I have never categorically admitted to having a bucket list. One item on that bucket list is quite complicated really. It involves mural art. I am not an artist in the professional sense of the word, although some would say a rather rigorous critic! Apart from the fact that right now I need to use... Continue Reading →
Sing!
I love singing hymns. I loving singing my heart out singing hymns. I used to have a 1966 Austin 1100 which was 22 years old when I was its custodian. The whirr of the engine and the slight vibration of the rusty floorboards were perfect for singing on the half-hour journey to work and back... Continue Reading →
Snippet
I am fond of identifying properties I may wish to buy were I to win first prize in the lottery. Especially properties in the area where I now live. One day, upon returning from a trip to the hardware store with the husband of a close friend, we approached a bend where one such property... Continue Reading →
Ein Amerikaner und ein Hamburger betraten einen Diner…
Summer is almost over. I shall have to curtail my blogging activities, as I look forward to a mountain of work in the months ahead. I am toying with the idea of really short blogs, though. I shall leave you with this bit of silliness: I recently learned that at least one American diner exists... Continue Reading →
Zorf and his scarf
At least the characters have names. No character yet, to speak of. Just names. Allison
Holes in the wall
I have just paid the monthly rent for the thirtieth time to the same landlord. This means that at the end of this month I will have lived in the same apartment for three and a half years. This is mildly depressing. I thought I was more adventurous than that. A chat with a friend... Continue Reading →
I ♥ Adobe Reader X
A few days ago, patenttranslator admitted that his new best dictionary-friend is Google Translate in a well-balanced and well-reasoned post. —Yes, there is a relatively small population of Earthlings who have dictionaries for friends. Weird, possibly, but true. Some have had relationships with dictionaries since earliest childhood. Most adherents to this subculture conduct relationships with multiple dictionaries... Continue Reading →
Effective terminology
Occasionally, when in the midst of a terminological quandary I will emerge from my study and inflict the background information on my partner. You may find this particularly cruel, since she is physically incapable of walking away from me. Nevertheless, she is gracious, and hears me out. Sometimes she laughs at me unashamedly. These dramatisations of... Continue Reading →
Simon, Garfunkel and Yoda
It all started when a fellow translator posted an image of Yoda, of Star Wars fame, on her Facebook wall. The speech balloon said, "OOYL", which, of course, is short for "Only once, you live". Despite obvious pronunciation difficulties, I prefer Yoda's rendition to the now ubiquitous YOLO. "My favourite, he is", I commented. "Ha!",... Continue Reading →
…little talk awhile of me and thee…
I came across one of those sentimental "quotations" so prevalent these days. I have done a quick translation into English, and must emphasise now that I do not identify with the sentiment conveyed! And if I were to die? Imagine what it would be like, you sending me an SMS knowing that I would never answer... Continue Reading →
That elusive pair of jeans 