Moin, moin!
Me at graduation of high school in Arkansas!
Moin is a regional way to say hi in the north of Germany, in Bundesländer like Niedersachsen. And with that, I say hi to you!
I am Sten Ritterfeld, blogger and language tutor at Transparent Languages for Dutch and German. I also write for the Dutch blog, so be sure to check that out, too!
I grew up in Germany, right on the border to the Netherlands. I went to a Dutch school. My parents are Dutch and German, and therefore I’ve been learning both languages ever since I was young. It is also why both cultures have heavily influenced me.
So now you might wonder: Sten, do you feel Dutch or do you feel German? To make it short and easy for myself, I just always say that I am European. That is too short of an answer, though. To be honest, it really depends on what exactly I should feel Dutch or German about. Regarding the upcoming Soccer World Cup in Brazil, I have the tendency to cheer more for the German team than the Dutch. However, that gets tricky when they play each other. Then it was just always funny to go to school with German flags drawn on my cheeks – the reactions were always priceless.
In addition to this, I went for one year on exchange to the United States after I had graduated from high school in the Netherlands. Arkansas was my home state, where I attended high school. In the year I found time to visit other states too, including Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alabama. And I saw Washington, D.C. and New York City. It was a very rewarding experience.
Now I study European Law at Maastricht University in Maastricht in the Netherlands. Other than that, I also make music under the name Trimono and I launched the voting app mindinEU with my brother, where EU citizens can vote on weekly questions posed by members of the European Parliament.
I love both the German and Dutch culture, and the interplay between the two. I will start posting more here, and I will keep on posting on the Dutch blog, and also, do not miss out on the Facebook pages of both Dutch and German!
If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to ask. I hope you will enjoy my work!
Comments:
leon gork:
Hallo, viele dank fur ihrer blog, ich wunsche euch viele sukses. Ich versteh das jets sind sie die Plats ubergenommen fun Mickie. Ich wurde es sehr schatzen wen sie meine fehler ausweisen konnen und so mir helfen meine Deutsche Sprach zu verbesseren.
Guten Tag, grusen Leon Gork
Daniel:
Hello Sten.
Thursday is the big day for the uk and I’m eagerly awaiting putting my X on the ballot paper for UKIP. Do you think UKIP will make any impression? As a 70 year old I do believe the EU has been disastrous for this country and the sooner we make a mark and exit the better.
Yours Sincerely.
Daniel Heath.
Sten:
@Daniel Hi Daniel,
I think it is great in the first place THAT you vote. Everybody that has the opportunity should, I think. UKIP will certainly make some impression as long as they are in the spotlight. I cannot speak that much on behalf of the UK, since I am Dutch-German myself. However, I do think that much of the upheaval about the EU is not entirely justified. But let me not go too deep into that. This is a not a political discussion board – but send me a private message otherwise!
Thank you for your comment, sincerely,
Sten
salma:
Hallo Leon
Ich habe deine Nachricht gelesen und ich glaube das wir habe der selbe Probleme. Zum Beispiel, ich wohne in Ndjamena in Tschad. Also, es ist sehr schwer für mich zu finden Leute um deutsch sprache zu praktischeren. Ich mag gern deutsch Sprache und hoffe meine sprachung verbessern. wir können zeit zur zeit uns schreiben um unsere deutsch zu verbessern!!!
audio recording:
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André:
Nice blog, you look like a cousin of mine!