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Instant Response
May Queen
Celebrations
Simple Words
Woolwich Ferry
Optimism Quotes
Instant Response (7 May 2014)
Have you ever got stuck on a website, one with many interesting little
bits and pieces, stories, anecdotes and fascinating snippets of
information more or less* related to the original search? As long as the
navigation is reasonably easy, and one can dip in and out without
losing* one's place, it is possible to spend a very long time doing
nothing in particular. I have just done this on a language learning
site, with the intention of finding a piece of information and going
straight back to my project, but one thing* led to another, then
another, and yet another. Only the thought of the dinner potatoes
boiling away to a watery mush made me exit the website, but not without
adding it to my Favourites for a later comeback. I wonder whether that
was a good idea! However, I enjoyed reading the visitors' contributions
on languages in general, with discussions, tips on learning and the
howlers that sometimes resulted whilst they were trying*
to make
themselves understood in the new language. It reminded me of school
days, when we learned French and German, and the difficulties
encountered when the new word was very similar to an English one, but
with an entirely different meaning.
* Omission phrases "more (or) less" "wu(n) thing"
* "mush" Helpful to insert the
vowel, so it is not misread as "mash"
* "trying" No diphone, as the I
sound is included in the Dot Ing
Temptation to respond instantly
I was very keen on languages at school, although they were taught in a
very bookish way, with minimal emphasis on speaking, and rather too much
on writing and translating passages. I think they assumed that if you
could* translate and write correctly, then speaking it fluently would
occur as a natural result. This was certainly not the* case, as with
writing there are hesitations and corrections happening all the time,
with no incentive to make an instant response as one has to do when
talking. There was none of today's technology for easily creating,
storing and sharing sound files, and no internet where one could listen
to native speakers. There was no time for us to have lengthy
conversations to practise our skills. In addition to this, there was the
problem of the intrusion of English. The book was written with English
instructions, vocabulary lists were accompanied by their English
equivalent, and we did a lot of written translation to and from English.
In other words*, the English language* never took a back seat, and so the
new language never really stood a chance of being properly mastered.
* "if you could" The "could" is not phrased, so that it remains in its
correct position and so cannot be misread as "can"
* "certainly not the" N Hook and halving to represent "not"
* "language" This short form should be phrased with caution, as it
could be misread as "-ing". It is obvious here with the name of the language, but may
be less so in other situations.
* "in other words" Doubling to represent "other"
In the same way, shorthand will be relegated to the back seat all the
while you have printed words before your eyes and longhand coming from
the pen, and with no incentive to write quickly and instantly. Reading
shorthand, writing it neatly at your own pace and converting printed
matter to produce practice sentences all have their* place, but they do
not compare to writing from live speech when you have to respond
instantly with the correct outlines and at the same time* listen to the
next few words. Under pressure, you will do whatever habit*
is the
strongest* and a lifetime of writing longhand will attempt to intrude.
The shorthand habit*
has to be stronger* than the longhand one and only
practice will achieve this. Using it for real life situations such as
private notes, appointment diary, telephone calls and shopping lists
ensures that you are getting immediate benefit from your efforts right
from the outset and is a great encouragement to progress further. This
is the best way* to make it part of your daily life so that you use it
automatically when required and not as some special endeavour during
study periods.
* "have their" Doubling for "their"
* "at the same time" Halving to represent the T of "time"
* "habit" Helpful to insert the first vowel in this and in
"hobbies" as they are similar in outline and meaning
* "strongest" Alternative outline, omitting the G stroke
* "stronger" The hooked form here includes the hard G sound
* Omission phrase "bes(t) way"
Practising to increase the WPM
speed - Worms Per Minute
Fluency in a language and in shorthand means providing an instant
response, as there is no time to construct the sentences from grammar
rules or outlines from theory. Everyone learned their own language by
copying and repeating the words and phrases spoken to them and creating
new utterances by rearranging what they already knew. I have never seen
a child hesitating whilst working out the grammar for what they wanted
to say or heard a child mispronounce a word because of its unusual* spelling, seeing as they learned it long before they could read. Fast
shorthand has to be the same, with no thought of spelling or theory, and
with new or difficult words written based on outlines already known,
whether the whole word or just separate syllables to prevent a gap.
Speech and handwriting seem to happen instantaneously when called for,
through constant use over the years. Shorthand can occupy this same
elevated and privileged position as well and achieved in a much shorter
space of time*, because definite targeted practice is taking the place
of the haphazard* way that speech and handwriting were acquired. The
more you surround yourself with it, the easier it will become.
