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| Flying out of Brisbane |
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| Papua New Guinea 1 |
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| Papua New Guinea 2 |
One of the first things we did when we got back is go for a ride on Emu and Duchess. The clouds were promising some rain, and they fulfilled the promise by the end of the lovely ride across Peter's fields, the cemetery (cows) at the back, the creek (Duchess loves splashing, and so does Niki!). Curiously, and neither of us had experienced this every before, as we riding (at walking gait) against the rain, suddenly the horses became fidgety. After a minute or so, we realised (and then saw it happen) that all they wanted to do was to turn around and put their bums against the rain, rather than their faces. Good thing we weren't cantering ... Anyway, we felt we'd better be safe than sorry, dismounted and walked the horses back to their paddock... |
| Bollenvelden in the North of Holland |
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| My friends Jacomien, Bertie and Cees, on a bracing beach walk |
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| Jon, Anjes, Oma and me in Roosendaal |
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| Jon, me and Anjes |
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NEW EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE FOR THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH
Having chosen English as the preferred language in the EC, the European Parliament has commissioned a feasibility study in ways of improving efficiency in communications between Government departments. European officials have often pointed out that English spelling is unnecessarily difficult; for example: ‘cough’, ‘plough’, ‘rough’, ‘through’ and ‘thorough’. What is clearly needed is a phased programme of changes to iron out these anomalies. The programme would, of course, be administered by a committee staffed at top level by participating nations. In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest using ‘s’ instead of the soft ‘c’. Sertainly, sivil servants in all sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the hard ‘c’ could be replaced by ‘k’ sinse both letters are pronounsed alike. Not only would this klear up konfusion in the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters kould be made with one less letter. There would be growing enthusiasm when in the sekond year, it was announsed that the troublesome ‘ph’ would henseforth be written ‘f’. This would make words like ‘fotograf’ twenty persent shorter in print. In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the removal of double leters whish have always been a deterent to akurate speling. We would al agre that the horible mes of silent ‘e’s in the languag is disgrasful. Therefor we kould drop them and kontinu to read and writ as though nothing had hapend. By this tim it would be four years sins the skem began and peopl would be reseptive to steps sutsh as replasing ‘th’ by ‘z’. Perhaps zen ze funktion of ‘w’ kould be taken on by ‘v’, vitsh is, after al, half a ‘w’. Shortly after zis, ze unesesary ‘o’ kuld be dropd from vords kontaining ‘ou’. Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor trubls, difikultis and evrivun vud find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drems of the Guvermnt vud finali hav kum tru. |
Happy publication day, Collins ELT's marketing manager, Eva Schmidt, told us this morning. As well as: "Thanks again for all your hard work on
First English Words, and for making it such a great publication!
I’ve enjoyed it tremendously to work more closely with the material, and
seeing it come alive in the classroom was just amazing." This means that our new series First English Words! is now out and available to the world! Click on this link and go see the dedicated webpage, which has - amongst other things- a video.
The anniversary tree, aka the Pom Pom tree, has now been firmly planted as well - here's to growth and beautiful fluffy pink pom poms.
Five years, since a fateful email weaved its way through cyberspace to the lovely lady who is my love; which brought us together across two continents and many countries, across languages of the word and of the eyes and soul. Five years of crystal cadenzas, ongoing adventures, roads taken, promises made and nurtured, journeys undertaken; five years of knowing, getting to know, and growing; of selfless love for each other, love freely given to children as close to your heart now as mine, amazing stepmother, amazing companion; dedicated and committed to our course, ahead, always on...
We don't frequent the local, or any pub, by any means or stretch of the imagination, but yesterday we both felt like a good old 'pub feed' and a nice drink, so off we went to the Eltham down the road to partake in a lush 300g steak with Southern Indian sauce, broccolini, friend onion rings and hand-cut chips, followed by a scrumptious mango Pavlova and sticky date pudding for desert. Quite decent. Whilst consuming our consumables, washed down with a smooth Kilkenny and and a civilised G&T, we put in for the meat tray raffle and - for the first time ever - actually won it! How good is that - basically a dollar for the raffle ticket (although we bought four) ...
And the hibiscus keeps blooming; only a few days for every flower, but there seems to be no end to it. Very beautiful!
Got news today that our new horse float is on its way from China ... or about to be on its way as it has been loaded into a container ... Isn't it a beauty! And yes, there will be proper wheels underneath it, but they don't get attached until it gets to Australia, as do a number of other bits and bobs (such as skylights, etc). Can't wait to load them horses up and head into the hills!
