The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest web page is one I would really like to explore in depth. This type of writing is an art form in itself, albeit not one which conjures up an image of tucking one's knees under the rug on a sofa, hot cup of tea in hand, and settling down to a cosy... Continue Reading →
A blank wall
Ten days ago I did some painting. I am sorry to disappoint you. It was far removed from fine art, although I looked like a real masterpiece when the work was done. The medium: white interior/exterior PVA on one bedroom wall which has suffered the ravages of winter damp over the last three years, and... Continue Reading →
Now or never: translation of a poem and other things I don´t know
I have chosen now. Well, that is rather misleading. Let me rephrase that: I have finally chosen now to be the time. This is the time to translate that poem. I shall need a preamble for this. For fellow translators in a hurry: the poem in the original Portuguese together with the English translation are... Continue Reading →
The art of writing paper
I needed a plastic sleeve the other day to give someone some documents. The only one available (and decent-looking) was one containing seven sheets of pretty writing paper. This was a gift received seven years ago from a friend with whom I used to correspond frequently via snail mail. I appreciated the gesture very much.... Continue Reading →
Rude comments collection
The most delightful public scultpure I have encountered is on a roundabout as one approaches Faro airport. It consists of an assemblage of slightly larger than life figures in various postures all looking up towards the sky. Made of limestone, on top of which much of the Algarve stands, they have the feel of being... Continue Reading →
Steps
Oooh, I loved steps. I have always traversed them two at a time. Yes, up and down. When I was younger and foolish, I used to jump the last four to the ground. Indoor hockey training at the local stadium as a school girl involved running up and down the concrete grandstands until our legs... Continue Reading →
Who am I kidding?
It is true: I simply opened the fridge and took the photo. Ice trays, one block of butter, one tin of evaporated milk (for use on a fruit salad imminently), and countless little plastic bottles full of ice.
Too much of a good thing?
I have to get this off my chest. I also need to know how other translators behave! Yes, yes, I know we are all on our best behaviour always. 🙂 I am talking of what you do immediately after hitting the send button on a translation, assuming you have a little breathing space before the... Continue Reading →
Bananas!
There is nothing so wonderful as coming across exciting news by accident. Little did I know, whilst struggling with a capricious Internet connection as I was researching EU regulations on biodiversity and the like - as translators do - that today I would stumble upon a remarkable piece of information: The banana genome has been sequenced!... Continue Reading →
Recently a friend posted a photograph on Facebook of an idyllic scene at a nearby beach which she captioned, "Where I live": Now, I do not know precisely where she does live, but I do know where she stood to take that photo, and she most certainly does not live there! In her mind perhaps,... Continue Reading →
That elusive pair of jeans 