* "unusual" Insert first vowel, as it could be misread as "English" in
this context
* Omission phrase "space (of) time"
* "haphazard" Optional contraction
To me, longhand seems like running through knee-deep water, where a lot
of energy is expended with only a slow progress forward to show for it.
Shorthand is called the winged* art, an apt description of the pen flying
along the line with ease and speed. Once you are well into your
shorthand journey and enjoying the benefits of writing extremely
briefly, then writing longhand increasingly becomes a tedious, dreary,
monotonous and frustratingly slow way to write. You may find yourself
spontaneously breaking into shorthand, unable to watch your hand's slow
progress through the convoluted letters of the traditional alphabet.
Filling in paper documents becomes an exercise in patience and maybe
even some sympathy for those who can write no other way.
* "winged" Stroke Ing cannot be halved
Endless practising for perfect results
Your existing longhand writing, even when done slowly, can be described
as an instant response, as you can probably write whilst thinking of
other things, or at least thinking ahead to the next few words. This
should be very encouraging for the shorthand student* as it proves that
complicated shapes and movements can be done rapidly and without too
much thought, as long as they are learned and practised sufficiently*.
Your hard work will eventually result in your shorthand taking its place
alongside all those other instant response habits* that you now possess,
like speaking your own language and writing your signature without any
qualms* about how to do it. I am also sure that you are now on your way
to having a mind and hand that can produce shorthand outlines instantly,
immediately, suddenly, rapidly, swiftly, speedily, hastily, without
delay and, most importantly, accurately, for anything that you wish to
record on paper. (1063 words)
* Omission phrase "shorthand s(t)udent"
* The short form includes the "-ly" version, but you could write in a
disjoined L for clarity on any short form or contraction
* "habits" Helpful to insert the first vowel in this and in
"hobbies" as they are similar in outline and meaning
* "qualms" The longhand L is silent
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May Queen Celebrations
(13 May 2014)
Samba band and May Queen procession
A week ago I went to see the May Queen celebrations in Petts Wood. The
event started with a procession along the main roads, led by a samba
drumming band, followed by the previous and present May Queens and their
retinue of girls dressed in white and yellow, with green tunics for the
pageboys. The crowds gathered at the starting point but rapidly flowed
along the street to position themselves further down for more
photographs. Having completed their circuit, the procession finally
arrived at the Memorial Hall, where the Mayor of Bromley crowned the new
Queen, and brief* speeches were given. After a formal photo session on
the stage, the Queen and her entourage gathered outside and danced
around the Maypole to the traditional tunes. There were many other
displays of dancing, singing and music, and the grounds were packed with
stalls and entertainments, with fairground amusements in the adjacent
road.
* "brief" Always insert the vowel, so it does not look like "number of"
The May Queen, or Queen of the May, celebration is a traditional British
event held all over the country. In the UK, May is the first month where
the weather is warm and dry, with little likelihood of cold and frosts,
and so signals the end of the discomfort of winter. This tradition
represents youth, health and life, and has its roots in the fertility
rites that have been present all throughout human* history, including
worship of sun, light, warmth, trees and vegetation, and ultimately
crops, all of which represent the continuance of life after the deadness
of winter. Even without knowing any of the source or history of the
traditions, the present-day events are often the first occasion of the
year when we can welcome summer and better weather, and encourage the
community to come together in their efforts to provide the
entertainments. The children and young people have an important
opportunity to show their skills in dancing and singing, which they have
been practising all year, and the local musicians, artists, craft
workers, organisations and charities can gain publicity and funds for
their activities.
* "human"
See
www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/distinguishing-outlines-2-rule.htm
"human humane"
Bloco Fogo Samba Band http://blocofogo.com
Unlike the historical fairs-cum-markets, which were huge events
generally with wild, unruly and even criminal behaviour, the present-day
May Queen celebrations are entirely well-behaved affairs, where people
can take their children in safety and the whole family can enjoy the
attractions. I am sure the beautiful white dresses with yellow bows
caught the eye of many a small girl who would now like to be able to
wear one and do the dances. The samba band also had a crowd of children
surrounding them, especially as at the end of their performance they
invited the children to have a go at beating the drums. So I think
dresses, costumes and drums are on a lot of birthday lists from now on.
I particularly enjoyed the Highland dancing display from the Orpington
and District Caledonian Society which had many toes tapping throughout
the audience*. The Reptile Events stand was present once again*, showing
rescued snakes and lizards, and educating people on their proper* care,
but I do think that the children asking their* parents for a python of
their own may have to make do with a toy one instead!
