Just another game of chess

I hope you make out my ‘collage.’ I will also call it: ‘The Endless Game.’ Here is the original on the site of the LoC.

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Afrikaans! Jy is skerp en Lewendig! – Afrikaans! You are sharp and alive!

English readers: The second half of this entry is for you. Afrikaans is the most humorous langauge that I know. If there is a joke about something, it’s always out in Afrikaans first. I work amongst English (Britons) for almost ten years now and can honestly say we have in Afrikaans much more fun and jokes to share and we have jokes about almost anything under the sun. Also, we can joke about everything, we see humour in everything around us – maybe that’s why we’ve survived everything in our country thus far…even with all the problems with Escom — Afrikaans readers…on twitter Kasper said a few days ago…daar is ‘n tyd vir Es-kom en Es-gaan – that was funny. Anyway…Fanus Rautenbach is a legend in South Africa when it comes to humour! He said we all must die one day, but some people are dying according to their careers…and I’m not going to translate it, it won’t have the same impact as only in Afrikaans…I’ve read it and tears were running down my cheeks as I was reading…this is well-said and you can only say it in Afrikaans – and enjoy/appreciate it in Afrikaans…

Do enjoy the article from Time and then, at the bottom, if you think you are smart…try the smart test…but be warned, I don’t think you are as smart as you think you are…[joke] do try and have fun.

Fanus Rautenbach sê: ons moet almal eendag sterwe, maar elkeen sterf volgens sy beroep:

Reisigers gaan heen.
Jagters gaan bokveld toe.
Parlementslede op die groen kussings gaan sag heen.
Die melkman en die posman kom om.
Kokke steek lepel in die dak.

Die horlosiemaker se tyd het aangebreek.
Die valskermspringer ontval ons.
Die tuinier is van die gras af gemaak.
Die melkboer het die emmer geskop.
Die begrafnisondernemer sien sy gat.

Die dominee het die tydelike met die ewige verwissel.
Die ouderling is ontslape.
Die koerantman is direk hemel toe.
Die skeidsregter het sy laaste asem uitgeblaas.
Die dokter se hart het gaan staan.

Die elektrisiën se liggie is gedoof.
Die koster het die doodsklok hoor lui.
Die kleremaker se draad is geknip.
Die Springbokrugby-afrigter kom tot rus.
Skoonmoeder – die duiwel het haar kom haal

How Sharp Is Your Memory? Article: Time

Snowdon uses a longer version of the following quiz to pick up signs of memory loss. You can use it to test your own memory. If you are concerned about the results, discuss them with your physician.

Verbal Fluency
How many animals can you name in 60 seconds?

Word-list Memory
1. Have a friend read the following 10 words aloud:
Leg
Cheese
Tent
Motor
Flower
Stamp
Cup
King
Forest
Menu

2. Try to commit them to memory.

3. Go over the list twice more, each time in a different order. How many can you recall on the third try?

Delayed Word Recall Test
Wait five minutes. Now how many words can you recall?

Word Recognition
1. Ask your friend to write 20 words on separate index cards — the 10 words from the list above mixed in with ten different words

2. Have your friend show you the cards one at a time

3. How many words can you pick out from the original list?

Add up your scores. If the total is less than 29, you may have difficulty with short-term memory. Ask your doctor about doing a more thorough exam.

Image:timtim

How SMART are you? This is fun…be warned…you might not be as smart as you think![hehe] Bill Gates did this test and he scored 3!

Afrikaans is LEWENDIG!

Volg die link onderaan die artikel om die volledige artikel te lees.

Afrikaanse letterkunde floreer. Afrikaanse koerante is gesond. Televisie kook. In staats- en semi-staatsorganisasies het Afrikaans ’n hoër status as die ander inheemse tale.

Belangrikste van alles vir Afrikaans is dat die taal nou ook aanvaarding geniet en gevier word as ’n taal wat op eie bodem ontstaan het. Tog bly die persepsie voortbestaan onder Afrikaners dat hul taal onder beleg is, vandaar die terugveg teen enige vermeende aantasting van die taal.

