Wednesday 10 April 2013

I is for ....


1) Imagination. So important, both for the author, and for the reader. When I read, I go into another world, and my mind’s eye produces the pictures for me - so much so that I am usually disappointed in the films made from books- the pictures are rarely right! The world within my book,“Despite the Angels”, is imaginary, and I hope potential readers will take it as such, and enjoy the story. Some people have said to me “Oh, but I don’t believe in angels (or reincarnation)”. So what? I don’t believe in talking rabbits, but can enjoy Alice in Wonderland; or flat worlds, but love Terry Pratchett’s discworld series. Animal Farm became famous though no one thinks pigs can actually talk! This is all possible because we all have Imagination, and the ability to let go of the mundane, and let our minds roam free.
2) Irish College. I am Irish, and in Ireland it is still compulsory to learn the Irish language. In fact when I was in school, if you didn’t pass Irish you didn’t get your Leaving Certificate. (A Levels/High school graduation). So summer schools were popular, as a month of total immersion was supposed to make us fluent. I thoroughly enjoyed my month at “Trabolgan”, (then a boarding school which acted as an Irish College for girls in the summer, but now a holiday camp), but I never became fluent. The way Irish was taught, as though it was a dead language, was not designed to produce either Irish speakers, or people full of love of the language. In fact, I think the language has survived despite being compulsory, not because of it. I can say only a few useless phrases, and more importantly, never need to...
3) Ipecacuanha is a great remedy for cough which ends up as gagging or vomiting

7 comments:

  1. Loving the posts :)
    Imagination! Where would be be without it???
    I wish I'd love Irish more. I'm always sorry I can't speak it now.

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  2. I did imagination today too. ;)
    It would be hard to learn a language if you weren't going to use it. It's why I'm terrible at math. In school they never 'showed' the practical applications of this nuisance course.

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  3. It's great to be able to disappear into the imagination, life would be crap without it!

    Irish is a beautiful language, shame it doesn't seem to be taught well.

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  4. I didn't realise Irish was compulsory, I've learnt something...and I agree I am often disappointed when a book gets turned into a film, they are rarely as good.

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  5. I thoughts your thoughts on imagination. And you are so correct about being able to enjoy a story when an author makes the unbelievable believable.

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  6. Imagination is definitely very important!

    I think it would be so cool to know Irish. I speak French, but Irish seems to be much cooler :)

    Sam
    Writing Through College

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    1. Define cool! it certainly wasn't cool when I was being tortured with it... But I have had many good experiences via French!

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