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Tag: Scotland

Gaelic as a first language?

ayeforscotland:

Anonymous asked:
“When Scotland’s independent, do you think they’ll go back to speaking Gaelic as a first language and learning English as a second language like every other country in Europe and around the world?”

As a lover of languages, I don’t see it ever being a complete reversal back to Gaelic. I would, however, like to see it becoming more prominent in schools. It should be an option at least. I wish I had had the option, if any of you want to teach me Gaelic then give me a shout!

How much I’d love to see more efforts to prevent Gàidhlig from becoming extinct, I don’t see a complete comeback happening either. Never say never though: Hebrew was completely extinct as an everyday spoken language, and yet it is now spoken again by 9 million people!

But wouldn’t it make more sense to teach Scots as the first language? Like in Swiss German, there are different versions of Scots: Insular, Northern, Central, and Southern, with sub dialects within each. In Switzerland however they managed to create a Swiss Standard German, which is used in official publications, newspapers, news broadcasts, loudspeaker announcements in public places …

Maybe it’s time for Standard Scots, to be used in Scotland in the same way as Swiss Standard German is used in the ‘German’ speaking part of Switzerland?

Caledonian Sleeper Train – part 2

Well, it seems my trip with the Caledonian Sleeper will not be happening in the foreseeable future…

I’ve been warned that foreign cards wouldn’t work to order the berths I wanted, so I tried to get a British debet card. But apparently the Scottish bank in Brussels is not really for normal accounts, and banks in Scotland require you to actually live there to open an account. So this morning, when the Bargain Berths for the dates I’d like to book became available, I tried to book them with my Belgian credit cards anyway — I had some luck with them before — but:

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Fine, just use a Fastticket machine then, you’d say? Well, unfortunately Bargain Berths are only sold as Print@Home tickets! Strangely enough, in their explanation about those Print@Home tickets they mention ‘overseas customers’. As long as those ‘overseas customers’ have British credit card then, I guess…

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So, unless ScotRail introduces a payment system fit for customers worldwide, no Caledonian Sleeper for me. 🙁
Hopefully Serco — who will be taking over the service in 2015 — will have some berths or ’Pod Flatbeds‘ available for an interesting price AND better payment options!

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But until that time: Megabus Gold, prepare a bunk bed for me! 🙂

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