Sommige van die verdedigers van Afrikaans is werklike liefhebbers van die taal, met hul bona fides in plek.

Daar is egter ook ’n groot deel van hulle wat gemotiveer word deur eng nasionalisme en, durf ’n mens sê, rassisme. Hulle hunker terug na die Suid-Afrika wat in 1994 gesterf het, ’n Suid-Afrika waarin die Afrikaner die opperwese was.

Insoverre ’n mens sommige van die houdings van Afrikaans se verdedigers verwerplik vind, moet jy hul verbetenheid bewonder. As die sprekers van die ander Suid-Afrikaanse tale maar net soveel aandag wou gee aan die beskerming van hul taal as wat Afrikaanssprekendes doen, sou daar min kommer wees oor die ondergang van plaaslike tale.

Ongelukkig is dit nie die geval nie. Suid-Afrika se Afrika-taal-sprekers het besluit dat hul tale nie die moeite werd is om te bewaar nie. In die middelklas word ’n geslag jong Suid-Afrikaners groot sonder die vermoë om hul moedertaal te verstaan, want hul ouers het besluit dis nie belangrik nie.

Daar word teen ’n hewige tempo aan tale weggekalwe. Ons is op pad na ’n situasie waar inheemse tale slegs deur die werkersklas gepraat word – en hul aspirasies veroorsaak dat ook hulle die middelklas begin napraat.

Dit is nie buite die kwessie nie dat Unesco binne die volgende 50 jaar sou kon verslag doen dat verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse tale op die gevaarlys is.

Hiervoor moet die regering heelwat van die blaam dra omdat hy slegs lippediens bewys aan taalgelykheid.

Terwyl elke politikus graag grootbek is oor die viering van ons diversiteit, word min gedoen om een van die kernaspekte van daardie diversiteit te bewaar – ons tale.

Pleks daarvan dat ons Afrikaners veroordeel daarvoor dat hulle trots op hul taal is en daarvoor baklei, behoort die res van Suid-Afrika ’n les daaruit te leer.

Afrikaans behoort net soveel aan my as aan ou wit mans.

Die ander aand beland ek in een van daai taaierige Suid-Afrikaanse gesprekke waarin ek vertel is dis tyd om ontslae te raak van die swart chip op my skouer.

Sekerlik, is ek vertel, is dit 15 jaar ná die einde van apartheid nie nodig om simplistiese frases soos “julle wit mense” in gesprekke te gebruik nie, veral sedert ek tot die middelklas uitgestyg het en niks het om oor te kla nie.

Dalk is dit trouens tyd om my beitel uit te haal en aan daardie chip te begin werk.

Dit is in dié gesindheid van verantwoordelikheid vir my toekoms neem eerder as om in die verlede te leef dat ek Afrikaanse taalstryders kan vra om dieselfde te doen.

Ek het genoeg gehad van hoofsaaklik wit mans wat op en af spring oor “hul” taal wat in die nuwe Suid-Afrika uitgerangeer word – want die meeste Afrikaanssprekendes is en was nog nooit wit nie.

Ek is moeg van die tirades wat aan koerante gestuur word en die patetiese gekerm oor “hul” taal wat in dreigende gevaar is om permanent uitgedoof te word, asof die regering ’n beleid van taal-volkslagting verklaar het.

As dít die geval was, waarom sien ons dan steeds rye Afrikaanse boeke op die rakke van Exclusive Books, Afrikaanse verjaardagkaartjies by die CNA en die voortgesette groei van Afrikaanse koerante?

Waarom bied Johan Stemmet, uitgerus in sy klopse-monderings, steeds Noot vir noot aan – die SAUK se oudste vermaaklikheidsprogram? En waarom saai die openbare uitsaaier elke weekdag ’n sepie genaamd 7de Laan uit as daar dan geen plek vir Afrikaans in die land is nie?

Toe ek hoor dat die F.W. de Klerk-stigting ’n debat oor Afrikaans by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch reël sonder om die universiteit se visekanselier te nooi, het ek dit skouerophalend afgemaak.

