Cruise 10/11/2003

[susan514]

Actually, they cancelled the shuttle flight because the hurricane may effect the space control center in Houston, Texas. The weather at the Cape is actually good right now. And there are no hurricanes near there. Hope all is well.

 

[Tulirose]

Eric - I like it! - A (re)union of friends! Taswira - We were hesistant to use "DIS'ers" on T-shirts last year. Not sure of what the reason was. Maybe because it is a privately owned site and we didn't have permission? Eric - Anxious to receive update so I can get these people straight. Have a great long weekend. Hope you put your furniture together correctly and that it doesn't fall apart when you first sit on it. Alikat - So nice to offer to get stuff from WDW for us. It will be great for you to meet Dan&Scott while they are down there. Dan's the quiet one! Taswira - Heard that rumor but I don't believe it. Let us know what you find out. Alikat - Happy B-day to your DD.

Windemere - (you get your own paragraph!) Welcome back. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Are you saying that your tablemates are DIS'ers who just lurked on the threads? Or did they not know anything about the DIS until you informed them? Great that you got to have dinner with the staff captains at Palo. Did you still have to pay or do they pick up the tab? Have fun at your wedding this weekend!

jmalk - You is fresh! But, Dan and I were bad and a punishment may be called for. I think he should owe me another drink!! Taswira - Your description of yourself describes me perfectly! Papa - Always happy to hear your live updates. Give our best to Kathy and have you seen Mary around much? Tell her we said "HI". Do you know how Twinave and family are enjoying the cruise? Eric - We are driving down this time around so I think we may be bringing that wine we left behind last time (not the same bottles, of course, they are long gone!) Susan - Thanks for the info on the weather for the shuttle in Texas versus Florida. Eric had me a little bit confused but he does that to people, don't ya think?

 

[Tulirose]

Eric - (please keep in mind that I cannot type the double dots over letters) Guten Abend. Sehr angenehm. Besten Gruss an Anja bitte. Sie waren ausserst gutig. Es freut mich fur dein Freundschaft. Danke, gut und Auf Wiedersehen. - Rosemary

And I did it all by myself!!!

 

[Viking]

Rosemary,
confusing you isn't exactly hard work
Congratulations on your German post, it's nearly flawless!!!
For getting the dots over the A, O and U you can use the "ALT"-button on your keyboard, just hold ALT and type the following numbers:

ALT + 132 = ä
ALT + 129 = ü
ALT + 148 = ö
And for the caps
ALT + 142 = Ä
ALT + 153 = Ö
ALT + 154 = Ü

I have to do this often in the office, as all our computers are equipped with "American" keyboards - Remember, I work for a Boeing subsidiary. At home I have a "German" Keyboard which facilitates typing our crazy letters. But it is also allowed to substitute the dotted vowels by just adding an "e", i.e. ä = ae. So in your sentence the word "gutig" would then be "gütig" or "guetig". We can work on the pronounciation at the pool. First lesson will start 10/12/03, 1000 am. Bring a legal pad, some pencils and a tape recorder
Here in Germany, AFN (American Forces Network) had a very popular thing running for many, many years: The German Phrase Of The Day. Things like "Ich hätte gern ein Bier!" May I have a beer, please!" perhaps we can do that on the ship - LOL

Susan,
thanks for the info about the storm, I was also kind of confused because I saw Lili on a satellite-pic right in the center of the gulf and reportedly headed for Cancun. I just forgot that Mission Control is located in Houston.

Shari,
I have to look for Peppermint Schnaps. But all this "Lady-Booze" usually costs about $5-10 per bottle (Usually about 1/6 of a gallon). It depends on the brand. You get this stuff from well esatblished brands or you can buy it at large supermarket-chains (Like Walmart), who have their own thing. Usually coming from the same factory as the original stuff, but you don't have to pay for all the commercials and the name.

 

[taswira]

Probably of little interest, but I figured I post this here to at least bump the thread! I participated in the DCL teleconference with Disney's Tom Ingle last night. He is actually District Sales Manager in Orlando. It was rather fruitless and, as usual, we on the DIS seem to know more than a lot of people with Disney!

<B>Regarding the Mediterranean in 2004</B> - He <I>claims</I> it is a <I>remote</I> possibility and they are considering many options for the future. The survey was just "putting out feelers." (But then what about the word coming from Capt. Tom's stepson??) <B>As for the Wonder and Magic switching routes</B> - Again, supposedly just a rumor. <B>Does DCL have any plans to develop entertainment for the non-potty trained now that they can no longer use the pools?</B> - Not at this time. There is Flounders, but its availability is not guaranteed. The target market is families with children 3 and over, for which DCL has club programs and entertainment. However, Disney is ALWAYS working to improve the guest experience. <B>When will booking be available for beyond April 2004?</B> - Probably in the spring of 2003.

