michael's avatar
michael

Dec. 9, 2019

0
An entry from my diary

All I can’t stand has a name. So does all I love.

When somebody starts describing to me their travels to places, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place. Well, let’s say it doesn’t tell me much. It’s not real. What fascinates me is how one felt there and what one has experienced. Living it, this is an approach.

Once I was told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way. That’s not quite true.The truth is that in order to find a treasure I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Grail somewhere deep inside.

The first thing I did this year subconsciously was that I bricked up all the entrances and exits. A vicious circle was triggered. I couldn’t breathe, I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of the trap over and over again. I hardly yielded to it. However, life is full of coincidences, now and then it assumes strange forms. On my third visit to Berlin I grew a friendship I hadn’t known before. He was sensitive, unbelievably patient and shrewd. His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time.

There was a whole world there. He let me in. Each object at his home had a story to tell. Each word conveyed a meaning. I even thought that he could give sense to the senseless. It was him who was surrounded by wonderful people. Sometimes he was inexplicably sad, off in some direction of his own. Sometimes I looked at him and he reminded me of myself. Maybe that’s why he got me in no time. Never had I felt so understood and accepted. I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford just to be myself. He wasn’t deaf to my pain. When he smiled at me, I felt so natural as if I had just been born and still didn’t know the rules by which people live.

We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then got lost in the city till late at night and on our return couldn’t stop talking on the balcony. I spoke out my joys and sorrows. He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.

There was a whole life there. One day I failed, he saved me the trouble. I asked him if he was upset with me, he replied: «Honey, I’m never». Later he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am and that I see what others don’t. I felt something similar with few people. With my art teacher, I was 7 years old, with Y. in Saint Petersburg, I was 17. They guided me through life in the same way. How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my ears! It is something to touch someone’s heart in a way it has never been touched before. All the rest doesn’t matter that much.

A documentary director, writer, a very human one (!), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path. All I love has a name. He has a beautiful Scandinavian name. Dag.

Where else, if not in Berlin, could I experience that?

Corrections

An entry from my diary

All (that) I can’t stand has a name.

I put the "that" in parentheses because it does sound better with the word there, but your sentence also isn't grammatically incorrect without it.

So does all (that) I love.


Same reasoning as I gave for the previous sentence applies here, too!

When somebody starts describing to me their travels to placesme, all this ‘at "I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z" hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place.

Well, let’s say it doesn’t tell me much.

It’s not real.

What fascinates me is how one felt there and what one has experienced.

Once I was told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to always come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

That’s not quite true.

The truth is that in order to find a treasure, I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Holy Grail is somewhere deep inside.


The first thing I did this year was subconsciously was that I brickeding up all the entrances and exits.

A vicious cirycle was triggered.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of the trap over and over again.

Just a small thing related to orthography: When connecting two complete sentences, use a semicolon.

However, life is full of coincidences, and now and then it assumes strange forms.

On my third visit to Berlin I grew a friendship I hadn’tlike I had never known before.

He was sensitive, unbelievably patient, and shrewd.

His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


There was a whole world there.

He let me in.

Each object at his home had a story to tell.

Each word conveyed a meaning.

I even thought that he could give sense to the senseless.

It was hime who was surrounded by wonderful people.

Sometimes he was inexplicably sad, off in some direction of his own.

Sometimes I looked at him, and he reminded me of myself.

Maybe that’s why he got me in no time.

Never had I felt so understood and accepted.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me, and I could afford to just to be myself.

He wasn’t deafblind to my pain.

Changed it from "deaf" to "blind" because "to be blind to (something)" is a bit of a fixed expression.

When he smiled at me, I felt so natural, as if I had just been born and still didn’t know the rules by which people live.


We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then got lost in the city till late at night and o. On our return, we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.

There was a whole life there.

One day I failed, and he saved me the trouble.

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «, "Honey, I’m never». am."

If you leave it as "I'm never," it feels either very old-fashioned, or like something is missing after the "never".

Later, he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am, and that I see what others don’t.

I have felt something similar with a few people.

With my art teacher, when I was 7 years old, with Y.

in Saint Petersburg, when I was 17.

They guided me through life in the same way.

How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my ears!

It is something to touch someone’s heart in a way it has never been touched before.

All the rest doesn’t matter that much.

