An Age of Magic

Is it worth saving a dying language?

There are 2,500 dialects judged to be at risk on Unesco’s ‘Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’.
The newly published maps show 200 out of our 6,000 world languages have become ‘extinct’ in the last three generations as langauges such as English become more commonly spoken around the world.

Take those such as Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Cornish – there are now only 44,000 Irish speakers and 58,552 people who understand Scottish Gaelic. Ned Maddrell, who died in 1974, was the last first-language speaker of traditional Manx, while the United Nations cultural body said the last traditional Cornish speaker died around 1777.

While these old tongues always defined the people who spoke them and the culture they lived in, is it really worth resurrecting them now – and if so for what reason other than cultural and maybe even nostalgic…?

Across the UK for example english is the common language and is also the common language increasingly across Europe and the world (much to the chagrin of the French). In Ireland the Irish language is not confined to one specific dialect – so if the Irish language is to be saved…which dialect are we talking about – that which is spoken in Donegal, or Cork or even Limerick…?

While it would be nice to see people speaking Cornish and Manx, etc, it is obvious that – in the UK at least – english must remain the first language of the people. To expect entire communities to once again speak ‘their own language’ would create the need for translations in just about every area of society for those who, say, visit from London or Kent. There is enough division in the world these days without bringing back even more barriers – and language can definitely be one of the biggest.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Redoing the kitchen

As we go around the new house we keep finding more and more things which need either renovating or replacing. We are not into the ‘fixing’ thing – we prefer to replace with new rather than do a patch-up job.

The kitchen has now come under fire for a makeover. We are planning to instal one of those discount Kohler sinks and pull up the old carpet and replace with a tiled ceramic floor. Why on earth people thought to place carpet down in the kitchen is beyond me because all the spills that happened over the years have collected under the pile.

All I need now is a nice aga cooker and I will be happy!

Popularity: 19% [?]

Fighting the fires with whatever is available

I was just recalling the terrible bushfires of 1994 that surrounded Sydney and the fact that most of those who fought those blazes were volunteer firefighters – unpaid heroes and some paid with their lives.

When the flames get too close you find yourself defending your property with whatever is available – a garden hose, buckets of water, even draining water from the swimming pool. Most of the population dont give a seconds thought to the cause of the volunteer bush fire brigades until the bushfires hit each year and only then does it become apparent just how much they need public funding.

They need equipment for the trucks, water pumping gear with industrial knobs that can do the job properly, safety gear for the volunteers themselves…

Its a thankless task they perform but one which is a vital service in Australia.

Popularity: 16% [?]