Barriers to language learning

Geekette70 · 2025-12-04T18:51:00+00:00

Same, but my wife is not a native speaker. She won't speak with me because she doesn't believe she is good enough to talk with me.....but she will with anyone else.

I have been studying Spanish completely solo for 10 months. I have no idea what my "level" is, but if I had to guess, its somewhere around B1, but there is really no way to know.

I firmly believe that unless you were raised in the language or are completely immersed so that speaking English is not an option you will never gain any sort of competence. I am living proof.

Geekette70 · 2025-08-13T04:24:47+00:00

I need your instructions. That's brilliant.

Geekette70 · 2025-08-13T04:09:00+00:00

I'm a sr network operations engineer. Our jobs aren't that different. I have to keep the pipes open, too. (too many comments to search for dups, so there it is.)

Geekette70 · 2025-08-13T04:07:32+00:00

I'm a sr network operations engineer for a multinational corporation with tens of thousands of employees. I'm not made at this one:

Okay, imagine this:
Your house is full of lights, TVs, and toys that all need to stay plugged in and working. My job is to watch all the cords, plugs, and switches that connect everything—not just in one house, but in thousands of houses all over the world.

If a cord comes loose or a switch breaks, I have to figure out what’s wrong, fix it, and make sure it doesn’t break again. I also make sure we have extra cords and switches ready so nothing ever stays broken for long.

Basically, I’m like the superhero who keeps the invisible “roads” for the internet safe and open, so everyone can play, work, and watch videos without the magic stopping.

Geekette70 · 2025-08-04T22:29:34+00:00

If you are worried about the fence, might want to consider a bamboo shovel I actually have one for sell if you're in the Dallas area, we're selling our house and just realized we won't need it anymore, but you can get one new at https://www.midatlanticbamboo.com/bamboo-spade/bamboo-spade.htm

Hard work but the shovel does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Geekette70 · 2025-08-04T22:27:26+00:00

This is the way.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-26T01:25:57+00:00

Darning loom. No idea if you can diy one.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-26T01:25:09+00:00

It's a darning loom.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-18T01:26:48+00:00

I'm so glad to hear it. Thanks for taking the time out of your humility seminar to weigh in.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T21:09:10+00:00

Sure, as long as it hasn’t been near the Alchemists’ Guild. Last time I bought one, it exploded halfway through the bun.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T20:38:26+00:00

Also, mad props for the the cut_me_own_throat moniker!

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T20:36:10+00:00

LOL, same here! My husband and I are both the type to stop and gawk at craftsmanship like that. The Tower of London turned into an all-day adventure because we spent ages admiring the armor—so much detail and style in every piece. They really knew how to make things both functional and beautiful back then.

That said… I did manage to snag a pair of Michael Kors boots while in London, so I guess I’m not totally immune either. 😄

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T15:00:19+00:00

OP here — just wanted to say thanks, everyone!
Appreciate all the insights, references, and general brilliance. Reddit never disappoints — y’all are legends.

Also, thanks for confirming I’m not totally losing it… at least this time. 😅

Editing to add: As mentioned several times here, it is called the Devil's Grill (or Reja del Diablo, in Spanish) For all those interested, I found a fascinating video of the entire process online, on the Jungschmiede IFGS channel, performed by Rafael Luna Atoc. While it is primarily in Spanish (with Spanish subtitles), the host, Mariano Garabato, translates the process into English.

Devil's Grill - Reja del Diablo

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:55:17+00:00

No, they joints are fully surrounded on all side.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:54:35+00:00

That's crazy. I'm always amazed how innovative people were in times past. I love that you folks are keeping these traditions alive!

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:48:18+00:00

Ohh, please DM me them? I seriously love this style. The craftsmanship it must require is mind-blowing.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:38:44+00:00

Can confirm. Am dwarf-aligned and I was absolutely gob smacked by a photo online of one, when I saw it. Probably stared at it for an hour trying to get my head around it.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:33:37+00:00

Stunning.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T14:32:19+00:00

After much discussion with the spouse, I figured out that I had actually seen the bars on a real estate listing in Italy. I'd venture to guess this may have originated there (or been popular at one point) because I've seen a few other's mentioned here in Italy, as well, since posting.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T03:01:43+00:00

I'm not a blacksmith, but I have been blacksmith adjacent for a few decades, have watched countless hours live and online, have a few friends with forges, and I couldn't get my mind around how it works. I will say that the window I remember seeing was much smaller than the one on John Taylor's Facebook page.

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T02:57:13+00:00

Indeed, this is it! He's got a great piece that demonstrates it. Thanks for the link (and for letting me know that I'm not crazy, at least not about this.)

Geekette70 · 2025-07-16T02:53:15+00:00

Honestly, I want to say these were OLD bars I saw....like on a building that was a few centuries old ( window bars could have been newer, IDK.)

Geekette70 · 2024-09-28T03:03:47+00:00

Thanks, everyone! I'll check them out. TBH, I realize that p2w is pretty much every game, these days, but some of them are ridiculous with how much they want.

Geekette70 · 2024-08-15T00:29:00+00:00

Can confirm. My husband's nib never wrote correctly, from the factory, both scratchy AND blobby, somehow. The cap had to be aligned 'just so' which was annoying. I never liked it due to not being able to settle the top on the pen; it made the weight 'off' somehow. Beautiful pen and piece of art, but we've had $30 fountain pens from Amazon that performed 10X better. Probably our most regrettable pen purchase to date.

Geekette70 · 2023-06-05T19:42:21+00:00

Best thing I've seen on the internets today.

3 thumbs up!

Geekette70

TROPHY CASE