Toe gaan kyk ek op die internet en lees koerante soos Die Burger en webwerwe soos http://www.litnet.co.za om uit te vind hoe die taaldebat verander het. Geen verrassing nie – die debat van tien jaar gelede is die debat van 2010. Hier gaan ons al weer, het ek gedink.

Maar ek is ’n eerstetaal-Afrikaanssprekende – my pa se reël was dat ons tuis Afrikaans gepraat het en Engels by die skool geleer het. En ná meer as 20 jaar in ’n Engelse wêreld bestaande uit ’n Engelse universiteit en Engelse werkplekke praat ek steeds Afrikaans.

As ek en my 70-jarige ma buite in die son sit met ons oggendkoffie, haal ons in Afrikaans in. As ek een van my Afrikaanssprekende kollegas in die gang raakloop, stop ons om gou in Afrikaans te skinder. Dis ’n natuurlike ding om te doen.

En ek vind dat daar in my 40 jaar oue hart steeds ’n passie vir Afrikaans is. Daardie passie ontwaak wanneer ek hoor hoe my vyf jaar oue dogtertjie moeiteloos van “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” na “Die Stem” oorslaan.

My dogters praat Afrikaans. Hulle gaan na Engelse skole. Hulle is tweetalige kinders wat nog ’n Afrika-taal ook sal aanleer.

Maar hoewel Afrikaans oral om my is, kan ek nie dieselfde hittigheid en geesdrif as die taalpatriotte optower nie.

Wanneer gaan hulle aanvaar dat, vir baie van ons, hul taalstryd nie gesien kan word sonder ’n politieke konteks uit die verlede nie – ’n konteks wat ons nie deel nie?

As die stryders geweet het wat goed is vir hulle, sou hulle hul visier rig op mense soos ek en die baie swart sprekers van “hul” taal, veral in die Wes-Kaap.

Moet ons nie deel maak van ’n magstryd oor ’n taal nie; maak ons deel van ’n sirkel van passievolle mense wat nodig het om Afrikaans te praat omdat dit deel is van wie ons is.

Vir my dogters het Afrikaans geen magiese kragte nie; dit dra nie ’n geskiedenis wat Voortrekker- en Afrikaner-dapperheid huldig nie.

Afrikaans se redding sal kom deur mense soos my dogter en haar kleinsussie, en die talle ander kinders soos hulle. Omdat hulle geen politieke verbintenis het met ’n taal wat so intiem verweef is met die mag van ons voormalige onderdrukkers nie.

Vir hulle is dit net nog ’n taal wat hul lewe sal verryk deur die skoon en krag wat gevind kan word in die werk van Hein Willemse, Adam Small, Breyten Breytenbach en Ingrid Jonker.

Nie deur rûe styf te maak of deur groot gebare nie en beslis nie deur die geblêr van ou wit mans wat terughunker na vervloë tye nie.

Afrikaans die Taal

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Have a bit of fun! – Create some graffiti online

Have a bit of fun by using the Graffiti Generator and create your own graffiti! I’ve chosen chess-words. On the 2nd and 3rd images I’ve written “skaak” which is the Afrikaans for “chess”. You will find all sorts of tools to enhance your own, you can even move the letters around – as you can see on the last two images, or you can lock some of the letters to enhance only others, like in my first image. Can you spot the letters I “locked”?  I used this site for my primary kids to explore graffiti as part of an art project while studying  Banksy’s art.  I hope you find it fun playing around with!
ClickHERE to create your own graffiti. Once you’re on the graffiti-site, you need to load a font- which is on the left bar- and then you start with your text.
On this link you will find a newspaper article about the Berlin-wall-graffiti and graffiti-images from the wall that went on  display in South Africa in 1990. The article is in Afrikaans, but you can view the images!  If you click on the article, you get taken to a list of images from the Berlin Wall. All links in this post will open in a new window.

Some of the Berlin-wall-graffiti-art which you will find on the above link.

