This was the Esperanto Association of Britain's site from 2005 to 2018. You will find its current site at esperanto.org.uk.

EAB News 2007-02-12: EAB NetNews Bulletin

EAB NetNews - February 2007

Dear EAB member,

When I was the Hon. Sec. of EAB about ten years ago I started EAB NetNews with the idea that it should serve several purposes:

1. It could be a means of rapidly informing about events about which information had come in too late for it to be put in EAB Update.

2. A means of telling of events, making comments and so on for which there is no space in either EAB Update or in LA BRITA ESPERANTISTO.

For NetNews to have a useful purpose of course it needs as complete an email mailing list as possible. So if you know people who you think might like to receive it ask them to send their email address to the EAB office. Please note that your email addresses will be held only on the office database and will be protected by the Data Protection Act.

After I had published NetNews for some months someone else volunteered to take over the job and they did it for a year or so and then it lapsed.

Unfortunately NetNews has not been published for more than a year. This is my fault. I took on the job almost a year ago but then got side-tracked into being a 'company doctor' in order to save a charity from going into bankruptcy. Luckily that job is now almost completed and so I can turn my attention to NetNews.


Now to a bit of meat. (Sorry vegetarians (of whom I am one) for the use of that expression)

Holidays. As those of you who know me personally will know, I have a bee in my bonnet about the value for beginners of taking part in international Esperanto holidays. Years ago I used to organise trips to the famous 'Ora Pola Autuno' holidays in the mountains of south west Poland. And not only there but also to Kastelo Gresillon in France and the annual events in Hungary in Abaliget in the summer and in Budapest to see the new year in.

Now, with cheap air flights one doesn't need to have long coach trips. So Ian MacDowell, Roy Simmons and myself have joined together to organise a group to go the 'Ĉe Balta' (At the Baltic) annual international Esperanto holiday at Mielno in Poland. Mielno is a small seaside resort on the Baltic not far from Koszalin (incidentally don't be afraid of pronouncing Polish words! you will often see 'cz' and 'sx' these are just pronounced as 'ch' and 'sh'. Koszalin is in the north of Poland about halfway between the frontier with Germany and Gdansk.

This holiday lasts for 10 days and in 2007 is from the 12th to the 20th of June. I provisionally estimate the total cost of the holiday to be about £240. This includes full board with a twin bedded room, participation in the whole programme, travel both ways from London. Not bad I think for 2007! I am working on the basis of flying from Stanstead to Gdansk or Poznan then going on by train to Koszalin and then a 20 minute bus journey to Mielno. A more detailed programme for both the holiday itself and the travel arrangements will be available to anyone who contacts me. Already I have had about 12 enquiries and it looks as though out of those about six will go. I have prepared a detailed report about this attractive and cheap holiday. Just email me if you would like to have a copy.


I heard with regret the news that the Esperanto broadcasts from Poland have now stopped. But there is an alternative. Jen!

From: lukizatvp.pl
Subject: [jeb-diskuto] Esperantaj Elsendoj de Pola Radio
Date: 15 January 2007 20:34:08 GMT

Ekde la 9-a de januaro oni denove povas aŭskulti esperantajn elsendojn de Pola Radio. Nun gi estas en iom alia formo ol antaŭe, car haveblas nur interrete kiel podkasto. Elsendoj estas ĉiu-tagaj kaj daŭras ĉirkaŭ dudek minutoj.

Nova retadreso de Esperanto-redakcio estas http://www.polskieradio.pl/eo

Elsendojn oni povas elŝuti de paĝaro de Pola Radio:
http://www.polskieradio.pl/podcast/39/podcast.xml aŭ de paĝaro de World
Radio Network: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=16

Krome mi volus rekomendi al vi aliajn elsendojn. Temas pri podkasto de junulara klubo Varsovia Vento, kies paĝaro estas http://www.republika.pl/viavento/aktuale/sonmaterialoj.htm
La 21-an de januaro aperos tie sekva, jam la 13-a elsendo.

Amike,
Lukasz Zebrowski


On 14 Nov 2006, at 11:28, Dina Newman wrote:
Dear Eric,
Saluton, kiel Vi fartas?

I've just come back from Dushanbe with a renewed enthusiasm for Esperanto. Tajikistan is a poor country, but esperantistoj at least have a chance to travel and see the world. When they find a sponsor, that is.

The president and the main enthusiast of the club is Firdaus Shukurov, who is a friend of mine and has done a lot for Esperanto there, all of it voluntary. Now he needs a new computer in order to access internet. His old computer is in DOS, he can use email but not internet.

He says a new computer with a monitor and a printer costs about a 1000 dollars. I would like to donate a decent amount towards this project, but cannot cover the full cost. I wonder if you could help? Perhaps circulate an email to the esperantists you know, and they can send cheques made out in my name? I will transfer the money via Western Union, which Firdavs says is not a problem.

Do you think we can find someone willing to help?

Best wishes from London

Dina

If anyone would like to contribute to this worthy cause just let me know. Eric.

People talk about how popular the English language is abroad. Timothy Garton Ash wrote in The Guardian last year that 50% of Poles can speak in English. 5% would be more like it. I recently went to stay for a week at a Spa in Poland and found that out of about 120 people there only one could speak any English and that imperfectly. Mind you the people were mainly over 60 and so less likely to know English. But that week showed me how difficult it can be to communicate without a language in common.
Speaking of international holidays the editors of 'La Ondo de Esperanto' are organising 4a Balta Esperanto-Forumo, Kaliningrado, 21 - 26 July 2007. Kaliningrad is the capital of what was East Prussia before the 2nd World War. From what I have seen it looks a pleasant place to visit. More information from sezonojatgazinter.net
Springboard Project

The Springboard Project, which aims to promote Esperanto in Primary schools (Key Stage 2) as an aid to learning foreign languages, has attracted a lot of attention throughout the Esperanto world, especially following Angela Tellier's very successful presentation at the World Congress in Florence. Many landaj asocioj, especially in English-speaking countries, have asked for copies of the materials, with a view to adapting them for local use. The big selling-point seems to be the quality of the materials: unlike many Esperanto teaching-packs, the Springboard materials are really professional in appearance, thanks largely to the superb graphics by Peter Oliver (who now lives in France - for those who knew him in the past). Most popular of all have been the posters, designed by Angela and Viv, which convey the key idea of how much languages have in common, by comparing common words in different languages.

So great has been the interest abroad, in fact, that some enthusiasts have even formed an Internet group (Lingvolancilo Springboard) to translate the Springboard website into national languages, with a view to promoting the idea throughout Europe. At the last count the group had about 100 subscribers. David Curtis, of Weston-super-Mare, is an active member of the group.

Meanwhile Springboard has signed up a second pilot school, where Stephen Thompson is helping with the teaching. So far (touch wood) all is going well in both the pilot schools. Manchester University are undertaking a long-term, independent evaluation of the whole project.


Fractured Inglish. (1) A notice in a bar in Norway. "LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR"
CHATEAU GRESILLON. Here is an article written by Frank Buckley some years ago. Maybe it will stimulate some people to visit it and take part in one of the courses which are run there during the summer?

CHATEAU GRESILLON From Frank Buckley, Bristol.

What good news that Gresillon is once again operational and I urge Esperantists to visit and support it.

I was the only English Esperantist to stay there in the first year it opened, just after World War Two. Things were basic we slept on the floor with sleeping bags and food was scarce. We lived mostly on potatoes and beans and sour red wine.

The second year was much better and we spent much of the time digging out a swimming pool which became quite an ornamental lake. There was a fete in Bauge and we paraded with Esperanto flags 1 rode a green star decorated push-bike and we explained our project to the villagers in the "vin d'honneur".

We visited an ancient pharmacy in the nearby convent with all the medieval medical herbs and equipment.

The next time 1 was on the staff and taught a class using the Cseh method.

In addition to excellent Esperanto Courses there are interesting places to visit on foot a good archaeological burial site behind the castle. There is usually a whole day coach excursion visiting the Loire chateau like Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon and Angers, and the Cadet Cavalry College at Saumur.

Gresillon is 16 miles East of Angers on the D766, just off the AI 1 (M50) and easily reached from the Channel Ports by rail to Angers and local bus to Bauge, the nearest village. The approach by road is usually down the Al 1 (M50) Junction: Seiches. D766 Gresillon will send the season's programme:

KULTURA ESPERANTO-DOMO, FR49150, BAUGE. FRANCIO. TEL:+33121418934.

EMAIL: esperanto.en.vendomois at mail.dotcom.fr.

Frank Buckley.


From viscarolaatyahoo.co.uk

Karaj gesamideanoj,
mi organizas 'MAROKA SEMAJNO'n
Detaloj:
Flugado; Luton 2 majo je 6:00
Reveno: Marrakech 9 majo je 9:00
6 tagoj en Essaouira ĉe la Atlantika marbordo; 1 tago, la lasta en Marrakech.
Prezoj; Bonega loĝado £270; Luksa loĝado £320
Rabatoj; £40 antaŭ 10 Marto, £20 Aprilo kun antaŭpago de £150.
Ĉio inklusivas [sed ne mangoj; tamen en manĝejoj unu manĝo estas £3 al £5]
Aliaj detaloj mi donos,
Vito

(Unfortunately Vito's planned trip clashes with the dates of the British Esperanto Congress.)


Controversy Corner.

I intend to provide this space for those members who feel frustrated and want to let off steam. If necessary contributions can be anonymous (although I must know who the contributor is). My reason for being prepared to do this is that within our movement are a number of strong personalities and sometimes, when ideas are put forward, the reception of the idea is coloured by the name of the originator of the idea. In my opinion the idea itself should be considered irrespective of who submitted it.


Don't forget the 2007 British Congress at Letchworth. May 4th to 6th.
Roy Simmons has set up a 'Skype' video conference group which meets 'in the air' in an evening every two weeks. This is mainly for beginners. Skype is a free software programme and provided that you have a video camera (now quite cheap) and loudspeakers and if you are on broadband the whole meeting does not cost you any extra. Please contact Roy ( rokebyatglobalnet.co.uk ) and he will give you more information including any technical help that you may need.
This is a rather disjointed Netnews. With your help I can make it more interesting in the future. Please email me your comments, suggestions criticisms etc.

Eric.

Eric Walker, Nacton, Ipswich, IP10 0LA, Tel: 01473 717088. ericwalkeratgn.apc.org

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