#ispun

what we have though is phrasal verbs. and a fucking shitload of exceptions. i think getting to a usable level of english is easy enough. really mastering it though: different kettle of fish. years of english teaching. it’s not as easy as it seems.

depends totally on where you come from. for german speakers, yeah it’s easy. same family. for japanese speakers? not so much. plus many ppl live in countries where education isn’t so good. and anyway, english is full of nuances that many ppl forget

yep I know but it hasn't got a lot of grammar and alterations for persons or cases

[2 is ‘in the snow’]. Turned quite Christmassy! 

Between the beanie dragged low into his face and the scarf around his neck reaching up to cover most of his jawline, Dan’s cheeks are flushed from the cold, little white clouds of condensation in front of his nose and mouth, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of the street lamps and Christmas lights all around. It’s not the first Christmas Dan has spent in Europe, and by far not the first snow he’s seen, but his eyes had still lit up when the grey afternoon sky, clouds hanging low over the houses of Pontoise, had opened up and the first thick snowflakes had drifted down, carried by a light breeze.

It’s still almost a week until Christmas Eve, but the streets are littered with little booths selling festive goods, the windows of the shops heavily decorated, ranging from tasteful to downright atrocious. It’s a weekday, and just turned dark: most people are still at work, their stroll through the city centre not hindered by too big a crowd. They could have gone straight into Paris, could have taken the train to avoid the evening traffic on the streets, could have gone to see the Eiffel Tour lit up like a giant Christmas tree, but they’d voted against that. The mayhem of the tourist filled central Paris isn’t what they want to fill their holidays with though, so they stick to Pontoise, walk through the picturesque streets, follow paths Jean-Eric has known since he was a little kid. Through his eyes, the little suburb turns into a maze of side streets housing the best little coffee store, a book shop who’s lopsided bookshelves threaten to bury the customers under an avalanche of paper and words, that little bench far up over the river where in the evening a couple of cats gather, always up for a cuddle if they receive a scrap of food in return.

It’s not where Jean-Eric is leading them now though.

“Are we there yet?” Dan asks as he bumps his shoulder against Jean-Eric’s, his hands buried in the pockets of his winter jacket. There’s a thin sheen of white snow dusting his RedBull beanie, the only branded item of clothing Jean-Eric allows him to wear, preferring to blend in with the crowd around them.

Jean-Eric grins and takes a sharp turn. “Yes.” The alleyway connecting the street with the yard surrounded by the buildings is decorated with a ceiling of yellow fairy lights, tiny Christmas trees left and right. It shields them from the snow until they step into the yard. A couple glass doors around the yard lead to small shops selling hand made goods, but it’s the booth that’s set up between two of the store windows, the tangy sweet scent of mullet wine and hot apple juice wafting their way. “Sit down,” Jean-Eric tells Dan, nodding at one of the benches and tables set up around the yard and then goes to purchase two steaming mugs of hot red wine, his mouth already starting to water when he smells the cinnamon and orange slices swimming in the huge pot the lady behind the counter is ladling the mullet wine from.

When he joins Dan at the table, the Australian is gazing up at the square of dark sky framed by the roofs around them, lazy snowflakes steadily drifting into view.

“I’ll never get tired of this,” Dan says, only looking at him when Jean-Eric places the mug on the table in front of him. Dan lifts it to his mouth with both hands, warming his fingers against the hot china.

“Good,” Jean-Eric replies, moving closer to brush the cold tip of his nose against Dan’s cheek, stealing a soft kiss from Dan’s lips hot from the wine, tasting of Christmas. “I’ll remind you of that in ten years time.”

Dan smiles back at him over the brim of his mug. “Please do. And in 15 years. And in 20, too.”

____

1:Let’s start with a tricky one; what is the real reason you are confused right now? I'm not

2:Do you ever get “good morning” texts from anyone? never

3:If your significant other smoked pot, would you care? not if they tell me straight up, but I might be a bit pissed if they keep it a secret

4:Do you find it easy to trust others? not really, no

5:What were you doing at 11PM last night? watching TV and eating cereal

6:You’re drunk and lost walking down the road; who is with you? idfk

7:What would you do if you found out you had been cheated on? dump the fucker, aint got time for that shit

8:Are you close with your dad? nah

9:I bet you kissed someone last night, right? lmao 

why do we watch this idiot sport

working-99-til-35 said: Stay safe, hope you and your family are ok xx

missdecember1988 said: Oh god, stay safe. I can’t bloody imagine what you are going through. My thoughts are with you and your country xx

monocoquemadam said: Keep yourself safe lovely. You and your country are in my thoughts and prayers.

 THANK YOU GIRLS X