The following is a submission (from the HPN 2004)

from our new Swedish friend mrflannel. He is in the process of learning the English language and asked me to help him out with this. Here are both versions, as I think that his version has a great deal of charm which gets lost in my translation. Enjoy.

-Beaner

SmallBall world wide

one day i was browsing the internet as usual new of using it an just fore fun typed in al cind of sershing words and shecked out hompages sudenly i camed on smallballs home page thou my englich is werry bad about understanding manny words i fuigerit out just by whatching picktures and knowing the englich basics that it whas a game there one started an own baseball team cool i thout and downloaded it i started playing some game an lost and after a wile i thout that tis must be te most boring game ever becose one dosent do ennything zip zero nothing whit it just initiate game to whatch gud what boring it whas i dident know that the teams whas other people around the world only randomiced team that where madeup by the game and computer

then i found out that it whas a small chat on the page home and i started writing messages there and then i bit of light filled up found out more about smallball and the game becomed more interessting i started training and got more stars on my team now knowing that i whas playing agains other poting up goals for my self to reach getting better and better of understanding englich better and better of writing and much time spend on the greate ofisial smallball chatt maked me meet peopler around the globe difrent contest and trivial started lerning about other contrys and the langues engles and know from getting to an boring game it whent that i was adicted to smallball becose of this game comunity i can lern englich and how it in other countrys and other contrys history and much more

manny thanks
the swedich guy
mrflanell

and beaner helped me whit spelling thanks so much

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SmallBall world wide

One day I was browsing the internet as usual just for fun. I am new to it and was typing in all kinds of searchwords and checking out home pages. Suddenly I came upon smallball's home page. Although my English is very bad and I don't understand many words, I figured it out by just watching the pictures and knowing the English basics that it was a game in which you could start your own baseball team. "Cool", I thought, and downloaded it.

I started playing some games and lost. After awhile I thought that this must be the most boring game ever because one doesn't do anything, zip, zero, with it except initiate games and watch. How boring it was. I didn't know that the teams belonged to other people around the world and were not just random teams made up by the game and computer.

Then I found out that there was a chat on the home page. I started writing messages there and a bit of light filled up. I found out more about smallball and the game became more interesting. I started training and got more stars on my team now knowing that I was playing against others. I put up goals for myself to reach, getting better and better, and understanding and writing English better and better. I have spent much time in the great official smallball chat and have met many people around the globe. They have different contests and trivia. I began to learn more about other countries and the English language. Now it went from being a boring to game to my being addicted to smallball.

Because of this game community, I can learn English and about other countries and their history, and much more.

Many thanks.
The Swedish guy.
mrflannel

Thanks to Beaner for helping with my spelling.