jonsmyth.co.uk » Jon

The North & The South

Jon — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:54:07 +0000

Heard on Anderson Extra yesterday, 21 January 2012: “Ireland is an island off the west of Britain, but Northern Ireland is just off the Mainland – not the Irish mainland, the British mainland. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. It has a population of 4 million people, all of whom will be shopping in Newry …

Christmas Greetings

Jon — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:21:27 +0000

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or …

It’s not farewell…

Jon — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:43:49 +0000

It’s hard to believe that over four months have passed since I first arrived in Vigo! Similarly, it’s also unbelievable that this academic year is all but over. From Mons in August to Vigo in January, it certainly has been one which is unforgettable. In these last few weeks I’ve been chatting with some people …

Non esquecerei

Jon — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:30:03 +0000

Hoxe é o Día das Letras Galegas e por iso escribín unha pequena homenaxe que se chama Non esquecerei: Falarei de ti, Galicia Cantarei das túas terras Onde os teus fillos celtas viven A túa xente lembran as súas raíces Falarei de ti, Galicia Cantarei dos bos tempos Cos meus novos amigos Nas túas cidades …

A Cidade de Vigo

Jon — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:12:45 +0000

“Vigo (tamén coñecida como “A Cidade Olívica”) é a cidade máis poboada de Galicia, e a cidade sen rango de capital con máis poboación de España. A cidade atópase na beira sur da ría de Vigo na provincia de Pontevedra. Historicamente, pertenceu á comarca de Val do Fragoso, aínda que actualmente constitúe o núcleo da …

Ofcom: Erroneous Translation

Jon — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:44:09 +0000

So yesterday, when I was looking for a copy of the UK Amateur Radio Licensing Regulations I happened to notice a few errors in the translation of the introductory bit in the French version, underneath the Licensee’s details box. In my capacity as a linguist, this got me thinking. While I am aware of the …

La fin de la vie montoise

Jon — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:36:51 +0000

« J’y vais. C’en est fait, la cloche m’avertit. » Mon séjour en Belgique, à la cité du Doudou, sera fini dans quelques semaines et cela me rend tellement triste. Je n’y ai eu que de bonnes expériences malgré les problèmes à l’Université de Mons et l’Eii. Le 28 janvier je pars à la cité de Vigo en …

It won’t be the fire that kills you… (Part 2)

Jon — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:03:50 +0000

So, today got off to a rather interesting start to say the least! It started off before 9am CEST, when I was wakened by the sound of the fire alarm. Peering our the door, to see if it was another drill, I met one of the more pleasant staff members of the Cellule Logement, telling …

It won’t be the fire that kills you…

Jon — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:37:18 +0000

So last night we had a fire drill organised by the ‘Direction des cités’ in collaboration with the Mons Fire Service. In the notices posted up around the building telling us when it would roughly take place (19h00 – 20h00), it said that we were to use the ‘sortie de secours’, all of which are …

La vie montoise

Jon — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:24:01 +0000

Bonjour de Mons! So, I’ve been in Mons for just over a month now, and apart from the few hiccups that have occurred it’s turning out to be quite enjoyable! The people are warm and friendly, the drivers courteous and most of the Université de Mons’ staff pleasant and approachable. Gone are the warm days …