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

... and welcome to h2g2. My name is Solnushka and I am one of the volunteer ACEs, which basically means that I flit around greeting new researchers like yourself, spelling really badly in the process and helping out wherever I can.

To which end, I know h2g2 can look huge when you first arrive (well it is huge, that's what's good about it!), so if you have any questions, please do hit the reply button below and ask away.

I used to work in a golf club. I must say though that I spent the year resolutely learning nothing whatsoever about the game, besides the fact that golf buggies have the same undirectable qualities as shopping trolleys. There's an article on the front page today about ettiquette for golf spectators. Have you seen it?

Anyway, here are some links, which you are at perfect liberty to ignore, of course...

The welcome page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome

The smiley page (actually you can go there by clicking on any smiley such as this one ) : http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Smiley

Ask h2g2, where you can ask anything except 'What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Askh2g2

A really big guide to lots of the clubs, societies, gangs etc you can get involved in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A270325

The h2g2 newspaper, The Post: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U54963

Hope you enjoy yourself here. See you around, if not before!

actually I work as a grounds keeper and have never play a round of golf before as i have a handicap and back problem .the doc advised me nit to try it.I enjoy work and have been there close to seven years now.The hours are long .I just got home from a 14hour day .it is 7o-clock in the morning Labor Day. Holidays are always our busiest time and being a private course we can exspect a huge crowd to be teeing off this morning.as you can seewith most of my time taken up by my job I find it hard to find new and intresting people to ex- change thoughts with. My intrest are wide so I welcome any subjects and feel free to take my views or leave them.My father was in the oil business so as a child we spent a good deal of time overseas.My teen years were spen t in Bahrain and Singapore.After turning 19 I returned to Texas to work and try my hand at being an adult.Unfortunately I don't think I made it and at this time in life probbly never will.I play my 14 year old son's play station games as much as he does and watch cartoons with my ten year daughter. She is a pokemon fan so keep me up to date on them as I am still at work when they're on.My wife is the same way .We believe it is important to be your child's friend as well as parent.
Well I guess I have ramble enought letting all of you know more about myself. good day!!

Well, I was a waitress at this golf club, so golf playing wasn't required of me either. And I know exactly what you mean about the holidays!

Must have been interesting to travel around so much. My Dad always had a fit if he had to set foot 5 hours from where we lived, so most of our holidays were spent in Britain in the rain. Except for one particularly impressive attempt to go to France one summer, which if you are ever down I'll tell you about. Guarenteed to make you giggle.

Still haven't managed to get to see pokomon, though my teen students (I'm a teacher)try their hardest to try to keep me with it. I am quite fond of the teletubbies though. I get to watch them in Russian now cos I live in Moscow, and its especially good as that's about my level in the language.

Anyway, thanks for the tea *sips delicately* Catch you later!

Hi Solnushka how are you today? I had a bit of bad luck. My computer crash on me losing my files and browser.So this morning I am trying to get things in order.As you are my newest friend I thought I drop you a quick line. I have to admit though I traveled around quite a bit while I was young I got it of my system and probably more like your father now my wife has to pry me out of the house just to get supplies now.It seems after work I have no energy to go anywhere else.
I was please to hear you are a teacher. My wife and I value education very much . The school system here seem like they herd students like cattle passing them from one grade to the next not caring if they have learned even the basic.We pulled our children out of the system and have home schooled them for the last seven years. I say we,. my wife is the teacher as she has more college and more solid education base than I.Most of my education has been tech schools and speical course work related.I know being a teacher in the former Soviet Union must be a great challenge.I have alway admired people who are willing to take the torch of educating our youth.
So have a cupdelicately sipping of course.

HI Watcher, hope your computer is all better now. I was heartened to read that you have removed your children from what you view as a sub-standard education system. I have a young daughter, and in the next couple of years I'm going to have to make my mind up on that one. I left school with no qualifications - it seemed they took ten years to instill some basic math and English - I'm sure I can do it faster than that!
Regards to the familly,
Frogbit (UK)

Thankyou for your concern about my PC.It is now running like new. I added some small upgrades to help it along .So with luck it will be a while before I have do a major overhaul on it.
Home schooling our kids we have found to be very rewarding We live close to an Airforce base so getting learning materials is not a problem. Also the internet has a huge amount of materials and software to access and download.Each year my wife give an exstinsive test to my son and daughter to see if they are keeping up with the standard levels for their age group. So far both have prove to be anywhere from one to three years ahead in all subject.We for the most part let them proceed at their own pace to make learn as fun as possible.

