I'm Abby, a caffeine-fuelled freelance translator with a love of travelling, languages and cultures - nice to meet you! I update this blog with news of my adventures, various musings and several coffee-related posts - so welcome, benvenuto, bienvenu and willkommen!
In celebration of the European day of Languages on the 26th September, here in the OUP Archives, we have a Victorian sample from the extensive print shop that was closed in 1989.
This artefact shows a selection of the 900 or so languages that Oxford University Press could print at that time. The characters shown were cut (on metal blocks) at the Oxford Press, by Mr John Streaks, who has also made the greater number of the electrotype matrices which are stated in this work to have been produced at the Press.
The 2010 election in an alternative universe - UKIMUN Bristol
This weekend in Bristol, a few rooms tucked away in the corner of the University were transformed into the battle buses of the three main parties, fighting for votes in the UK 2010 election. I was one of the four people on the Lib Dem team, Chris Huhne to be precise, trying to develop a strategy to win votes and, if it came to coalition talks, to get the Lib Dems a good deal - without going back on promises.
Having three parties made the game very different to the US election game I took part in in March - it was harder to read how the other two parties were doing, and I found that it was easier to focus more on our campaign without having to respond to our opponents’ every move. Labour in-fighting and the Conservatives’ focus on attacking Labour meant that we made progress on the Saturday, but things became more difficult once the Conservatives began to notice the gains we had made.
The personal objectives gave the game an interesting twist - the aim was to balance you own ambitions with your party’s best interests. I was given the aim of being re-elected in the most marginal seat of the game - something that was made even more difficult by reports that Chris Huhne was involved in a speeding points scandal. Thankfully, by visiting my constituency several times and reassuring the inhabitants that this was all just slander cooked up by the opposition, I managed to hold on to my seat.
There was only a very short time for coalition negotiations, and with lots of back room deals already sealed, only the leaders had a good idea of what was on the table! Determined to give the Lib Dems a good deal, we were pushing for the Chancellor position - something neither party was willing to budge on. Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, a grand coalition deal was made between Labour and the Conservatives. The Lib Dems had lost out in the coalition, but, we were sure, were better off in the long run. Unite the Union was already unhappy with rumours that Labour was in talks with the Conservatives, and as the opposition, we only stood to gain in the next election.
It was a great weekend, with socials and meals provided, and I really enjoyed the experience. Check out http://www.ukimun.com/ if you want to find out more about future events :)
We are strangely lacking in middling terms - words to describe with some precision the middle ground between hard and soft, near and far, big and little... we have a large number of negative words - inept, dishevelled, incorrigible, ruthless, unkempt - for which the positive form is missing. English would be richer if we could say admiringly of a tidy person 'she's so shevelled' or praise a capable person for being full of ept or an energetic one for having heaps of ert.
With the help of some family members, I have now finished my jar of nutella and can use it as a glass! Well worth the hassle at Genova airport, where I discovered that nutella is classed as a liquid and cannot be carried in hand luggage. Thankfully the security guard understood what was at stake and helped me check in my hand luggage. Phew!
With no flights booked for the immediate future and my work diary filling up, it looks like this blog will be lacking in travel updates over summer. However, since I have been lucky enough to live and work in some beautiful places in Europe, I have decided to write about a few of these towns while I plan the next adventure. I hope these posts will be useful to anyone looking for some travel inspiration! I thought I would start with Bolzano, a city that, although Italian on paper, has a complex linguistic and cultural identity.
At first glance, the province of South Tyrol is full of contradictions. An Italian province since 1919, when it was annexed following the First World War, South Tyrol is also semi autonomous, enabling it to keep most of its taxes and awarding it considerable legislative power. While some call for a reunification with Austria, other residents strongly identify as Italian. As a result, the trilingual province has a unique character that is evident in its architecture, culture and cuisine.
Bolzano offers many of the attractions you would expect of a capital city. The main piazza, named after 13th Century poet Walther von der Vogelweide, is where you can find the tourist information centre, several cafes and bars (a little more pricey given the location), and the cathedral, with its striking tiled roof. Take a wander around the streets, lined with beautiful frescoed buildings, and stroll under the arches of Via Portici, the perfect place to window shop. The best of Tyrolean and Italian cuisine is on offer; try some traditional Knödel to warm you up on a cold winter’s day or go for an authentic Neapolitan pizza at Da Zio Alfonso. The town also offers several museums, and is famously home to Ötzi the iceman.
However, unlike other large cities, it is easy to escape the busy centre (a tempting prospect in the hot summer months) and explore the peaceful surroundings, which are a complete contrast to the urban centre. Bolzano has no less than three cable cars, so the mountains are just a short journey from the very centre of town. I would recommend a visit to Renon/Ritten, known as the ‘sunny plateau’, a beautiful area for a walking, with a well-marked path to view the ‘fairy chimneys’ (earth pyramids), and a great place for taking in spectacular views of the city. The modern cable cars depart every 4 minutes, and the trip is a bargain for the views you can enjoy during the journey (the first photo was taken as the cable car was leaving the station). If you would prefer to keep your feet on the ground, I would recommend taking a stroll along the Sant’Osvaldo trail or along the Talvera river, stopping for a gelato on the way. Take the free shuttle bus to Runkelstein Castle, where you can find well-preserved medieval frescoes depicting King Arthur and Tristan and Isolde as well as scenes from everyday court life.
Given its proximity to Italian and Austrian cities (less than two hours from Verona by train and just over two hours from Innsbruck), I am surprised that Bolzano is not a more popular day-trip destination. It’s not often that you can combine a city break with fresh mountain air, but Bolzano offers the best of both worlds.
Following the delicious but unorthodox egg-and-chip pizza, I've gone for a more traditional topping for my last night in Genova - mozzarella, tomatoes and rocket!
Sometimes you choose a delicious, authentic Italian pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Other times you go for a calorific egg and chip pizza, just because the option is there.
Good morning from London Gatwick! Having managed to find a relatively empty café, I have claimed a comfy armchair and am making use of the free WiFi while waiting for my flight to be called. This is a trip that’s been in the pipeline for a while, and it’s exciting that I’m finally on my way back to Genova! It’s a city I’ve visited many times, and was a place I’d often escape to when life in South Tyrol (Alto Adige) got a little tough, and I would return feeling refreshed after spending a few days in the city with my friends. Even if it wasn’t for this personal connection, with its seaside walks, amazing food and historical centre, Genova is such a beautiful city that it would still be an absolute pleasure to visit.
This time, my visit will be a little different. Here’s a quick overview of what my trip will involve, and the things I’m most looking forward to:
- meeting and working with Xenia Creative Team, a company who I’ve done some translations for in the past. I’m looking forward to putting names to faces and finding out more about their work.
- coffee. As I already pointed out, I’m drinking one right now, but after my 5 am start I will need a cup of that strong, bitter coffee that you can only get in Italy!
- catching up with old friends.
- speaking Italian again, while no doubt realising my spoken Italian has become a little rusty and my hand gestures aren’t as fluent as they used to be.
- watching Eurovision. Of course.
- eating focaccia, a genovese speciality. If you have tried some in the UK and think you know what it is like, you don’t. It is infinitely better in Genova.
It’s going to be a busy week, and I can’t wait to get started! I’ll let you know how it goes. A presto!
Il duomo di Milano. I couldn’t spend much time exploring since I was only in town briefly for a meeting, but I managed to take a detour via the cathedral and enjoy a piadina before heading back to Genova!
