Friday was the day I was summoned for my Research Skills Analysis and it went fine. We established that I'm quite bright, and that I can read and write. We also established that I have no need of assertiveness training, which I thought a shame. Previously when I have said I thought it would be useful to have this, people have looked at me and laughed like drains. Which just goes to prove you can never tell when someone is shaking like a leaf and feeling sick inside.
The word methodology was not mentioned, although I thought I saw it lurking on a piece of paper.
We did broach the dread topic of Gaelic. Since the subject of my research wrote a good proportion of his work in Gaelic I feel I need to learn a bit. Translations are available, and some of them he even did himself but, you know, translation is not the same.
I've always been told that I am good at languages and I've certainly learned a few in my time, so some months ago I threw Teach Yourself Gaelic into the tape player and prepared to absorb a bit of the old ancestral language (I had Scots grandparents). It was a total and utter failure. But now I am going to get some proper teaching in due course, and maybe if I have a real life teacher, rather than a machine, I might make some progress.
Incidentally it amazes me that knowledge of Gaelic is always expressed by the verb 'to have' and often with the definite article. People say 'Can you speak French?' or 'Do you know Norwegian?', but with Gaelic it's always 'Do you have (the) Gaelic?' A mischievous part of me often wants to say No I don't and if I did I wouldn't give him back to you, but flippancy isn't always well received.
There are other things I need to be taught, but so far it's still all exciting and only the Gaelic is at all frightening in prospect.
That was a good start to the day and I followed it up by finishing off these -
Roman Rib Socks
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