Subj : hi To : Carol Shenkenberger From : Nicolay Simonov Date : Fri Dec 30 2005 04:41 pm Hallo, Carol! 26 „¥ª ¡àï 2005 at 12:32 you wrote to me: NS>> I'm trying to use the opportunity. CS> No problem! If looking for 'active ones' I can name a few, some lower CS> volume Hand some higher. 'MEMORIES' is a good one for chatter like CS> this echo. CS> Memories is mostly USA/Canada Hfolks but very friendy. Yes, I'm receiving it. Are there any restrictions forbidding a foreigner like me to write? :) CS> COOKING His a good one if you are into cooking at all. Well, I fear I'm not. But it may interest my sister. Oh, by the way, she also studies Spanish and Italian. Please, tell me (if you know) how can I get echos using these languages for her? CS> Yup! We still have some points in Fidonet in places. Not out here in CS> Japan Hbut there are spots where you can still find them. It never CS> was as popular Houtside Z2 as where you are though. Yes, there are lots of points in Russia. I didn't suppose it was a zonal peculiarity.. NS>> Oh! And how do you like it? Actually I live in the european part of NS>> R I have never been to Vladivostok. CS> Well, it was nicer the first visit there. We didnt have to be in uniform CS> and Hpeople were friendly. The second time we had to be in uniform and CS> while most Hfolks were friendly, some were not (old cold war era CS> thinkers). Yes, some of Russian people have thoughts of that. Mostly not young people.. They are sure that the cold war still hasn't stopped. I think they are not right. The world is globalizing.. It's time to visit other countries, learn foreign languages and English first of all. English-speaking countries plays a big part in the world nowadays. It's not a very good idea to think they don't. Another thing which makes me think of itself :) What do people in the countries you've been to say about Russia? About its international activity? CS> I'd love to see Moscow and the old buildings there! Yes, there are many ones. You know, at school we had a special subject about Moscow. Our teacher was very enthusiastic, she took us on excursions around Moscow, telling us many interesting things. But on another hand, there are very many modern buildings which often spoil scenes of Old Moscow, if built in historical places or near. Now the centre of Moscow is a strange architectural mixture.. But it is still worth-seeing ;)) In the living-districts something is constantly being built. In the district I live in there are old 5-floors blocks of flats being destroyed orderly and serially and new buildings appear on their place. There is always heavy traffic in our street. In the end of November I was in Kostroma. In comparison with Moscow it's a VERY small town. Few people and cars, no 'Shhhhhhh..' from the window.. I liked it very much. The old image of the town is kept with effort - for tourists. By the way, almost all the signs are in English, too. In my hotel room there was a TV set receiving English channels, and over the reception there were different clocks: London, New York, Tokio.. :) Please, tell me something about contemporary Japan. What does it look like? Do you speak the Japanese language? NS>> Does English really become the international language? Does it NS>> help y to communicate with people? CS> Well, it's a very common 'second language' now for those who have more CS> than Hone. In the USA, the most common second language is spanish but just CS> about Hanything you can think of, is there someplace. I think it's better to have more than one. Even than two.. In our University in the next term we will be able to study second foreign language: Arabian or Chinese - for choise. What would you advise? Be happy, Carol! --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-040321 (WinNT 4.0.1381-Service_Pack_6 i686) * Origin: ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ[ Moscow, Russia ]ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ (2:5020/10192.5) .