I’m English (distinction from British as there isnt any programme for or impetus to learn celtic languages like the other countries) and for a long time the only other language I spoke was French to a very, very poor and sub-conversational level (from school).

Since 2016 or so (on and off) I’ve been learning Dutch. When you tell people that, the first question you get (from both english native speakers and the Dutch) is ‘why’?

So whilst I work and live in the UK, my company has a bunch of EU offices and I have worked closely with our large Belgian office for almost 10 years now and as of last year I now work for that EU branch of the company and my current project is with a Dutch client which has spurred me on a lot recently to learn again.

I also have two Dutch friends (from other ends of the country) who help and encourage me.

So I’m currently at a basic/low conversational level, I can deal with every day basic interactions.

Sure, Spanish, French or even German makes a lot more sense to most people but I have so many strong links with the Netherlands that Dutch is the only one that makes sense to learn for me and is the one I use the most by miles.

Hidden inside the whatsapp->signal box in tiny faint font. I was wondering why there isn’t a big “Discord -> Matrix”

One week since I finally started HRT after years of misery and antidepressant induced apathy. Mind is clearer, I can see an actual future for myself not obscured by fog and had a few actual moments of genuine happiness.

I also came out to my one of my best friends who lives abroad and have struggled to stay in contact with, which not only rekindled our friendship but redefined it. They have been so instantly accepting of me and non-judgemental.

You mean like watergategate? https://youtu.be/vB9JgxhXW5w

On the concept of blender, I’ve been recently trying to get into Seamly2D/Valentina for pattern drafting - I’d love to see some kind of simple integration format between the two so that the FreeSewing patterns can be easily loaded into Seamly2D instead so the measurement files can be used from there and the pattern tweaked.

A lot of .ml users and communities are there just because it was the only big instance much earlier on. I’m in no way a tankie but still use .ml a lot (a community I run is on there) because it was the first one I made and i’m too lazy to look into new instances or switch.