Day Two in England and I remain truly a stranger in a strange land. Today I travelled to Winchester…what a prize! First rule of travelling in England: People do NOT talk to strangers on the train, especially in the morning… Such a contrast to life in Montreal where there are bus drivers who spontaneously break… Continue reading Skip to the loo
Author: canadaslim
Sounds and signs in discord
One of the greatest difficulties with English language teaching is trying to explain why English words with similar spellings can have such different sounds. Compare for example words like though(th-oh), through (thr-oo), thorough (thur-oh) and tough (tuff). Or why words with different spellings have the same sound, like to, too and two. And there are… Continue reading Sounds and signs in discord
Sympathy for the dialect
Every nation has its faux pas – things that you shouldn´t talk about or joke about…EVER. For example, don´t call a New Zealander “an envious Aussie”, or a Canadian “a wannabe American”, unless you like your tires flattened. Don´t call la Manche the English Channel when you are in Paris or call the French “brie-eating surrender… Continue reading Sympathy for the dialect
The struggle to share
Two very good friends of mine shared their experiences with me today… One friend told me of the death of another. My second friend related the excitement of a journey she had been on recently. Words always seem to fail at moments such as these when the experience is not one you are sharing. Death has visited… Continue reading The struggle to share
No-smile zones
A place is neither good or bad of itself. It is our perceptions of that place that give it its reputation. Some places naturally excel due to their inherant beauty, like Venice, Bruges or Florence. Other places may not leap to mind immediately as tourist destinations, but the warmth and intimacy of their people make the… Continue reading No-smile zones
A sense of accomplishment (my favourite SOB)
I know that I am probably not alone in this – “Why can´t you be more like (Insert name here.)?” – situation. I am certain that there are, or have been, people in your life who seem to shine brighter than those around them. They radiate success, confidence, achievement and accomplishment, and are the envy of… Continue reading A sense of accomplishment (my favourite SOB)
The Church of Woman
If I were a cynical person (in my moments of semi-lucidity), there would be moments wherein I would think that women have the greatest con going on in existence with men being the sheep being fleeced. A man is a human being who works. He is given little or no choice in the matter. Any… Continue reading The Church of Woman
The walk of life
“They do the walk. They do the walk of life.” (Dire Straits, “Walk of Life”, Brothers in Arms) “Our neighbourhoods aren´t all that hostile… I have a thousand times more often encountered friends passing by, a sought-for book in a store window, compliments and greetings from my loquacious neighbours, architectural delights, posters for music and… Continue reading The walk of life
The profundity of profanity
Profanity is defined by Merriam-Webster as “offensive words or language”. It is also called bad language, strong language, coarse language, foul language, bad words, vulgar language, lewd language, swearing, cursing, cussing, or using expletives, what is generally considered to be very impolite, rude or offensive. It can show a debasement of someone or something, or show… Continue reading The profundity of profanity
Mind the E-Gap
Future shock is too much change in too short a period of time. Modern man feels shock from rapid changes. We have become cities without a history. Urban populations double every 11 years. The overall production of goods and services doubles each 50 years in developed countries. Society experiences an increasing number of changes with an… Continue reading Mind the E-Gap