confusing when words don't have a gender, how do you know who is speaking? Or what you are referring to? You just have to guess with English.

And in Spanish grammar, the rules don't change.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Uh. You just.. know? I mean, do I need to know that tables are boys? Or that elevators are girls?

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

It is more of a matter who is speaking. And it is not that hard, honestly. El or La. It's not like there are twelve versions or something.

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Actually, Sooraya and I have been doing something similar. Although I do switch back and forth to Dari to explain things...

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I do not understand. Ears are powers?

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

The picture I used here might help because my ears show in it. My ears are pointed, and I have very very good hearing. Also a very good sense of smell. And I can see in the dark.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I understand better now.

You are like a cat?

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

I am sort of like a cat. And sort of like a dog*. Not as much like a cat as Catseye, who is a cat about 14 hours out of the day (She's the tall purple one. Clarice is the small purple one.). I don't have a tail, and I don't have fur. And I eat vegetables. And not as much like a dog as Rahne, who can turn into a wolf.

Doctor MacTaggart (Who is married to Nate, so I think you met her?) called it a "Atavistic Feral Mutation", which means that I'm kind of like a cat or dog, and kind of like a caveman.

* Forge, don't you even THINK about making fun of me. I'm trying to explain the mutation in words that aren't confusing or require a dictionary.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

I have met Rahne. And Doctor MacTaggart. They are nice.

What is a caveman, please?

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

A caveman is... basically people before we knew how to make wheels or houses, or anything like that. Um. Like, sort of like a gorilla, but more like a person than a gorilla. I'm not very much like that though -it's just that I can't eat or drink some stuff most people can, like sodas or coffee, or some kinds of packaged foods.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

I cannot eat the things many people eat too. That is not my power, it is because of my religion. But we are a little the same.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Halal, right? I think Haroun - Haroun used to teach here - did that too - no pork, no alcohol, and meat has to be made a certain way?

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Yes. That is right.

I like this. It is nice to talk to people. But I do not feel so scared.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

I only know that because some of us talked about it a couple of weeks ago on these journals. For some reason we talk about food a lot.

It'll probably help with your English too. It did for other people.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Yes. I will practice very much. Thank you for helping me.

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

So glad you are up and running on the journal system! Sorry I haven't had a chance to come by and visit again, but feel free to stop by my room anytime.

Oh yeah! I forgot that even though we've met, neither of us could really say much at the time and I don't remember if I ever introduced myself. I'm Marie, P.E. coach and resident advisor for the students.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Hello. It is nice to meet you again. Thank you for the clothes.

I would like to visit soon.

[x-blink.livejournal.com]

hey Sooraya, I'm Clarice.

let me know if you'd like some clothing too - I make clothes and even have some more-traditional Muslim fashions (morrocan abayas, tunic pant suits and I might have one for a thobe).

[x-aerial.livejournal.com]

Greetings, Sooraya. I am Crystal Amaquelin. I didn't know you had such a wonderful grasp on English already!

Have you read Amanda's post? A group of students are going to New York on Saturday. It is supposed to be a lot of fun. You should come with us if you would like.

[x-dust.livejournal.com]

Hello.

I would like to go to New York if it is safe.