* "audience" Insert the diphone, as here it might be mistaken for
"dance"
* Omission phrase "wu(n)s again"
* "asking their" Doubling to represent "their"
* "proper" Insert the first vowel, and the diphone in "appropriate", as
they are similar in outline and meaning
Every shorthand writer
needs warm wrists and hands www.reptile-events.co.uk
The atmosphere was warm and
friendly, the weather was bright and sunny, and I saw a lot of delicious
cake slices being carefully carried around and eaten, with never a
crumb* dropped or smear of cream* wasted. Satisfied families were
sitting around the perimeter, behind the stalls, enjoying their* cupcakes, sandwiches, and the warmth of the sun. In the UK sunny weather
is very often unpredictable, so every moment of it is made the most of,
whether it is a few minutes, a few hours or the whole day, something
which might be a puzzle to those living in sunnier climates* with
guaranteed warmth. The day after the event I returned to the area for
shopping, and was suddenly struck by how empty it seemed, in contrast to
a mere 24 hours ago when all was filled with tables, tents, fairground
and masses of people. I am glad that I was able to capture it all on
camera. I made my photos* and movie clips into a half hour video*, so
that we can sit and watch it over and over again, whenever there is a
gloomy, cold and rainy day that needs brightening up. (721 words)
* "crumb" "cream" Insert the vowels as the outlines are identical otherwise
* "enjoying their" Doubling used to represent "their"
* "climates" Ensure the halved M is short, to prevent it looking like "climes" (a
poetic version of the word)
* "photo/video" Insert diphone in video, as these two are similar in
shape and meaning
* Omission phrase "over (and) over again" The second "over" is reversed in
order to make clear joins
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Simple Words (22 May 2014)
I hope you don't mind reading about nothing in particular. The fact is
that I am having a go at writing using only the simplest common words. I
am not keeping to any word list but just common sense to avoid the
longer and less likely words as far as possible*. If the passage were
about a particular subject, it would probably contain many more of the
longer words that are only used in that area, and most of my other
passages are like that. You would be able to learn wonderful shapes that
you did not know before, and so would have even more words in your mind,
making it possible for you to write anything that might come up. But
supposing that you are having difficulties even with really simple
stuff. If you are not a beginner and yet you are still having trouble
with the type of words in this passage, then more work on the basics is
clearly necessary. Because the simple words make up such a large amount
of spoken matter, knowing them really well is going to make a big
difference to your shorthand writing*, both in speed and neatness, as
well as in reading it all back. You will be making improvements that
will affect most of the things that you write, instead of just a few
words now and then* on special subjects.
* Omission phrases "as far as poss(ible)" "short(hand) writing" "now (and) then"
Simple lines and dots
at the ready
Most of the common words are short forms, so going back over them often
for extra practice will build a good base to your skill. In fact* practising short forms is always in order*, even when your speed is well
into three figures, because you are never going to find any passage that
does not have them. Never thinking twice over a short form is one of the
biggest advantages you can get from this type of practice. As they flow
from the pen on their own, your mind will only have to deal with the
other longer or less common words. In time, even those will start to
write themselves without any great effort from you, and then you are
really on your way to being a good fast shorthand writer* who can rely on
their notes without any worry or trouble.
* Omission phrases "in (f)act" "short(hand) writer"
* "in order" Special phrase: R Hook
and Doubling to represent "order"
Grab it now, store it for later
Having difficulties with quite simple matter may possibly mean that you
are trying speeds too far* beyond what you can do at the moment*. There
is a place for this, but doing it all the time is not, on its own, going
to make you a fast writer. In fact* what you are doing is teaching your
hand to scribble wildly rather than write neatly. This would be a bad
habit* to form, as you are then likely to fall into it all the more
easily every time things start to get difficult. It may also happen if
you have been learning the subject in a very slow manner, with no
particular reason to try fast writing. You may have decided that
shorthand would be an interesting study, rather than something needed
for your work. If so, you may never have had to recall the shorthand in
a hurry, without any time to think about what to write.
* "too far" Note that "far" on its own is written with full strokes
* Omission phrases "at (the) moment" "in (f)act"
* "habit" Helpful to insert the first vowel in this and in
"hobbies" as they are similar in outline and meaning
The home learner has probably practised passages only when they feel
like it and can choose what and when to write, and always in their own
time. There is no particular reason to make themselves do things that
are more difficult and where they might make a mess of it. It might* be
necessary to become* more like one of your school teachers who made you
work at things in class when you would have liked to sit back and take
it easy! It can come as quite a shock to take down from someone speaking
live, with no chance to hit the stop button. You might* feel quite sure
that you know all the shorthand words, but the mind suddenly refuses to
work because everything is happening too fast. It comes to a stop just
when you need it to go faster. The mind has clearly been allowed to have
its own way and needs to be trained to act quickly when needed, just
like someone doing sports or a game where another person is setting the
pace which you must keep up with in order to* win.
