h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like the idea of putting all the entries on one page like this.

Aha! A fellow TEFL family. Super. I am quite jealous of Madrid as a location. I've never been to Spain. It's on the list.

I also enjoyed your music posts (and the political posts too - interesting point about the lack of climate change rhetoric. If I were in an optimistic mood I'd say that perhaps this at least shows they are not in actual denial, but I think your analysis is more accurate). Especially the bit about turning up to teach a class that is already finished. Hehe.

Morning, Recumbentman. This is a far more organised way of doing the daily journal thing, and I have so enjoyed reading the entries to date, but I'm not sure many people are reading it, judging by the lack of comments here. That is a shame because you hit exactly the right balance of the private and the general with your topics.

Reading about going out for tapas in Madrid brought back memories. In my day, the most original tapas bars were just off the Plaza de Espagna. I really must go back there and find out what Madrid is like these days. Perhaps one of my sons will end up living there. They have, at least, all promised to bring up their offspring with two languages - and the one daughter-in-law who is already involved is fully in favour of this. Although, in their case, they will probably spend a few years in the States or Australia anyway. Although he is not having any problems, do encourage your son to keep it up even if the going gets tough (when she goes to school). It's so easy these days with internet and DVD's, but back in the early 80s my parents kept us provided with cassette and video tapes, Ladybird books, and children's supplements from newspapers. I just adamantly kept speaking English to them, until at the age of 16, they gave in and all conversations were entirely in English. Even now, with them turned, and nearing 30, I could not speak German to them. It wasn't hard work, really, (at least not for me!) and they are very grateful for it.

One question popped up in my head whilst reading. Is there an Irish keyboard, or do you have to construct the special letters (e.g., as in RTÉ) yourselves?

Thank you Sol and TC!

Yes, I posted a comment partly because I felt no one was looking

We love going to Madrid, except in summer [too-hot-smiley-needed]

My brother-in-law, bringing up a family in Germany, tried speaking English to his children and they refused to co-operate, though they have terrific English now--but so do all the Germans I've met, even German politicians interviewed on TV. My German nephew spent a term in school here and can speak perfect Dublin.

And yes, there is a keyboard dedicated to English (Ireland) and the accents are there if you hold Alt Gr (alt on Mac) while hitting the letter.

In fact I see I have two Irish keyboards available to me on this Mac: Irish and Irish Extended. Not sure what that does. Irish is well catered for in this space of cyber, no doubt because Microsoft set up its Internationalisation/Localisation/Globalisation department here.