Stuff about the Balkans, Australia, languages and more...
since 2009.
November 5, 2026
15
min read
Seven years after accompanying writer Kapka Kassabova in northern Greece, I make my first return to some of the places we visited... and find perception and reality to be poles apart. A personal journey reckoning with the past and present in Greek Macedonia.
Category:
Nick Nasev
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November 3, 2026
4
min read
The race that stops the nation... or does it? Here’s your basic guide to know what this horse race is all about. It’ll save you from asking another Aussie.
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November 3, 2026
1
min read
Montenegro is poised to join the EU, but language is now a hurdle.
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November 2, 2026
1
min read
One of the most important aspects of good and effective service is being on time. Here's why...
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November 1, 2026
2
min read
But it's an American thing? Well, get over it. It's actually a fun time for the whole family.
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October 31, 2026
5
min read
If Aussies have a strong opinion on something, then it’s about Halloween and especially trick-or-treating. However, things are changing...
Read more
October 29, 2026
7
min read
Why do Balkan people look so grouchy? That’s what many westerners say. What’s the reason for this? Here’s your guide to smiling, or not, in the Balkans...
Read more
October 23, 2026
1
min read
When Australia and the Balkans collide in an AI-generated mish-mash...
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October 21, 2026
16
min read
Yes, there are two Balkans – one in Europe, the other in Central Asia! Venturing into Balkan province of Turkmenistan revealed the two regions have more in common than just names.
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October 19, 2026
2
min read
How translating dialects and colloquial speech into another language using perceived equivalents comes with issues.
Read more
October 15, 2026
4
min read
Did you know that the amount of times you kiss someone on the cheek can mark your ethnicity? All you need to know about kissing and hugging in the Balkans.
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September 29, 2026
3
min read
Laibach is performing in London again and I'll be there! Who is Laibach, why the band was enemy number 1 in socialist Yugoslavia, and why the group claims now to be a 'pop act'
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September 28, 2026
2
min read
We know how well AI uses good writing to present and convince people what can be unfactual information to be true. But what about the opposite effect? How not using idiomatic language in translation can lose the credibility of what is being presented...
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September 25, 2026
7
min read
Up there Cazaly! What’s so special about this week at the end of September in Australia? Here are the details so that you’re in the know on what’s the go.
Read more
September 24, 2026
1
min read
There are huge benefits for going direct to a translator for your translation needs
Read more
September 22, 2026
1
min read
Why going for large translation companies can mean your sensitive documents being leaked.
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September 18, 2026
1
min read
It's been a quarter of a century of being in London!
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September 9, 2026
1
min read
Two (socialist) countries had the same date for the national day. There was something else the two countries also shared...
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September 8, 2026
15
min read
How the anthem for an independence movement has humble origins from a suburban kitchen on the other side of the world, unknown to those who live there
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September 5, 2026
6
min read
Two hand gestures – one that does cause offence in Australia and another that actually doesn’t, despite what the internet says. And how US President Bush caused furor when using one of them.
Read more
November 3, 2026
4
min read
The race that stops the nation... or does it? Here’s your basic guide to know what this horse race is all about. It’ll save you from asking another Aussie.
Read more
October 31, 2026
5
min read
If Aussies have a strong opinion on something, then it’s about Halloween and especially trick-or-treating. However, things are changing...
Read more
October 29, 2026
7
min read
Why do Balkan people look so grouchy? That’s what many westerners say. What’s the reason for this? Here’s your guide to smiling, or not, in the Balkans...
Read more
September 25, 2026
7
min read
Up there Cazaly! What’s so special about this week at the end of September in Australia? Here are the details so that you’re in the know on what’s the go.
Read more
September 5, 2026
6
min read
Two hand gestures – one that does cause offence in Australia and another that actually doesn’t, despite what the internet says. And how US President Bush caused furor when using one of them.
Read more
August 24, 2026
2
min read
How a seemingly inoffensive English phrase has unsuspecting connotations in Australia. An example of how crucial understanding local sensitivities can be.
Read more
.jpg)
August 8, 2026
3
min read
Yes, it's a word. How this old-fashioned and seemingly pompous English word is, surprisingly, still very much alive and in use in Australia.
Read more
August 3, 2026
3
min read
Are you rorting the system? Do you find your job a bit of a rort? Or are you up for a rort this weekend? What the Australian term "rort" means and where did it come from.
Read more
August 1, 2026
6
min read
A guide to Australia's sporting vocabulary—from football codes to the very naughty meaning of "rooting" for your team.
Read more
July 28, 2026
3
min read
Time for me to spruik the very uniquely Australian term spruik. What does it mean and where did it come from?
Read more
July 6, 2026
10
min read
Wotz hot and wotz not?! Your resident Australian English localiser goes through the Oxford English Dictionary's latest Aussie slang additions and gives a propa Aussie verdict.