* "it might" is not phrased, so that it is distinguished from the phrase
"it may"
* "to become" is based on the short form "to be"
* Omission phrase "in ord(er to)"
Avoid uphill struggles
The answer is to take down notes from speech as much as possible*, at a
speed that will lead towards the improvements you want to see. Going
slowly will help you to practise good writing, and ones that are a bit
faster allow you to push yourself so that your mind and hand do not get
lazy, thinking that they can just do it all in their own sweet time. An
occasional very fast one will get your mind into sharp focus and stop it
from wandering about onto other things. Its best use is to speed up your
thinking, so that when you take notes at a more reasonable rate they
seem to have become a lot slower and easier. I like to think of it as a
warm-up, although it may feel more like a cold shower that wakes you up!
If you know for certain that such a speed is well beyond you, then you
need not feel bad when you find it impossible to get most of it down,
because you know what the reason was for doing it.
* Omission phrase "as much as poss(ible)"
The simple words that you hear all the time are the ones that need to be
known the best, as they will always come up in every piece, whether it
is real speaking, practice passages or a speed test. Knowing them really
well will put you in a good position to be able to deal with the less
common ones, which may take longer to write, not because the shapes are
longer but because you cannot call them to mind so quickly. Having got
to the end of the piece, it is a really good feeling to know that you
were able to get it all down on paper without any gaps. You were able to
catch up more easily after any delay over a difficult word or two. When
you can read your notes without having to stop and guess, this is a
really great way to keep up the interest and gives you a good reason to
continue with the subject.
I do realise that a passage made up of almost entirely simple words
sometimes makes the shorthand less smooth and easy, when you get a row
of words that cannot be joined and are therefore slower to write. I hope
you will find that the gains made are worth the effort of putting up
with material that sounds like something from your school days, with its
annoying repetition of phrases and groups of words which you can now
think of better ways to say. Those early reading books were difficult at
the time, because you were new to reading, and you are now in the same
position with shorthand, at least for a short while. The big advantage
is that they get practised* all the time, whereas difficult words may get
practised here and there*, and then they may not come up again for a
very long time. If you decide that this part of the subject needs more
work, and actually do the practising, the day will come all the sooner
when you can take it all down without having to stop and think, and read
it back without any trouble, which is the goal of all shorthand
writing*. (1266 words)
* "practised" This could also
read as "practice" (i.e. noun), therefore use the optional short dash through
the stroke to signify past tense in a short form or contraction, or write the
outline in full strokes, see
https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/contractions-intro.htm#past_tenses
* Omission phrases "here (and) there" "short(hand) writing"
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Woolwich Ferry (26 May 2014)
Years ago I used to live in South London* and the borough
of Woolwich was our regular shopping area. Woolwich is located on the
south bank of the River Thames just east of Greenwich and sometimes we
persuaded our Mum to take us on the ferry for a treat. The vessels were
steam powered and I remember that as our boat made its way across, we
would pass another one returning, and this kept the service continuous.
A ferry trip was quite an adventure, out of the safety of dry land and
onto the swaying* world of the water surface. Being quite young, the
slow walk down the pontoon as the queue moved along was just a little
scary, as the floor moved back and forth* sideways with the waves.
Fortunately the ferry landing stage was fairly solid looking, although
it was floating, and the line of calm passengers moving along the
walkway gave me confidence that it was probably quite safe after all to
be walking onto the Thames. But seeing the gap between the walkway and
the fixed pier edge open and close with every wave was still somewhat
unnerving. The steamer itself, being so enormous, did however inspire
complete confidence.
* "London" has downward L for convenience of joining
* Based on "sway" therefore does not use the SW circle
* Omission phrase "back (and) forth"
Once on board we rushed to the edge of the open-air
deck, where there were long wooden seats. We waited eagerly for the
moment when the boat would start to manoeuvre away from the pier,
churning* and foaming the water into a green and white froth. Once this
excitement had abated and there was some distance between us and the
land, we then made our way to the entrance to a passageway where we
could watch the operation of the steam engine. We had to stand on
tiptoes on the slight ledge, with fingers gripping the top, and just
about got our eyes over the edge, looking down to the engine room. The
smooth thumping of the giant steel pistons was accompanied by hisses and
rumbles coming from the shafts that they were turning, and the other
equipment in the further parts of the interior where we could not quite
see. We felt the vibrations through our feet, and the smell rising from
the room was warm and oily. I found it especially interesting when the
pistons went into reverse, as they gradually* slowed to nothing and then
sped up again, with the shafts having changed their direction of
rotation. I think this must have* coincided with the boat turning and
manoeuvring. We could stand on our toes only so long, and the oily aroma
eventually sent us back outside into the fresh air.
