GOGSoc MkII

Reply 1980

14

Ygraine

I'm trying to decide whether to take Old Norse or Old French at the moment, and it's terribly difficult as I really want to do both. Apparently I'm able to take one and audit the other, an opportunity which I fully intend to take, but should I run out of time I want to make sure I'm officially on the right one. I'm considering taking Norse on the basis that Old French would be less difficult to pick up on my own. Any suggestions?

Old Norse! It's a bit tricky, but great fun.

Reply 1981

Milady de Winter

The Boosh

thanks for the advice, the alba.

what do we think of paris? is it a magical place, or is it a tourist trap from hell? i've only been once, and it was a brief visit years ago.

I loved Paris. There are plenty of places that aren't filled with Dutch kids in matching luminous rucksacks, like the Place des Vosges, and the Musee Carnavalet. And even the better-known places are worth the crowds, especially the Musee d'Orsay. Ooh, and Pere Lachaise.

Reply 1982

hobnob

14

Milady de Winter

I have two. But I want another one for my collection.

It's no use, you know. No matter how many you collect, Boosh will beat you hands down. :p:

As will Chuck Norris.

Reply 1983

oriel historian

2

E-Books are evil things. But saves me going to the library! Old French is easy. As is middle french - of the sort that Froissart wrote in at least! Old Norse would be quite cool. You could go off towards Icelandic then as long as you learn to read the Futhark properly. Oop, Ogam script would be interesting to know as well. Combined with medieval Gaelic or Irish and you'd be one of about 4 specialists in the whole world :biggrin:

Reply 1984

oriel historian

2

hobnob

It's no use, you know. No matter how many you collect, Boosh will beat you hands down. :p:

As will Chuck Norris.

Is Boosh actually Chuck Norris? I've never seen them in the same room ... :eek:

Reply 1985

Da Bachtopus

12

Milady de Winter

I loved Paris. There are plenty of places that aren't filled with Dutch kids in matching luminous rucksacks, like the Place des Vosges, and the Musee Carnavalet. And even the better-known places are worth the crowds, especially the Musee d'Orsay. Ooh, and Pere Lachaise.

Paris > England. Plus I am here, and will buy GOGs a drink if they come.

The touristy bits are annoying. I live in the middle of them, which means that going out for drinks to bars you /like/ can mean a bit of a haul. Wandering around further out on the right bank is nice, like say the 18th or 11th. THey are less infested (well, bits of 18, like around Moulin Rouge and the sex district, and the Amelie cafe, but meh.)

Père Lachaise is ******* depressing though, it's a cemetary with a bunch of holocaust memorials for christsake!

Reply 1986

Milady de Winter

Da Bachtopus

Père Lachaise is ******* depressing though, it's a cemetary with a bunch of holocaust memorials for christsake!

But it has a great view. And some parts are pleasantly nostalgic, rather than out-and-out depressing.

Reply 1987

Milady de Winter

oriel historian

Is Boosh actually Chuck Norris? I've never seen them in the same room ... :eek:

So for all those Chuck Norris jokes, we can substitute Boosh? E.g. "Boosh does not sleep. He waits." and "Boosh's tears can cure cancer - too bad Boosh has never cried" and the like?

Reply 1988

Ygraine

Da Bachtopus

Yes, that is true. Get Einhorn's grammar (it is ugly and orange) and you will do fine, just do the exercises after each chapter and you'll get to grips with everything you need to read. Larousse publishes an Anglo-Norman-->Modern French (ie. one-way) dictionary, which is cheap, and very good. Don't bother with AN->English, they're either crap or expensive or both; the authoritative one is up to N or something, but seems a bit pointless since everyone who reads AN will know modern French anyway. Marie de France is probably the easiest AN text I've read, so I'd suggest you start there. Bon courage!

Thanks for the advice. I actually have an Old French Larousse which I picked up in an Oxfam bookshop so I'll definitely be making use of that, and I'll look out for the grammar. My A level French is incredibly rusty so I'll have to see how it goes, although I thought my Latin had gone to the dogs as well and I'm managing to pick that up again with relatively little effort at the moment, so I'm hopeful. I'll have to see if I can find some Marie de France to try my luck.