Read more
July 2, 2026
2
min read
This initialism represents one of the most important dates on Australia's financial calendar. What does it mean and what you should know about it?
Read more
July 1, 2026
13
min read
How “dream” and "dreaming" in Australia came to describe the sacred, the suburban, the satirical and the simply delusional, and what this says about the country that uses these words these ways.
Read more
June 26, 2026
3
min read
It's hot and everyone's a bit heat-affected... well, we Aussies have the perfect sayings to describe this craziness!
Read more
June 25, 2026
1
min read
The heat and humidity can do weird things to people, so that's why Aussies have this saying to explain it all...
Read more
June 9, 2026
1
min read
Many clients try to pass off their US English texts and copy for Australia. While most Aussies will get it, there's a large section of the Australian public that won't. Who are these people?
Read more
May 19, 2026
2
min read
Australia's weather bureau thought it had a branding problem with its explosive acronym. How solving it bombed when Aussies had their say about it.
Read more
May 18, 2026
1
min read
No, it's nothing to do with an animal call. It's a sound that international music stars have even sampled...
Read more
May 13, 2026
5
min read
"But '-or' spellings are American?" has said many an Aussie. But are they really? Not exactly. Find out how and where there are exceptions to the rule in Australian English.
Read more
May 8, 2026
4
min read
The recent case of Kumajayi Little Baby shows how Australian media handle indigenous mourning protocols. Here are the details and background to them.
Read more
April 25, 2026
11
min read
Parades, dawn services, two-up, biscuits... What you need to know about Australia (and New Zealand's) veteran's day. Plus, why the day is more important to some Aussies than others.
Read more
April 3, 2026
2
min read
What's open and what's not this Easter in Australia...Time to give a real-life example of Australian English.
Read more
March 27, 2026
2
min read
Found in most pubs, clubs and casinos throughout Australia, the pokies are an important feature of Australian social culture. But what are they? Find out here...
Read more
March 24, 2026
5
min read
Feta or white cheese? Prosecco or sparkling wine? How will the new EU-Australia free-trade agreement (not) affect the terms Aussies use for certain products
Read more
March 18, 2026
4
min read
No, I'm not leaving here. Linguistically, Australians actually have unique ways of bidding farewell to someone who's going for a long time... or forever.
Read more
February 23, 2026
1
min read
Yet another unexpected Australian-ism I and an internet superstar recently discovered...
Read more
February 18, 2026
2
min read
Aussies love shortening words and ending cutesy endings to them. But what happens when the same shortened word could mean multiple things?
Read more
February 16, 2026
2
min read
If Australia's answer to the Onion is making fun of how AI uses US English as a default, then that means Aussies notice when you're using it in your text and copy. But there's a solution to this...
Read more
January 2, 2026
1
min read
Big issue of the day – what coin do you use for your lucky-coin Christmas tradition? It matters to many in the Balkans AND Australia
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September 10, 2025
2
min read
Aussies love wearing thongs outdoors. But does "thongs" mean the same in Australia as it does in other countries? Find out here...
Read more
June 6, 2025
2
min read
There are a number of seemingly ordinary English words that can get Aussies thinking 'that's not right'. Here's the case with one...?
Read more
April 23, 2025
2
min read
Want to hear how I speak in Australian English with another Australian English specialist? Here's your chance
Read more
February 28, 2025
2
min read
How do you describe using a payment card to use public transport in Australia? It depends where in Australia you are...
Read more
February 27, 2025
2
min read
Want to get Aussies angry? Ask this mathematical question...
Read more
January 29, 2025
3
min read
Many people are shocked when they find out I'm a translator, but their jaws drop even more when I tell them that I also 'translate' into Australian English.
Read more
January 26, 2025
4
min read
Some memories of mine of 26 January, Australia Day
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January 25, 2025
5
min read
Would you believe that one of the most anticipated events in the lead-up to Australia's national day on 26 January is... an ad about eating lamb! More about the vibe here...
Read more
December 19, 2024
2
min read
Why wishing your clients, friends and relatives in Australia a happy start to summer on December 21st is not the way to do it...
Read more
December 11, 2024
5
min read
Tread carefully! The extraordinary story of this salty Australian regionalism and how it can ignite passions worthy of a civil war.
Read more
November 7, 2024
2
min read
One of Australia's most visited tourist sites has two official names, but Aussies almost exclusively use one of them. Do you know which one?
Read more
October 29, 2024
2
min read
If there's anything that can get some Aussies hot under the collar, it's this...
Read more
September 11, 2024
2
min read
Welcome to confusion with "email" in Australia. It's generational...
Read more
July 31, 2024
2
min read
How a comedy routine during the 2000 Sydney Olympics provided Australia with its own, very naughty, gymnastics lexicon!
