Montmorency's Log (CY, DE, NO) + (Celtic {Team) Nordic} + SC 2016-7

[Josquin]

[Sunday was spent still trying to get my head around the Referendum result, and the rather confused state of what passes for democracy in this country at the moment; not much language activity therefore, although that might have been a more productive use of time].

Same here! I spent almost the entire Sunday reading articles and watching the news and political discussions. I don't think it was a good decision although I understand the sentiment where it comes from. I highly doubt anything the Brexiteers hoped for will come true though. In fact, it will be workers and low incomes who will suffer the most if and when the British government activates article 50 for leaving the EU.

[Montmorency]

Same here! I spent almost the entire Sunday reading articles and watching the news and political discussions. I don't think it was a good decision although I understand the sentiment where it comes from. I highly doubt anything the Brexiteers hoped for will come true though. In fact, it will be workers and low incomes who will suffer the most if and when the British government activates article 50 for leaving the EU.

They [Brexiters] might have had a better chance if they had actually planned how to put it into practice. It now turns out that they weren't really expecting to win, and don't actually have a clue.

Having said that, the PM who expected to win didn't have any contingency plans ready in case he lost. He hadn't made any preconditions like "there would have to be a majority of e.g. two-thirds", or "it will have to be ratified by a vote in Parliament". Also he didn't need to call the referendum when he did, and he didn't even need to call it at all in my opinion (shared by others).

To borrow a word from "The Thick of It", a very funny, but accurate political satirical drama that used to run here, it's an "Omnishambles"!
We don't quite have a government at the moment, and what's worse, we don't have an opposition either!

[Josquin]

Yeah, to quote Lou from Little Britain: "We're in quite a kerfuffle right now." I hope everything will sort itself out quickly. I love Britain and the British (in a parallel universe, I might have studied English language and literature instead of what I actually studied) and I hate to see your country in the chaotic state in which it is right now.

Cheers from a concerned fellow European!

[Jar-Ptitsa]

Iversen and ym parents have forbidden to discuss Brexit online, but i agree with you. I live in a rich area, but I come from a very socialist one (wallonia). Brexit makes my soul cry.

[Montmorency]

I should be honest and say that while I'm 100% Europhile from a cultural point of view, I do have my issues and concerns with the EU as an institution. But the way to try to change it was not through a chaotic exit like this.

[Jar-Ptitsa]

Yes, the EU is corrupt and dictator style, like many governments, but we were together. But I'm not allowed to discuss it online, so I have to stop because i haven't got any freedom in my life to decide what i do at all. Good luck with your languages.

[Montmorency]

Yes, the EU is corrupt and dictator style, like many governments, but we were together. But I'm not allowed to discuss it online, so I have to stop because i haven't got any freedom in my life to decide what i do at all. Good luck with your languages.

Well, I'm not stopping you. However, on languages, I see "Walloon" in your profile. Are you referring to the type of French spoken in the Walloon area of Belgium, or is there some specific dialect, and is that what you are referring to?

[Jar-Ptitsa]

Yes, the EU is corrupt and dictator style, like many governments, but we were together. But I'm not allowed to discuss it online, so I have to stop because i haven't got any freedom in my life to decide what i do at all. Good luck with your languages.

Well, I'm not stopping you.

Iversen and my bossy parents told me to abstain from discussions on brexit online (Iversen wrote it on ym log, and he's my friend). I havne't got freedom, and the houses are incredibly expensive in London, so I can't buy a house, where I would have more freedom, although that is not certain when you consider the bossy people in my life.

However, on languages, I see "Walloon" in your profile. Are you referring to the type of French spoken in the Walloon area of Belgium, or is there some specific dialect, and is that what you are referring to?

No, not standard French now, but Walloon, and Walloon has 4 dialects. My grandparents and the generations before could speak walloon, but French killed it (them, wallon and the dialects and the other langauges as well like picard etc) during the 19th century. Some people can speak it now, but not many.

EDIT i mean 20th century not 19th!!!

here's an example text in walloon from omniglot you can see this: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/walloon.htm

and listen: http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/udhr ... alloon.mp3

Tos lès-omes vinèt-st-å monde lîbes, èt so-l'minme pîd po çou qu'ènn'èst d'leu dignité èt d'leus dreûts. I n'sont nin foû rêzon èt-z-ont-i leû consyince po zèls, çou qu'èlzès deût miner a s'kidûre onk' po l'ôte tot come dès frés.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)


If you want to read about walloon's dialects you can see: http://users.skynet.be/lorint/croejh/node130.html

[Montmorency]

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[Montmorency]

[Gorffen - end (h)af - summer - so the Welsh name for July literally means end of summer. Possible the summer in Wales in days gone was even shorter than it seems to be in England today! Even so, considering July, even the end of July, as the end of summer, seems to be a little extreme. I'm not sure if I've ever heard a convincing explanation of how the name came about.]

Deutsch

Fortnightly conversation group ○○ ( ~120m) ○○ with one other learner plus our tutor / leader. Inevitably we talked about the referendum result, but also many other things indirectly springing from it, such as the need for some kind of citizenship education for young people (and for adults also!).