I love the energy and variety and the what next feeling of your Friday writing. It makes me want to explore so many things that have never entered my thoughts! And the music, spot on. Thank you for the inspiration Xx
I loved this read, thank you for sharing your Friday loves. I also love a mooc though I haven't done one for a while (I used to help design them when i worked at nottingham). Language wise urgh, I'm on day 252 of Duolingo but falling out of love a bit. I need something more, just not worked out what and how. I'm pretty sure a revitalised interest would be stoked by actually going back to Italy but (pero) that will have to wait till 2025 now...damn 😅Xx
Ah, that’s so interesting to hear! There’s a whole world of academia and learning that I know very little of.
And I know just what you mean re Duolingo. I tried Babbel for a while and found it a bit more relevant to real life conversation - but also forgot to keep going with it. Have you ever tried the Coffee Break podcast series? I’ve dipped in and out of Coffee Break Spanish, but (pero) there’s also an Italian version I think. A trip sounds like the best possible answer though. I’d LOVE to spend a month in Madrid sometime. Adding to dream list...
I learnt enough rudimentary Portuguese on Coffee Break podcast (I think it was them?) to hold a conversation with the landlady about our heating not working during the Beast from the East winds in northern Portugal. Love their work. There’s also JumpSpeak that I’ve been looking at: live practice with language on the app, they actually mock the Duolingo approach with its bizarre sentences. Have you looked at any of the OpenLearn courses from the Open University? My friend swears by them and when I find some time I want to do the poetry ones. I’ll check out those arts ones though, sound fabulous. Love the collage too! Can we have an idiots guide to how you actually do that please? 🙏 😅 xx
Ah Lynne, so many wonderful curiosity threads here to tug on - thank you! I love that you managed to learn enough Portuguese to do that. Great effort! I’m ashamed to confess I would probably have focused my attempts on the ordering of a certain sweet delicacy. Did your trip get extended by the storm? I was in Amsterdam for 24 hours when it hit, which turned into an incredible (if slightly stressful logistically) week of sliding along frozen canals and gazing in wonder at the shelves in The Otherist (a modern wunderkammer - how delightful is that word?!). https://www.otherist.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqIhfIZeq2GiPIBFBYXSRHEYINGn7WZs5cxtOWAThcjuf2wyom8
And oooh, I hadn't heard of the OpenLearn courses - will have a look. I did a photography course via Open College of the Arts many moons ago. A beginners guide to collage might have to come with a warning that it could lead to an art supply buying habit and a longing to create all the parts yourself from scratch...
I love the energy and variety and the what next feeling of your Friday writing. It makes me want to explore so many things that have never entered my thoughts! And the music, spot on. Thank you for the inspiration Xx
Thanks Bel! I often wonder if it’s worth filling up folks’ inboxes with these Friday thoughts, so that is truly lovely to hear. x
I've been away from Netflix for awhile and this makes me ponder resuming my subscription....thanks for that and other inspirations!
If you do decide to venture back, Bodkin is also an absolute treat to watch. Eek - I feel like a Netflix enabler now.
I loved this read, thank you for sharing your Friday loves. I also love a mooc though I haven't done one for a while (I used to help design them when i worked at nottingham). Language wise urgh, I'm on day 252 of Duolingo but falling out of love a bit. I need something more, just not worked out what and how. I'm pretty sure a revitalised interest would be stoked by actually going back to Italy but (pero) that will have to wait till 2025 now...damn 😅Xx
Ah, that’s so interesting to hear! There’s a whole world of academia and learning that I know very little of.
And I know just what you mean re Duolingo. I tried Babbel for a while and found it a bit more relevant to real life conversation - but also forgot to keep going with it. Have you ever tried the Coffee Break podcast series? I’ve dipped in and out of Coffee Break Spanish, but (pero) there’s also an Italian version I think. A trip sounds like the best possible answer though. I’d LOVE to spend a month in Madrid sometime. Adding to dream list...
I learnt enough rudimentary Portuguese on Coffee Break podcast (I think it was them?) to hold a conversation with the landlady about our heating not working during the Beast from the East winds in northern Portugal. Love their work. There’s also JumpSpeak that I’ve been looking at: live practice with language on the app, they actually mock the Duolingo approach with its bizarre sentences. Have you looked at any of the OpenLearn courses from the Open University? My friend swears by them and when I find some time I want to do the poetry ones. I’ll check out those arts ones though, sound fabulous. Love the collage too! Can we have an idiots guide to how you actually do that please? 🙏 😅 xx
Ah Lynne, so many wonderful curiosity threads here to tug on - thank you! I love that you managed to learn enough Portuguese to do that. Great effort! I’m ashamed to confess I would probably have focused my attempts on the ordering of a certain sweet delicacy. Did your trip get extended by the storm? I was in Amsterdam for 24 hours when it hit, which turned into an incredible (if slightly stressful logistically) week of sliding along frozen canals and gazing in wonder at the shelves in The Otherist (a modern wunderkammer - how delightful is that word?!). https://www.otherist.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqIhfIZeq2GiPIBFBYXSRHEYINGn7WZs5cxtOWAThcjuf2wyom8
And oooh, I hadn't heard of the OpenLearn courses - will have a look. I did a photography course via Open College of the Arts many moons ago. A beginners guide to collage might have to come with a warning that it could lead to an art supply buying habit and a longing to create all the parts yourself from scratch...