LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

 This morning, I had to refill my Waterman fountain pen. Once done, I noticed I had ink stains on my fingers, which prompted me to slip into a reverie about olden times. Early fountain pens were not as well equipped as the ones marketed today, and they "bled" when writing. As the nib travelled, it would bleed drops of ink across the paper. It was common to have ink stains on one's hands. The same stains attract attention when people spot my fingers dyed blue or black. I am compelled to explain about fountain pens, inkwells, inkhorns, pen converters, nibs, and blotting paper. It never fails: when I pull out my pen in public,  it is welcomed with surprise and interest. It has become a conversation piece. A fountain pen! Who would have thought!    

The art of Calligraphy, penmanship, is fast becoming obsolete everywhere. We no longer write out letters in longhand although the practice has many advantages, especially in language learning.  Writing things down on paper, by hand, is a neuromuscular activity that is beneficial for improving our memory. RITUAL 3 is the activity of copying by hand, as monks used to do, passages that inspire you and which will improve your grammar, vocabulary and syntax. Try it as a daily ritual. You have little to lose. Copy one of these quotations out, slowly, using your best handwriting: "Three things in human life are important; the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind: and the third is to be kind." Henry James. "Is it hard? Not if you have the right attitudes. It's having the right attitudes that is hard." Robert Pirsig. "An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." Henry David Thoreau. "For every minute you are angry you ...