* "churning" Emphasise the slope of the Chay, so it does not look
like "turning"
* "gradually"
See
www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/distinguishing-outlines-2-rule.htm
"greatly gradually"
* Omission phrase "mus(t) have"
Having passed the middle of the river,
we felt we had left our home shores behind and were entering the unknown
parallel world of North Woolwich on the other side of the* Thames. It
seemed to me rather strange that it had the same name, although ours was
just Woolwich without the appellation of "South". I do not remember ever
getting off on the other side*, we just sat around and waited for the
boat to return, as it was a pleasure trip for us. I was sure that there
could* be nothing of interest on the shore that would be better than
being on the Thames, watching the water, waves and foam, and looking
back across the murky expanse to our now minuscule home town, which we
would never otherwise have seen from such a distance. The return journey
was just as enjoyable, although by then we would have been getting tired
of the chilly breezes. Somewhere between starting down the walkway and
stepping onto shore, we always came up with the request to come back
another day, and this was generally agreed to, mainly because "another
day" could* be any time at all, not necessarily quite soon! Although we
did not want our adventure to end too soon, we were glad to get back
into the warmer atmosphere of the shops and buildings, and the welcoming
and cosy bus journey home.
* Omission phrase "on the oth(er) side of the" "on the other side"
* "could" is generally not joined in middle or end of a phrase, so that
it does not get misread as "can". Joining at the beginning allows it to
keep its own position.
A ferry service has existed at Woolwich since the thirteen hundreds but
this particular service was started in 1889. It was often called the
Woolwich Free Ferry. Our trips on it were in the late 1950's, and in
1963 the old paddle steamers were scrapped and diesel vessels
introduced. A week ago we revisited the Woolwich Ferry. We went to North
Woolwich via the foot tunnel, which is identical to the one at
Greenwich, but with very few users - we only passed one person on our
way through. We returned on the ferry but the experience was nothing
like the old paddle steamer. Below decks are lots of open rooms lined
with wooden benches, so that hundreds of people could be accommodated,
but most of it is unused as few people use the ferry nowadays. Vehicle
traffic is its main purpose, parked on the top deck, so the drivers have
the best view of the open river, as long as they are not parked between
a pair of lorries. The passengers' view is restricted to a few openings
at each side. However, its departure felt the same as our childhood
trips, with the usual growling of the engines, and the churning and
foaming of the water. This time I had a camera with me to record it all,
and I will have to rely on memory for the breezes and smells, until I go
back for another trip over the river. (912 words)
All the photos are the present-day ferry, see the older ones on these
websites:
www.simplonpc.co.uk/WoolwichFerry.html
www.yellins.com/woolwichferry/paddle.htm
Wonderful home video of the ferry:
https://youtu.be/uXjuKJlRrpc
"Ride Woolwich Free Ferry in 1961" by Alan Snowdon
Woolwich Foot Tunnel
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Optimism Quotes (28 May 2014)
Umbrella or parasol?
An optimist is a man who starts a crossword puzzle with a fountain pen.
Unknown
The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser -
in case you thought optimism was dead. Robert Brault
Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you
believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and
take responsibility for making it so. Noam Chomsky
Always be a first-rate* version of yourself and not a second-rate
version of someone else. Judy Garland
* Omission phrase "firs(t)-rate"
When you ask a pessimist's opinion
The greatest* discovery of my generation is that human beings* can alter
their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. William James
Your attitude is your altitude*. It determines how high you fly.
Anonymous
Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? Dennis and Wendy
Mannering
An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist*,
half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size
it needs to be. Unknown
Being an optimist after you've got everything you want doesn't count.
Kin Hubbard
*
"greatest" Can also be written with full G and T strokes
* "human beings" See
https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/distinguishing-outlines-2-rule.htm
"human humane"
* "altitude" and "latitude" Always insert the first vowel to
differentiate
* "pessimist" Ensure the circle S is clear, as this would be fairly similar to
"optimist" when hastily written
Optimism-land
Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and
fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream.
Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success.
Lao Tzu
All the so-called* secrets of success will not work unless you do.
Unknown
Nothing is interesting if you're not interested. Helen MacInness
Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. Swedish Proverb
Why not learn to enjoy the little things - there are so many of them.
Unknown
(261 words)
* "so-called" Full strokes, as the short form cannot join
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