The Economist

To my Polish friends: I'm glad to finally be in your lovely country Sorry for the English articles, if anyone wants to translate I'll happily publish a Polish version, but really you don't want to see how bad my Polish is



some music

Dear friends,

Moving away from the usual eRep related nonsense, I’d like to tell you all about a tradition we have here in the UK (and indeed, around the world). One of our most famous poets, a man called Robert Burns, was born on this day back in 1759 and we like to celebrate his contribution to our culture by toasting him on his birthday.

Robbie Burns was a very different poet to his contemporaries. He wrote in Scots, which is the regional dialect of Scotland. A lot of Scots language is wholly distinct from Queen’s English, and so a lot of his poetry is probably pretty incomprehensible to non-Brits. He was also famous for writing earthy poems about subjects that were in the lives of people at the time- even if they weren’t exactly commonly covered in poetry at the time (like sex, getting drunk and killing the English )

His contribution to poetry was matched by his contribution to British culture. He was instrumental in creating a separate Scottish tradition - recognisably part of British culture, but wholly distinct. The UK is made up of many regions- and to those of us who live here it’s impossible to compare the culture in say Yorkshire to that in Kent, or Welsh culture to that of those just over the border in Lancashire. We’re a country of many separate peoples and traditions, but it all gives something to the overall British character. Burns poetry made him the symbol of Scotland, and he’s become a cult figure in the UK and in the Commonwealth since then.

A radical egalitarian, Burns is a symbol not just of Scotland but of free-thinking, working class, normal people all over the world. So tonight on his birthday, let’s all raise a dram of whisky and remember him for the message he brought to us- and of course the traditional p*ss up

“O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!”

English approximation:

"And would some Power the small gift give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!"

Robert Burns
Burns Night Suppers




I’d also like to wish a happy Australia day to our commonwealth brothers down under! Like many Brits I have family in Aus although my lot arrived a bit after the settlers on the first fleet

Australia day is celebrated on the 26th... but because Australians live in the future it's the 26th already there.




Best,

Iain