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Having worked so hard on Obama's and HIllary's campaign, it was so nice to read this letter to our President from Prime Minister Renzi praising  Obama's presidency.  Before looking for a translation I tried to read his letter written in Italian.  Having studied Latin in High School I understood about half of it.   Now I know the Italians call us "gli Stati Uniti"  .    The letter can be found here : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/italy-matteo-renzi-obama-facebook_us_5820b3cbe4b0d9ce6fbd83dc .  Now I must find out more about PM Renzi.

Ciao Virginia, need help for the translation?

Yes, Please.    That would be very thoughtful of you.    I only know Italian from my favorite Arias.  I can sing 'notte e giorno faticar' from Don Giovanni two octaves up.  I love Buffo base arias.    Italian sounds so beautiful,  I like to listen to spoken Italia and just imagine what people are saying.  Somebody  put English subtitles to Verdi's  "il trovatore" and that ruined it for me because I did not like the plot.  That was long ago and I have forgotten it,  so now I can enjoy the Opera again.     However, if Renzi keeps giving nice speeches I will have to pay more attention to meaning.  Rumor is that Renzi is the Italian version of Canada's Prime Minister - Trudeau.   I am envious.  The USA is stuck with a "Buffo" for the next 4 years.   I am so happy to get European radio stations on my iPod so I don't have to hear about Trump 24/7.   Frankfort has a terrific Radio broadcast of Jazz and Classical music.  Can your recommend an Italian radio music station ?

Hey there, many greatings from frankfurt.  Which Radio Program are you listen to?
I just signed in, because I need to refresh my english very quickly for a Business trip which starts in about 2 Weeks

The Frankfurt station is hr2 kultur 96.7.    They have the best recordings of Jazz and Classical I have heard since I started playing Jazz piano in the 1950's.   I learned to play slide piano which is a type of Jazz.   I played for all my parent's parties.  In High School mother thought I should be more serious, so she had me audition for Piano Lessons from Irma Bley, who lived near me in California.   She graduated from the Munich Music Academy in the 40's.  She was spectacular in the way she played Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven  and compositions by her classmates.  She made the music very exciting.   It made me wonder about Germany in my early teens.   LOL I play Bach preludes with a jazz attitude......    The closest I have every been to Frankfurt is Heidelberg.  Now I am beginning to wonder about Frankfurt.  

I still forget to capitalize the right words in German.     In English we capitalize "Frankfurt"  and "English" but not our nouns.   Otherwise your English is perfect.

Hallo, Virginia, you play Bach with a jazz attitude ? That's wonderful - lucky you. I play Bach like a schoolgirl. Because i don't practicize enough.Which german films did you see last time - I see, I forgot all my english. Could you correct me, please?
I am very interested in literature and film.
have a nice evening
Andrea

Hallo Virginia,

I can imagine that you are worry about for the next 4 years for the new president,  you're very got the way of putting things earthy so anybody can understand them.
I do not know much about of Mr. Trump. He is a busines man and does not seem to know  much politics. Frequently he did not act like a mature adult. I hope he chooses appropriate advisors that can help him overcome his psychological problems and immaturity.
You like classical music , I too. You have to be a good learner for languages. I read that you want to learn German, if you want I can help you.
I need some helps in English.
Only practise makes perfect.
I live in the North of Italy and teach German here.

Don'the hesitate to correct me please,
Ich würde mich freuen etwas von dir zu hören
Liebe Grüße Martina

You write better than many Americans.    When I read what I have written the next day,  I must make some corrections.  

corrections:    I need some helps ->  I need some help
                      know much politics -> know much about politics.

There is an excellent article about the Trump victory in the Nov 11, 2016 edition of Der Spiegel Online International by Gordon Repinski and Hogel Stark.  It is a translation from German into superior English.  (You will have to tell me if their German is as good).  I want to find the original and compare the two versions.  That will help me understand more German articles about politics.   http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/trump-election-in-america-brings-uncertainty-and-fear-a-1120895.html

Although my ancestors came from Great Britain, Ireland and Germany,  I have many close friends who are not white.  I worry about their safety.  The nastiness towards our minorities during the Trump campaign makes me embarrassed to be white.  Hillary voters are thinking about wearing safety pins on our sweaters to show that we are safe people for gays, blacks, muslim and jews to be with.  (When I was a baby, safety pins were used on diapers because they were safe).   We are also discussing crowding around people who are being threatened by the KKK and other racial supremacists.   For the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays,  I will put the "Coexist Symbol" on my front door.   Have you seen the symbol in Europe ?   Here is a link: http://www.ebay.com/gds/The-Meaning-of-Coexist-Bumper-Stickers-/10000000178610512/g.html

Thanks for all your links,

I want to help you but give me a little bit of time to read everything thoroughly.

Have a look: www.dw.de  this can help you to understand more German articles about politics.

bye for now Martina

@ emma & Andrea

          Thank you and take your time.   I need time to make a list of Germans movies I have seen for  Andrea.  I plan to keep watching these movies until I don't need to read the subtitles.

Hello Virginia,

sorry, I've been rather busy. That seems a good idea to watching movies. At the beginning you have to try it only for a short time, 10 or 15 minutes,
then repeat it for few times and at the end you try it without subtitles.

The article is written good in English that you sent me last time. I found the German article, but I cant' send to you, I have only the magazin, I couldn't find more online.

No, the Coexist Symbol I have never seen in Euope, I am not sure whether it is excist here.  

Have a nice day today, we have a big time difference, I am not sure there are 7 or 8 hours.

Schreibe doch mal etwas auf Deutsch,

What are you reading, Virginia?have you read Elena Ferrante? or Elisabet Strout? -There are some new german movies moving towards Ameriica...
Gute Nacht ,das war ein kleiner herzlicher gruß- Andrea

@ emma and Andrea Maria

     Thank you for your encouragement in learning German.

      I made a list of German movies  with English subtitles that I can watch at home.  Since the movies are all in German, I will post them on the German Board.  Unfortunately I could not find all the German titles to these movies, so they have English Titles.  Maybe you can help me?     About every  month or two could you please recommend a movie  from the list to watch and discuss?

 I think it would be easiest for us to  educate each other if we write comments about the movie in our native tongue and then write translations  of responses made in a foreign tongue.   It is always easier for me to translate from German to English than from English to German.  I will be watching each movie numerous times until I can understand it without the subtitles.  Hopefully I can then write a short review of the movie for either Fandor or Amazon subscribers.   I hope someday I can understand the German movies lacking subtitles that are also on Amazon Prime.    I have put “ ** “ before the movies I have watched.   I like them very much and look forward to watching them again.   I will need to read more about what has happened in Germany during the last 200 years to understand these movies.   I am now reading “Rome’s Greatest Defeat  —in the Teutoburg Forest” by Adrian Murdoch.   It was published in England in 2006, but I have not found a movie about it.  I wonder why not.  It seems very dramatic.