A documentary director, a writer, a very human one (!

), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Holy Grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path.

We use "Holy Grail" as a whole expression? word? together.

All I love has a name.

He has a beautiful Scandinavian name.

Dag.

Where else, if not in Berlin, could I experience that?

michael's avatar
michael

Dec. 11, 2019

0

Thank you so much! I appreciate it a lot!

An entry from my diary

All that I can’t stand has a name.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. Can you write it in your native language?

So does all that I love.


When somebody starts describing to me their travels to places places they have traveled, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place.

in America at least, we generally say "places" before "travels" unless we are stating personally, "I have traveled to x"

Well, let’s say it doesn’t tell me much.

It’s not real.

What fascinates me is how one felt there and what one has experienced.

Once I was once told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

Flows better. If wanted to keep "once" at the beginning, I would add a comma (,) after once since it is an introductory phrase/word

Once, I was told

That’s not quite true.

The truth is that, in order to find a treasure, I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is thee Holy Grail is somewhere deep inside.


"in order to find treasure" is a interrupting phrase and therefore needs commas around it. You cold also omit it (the truth is I have also had to go through....).

"a treasure" = treasure is being used as a collective noun here, "a" makes it a singular noun which doesn't fit the narrative.

I've only ever heard it referred to as the "Holy Grail" and not just the grail. Grail by itself might be correct as well.

Took out extra words that didn't change the meaning of the sentence and made it sound muddled.

The first thing I did this year was that I subconsciously was that I bricked up all the entrances and exits.

subconsciously is modifying how you "bricked up" the entrances and exits, so needs to come before the verb that it is modifying.

A vicious circle was triggered.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but I failed to find the way out of the trap over and over againrepeatedly.

sounds better as two separate sentences but I did connect them with a semicolon since they are related. However, semicolons are not commonly used except during essays/academic matters. They are nice when not overused.

Changed "over and over again" to "repeatedly". Same concept but more concise.

However, life is full of coincidences, and every now and then it assumes strange forms.

Connected the two like statements better.

On my third visit to Berlin, I grew afound a type of friendship I hadn’t known before.

Introductory phrase.

I don't think yours was necessarily wrong grammatically, it just didn't make sense to me as a native speaker. To put it simply, a friendship can grow but you cannot grow a friendship.

Example:

A) Our friendship grew overtime.
B) I grew our friendship.

A makes sense, B does not.

His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


Over time is redundant

Even now is already suggested a long t time as passed

There was a whole world there.

He let me in.

Each object at his home had a story to tell.

Each word conveyed a meaning.

I even thought that he could give sense to the senseless.

Sometimes, I looked at him and he reminded me of myself.

Never had II had never felt so understood and accepted.

Word order

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford to just to be myself.

"just" is modifying "be myself" in this case

He wasn’t deaf to my pain.

WIn the mornings, we had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then gothen we would get lost in the city untill late at night and on our return we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

using the full until sounds better here.

If using the shortened versioned, it is stylized as 'til (or til).

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.


There was a whole life there.

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «, "Honey, I’m never»."

and for conjoining the two concepts (you asking him a question and his response)

When we show things people are saying out loud it goes

subject (talking verb), "stuff they said."

Later, he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am and that I see what others don’t.

Could also say: "He later told me that"

I have felt something similar with few people.

grammar tense

They guided me through life in the same way.

How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my hearsd!

This is just how we phrase it (in my head). You could also say "echoes in my heart". We don't use ears though.

HAll that I love has a beautiful Scandinavian name: Dag.

Connects the fact that "Dag" is his name and not some random word you've just written down.

Could also say "...name -- Dag."

Also, it felt very strange breaking it up since the rest of your piece flows so well. Just made all 3 concepts (All I love having a name, his beautiful Scandinavian name, and Dag) fit together more concisely.

Where else, if not in Berlin, could I experience that?

Feedback

Very nice piece. It was very poetic!

michael's avatar
michael

Dec. 11, 2019

0

Thank you very much for your corrections! They are very useful to me!

An entry from my diary

All that I can’t stand has a name.

So does all that I love.


When somebody starts describing to me their travels to other places, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either athe person or athe place.

Well, let’s say (at least) it doesn’t tell me much.

Your sentence is correct but I think it reads better to link it with the previous sentence. In this case: "hardly tells me anything" --> "at least it doesn't tell me much."

Living it, this is an(In other words), living it is the right approach.


Reads more naturally this way.

Once I was told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

That’s not quite true.

The truth is that in order to find a treasursomething worthwhile I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Ga holy grail somewhere deep inside.


"A treasure" is awkward for me. I've put "somewhere worthwhile" instead but I understood what you meant.

The first thing I did this year subconsciously was that I brickeding up all the entrances and exits.

A vicious circle was triggered.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of theis trap over and over again.

I hardly yielded to it.

However, life is full of coincidences,; now and then it assumes strange forms.

On my third visit to Berlin I grewdeveloped a friendship I hadidn't knownexpect before.

I'd consider "growing a friendship" to be something one does after already being friends with the person. In any case, "growing a friendship" isn't commonly heard in the active sense (I grew our friendship) whereas the passive sense (Our friendship grew, our friendship was growing, etc) is more common.

He was sensitive, unbelievably patient, and shrewd.

His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


There was a whole world there.

He let me in.

Each object at his home had a story to tell.

Each word conveyed a meaning.

I even thought that he could give sense to the senseless.

It was him who was surrounded by wonderful people.

Sometimes he was inexplicably sad, off in some direction of his own.

Sometimes I looked at him and he reminded me of myself.

Maybe that’s why he got me in no time.

Never had I felt so understood and accepted.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford just to bebeing myself.

He wasn’t deaf to my pain.

We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the mornings, leisurely and ritually, then gotgetting lost in the city till late at night and on our returns, we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.


There was a whole life there.

One day I failed, and he saved me thefrom trouble.

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «"Honey, I’m never». am."

Later he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am and that I see what others don’t.

I felt something similar with a few people.

With my art teacher, when I was 7 years old, with Y.

iIn Saint Petersburg, when I was 17.

They guided me through life in the same way.

How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my ears!

It is something to touch someone’s heart in a way it has never been touched before.

All the rest doesn’t matter that much.

A documentary director, a writer, a very human one (!

), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Gholy grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path.

All I love has a name.

HeIt has a beautiful Scandinavian name.

Dag.

Where else, if not in Berlin, could I experience that?

Feedback

You write well! Keep it up and you'll iron out those mistakes in no time :)

michael's avatar
michael

Dec. 11, 2019

0

Thank you very much for your help! I will do my best :)

An entry from my diary

All I can’t stand has a name.

All that I can’t stand has a name.

All (that) I can’t stand has a name.

All that I can’t stand has a name.

So does all I love.

So does all that I love.


So does all (that) I love.


So does all that I love.


When somebody starts describing to me their travels to places, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place.

When somebody starts describing to me their travels to places places they have traveled, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place.

When somebody starts describing to me their travels to placesme, all this ‘at "I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z" hardly tells me anything about either a person or a place.

When somebody starts describing to me their travels to other places, all this ‘I have been here and there, I tried X and Y, I bought Z’ hardly tells me anything about either athe person or athe place.

Well, let’s say it doesn’t tell me much.

Well, let’s say (at least) it doesn’t tell me much.

It’s not real.

What fascinates me is how one felt there and what one has experienced.

Living it, this is an approach.

Living it, this is an(In other words), living it is the right approach.


Once I was told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

Once I was once told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

Once I was told (reproachfully) that I’m always lucky to always come across wonderful people who treat me in a special way.

That’s not quite true.

The truth is that in order to find a treasure I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Grail somewhere deep inside.

The truth is that, in order to find a treasure, I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is thee Holy Grail is somewhere deep inside.


The truth is that in order to find a treasure, I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Holy Grail is somewhere deep inside.


The truth is that in order to find a treasursomething worthwhile I have always had to go through so much crap in the blind belief that there is the Ga holy grail somewhere deep inside.


The first thing I did this year subconsciously was that I bricked up all the entrances and exits.

The first thing I did this year was that I subconsciously was that I bricked up all the entrances and exits.

The first thing I did this year was subconsciously was that I brickeding up all the entrances and exits.

The first thing I did this year subconsciously was that I brickeding up all the entrances and exits.

A vicious circle was triggered.

A vicious cirycle was triggered.

