photo credit: @happpyal via Unsplash
I didn’t get to all the questions during NaBloPoMo, so I am answering more questions today. These were submitted by Michelle.
When your furlough was over, did you have a huge backlog of work to deal with? Could you pick up where you left off? Or were some of your projects ruined, for example because of time issues?
Luckily, my job doesn’t create a huge backlog, not in the same way that other jobs depend on getting daily tasks completed. It has to do with the fact that my work is researched based and always ongoing, which means, there is not a set amount of work that needs to be completed each day, like in other jobs, but we usually have result or product deadlines that we’re trying to meet. So, yeah, we’re behind on those.
Data processing (which I mostly do) can wait. Data collection (sometimes) not. In fact, data collection activities were probably the only “exempt” work that was allowed to happen during the shutdown because data collection is time sensitive (in most cases). If you miss your time window, the dataset will have a gap. Sometimes it can be bridged by inferring or interpolating the data, but not always.
When you use Peloton, do you listen to the German languages ones? Or mostly English?
Oh yes, I take classes in German with some of the German instructors. But I would say that probably 90% of the classes I take are in English. This is partly because there are just a lot more classes in English, and partly because I often enjoy the coaching in English more. It’s hard to explain, but the fitness industry has been so “anglicized” that it sometimes sounds odd to me when a lot of English phrases are mixed in with German (esp. when perfectly fine German phrases exist. Then again, it also sounds odd when Nico refers to “downward-facing dog” in German. It’s a lose-lose situation. Haha.).
Do you have a favorite German song or band?
I do. The question is, a German band that sings in German or in English? I used to love two German bands, Fury in the Slaugtherhouse and Vivid (both disbanded, sadly) who exclusively produced songs in English, but I also have a few favorite German bands/singers: Herbert Grönemeyer (Pop Rock. Jon can sing some of his songs!), Brings (Rock. A band local to where I grew up, which sings in local dialect), Die Ärzte (80s/90s Pop Punk) and Die Fanastischen 4 (German HipHop).
Do you have a favorite German quote that you could translate to English?
One of my favorite quotes is “Gib das, was dir wichtig ist, nicht auf, nur weil es nicht einfach ist”. (Don’t give up on something that is important to you, just because it isn’t easy”.)
If you enjoy idioms in other languages, you should check out my previous blog post series “German Idioms”. They’re so fun!
As always, if you have more questions, submit them through the link in the sidebar.
Michelle G.
December 3, 2025 at 6:19 pmThank you for answering my questions, San! It was so fun to read your answers! I love your favorite quote!
Tanja Jordan
December 4, 2025 at 1:58 amDu magst Herbert Grönemeyer….. that’s news to me, I have to admit.
Nicole MacPherson
December 4, 2025 at 4:59 amI love German idioms!! I was thinking of you when I read a book recently (cannot remember which it was) and they kept saying “there must be a German word for when x happens.” I kept thinking that maybe there WAS a German word for that! (this comment would make so much more sense if I a) remembered the book and b) had an actual example of x. It’s early!)
Allison McCaskill
December 4, 2025 at 6:13 pmI am going to comment before reading the German idiom post because I am trying to remember the ones from my beginner’s German class that made us all howl. One about someone being excited and ‘running all over her little house?’ If you were crazy you had roof damage? Not an idiom, but the fact that mittens/gloves are called Hand Shoes was deeply enjoyable.
Noemi
December 7, 2025 at 1:07 pmI’m always surprised by how many German classes are available on Peloton. It seems like there are way more German classes than Spanish classes, and I have QUESTIONS about that. I do notice that when I take a class in Spanish, many fitness-centric words are Anglicized. It’s interesting…
Lisa's Yarns
December 8, 2025 at 9:49 amIt would be weird to hear an expression like “downward facing dog” in German. Now that makes me wonder about yoga poses and whether we literally translate the word that must be in Sanskrit originally? Hmmm.
Anne
December 29, 2025 at 12:11 pmGosh, these were so much fun to read. Being fluent in 2 (or more) languages just opens up a world of possibilities. (Kicking myself for giving up on language classes in college so I could finish early…what was I *thinking*?) I have loved your posts on German idioms. Thanks for reminding me of them – so much fun to revisit.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
December 29, 2025 at 2:21 pmIt’s always so fun to read these questions and answers. I am also very impressed what kind of questions people have. I always draw a blank.