42 Comments
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Marianela Martinez's avatar

Ohh bella! You're doing great! You are learning so much and you are helping the locals to understand our own stupids rules in Rioplatense Spanish also and Uruguayan bureaucracy. I'm so proud of you!

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Hahah thank you beautiful ❤️ Yes, those damn rules 🤬

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Bing Tashkent's avatar

Sometimes, bureaucracy is its own language ...

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Yep. And more annoying than legalese.

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Bing Tashkent's avatar

true that - the hierarchy of gibberish is as incomprehensible as it is annoying.

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Colin Durrant's avatar

I thinks parts of our childhood are pretty similar. Certainly about how we felt.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

I'm sorry to hear that. Much love to you ❤️

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Colin Durrant's avatar

Thanks Maggie. It is what it is :-)

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Chris Stanton's avatar

Wow, what a revelation to have had. I’m so sorry you went through all that as a child. But it’s amazing that you were able to make those connections to the present.

On another note, I’ve been learning Spanish via an app for a while, and the fact that the word mañana means both morning and tomorrow drives me fucking loco.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Thank you ❤️ I'm an overthinker, sometimes it pays off 😉

And yes, I understand. 'Mañana de mañana' 😮

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Vera's avatar

I loved this so much. That pain can still be very raw, once you’re in an environment that triggers it. Sending much love to you! I see and hear you.❤️

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Yep, very, very raw. Thank you and sending much love to you too ❤️

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Michael's avatar

‘Belgian apologizing’…never heard this one before 😊

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Michael's avatar

Wat is de wereld toch kleintjes. Toeval & geweldig 😂. Ik zei het je nog in den beginne over jou: intelligent en grappig en zeker een koffie waard 👍Ik had het kunnen weten…😉

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Haha no waaay! Waar woon je? Ik kom van Leuven, maar woon daar nu dus al lang niet meer 😉

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Michael's avatar

Ik zal luisteren 👍

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Michael's avatar

Antwerpen. Opgegroeid in Kessel-Lo, abdij van Vlierbeek ( jaren 69-86). Grootouders hadden daar een café.

Hoe kom jij aan de andere kant van de aardbol terecht? Ik vind dit zo leuk 😁

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Whaaaaat! Ja die abdij ken ik, vrienden van mij wonen in Kessel-Lo 😂 Goh, lang verhaal, ik vertel het in mijn allereerste podcast als je geïnteresseerd bent 😊

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Michael's avatar

French or Flemish ?

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Vlaams! (Flemish)

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Michael's avatar

Wait…are you Belgian ?

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Haha yep 😎

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Hehe what can I say, we're like the Canadians of Europe?

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Jody Day's avatar

Having grown up in an invalidating, hyper-critical, unsafe and violent home, I send you lots of love Maggie. I don't have ADHD, but I'm HSP as well as driving a traumatised nervous system and avoidant attachment... dealing with conflict is my biggest learning edge. Love, Jody x

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Maggie Jon's avatar

There is quite a bit of overlap between ADHD and HSP, so I (literally and metaphorically) feel your pain. And I'm sorry you had to go through a similar childhood. Sending you lots of love ❤️

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Sam Mertens's avatar

I’m not convinced Satan would ever deign to wax his own anus hairs. Surely he’s got a soul or two kicking around who was so awful in life that they deserve to have the task given to them.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Hey man, he told me he prefers to do them himself yest...

*cough*

Sure, who knows?

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Sam Mertens's avatar

I admit, all I really know about the guy is he keeps declining to offer me a contract for something that’s already going to be his sooner or later anyway.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Smart on his part!

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Sam Mertens's avatar

He did seem curious about how good I was with wax though.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

He must have changed his mind after he saw you actually use it at some point.

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Sam Mertens's avatar

I was always more of a straight razor kind of guy.

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Daniel Puzzo's avatar

I had no idea uncomfortable was pronounced like that! Damn, all these years I've been teaching my students all wrong 😭 (to borrow your emoji).

My smug ass has just got into trouble and it's my comeuppance. I've read other posts on living abroad and language difficulties and the importance of learning the local language, especially when it comes to bureaucracy, etc. And here's me, from the cosy confines of Vienna where just about everyone speaks decent English and my lazy ass is like 'why the fuck bother learning learning German?' And now, in the past week or so, it's really coming back to bite me HARD because of bureaucratic fuckups and threats from debtor companies looking to collect unpaid bills I'm not even aware of, and no one there speaks English. Well...shit. Suppose it's time to learn, and let me tell you I am a terrible language learner - many native speakers are. We're arrogant assholes who expect everyone else to learn English.

I must say, though, well done to you for persevering. You've got this!

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Yep it totally is pronounced like that, for foreigners 😉

It is important, but fuck me I would love for things to be just a little easier.

And thank you ❤️

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Dr. M's avatar

Being neurodivergent in a divergent language and culture with very little social support…. That’s a remarkable achievement. I’m guessing you are adaptable in your drive to be active. I find it interesting that you chose to write despite ADHD going on. And I’m curious about your reading and soaking in information. All this makes you a very interesting person. Here’s to keeping up alliterating your ass away!

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Thank you 🙏 What do you mean when you say 'write despite ADHD' though? 👀

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Adam PT's avatar

You’re doing what’s right for you. Respect.🫡

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Maggie Jon's avatar

I am. Even though it's a pain in the ass 😂

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Mark V Smallwood's avatar

Maggie .. you are the 🐕🏈🏈’s - another winner - another masterpiece xx

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Thank you 🙏

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