I couldn’t breathe, I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of the trap over and over again.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but I failed to find the way out of the trap over and over againrepeatedly.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of the trap over and over again.

I couldn’t breathe,; I needed fresh air but failed to find the way out of theis trap over and over again.

I hardly yielded to it.

However, life is full of coincidences, now and then it assumes strange forms.

However, life is full of coincidences, and every now and then it assumes strange forms.

However, life is full of coincidences, and now and then it assumes strange forms.

However, life is full of coincidences,; now and then it assumes strange forms.

On my third visit to Berlin I grew a friendship I hadn’t known before.

On my third visit to Berlin, I grew afound a type of friendship I hadn’t known before.

On my third visit to Berlin I grew a friendship I hadn’tlike I had never known before.

On my third visit to Berlin I grewdeveloped a friendship I hadidn't knownexpect before.

He was sensitive, unbelievably patient and shrewd.

He was sensitive, unbelievably patient, and shrewd.

He was sensitive, unbelievably patient, and shrewd.

His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time.

His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


His capacity to perceive things surprises me even now, over time. ¶


There was a whole world there.

He let me in.

Each object at his home had a story to tell.

Each word conveyed a meaning.

I even thought that he could give sense to the senseless.

It was him who was surrounded by wonderful people.

It was hime who was surrounded by wonderful people.

Sometimes he was inexplicably sad, off in some direction of his own.

Sometimes I looked at him and he reminded me of myself.

Sometimes I looked at him, and he reminded me of myself.

Sometimes, I looked at him and he reminded me of myself.

Maybe that’s why he got me in no time.

Never had I felt so understood and accepted.

Never had II had never felt so understood and accepted.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford just to be myself.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford to just to be myself.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me, and I could afford to just to be myself.

I got rid of all the chains that had oppressed me and could afford just to bebeing myself.

He wasn’t deaf to my pain.

He wasn’t deafblind to my pain.

When he smiled at me, I felt so natural as if I had just been born and still didn’t know the rules by which people live.

When he smiled at me, I felt so natural, as if I had just been born and still didn’t know the rules by which people live.


We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then got lost in the city till late at night and on our return couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

WIn the mornings, we had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then gothen we would get lost in the city untill late at night and on our return we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the morning, leisurely and ritually, then got lost in the city till late at night and o. On our return, we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

We had coffee or his signature cold tea in the mornings, leisurely and ritually, then gotgetting lost in the city till late at night and on our returns, we couldn’t stop talking on the balcony.

I spoke out my joys and sorrows.

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

I spoke outf my joys and sorrows.

He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.

He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.


He saw me at both extremes, at the moments of complete happiness and abject despair.


There was a whole life there.

One day I failed, he saved me the trouble.

One day I failed, and he saved me thefrom trouble.

One day I failed, and he saved me the trouble.

I asked him if he was upset with me, he replied: «Honey, I’m never».

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «, "Honey, I’m never»."

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «, "Honey, I’m never». am."

I asked him if he was upset with me, and he replied: «"Honey, I’m never». am."

Later he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am and that I see what others don’t.

Later, he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am and that I see what others don’t.

Later, he told me that I’m not aware of how different I am, and that I see what others don’t.

I felt something similar with few people.

I have felt something similar with few people.

I have felt something similar with a few people.

I felt something similar with a few people.

With my art teacher, I was 7 years old, with Y.

With my art teacher, when I was 7 years old, with Y.

With my art teacher, when I was 7 years old, with Y.

in Saint Petersburg, I was 17.

in Saint Petersburg, when I was 17.

iIn Saint Petersburg, when I was 17.

They guided me through life in the same way.

How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my ears!

How much of what they have once said to me still echoes in my hearsd!

It is something to touch someone’s heart in a way it has never been touched before.

All the rest doesn’t matter that much.

A documentary director, writer, a very human one (!

A documentary director, a writer, a very human one (!

A documentary director, a writer, a very human one (!

), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path.

), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Holy Grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path.

), he is an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me, that Gholy grail that brings me back to life and reminds me not to stray from my path.

All I love has a name.

He has a beautiful Scandinavian name.

HAll that I love has a beautiful Scandinavian name: Dag.

HeIt has a beautiful Scandinavian name.

Dag.

Where else, if not in Berlin, could I experience that?

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