A lot of the PhD courses I've seen in America and Canada (I'm eyeing up Toronto's amazing medieval department) have classes in Old French but not Norse, so from that point of view it would also be better to learn Norse now. Thankfully I don't have to hand the form in until the end of the first week, so I have time to discuss what would be best with the lecturers

Reply 1989

Da Bachtopus

12

Milady de Winter

But it has a great view. And some parts are pleasantly nostalgic, rather than out-and-out depressing.

I find cemetaries depressing, maybe not unjustifiably.

Which view is good? I remember trying to go to the top and do my whole Rastignac panorama thing and there were trees in the way. It is a pretty place, but also creepy.

Reply 1990

hobnob

14

Milady de Winter

So for all those Chuck Norris jokes, we can substitute Boosh? E.g. "Boosh does not sleep. He waits." and "Boosh's tears can cure cancer - too bad Boosh has never cried" and the like?

No, you'd be roundhouse-kicked before you could even tell the joke, because Chuck doesn't like having his secret identity revealed.

Reply 1991

Milady de Winter

Da Bachtopus

I find cemetaries depressing, maybe not unjustifiably.

Which view is good? I remember trying to go to the top and do my whole Rastignac panorama thing and there were trees in the way. It is a pretty place, but also creepy.

I was going through a mild goth phase when I was there (I was 19), so maybe that's why I remember it as such. But I was there in November, hence leafless trees allowed a fairly good lanscape from up top.

Cemeteries can be generally depressing, obviously, but I find the very old ones quite pleasant - makes me think of Grey's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. The little cemetery at the fork in St Giles' is nice. Is it odd that I like reading inscriptions on headstones? :confused:

Reply 1992

The Boosh

17

Milady de Winter

I loved Paris. There are plenty of places that aren't filled with Dutch kids in matching luminous rucksacks, like the Place des Vosges, and the Musee Carnavalet. And even the better-known places are worth the crowds, especially the Musee d'Orsay. Ooh, and Pere Lachaise.

It looks fab.

I should have a beer and come back to this search in tomorrow. Im so confused and blitzed.

Reply 1993

Da Bachtopus

12

Milady de Winter

Is it odd that I like reading inscriptions on headstones? :confused:

No, it is interesting to see how people try to counteract decay. But the platitudes often leave me emptier than the big slab of meaninglessness would.

I did put a madeleine on Proust's grave though.

Reply 1994

The Boosh

17

Last time I talked about Chuck Norris I was given many warning points and told off for spamming.

Reply 1995

Da Bachtopus

12

The Boosh

It looks fab.

I should have a beer and come back to this search in tomorrow. Im so confused and blitzed.

I'd assumed there was some reason you'd not thought of Paris, like you'd been here plenty of times, or it was too clichéd. It is a great place just to be. I suppose there is plenty of good stuff to go and do (cheap option would be to get the Pariscope magazine and go see a film somewhere different each night, then you'd see the city all over and a load of fun little arthouse cinemas). The area along the Seine at night (especially around Isle St-Louis) is astonishing, and in fact pretty quiet by the quais. The tourists just stick around the bars and bridges, which you can avoid easily.

Reply 1996

oriel historian

2

I wanna go to Paris. Although, I'm investigating splashing some of my AHRC dosh on going to St Petersburg. I'm not sure of the sensible-ness of this plan.

Reply 1997

The Boosh

17

Da Bachtopus

I'd assumed there was some reason you'd not thought of Paris, like you'd been here plenty of times, or it was too clichéd. It is a great place just to be. I suppose there is plenty of good stuff to go and do (cheap option would be to get the Pariscope magazine and go see a film somewhere different each night, then you'd see the city all over and a load of fun little arthouse cinemas). The area along the Seine at night (especially around Isle St-Louis) is astonishing, and in fact pretty quiet by the quais. The tourists just stick around the bars and bridges, which you can avoid easily.

I've heard and read mixed things about Paris, and yes, I was (am) worried about the cliche. I just want to find a magical city that is affordable, bold in its romantic architecture and not overrun by tourists.

I hate to be a near-spamming pain in the arse, but could you (and the others) recommend where to stay/visit for around 4 nights, mid-October (which will include a weekend). Is there a lovely district that is authentic in its native culture and not tourist-centred? If you give me some names I can start Googling little B&Bs etc in the districts and see what pops up.

Thanks in advance :smile: