Lonely Planet
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- eegrek
Lonely Planet re-did their site to a more up to day version. I personally liked the old one. Is there a term for this latest style? "Bloggy" is how most sites are looking to me these days. Huge fonts and massive headers.
- jamble0
I think it's trying to look a little like a newspaper. The Guardian is another example of a similar layout but done much much better (http://www.guardian.co.uk).
I sort of like the lonely planet homepage but once you get past that, it looks unfinished.
- arthur0
I looked at Portland, Oregon's entry (where I live) and the quote on the main page is for Portland, Maine. I'm off to bed.
- RoomFive0
I agree with eegrek, much prefer the old version, not a big fan of the blog fad, hopefully it'll pass. I found the old site much more aesthetically pleasing and more user friendly.
- ian0
Hmmm, "You'll be thanking your shamrock you dallied in Dublin." And the official languages are English and Irish, not Gaelic. My opinion of the guides is dropping quickly.
Though, funnily enough it did back up lowimpakts statement by officially declaring 'Dublin is full of pricks'. At least its official.
- rafalski0
Just curious.. are you fluent in Irish Ian?
I'm trying to get a picture of people's relation to the language here.
- ian0
Nah raf. I have an awful grasp of Irish. Its a real mixed feeling towards it over here, we learn it in school but not in a conversational way (not like learning French, say) and its taught pretty much as a dead language but unless you're speaking it every day its hard to get a handle on it.
It always reminds me of school and I had an absolute hatred of it there (hated it and the teachers, as many Irish people would) but when I travel abroad I really regret no being able to speak it and its a loss and not something I'm proud of.
- I did Irish at school too - we had to for the first three years. The I went to the Gaeltacht too.kinross
- Never went to the Gaeltacht, but people who went always seemed to enjoy it and learn much more from going.ian
- ... think it kinda makes you appreciate it as a language, not just a school subject.ian
- same as us west highlanders over here. Learn Gaelic for 10 years and can count to ten and say hello my name is... pointless crapkelpie
- I found the Galetacht an excellent learning ground for underage drinking and boys.kinross
- I also think thats why kids like going. underage drinking, and the girls/fellas. and the language of course...ian
- kinross0
Dia Duit!!
- ian0
Dia is mhuire Duit!
- ian0
An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí on leithreas?
- vincasey130
suigh sios
- kinross0
Go raigh maith agat.
- kinross0
Slan abhaile.
- ian0
An mhaith leat milsean?
- rafalski0
If someone says I was being a prick asking that question, LP had said it was official already!
If you look at Catalans, being under Spanish reign helps them greatly to resurrect their language. Young people actually use it, even if only in some pub situations.
I'm usually keeping my "apparently you need the Brits back in order to revive your language" joke to myslelf to avoid the risk of it being misunderstood you know..
But it's not as easy as it looks. The comparison to Catalan is not a fair one, as Catalan is very similar to Castellano (a.k.a. Spanish). So similar, that tourists without any Spanish in Barcelona can't tell the difference when they hear or see it. It's hard to mistake Irish for English though. They're from different galaxies. In fairness, it probably would be technically easier for Dubliners to learn Catalan than Irish.On the other hand, the Irish adopted the English language in their way, contributing to it greatly, picking up the game and making it theirs. Actually some of the finest books in it were written by Irish writers.
It's just seems that people have no idea what to do with Irish language. Or I am exaggerating. It is actually spoken in the west of Ireland, Maybe it's just the way it's taught that needs refinement.
To be honest, I feel bad for living here for quite some time and not speaking Irish at all.
- There are lots of places that do night classes and the like - if you fancied it.kinross
- ian0
Being a prick? Not at all, thought you were just interested! In case you want a recap on what was said there it went something like:
kinross: Hello (or actually 'God be With You')
me: hello (response, or 'God and Mary with you')
me: Can I go to the toilet?
vincasey13: Sit Down
kinross: goodbye
me: Do you like sweets?A very strange (and on my part pathetic) conversation, but no insults!
It is official (recognised by the EU) but only really spoken in the west in Gaeltacht areas. Unless you live in or visit these areas and or go to an Irish speaking school, you have very little opportunity to speak Irish in your everyday life and as such it just gets left by the wayside as we mostly speak English, even if it is with our own lexicon.
I found it easier to learn French in secondary school than to keep up with Irish but I never really had a head for languages, so even that went when I left school. But imo it's the way it's taught that doesn't engage with pupils and so instead of being proud of having our own language we tend to hate it until years after leaving school.
That was my experience of it anyways!
- I thought it was a great conversation, even if we were clearly not conversing with each other...:) Plus its weird to see what Dia Duit literally means because I never really think about it when I say it.kinross
- whatdia duit actually means because I never think about that when I say it.kinross
- Yeah it was a good conversation, I just meant it made no sense!ian
- Saw an american comedian who learned Irish do a routine on the actual meanings, it was really funny, to see it afresh.ian
- madirish0
that site is awful. technically, it is a nightmare and loading time is horrendous. i am not sure why the page has to reload w/ each selection made to the map, but it actually just timed out altogether for me.
awesome.