Recently Robbie Kunz of Learn that Language Now did an email interview with about my language learning experiences, and about the history and development of Omniglot. It is now online and I just thought you might be interested.
Currently I’m in the middle of moving Omniglot to a new web server provided by Kualo. This is going smoothly so far, but if you notice any error messages of other strangeness, don’t panic! The new server is managed, so any problems that might occur should be fixed quickly. My current server is ‘managed’ by me, and I’m no expert in running one. I chose Kualo because they offer a good deal, and because they are a green company who run on renewable energy.
My home runs mainly on renewable energy, supplied by Ecotricty, and I am planning to switch to a broadband and phone provider that is run on a co-operative model and uses renewable energy. I support renewable energy because it seems like a sensible thing to do.
Neithiwr yn y Vaynol Arms yn Nant Peris fel rhan o Ffair Nant, mi wnaeth y Clwb Uke Bangor perfformio yn gyhoeddus am y tro cyntaf. Mi wnaethon ni chwarae cymysgedd o ganeuon yn gynnwys Country Roads, House of the Rising Sun, Dark Moon Rising, Cockles & Mussels, Go West, I Wanna Be Like You, ayyb. Yn Go West mi waethon ni canu North Wales yn lle Go West, ac roedd y cynulleidfa yn hoffi hyn, ac fel encôr mi wnaethon ni canu Delilah unwaith eto. Ro’n ni’n argraffu y trefnyddion ac mi wnaethon nhw ein gwahodd ni dod yn ôl i’r ffair y flwyddyn nesaf.
Last night in the Vaynol Arms in Nant Peris as part of the Nant Fair, the Bangor Uke Club performed in public for the first time. We played a mixture of songs, including Country Roads, House of the Rising Sun, Dark Moon Rising, Cockles & Mussels, Go West, I Wanna Be Like You, and so on. In Go West we replaced Go West with North Wales, which went down well with the audience, and we sang Delilah again as an encore. The organisers were impressed and have invited us back for the fair next year.
Va’n emshir braew yn jerrey shiaghtin shoh. Va grian ayn, v’eh çheh, va’n speyr gorrym as cha row geay erbee ayn. Va’n keayn lane rea as v’eh casley rish scaaney. Fastyr jiu hie mee heose dys Roman Camp as ren mee cleasaght.
The weather’s been lovely this weekend – sunny and warm with blue sky and not a breath of wind, and the sea was beautifully calm and mirror-like. This afternoon I went up to Roman Camp to do a bit of juggling.
Recently I’ve been tinkering with the design of Omniglot. This doesn’t involves any major changes, at least I’m not planning to make any major changes at the moment – it’s more a case of changing colours and logos, and trying to improve menus. You might have noticed a few changes already – for example there are new links at the top of some pages, and a new menu on the side of others. You can see more changes on this page.
Any comments and suggestions are welcome.
Is there anything about Omniglot you’d like to see changed or improved?
Jesarn hie mee dys keirdlann as co-unnaneys yindyssagh ‘syn Galeri ayns Caernarfon lesh ny Spooky Men’s Chorale, sheshaght chiaullee voish yn Austrail ta jannoo turrys mygeayrt yn Reeriaght Unnaneyssit ec y traa t’ayn. T’ad ny ard arraneyderyn, as feer aitt as ommidjagh myrgeddin, as t’ad goaill arraneyn as yn Çhorshey, arraneyn cadjin lhied “Dancing Queen” (lesh blassyn Soolynagh as idd Loghlynagh) as “Boogie Wonderland” (dy moal as dy arrymagh), as arraneyn oc hene, lhied “Don’t Stand Between a Man and His Tool”, “Sometimes I Forget Things” as “Concrete”, ynsit shin ‘syn keridlann.
On Saturday I went to a workshop and concert at the Galeri in Caernarfon with the Spooky Men’s Chorale, a choir from Australia who are currently touring the UK. They are excellent singers and hilariously silly, and sing songs from Georgia, pop songs like “Dancing Queen” (with Swedish accents and Viking helmets) and “Boogie Wonderland” (slowly and solemnly), as well as their own songs, such as “Don’t Stand Between a Man and His Tool”, “Sometimes I Forget Things” and “Concrete”, which we learnt in the workshop.
An seachtain seo cheannaigh mé rothar nua, agus seo an chead uair atá mo rothar féin agam le blianta. Nuair a d’fhág mé Téaváin, dhíol mé an rothar a bhí agam ansin, agus cúpla bliana i ndiaidh tháinig ar ais go Sasana, cheannaigh mé unicycle. Bháin mé úsáid as rothar infhillte mo dheartháir le tamall, agus an seachtain seo cheannaigh mé rothar nua go críochnaitheach.
Ddydd Mercher yr wythnos hon mi wnes i dringo’r Wyddfa am y tro cyntaf. Roedd hi’n heulog a gynnes, roedd ychydig o niwl a’r y mynyddoedd, ac roedd gwynt ysgafn yn chwythu ar y copa. Mi es i ar y bws i Lanberis yn gyntaf, ac ar ôl crwydro o gwmpas y lle am sbel, mi wnes i dal y bws i Ben-y-pass.
Yn dilyn Llwybr y Mwynwyr, ac yn aros am damaid o fwyd ar lan Llyn Llydaw, mi wnes i cyrraedd y copa o fewn dwy awr. Wrth i mi dringo rhan serthach y llwybr, ro’n i’n teimlo yn flinedig ac yn meddwl fydda i’n mynd i lawr y mynnydd ar y trên, ond mae’r tocyn yn ddrud iawn – £18 am docyn un ffordd – ac nag oedd tocynnau ar gael beth bynnag, felly mi wnes i penderfynu cerdded i lawr.
Roedd y copa yn tyrru efo torf mawr o bobl, ac roedd y golygfeydd yn ysblennydd, er gwaetha’r niwl. Ar ôl saib byr, a rhywbeth i fwyta ac i yfed, mi wnes i ailddechrau efo mwy o ynni, ac ro’n i’n ôl yn Llanberis trwy’r Llwybr Llanberis o fewn awr a hanner. Roedd mond ychydig o funudau i aros am y bws yn ôl i Fangor.
Mae mwy o ffotograffau ar gael ar flickr.