We are doing the Germans now!

[WhiteRussian]

Have you heard? We have built a gas pipeline underwater of the Baltic Sea suppling the Germans direct with our Russian gas. The poles and ukrainians are going crazy now because they no longer can meddle with our business. And the germans now completely depend on us. If we switch off our pipeline they freeze their german asses off ;-) Russia rules!

[Alicja1]

Hello WhiteRussian! Thanks that you didn't ignore my private message. My congratulation! It must be great pleasure to have such power in the world. Can you tell me what profit have simple people of it? And think about very end of many powerful people. I don't envy them. Alicja

[Cristina.ro]

So I've heard... And of course WhiteRussian is here to gloat -- Just typical! ;-)
_________________
Just remember... if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!

[Torsten]

The Nord Stream gas pipline has been the largest construction project in Europe so far with a price tag of more than 10bn dollars. Let's see how it's going to change the trans-European relationships.

TOEIC short conversations: Confirming an order on the phone.

[Jamie (K)]

I don't think it will change much. The Germans will still ignore gross human rights violations in Russia while castigating the Americans for executing a couple murderers a year.

[Torsten]

So are you saying that the Americans are doing more to protect human rights in Russia than the Germans? As far as I know the Americans have invested more money in Russia than the Germans. If the Americans are so concerned about the human rights track record of the Russians, how come they enjoy doing business with them?

TOEIC short conversations: Two colleagues talk about their current projects.

[Jamie (K)]

I'm not making any comparison of what either government is doing to promote human rights in Russia. I'm just pointing out that the Germans tend to ignore outrageous human rights violations in fascist countries while constantly berating the US for its peccadilloes. If they're reliant on Russian gas, they'll be even more motivated to kiss up to Russia while treating the US as the world's evil presence.

[Torsten]

You still think that executing people is a peccadillo?

TOEIC listening, talks: Marketing strategy

[Mr. Kyaw Min Lwin]

I assume we learnt bad things from the past world wars resulted from those political isms. But we are still creating new isms to eliminate all virtues of mankind. We all know that if we peel off our skins we all are the same. What we are so naive is we easily tend to believe in and craze with so called ism, then those bad people manipulate us. Why we believe them?, because of our own egos. We expect something out of something. That's is our own mistake and we suffer.

kind regards.

[Mr. Kyaw Min Lwin]

As in Burma, handful of clever people are manipulating naive populace yelling the golden country for the people. Then they stash trillion dollar worth of gold bullions in their underground store while the country itself is in the list of the poorest country in the world. And are we to proud of it? What I mean is I only will believe in a true government which is poor but make the populace rich ( in every sense, not only in money ). But we all know that, No Way?

kind regards.

[Mr. Kyaw Min Lwin]

It's very natural we are proud when our son's team beat the team of the other's son in soccer, our country's team beat the other's in soccer. Even our country man rapes the other country's women, we still can be proud of it. Why? Is it true nationalism?, but just a mere egoism. We want to be a winner, not a loser. When we don't win we feel bad and there comes our hatred upon the other. Now he is our enemy. We laugh if he loses. I don't think that a true national pride.
As for me, say, when one of our neighbour country is famished or cold and dark, we provide food, gas and oil without hoping anything in return. That's national pride, how kind, how wise, how considerate, how humanistic. Not how big, how strong in economy and military might, how much we can manipulate social, economical, political mattes, how much we can threaten you, how many the other country's women we can rape or buy. If one think that's a national pride I have nothing to say about it.
( I don't mean any country in it )

kind regards.

[Alicja1]

I don't believe in any good intencions of one country to another. There are only dirty policy and dirty affairs. German politicians are only patting our ones , but in fact they omitted our country with the gas pipe, blocking our harbors. There never will be really friendship between us. Our mutual past is too dark. Some things will be never forgotten. I was all my childhood fed by horror that may mother used to tell me about Oświęcim, that she survived ,but my grandmother didn't. I'm surprised about naivety of our government and its voters. Alicja1

[Torsten]

Dear Alicja,

I can only imagine what you feel about the atrocities some of my ancestors have caused you and your nation. But then again those were my ancestors, it wasn't me personally. I do believe that there is still a lot of nationalism and even some hidden Fascism in many Germans. Unfortunately, when it comes to discussing genocide and Fascism the holocaust the Germans caused is still the first issue that comes up. I can't change this.

But what I can do is help people from different nations get to know each other so they realize we all have more in common that sets us apart. I'm also happy that there never will be a totalitarian or Fascist regime in Germany. Now Germany is a part of the EU, a union of 27 European nations that includes many Slavic countries. I like Polish people. You will see why if you read How good is your Polish?

TOEIC listening, talks: Promoting the National Bike Week

[Alicja1]

Dear Torsten! I'm very busy just now. I'm going to send my respond today afternoon. I'm happy that you wrote me. See you then. Alicja1

[Alicja1]

Dear Torsten! I had no idea that you are a German.For me it doesn't matter. I'm going to console you that my mother didn't hate Germans. She knew German language perfectly so she had a bit better. She admired German people for their high standart of civilisation. I know that you are good willing young man. See your private post-there I sent you some pictures. Alicja1