Sounds excellent. You say you live near an airbase, so getting materials isn't a problem. Sounds like you're pretty remote. Where abouts are you?

I live in Wichita Falls Texas a small town west of Dallas.The base is right at th edge of town so it isn't very remote at all.Of couse being Texas you have to drive ten minutes to get anywhere.

Pardon my lack of geographical knowledge - I thought it was arid out there, does your golf course need much irrigation? And what's more, do you actually like golf?

Geography was not my best subject either.We do get a bit of rain though the last three year we have been in a drought and water is rationed for most part. We water the course at night to keep the evaperation down.It is a real struggle trying to keep the grass on greens green.As far as liking golf I have never played. But I am told it is very addicting as well as a good way to get ulcers if your off your game.

Hhhmmmm. Doesn't sound too relaxing to me - do you remeber who it was that said a game of golf was a good walk ruined?

I have heard that saying but I can't remember who said it. I do agree with them though.The ideal of wasting time chasing a little white ball just to hit it and chase it again. Just not my ideal of a good time as it is very common for tempture to exceed a 100 degrees F. in summer. A good hat, shade tree and a tall glass of cool drink sounds more relaxing.

Cheers. . . .

Hey watcher! Actually I work in a private language school, and worry sometimes that I am fostering the cultural imperialism that seems to come with the rise of English as a world language, so I am not sure if I really deserve congrats on mny profession! But one day I'll make it back to Briatain, and then I'll probably work in state education, which as you say is groesome enough that it should salve my concience...

Wow! I am impressed by your home schooling. That takes dedication. But is obviously worth it. Actually, when you think about it, I wonder why more pepole don't do it...

Posting for watcher: he just read your post and says that he'll write to you when he gets back. He's off to work.
For my part, I can't agree that you are doing anything wrong. You fulfill a needed function by teaching those who have obviously put a priority on learning what you have to teach, as they went to the trouble to hire an english teacher in a foreign land. Also, you help expand the mind of your students by teaching them what is, to them, a foreign language. In the U.S. we have such teachers and they are highly reguarded. Thirdly, you enable your students to compete in the global economy. Now they need to learn japanese and, I understand, french, and then they will be set.
I think that it must be interesting to live and work away from home. I hope it works out for you. As for homeschooling, our choice was forced; the local system couldn't meet the needs of our son, who has attention deficit disorder. His frustration was one of the main reasons we began homeschooling; that and the school's disreguard for his medical needs. He had fine motor skill deficit and they refused to acknowledge this and adjust their curriculum to meet those needs, even after a doctor told them to. Too many students, too little resources, I guess. He's doing fine now, although his language skills could be improved. I had him sign up for H2G2, and he spent 30 minutes looking words up in the dictionary and checking his grammar just to be able to post. Heh, heh.

Please accept my apology if my comments about schools upset you.I hold teachers and the teaching profession in very high regard. It take a specail person to commit themselves to what I feel to be the most challenging job of all.People start learning from the day they are born and it is our teachers that influience(misspelled)the way that knowledge is put to use. My own schooling was some what lacking as we moved about quite a bit. It was after I got out on my own that I found I needed more and to this day I try to learn new things. Two of which are learning how to type properly and grammer.( particularly spelling.)
Regards ,Watcher

Hi I have been bouncing around h2g2 since getting off work.Seeing what kind of trouble I can get into. Thought I just say hi while I was here. and for me.
regards
Watcher watching

Hi you both!

Oh gosh, you didn't offend mer at all. State education is sometimes a mess and doesn't cater well enopugh for people with differing needs like your son and so on and so forth. And the English thing is just my private grumble really.

You're right about never stopping learning though. This is a good thing! Never have time to get bored and never can get complacent. My personal bugbears at the mo are Russian (never will I learn that language! And spelling, which considering my proffession is appalling!!).

Catch you later!

Hi I am glad you are not cross with me. I guess we all have our crosses to bear.I am espeically bad about spouting off about mine.I know I shouldn't, but I'm one of those people that say the first thing that comes to mind.Being a straight forward person has gotten me in trouble a lot of time.Only my charm and good look lets me get by

Watcher,Lurker,First Class

Charm and good *look*? You have just the one?