Please, explain me what "rub bustles" means. Thank you. Context. Isabel replayed the morning’s events in her mind. She wasn’t sure but she thought that maybe she and Pansy had rubbed bustles outside the Duomo. Perhaps it was an overenthusiastic response to the Eucharist, but she just couldn’t fathom it. She cursed her American naiveté. What she needed was some sound advice from someone urbane, someone who understood these peculiar European customs.

О правке текстов носителями языка Я, наверное, зря это пишу, но... В очередной раз прочитала "шедевр" носителя языка. Ну зачем исправлять сложные тексты, если сам их писать не умеешь? Ведь бедняга-иностранец не поймет, что это ужасно звучит по-русски. У меня рука не поднимается ставить "минусы", хотя следовало бы. Один раз только поставила - уж совсем невозможная была правка. А какой-то добрый человек затем изменил мой "минус" на "плюс". Видимо, понравился текст: "Как играющий ребенок на земле, в листве, я вдыхал в себя интесивный запах мокрых листьев, лежа носом к земле".

A letter My friend asked me to write a kind of petition in English, but as I have comfessed I'm afraid of making a lot of mistakes... ****************************** We’d like to draw your attention to the catastrophic situation at the XXXX sand spit: illegally built restaurants, paid beaches and fences around them - as a result, people have no free access to the sea. The sand spit surrounding XXXX is unique, it protects two beautiful reefs – the havens of turtles and different kinds of coral fishes. Every day several ships and a submarine bring tourists to the XXXX for diving and snorkeling. Reliable winds provide superb flat-water conditions inside XXXX sand spit. Annually international sailing competitions take place at this area. It's necessary to stop any building activity on the sand spit because noise and other kinds of pollution influence the adjoining waters. Even small buildings will create wind shadow that will cause a lot of problems for the sportsmen wishing to enjoy surfing. If this unique place changes, the number of tourists will decrease significantly – and it’ll affect local inhabitants’ business as divers and surfers rent and buy equipment, go to the restaurants, spas and so on. It’s very important to keep this place intact – for the development of XXXX, for future generations. Please, take necessary steps to protect XXXX sand spit from illegal housing.

E-books or paper books. What do you prefer? I need to write something, although I'm not good at writing essays. It was always a torture for me at school when a teacher asked us to describe something. Well, as my life is connected with books I'd like to ask what kind of books you prefer: e-books or paper books? Why? I prefer paper ones. They say, paper will disappear soon, computers will replace everything. But I disagree. It's such a pleasure to walk between the shelves in a bookshop, looking, touching, turning pages... Besides, books have nice smell. Then you bring your trophies home, find a suitable place for them in a bookcase... and can start reading. :)) In fact, I'd like to write more complicated sentences. I wonder how native speakers would describe the same idea. :))

First notebook entry: Introducing myself I studied English at University, but now I feel I'm forgeting it. When I write in English I'm afraid to make a lot of mistakes. That's why I need some practice. My native language is Russian. I like reading (different books - mostly classics and some good modern writers), listening to music (especially Latin style), dancing, singing... and translating novels.