Okay. That last answer leads me to believe that MAYBE they <I>are</I> going to do the Mediterranean in summer 2004, and just don't want the word out yet. That would make sense, in case it falls through somehow. However . . .

Maybe Mr. Ingle is not aware of certain things yet. He's a very nice man, but in spite of running the onboard DCL Cruise College for agents and the educational teleconferences, he was totally unaware of the recently reclassified staterooms! When I explained the situation, he <I>seemed</I> to agree that there should be a letter designation or <I>something</I> to distinguish between the true Navigator Verandah and the obstructed regular verandah so guests know <I>exactly</I> what they are getting. Sorry for rambling, but now we're bumped up again!

 

[Viking]

A mediterranean cruise for 2004 sounds great. We could do Cruisetoberfest III and go to the real Oktoberfest before or after the cruise
And this time it would be the Americans' turn to spent 10+ hours in the air

 

[papa]

Kathy and I have rebooked onboard and are offically part of the cruisetoberfest II, along with Art and Cathy. Looks like the gang is almost here.

Mike and Kathy

 

[Viking]

Okiedokie,
this means that I have to change your colour on the list from red to green.
Welcome aboard, Veterans!!!!

 

[papa]

Hey Eric and the rest of our cruisers. I have the boss @GoofyNut(Cathy looking over my shoulder We are all very happy to be able to join with the rest for this cruise. Like Cathy said they won't know what hit them.

Art and everyone looked spiffy all dressed up. For a bunch of over the hill folks we cleaned up nice No exercise program for us though. This is one long ship when you are tired and the room is on the other end. Mary said that they are rebooking and Twinave has just about twisted Mark's arm to go also.

The boss my dear wife is headed for the free drinks, have to go join her. Mike

 

[Tulirose]

YAY! It's official! Kathy and Mike and Cathy and Art are joining the Cruisetoberfest II'ers - A (Re)Union of Friends! Can't wait to see pictures of you guys all spiffed up!

Eric - At first I thought my keyboard was refusing to speak German because no matter what numbers I pushed I only got Ä. But I was doing something wrong - hitting the space bar or something when I shouldn't have and now I can do them all! : ä ü ö Ä Ö Ü - Neat-O! Learn something new every day!

Here in Germany, AFN (American Forces Network) had a very popular thing running for many, many years: The German Phrase Of The Day. Things like "Ich hätte gern ein Bier!" May I have a beer, please!" perhaps we can do that on the ship - LOL

Why wait for the ship. Let's start now! "Ja, du mag. Geben der Rechnung and Herr Danielson!"

Whew! That was hard - Had to change the format several times so it would be easier for me - Using an English/German Germany/English dictionary! BTW - Did I do good? Does it make sense?

 

[Viking]

Hi Folks,
Edition #4 of our evergrowing list has just been sent as a PDF (Hi Dan'n'Scott) and as a Word-Doc.

Rosemary,
sorry, but this time it doesn't make very much sense. I retranslate verbatim: "Yes, you like. Give the cheque and Mr. Danielson." But thanks for trying. we have a year's time to get you prepared for a German conversation.
Talking about our dotted vowels: I forgot to mention that you must use the numbers of the alphanumerical pad on the right side of the keyboard. It doesn't work with the numbers on the main keys above the letters.

Papa,
we have a special exercise-program here in Germany which may be suitable for you - Even on the ship. Its called THE ONE-ARMED LIFT . You fill a large stein with beer, place it on a table, put your right hand in the handle, and then make as many reps as necessary to drain the stein. 1 stein equals one set. After each set it is allowed to switch hands. The Olympics in this sport are held right now in Munich

RellingTwin and Twinave,
I'm looking forward to receive your booking confirmation

 

[Tulirose]

Actually my German wasn't too far off base. You asked: "Ich hätte gern ein Bier!" (May I have a beer, please!" ). My attempted response was to read: "Yes, you may. Give the bill to Mr. Danielson" (Dan, of Dan&Scott fame). Get it? (Ja, du mag. Geben der Rechnung and Herr Danielson!)



........ (Signifies time passing)........

I just spent the better part of I don't know how long trying to correct my German. I took a break to make dinner, worked on it a bit while dinner was cooking, started to eat, took a phone call from DAN!, finished eating and started back again on this chore and cannot for the life of me figure out how to say "Give the bill to Mr. Dan".

I also can't figure out the words for "Mr. Dan is paying", or "It is Mr. Dan's treat" or something similar. Having a couple of glasses of wine is not helping me in the matter either!

 

[taswira]

<B>Tulirose</B> - Wouldn't "Give him . . " be <I>"Geben Sie ihm . . . "</I> - - ?

Ah, maybe not. It's been WAY too long!

 

[Viking]

Rosie & Shari,

now I got it!! "Ja, gerne. Dan zahlt!" which is "Yes, sur. Dan is paying." Sorry, I didn't make the connection to my German phrase.