Hier in London kry jy dele wat baie meer graffiti as ander dele het. Indien jy ‘n area wil beoordeel aan hoe “gegoed/swak” die area is, moet jy baie beslis kyk na die hoeveelheid  graffiti wat in die area voorkom. Areas waar daar meer graffiti as in ander areas is, is baie beslis minder-“gegoede” areas om te bly. Dus… kies jou area reg en jy sit nie met die “gemors” nie. 

About Banksy…

He is one of the art world’s most famous names –  whose graffiti works sell for hundreds of thousands to fans including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

But for years the true identity of the artist Banksy has been a closely guarded secret, known to just a handful of friends.

Now a Mail on Sunday investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that the artist is former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham.

The notion that Banksy is Gunningham, 34, who was educated at the £9,240-a-year Bristol Cathedral School, will shock the artist’s fans, fond of their hero’s ‘anti-establishment’ stance.

Banksy has become renowned for his use of stencils to spray illegal images on public walls. Some councils and businesses have begun to protect his creations and his works have been sold to celebrities, including Jolie and Pitt.

Rumours have persisted that the artist is called Robin Banks, that he is from Bristol, and that his parents think he is a painter and decorator.

The only concrete clue until now has been a photograph taken in Jamaica four years ago of a man with a bag of spray cans by his feet.

Gunningham’s former school pal Scott Nurse said: ‘He was one of three people in my year who were extremely talented at art. I am not at all surprised if he is Banksy.’

Read the  article here and see more art of Banksy too.

 

Of course there is graffiti AND graffiti and on this image you can see what “AND graffiti” looks like. Councils in England have a huge problem with graffiti like this. Councils recognise graffiti has a negative impact on the environment, is illegal and is the most common type of property vandalism contributing to people’s fear of crime. View this image HERE.

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A quest of thoughts

Sonnet 46

Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war,
How to divide the conquest of thy sight;
Mine eye my heart thy picture’s sight would bar,
My heart mine eye the freedom of that right.
My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,
A closet never pierc’d with crystal eyes
But the defendant doth that plea deny,
And says in him thy fair appearance lies.
To side this title is impannelled
A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart;
And by their verdict is determined
The clear eye’s moiety, and the dear heart’s part:
As thus; mine eye’s due is thy outward part,
And my heart’s right, thy inward love of heart.

Shakespeare

Have fun and create your own Wordle here. The link will open in a new window. Follow the link and copy/paste your text and…voila! This is my Shakespeare contribution and I hope you enjoy it too!

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no, it is an ever-fixèd mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his heighth be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
   If this be error and upon me proved,
   I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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Which Chess piece?

This test was quite fun…if you wanna know what chess piece you are and want to have a bit of fun…the link is at the bottom of this post…I don’t know if I can agree on everything said here…maybe about 80%..on this link on my blog you can try another test! Enjoy!https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/personality-test/

The Bishops Clerk is both an idea and people person. Everyone and everything is part of a bizarre cosmic whole. They really do want to help and be liked and admired by others. By principle they are intrigued by new ideas but ultimately discard most for one reason or another. They are zany with charm which can allow them to warm up to even the stodgy types. They are outgoing, fun, and they genuinely like people. This Clerk is warm and affectionate and spontaneous.

This Clerk can have strong, if unconventional convictions which are usually tied into their cosmic view. They will often use their social skills and contacts to persuade others gently of the rightness behind their views. They may tie themselves with trying to save the world and end up forgetting the nearest and dearest to them (if only in a temporary sense.)

People will love working with the Bishop’s Clerk because they are easygoing, pleasant and great at brainstorming. They are wonderful in groups of people but need fresh projects to work on. They dislike bureaucracy in principle and practice; they will make a point of launching crusades against some aspect of the political agenda. It is honesty they are fighting for. The Bishop’s Clerk is a type of Pawn, but fret not, the Pawn is idealized because of its potential to do many great things and to think of the rest of humanity.
To take the test…here’s the link!
http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/which-chess-piece-are-you-test
chessPersonality test
Chess piece test

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Baby Queen….

Click here: for Baby Queen and enjoy the bit of fun!

http:// users. telenet. be / leukelinks / flash / queen . htm

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