One of my bestest chummies -check out stellavitrum.blogspot.nl she's amazing- also started a blog and that's when I realized I had one too!
*hides away in a corner of shame*
But ey, everything takes time to get used to and why not give it a go once in a while?
This time I didn't want to review a book, I wanted to chat away, so if you are not interested in that, cover your eyes and hum a good tune - or click on my chummy's blog :)
I've said in a previous blog that I am from the Netherlands in a teeny tiny town that has a lot of cheese and deliciously sweet syrup waffles -- there is honestly no proper translation for them, I am very sorry.
That can leave people to the question to why the heck I'm writing in English. I do that absolutely everywhere, my books, on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, my journal and even in my mind.
I have a strange fascination with the language, it helps me think and it sounds better than in the sometimes rude Dutch language.
This fascination is so strange for the people around me, they cannot understand why I would do such a thing. But for real, what does my family care about the fact that I write in English on Facebook? They say I am too 'technical' and that sometimes they find it hard to translate my messages. I consider this not my problem, I may have motives. I actually quite enjoy the fact that they can't read everything I say -- if they would only quit complaining since it is my life.
I haven't grown up with the language, apart from the fact that I've watched Notting Hill and Pretty Woman from the age that I could read along with the subtitles. It only is getting a bit out of hand up till the point that I can't find the Dutch word and need to say the English word and translate that before I know what the right word is. Still - some grammar mistakes etcetera are still in order, I am no bilingual and a human - so I am allowed to make mistakes...?
Since I've also said in a previous post that I write books -- at least I attempt to write them. And they are also written in English. Why do I do that, some people may ask? It is for the simple fact that you can describe things so much prettier and some kind of fuller than in Dutch -- which no doubt will be horribly translated if they ever get published. For example, I absolutely love The Mortal Instruments series by the amazing Cassandra Clare. Some Dutch translator thought it would be all right to translate that into the Chronicles of the Underworld.
And I can say with every fiber of my human being, that that person should be fired from his or her job. Because if the Translator had read that book, he or she would know that the book isn't about the Underworld. The main characters are Nephilim - half humans and half Angels. The Underworld is only a slight part of it, yes they kill Demons or send them back to their realms but really - that isn't what the books are about. They are about the Mortal Instruments, the Mortal Cup, The Mortal Sword and last but not least the Mirror. It may sound like I am a know it all and stuff and I know that not everyone will agree with me but it literally pains me that the Translator hasn't read the books properly. Is it too much to ask that someone knows what they are translating?
And this is why I am trying to figure out if I want to study English after I have graduated Speech Therapy. Because I would love to learn more about the language and I might want to start translating books, so I know that I can pour my heart in it and give the books and their authors whom have worked so hard for it, their proper translation.
Having that said - phew that was my complaining part, again I'm sorry - back to my 'books' by lack of proper word for Stories Unfinished. I am currently working on three books that are progressing nicely, and I have about five - yes it is insane, I'm very aware of that - ideas that need to be worked out. I am really insecure about putting things out on the internets since you never know if someone will copy it and use it for their own stories. Plus I am also insecure about my writing style. At the moment I am following a minor - a small course inside the Speech Therapy subject - that includes Creative Writing and I am very excited about that!
We are doing some fun assignments like describing a paper bin or the person that is sitting opposite you. We also have to write a fairy tale based on an event in your life. So that's what keeping me busy lately :)
I hope that I can keep up with blogging from now on. I don't think that there will be many book reviews since school is taking up a lot of my reading time and I am re-reading a lot of books lately. Which means that there probably be more chatting types of blog posts. Maybe some hauls I did lately? My bank account is seriously complaining and I should start saving for my trip to London this summer. I already have a bit too large list of stuff that I want to buy over there.
Thanks for reading :)
Love, Iris