Or, like Shari said "Dan zahlt, geben Sie ihm die Rechnung" "Dan is paying, give im the cheque."

If you ever happen to be at a German pub with Dan, just show him the big bell at bar and make him ring it. Unwritten German Law: He, who rings the bill, is paying a round for everyone present.
There's a funny story concerning this:

A guy comes into a pub, rings the bell and shouts "A round for everyone before it starts!!". The landlord serves beer for everyone. then the guy rings the bell again and shouts "A round for everyone before it starts!!".
After the third time the landlord comes to the guy and asks him "Hey Buster, can you really pay for all the beer?" and the guy says "Oops, now it's starting!"

 

[Twinave]

We're in!

And whatever you call it, I call it a Disney Blast! Ave'

 

[Tulirose]

Shari - I never took German. What I have done has been only with the help of a German/English dictionary my son had (he took German but even if he remembered any of it, he is never around to help) and two German text books which Richard's uncle wrote for NYC schools back in the early 1950's!

Eric - I loved your little story! LOL I'm gonna have to memorize this: Dan zahlt!" Hope we get a German crew member as a waiter! LOL Love ya Dan! BTW Eric, will have to send an email so you can write in that we will be somewhere in Florida night before Cruise. We want it official for the "Official One Year Update"!!

YAAYY!!!! TwinAve and family are joining us and RellingTwin and I read on the 9/28 thread someone else is too (but I forgot who). Excitement grows!!!

 

[taswira]

Originally posted by Tulirose
Shari - I never took German. What I have done has been only with the help of a German/English dictionary. . .

I took German 30 years ago and have <I>rarely</I> used it since. When in Germany, I like to find people who speak English! If I have to make a fool of myself in a foreign language, I'd rather do it in French or Kiswahili. I am just so-so in those. But my German is REALLY BAD! I like to LISTEN to it though . . .

 

[Viking]

Rosemary,

German is a very difficult language due to it's complex grammatics. Mastering it just with a dictionary is nearly impossible as Chinese, Korean and Japanese electronics manufacturers have proven so often We have funny books in Germany filled with manuals of Asian TV-sets, VCRs etc. written in such horrible German that being able to operate these devices just depends on luck The best are manuals, which have obviously been translated to poor English first and then from this Pidgin-English again translated to even poorer German.

The main obstruction for Americans learning German over here is the fact that -especially in large cities- you find so many people who understand and speak English. A friend of ours, who spent seven years in Germany and even gave aerobic classes in a German gym never learned to speak German in this time. She always said "Why should I? I get everything I want without it!" But it's not only Americans as a couple of Australian aerobic trainers in our gym does exactly the same. And we Germans aren't of any help either as we like to use every opportunity to converse in English to fine-tune our language skills and get rid of our accents. Zis iz alzo undahstandahble, izn't it?

 

[taswira]

Eric - The fact that German is such an easy language to speak INCORRECTLY (the grammatics problem) is EXACTLY why I usually do not attempt it. Since I studied German so LONG ago, I do love to listen to conversations in German and try to decipher enough to figure out <I>a little</I> of what is being said. That's kind of fun . . especially if the people conversing think I don't understand a word of it! But my German was hopeless because it sounded like what it was - an American trying to speak German. My French "flowed" enough to fake it. My German never did. I was always worried about accidentally twisting my phrases into something offensive!

 

[Viking]

Shari,
if German starts flowing, it's no longer German French, Spanish or Italian have to flow, which gives these wonderful languages their "Magic".
As long as you try to speak German in Germany -especially as an American- every effort will be appreciated by the natives. And I think it is like that in most countries. We started to learn Spanish some time ago and experienced the same problem as you: Making jerks of ourselves by mutilating that wonderful language. But trying to speak a foreign language is the only way to learn it. As we say in Germany: The best way to learn to swim is jumping into the water.

For example: Usually you start learning English in Germany at the age of 10 (That is when I was a kid, my niece started with 8, which is usual today), but I was at a very conservative school where I had to start with Latin first. I took up English when I was 12. To compensate this I went to England when I was 14 and spent 3 weeks with English host-parents. There I was forced to speak English and it worked. I repeated this for the next two summers and it helped me a lot. I started too late to get rid of my accent - and I have not enough opportunities to speak English to fight it, but due to the fact that I mainly read English literature, spend so much time on the Web and listen mainly to music in English, I have a good vocabulary. Also the introduction of DVDs some years ago helps a lot: Most DVDs available in Germany also contain the original language version.
A good way to reanimate your German is to read a book in German you've read in English before. This way you can substitute the missing vocabulary by using the context AND your memory.
I was always worried about accidentally twisting my phrases into something offensive! This is far easier for a German in English than vice versa - Believe me!!!