Read more
July 28, 2024
1
min read
To get away from the sharks! Nah, it's more than that.
Read more
July 25, 2024
1
min read
Or perhaps not. It wouldn't be an Olympics if there wasn't impending doom. But how has it actually turned out?
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July 4, 2024
2
min read
Vote-count competitions between rival cities? How a mundane sausage in generic white bread is the epitome of mass democratic participation in Australia. And why a Bulgarian train is not a train. The weird world of election traditions.
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June 30, 2024
3
min read
Australians adore pets... but not on public transport. How come?
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June 30, 2024
3
min read
One of the world's biggest ever rock bands has turned 50!
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June 21, 2024
4
min read
Many Australians are in "de facto relationships". What are these and how do they differ from marriage?
Read more
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May 23, 2024
10
min read
Is Burger King the drama? How come there's no Burger King in Australia but you can still get a Whopper? A story of how a technicality turned an alternative brand into a part of local Australian identity, and how that was almost usurped.
Read more
May 22, 2024
2
min read
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Australia's richest woman, mining magnate Gina Rinehart got more than what she bargained for when she wanted a portrait of her taken down. And how does wine figure into this too?
Read more
April 6, 2024
8
min read
50+ years after ABBA won the Eurovision Song Content, it was Australia that set the tone for ABBA's fortunes over the decades. How ABBA is also a case story of Australia’s love of kitsch., it was Australia that set the tone for ABBA's fortunes over the decades. This is their Australian story.
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August 31, 2023
1
min read
It’s all about being friendly when driving out in “woop woop” (the middle of nowhere) in Australia. A definite must-do!
Read more
June 26, 2023
1
min read
How do you say in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin or Serbian this: “Up there, the mountains burn worse”?👉 Gore gore gore gore.
Read more
June 22, 2023
2
min read
They are chocolate-covered chewy caramels 🍬 that were often so hard to bite into that they kept many dentists in business 🦷. Nothing particularly unique so far, you might think.
Read more
June 1, 2023
1
min read
🎉 50 years ago today, the Adelaide Festival Centre, the premier performing and visual arts venue and precinct in Adelaide, Australia, opened. The centre to this day remains one of the symbols of Adelaide. 🇦🇺
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May 29, 2023
6
min read
Do Aussies have "bank holidays" like in the UK? Well, it's complicated
Read more
May 11, 2023
2
min read
Time to get out the sequins and huge props. The world’s most watched non-sports TV show is on, the Eurovision Song Contest 🎤. Tonight is the second semi-final, with 16 acts from Europe… and Australia.
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April 24, 2023
1
min read
Last Saturday Australian 🇦🇺 🎭 comedy legend Barry Humphries passed away aged 89.
Read more
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April 12, 2023
2
min read
Now this might sound a bit random but this is something you’ll hear all the time, in all places, in department stores in Australia. How come?
Read more
April 11, 2023
3
min read
The story behind Australia’s current most notorious youth sub-group
Read more
April 7, 2023
2
min read
Bunnies are considered cute and loveable… except in Australia 🇦🇺, where they’re a major scourge🤬.
Read more
March 28, 2023
1
min read
Have you unwittingly done a hand gesture that meant something completely different in another country? Here’s a true story…
Read more
March 10, 2023
3
min read
Calisthenics is a form of body strength training worldwide. Not in Australia though, where "calisthenics" has a completely different meaning.
Read more
March 8, 2023
1
min read
🪃 In Australia, IWD is a day of campaigning and awareness, elements that are much closer to the day’s original purpose of bringing mainstream attention to issues affecting women.
Read more
January 24, 2023
4
min read
How the Shakespearean title for a popular TV series sporned the terms for a number of related internal migration processes in Australia.
Read more
November 3, 2026
4
min read
The race that stops the nation... or does it? Here’s your basic guide to know what this horse race is all about. It’ll save you from asking another Aussie.
Read more
October 31, 2026
5
min read
If Aussies have a strong opinion on something, then it’s about Halloween and especially trick-or-treating. However, things are changing...
Read more
October 19, 2026
2
min read
How translating dialects and colloquial speech into another language using perceived equivalents comes with issues.
Read more
September 25, 2026
7
min read
Up there Cazaly! What’s so special about this week at the end of September in Australia? Here are the details so that you’re in the know on what’s the go.
Read more
September 5, 2026
6
min read
Two hand gestures – one that does cause offence in Australia and another that actually doesn’t, despite what the internet says. And how US President Bush caused furor when using one of them.
Read more
August 24, 2026
2
min read
How a seemingly inoffensive English phrase has unsuspecting connotations in Australia. An example of how crucial understanding local sensitivities can be.
Read more
August 8, 2026
3
min read
Yes, it's a word. How this old-fashioned and seemingly pompous English word is, surprisingly, still very much alive and in use in Australia.
Read more
August 3, 2026
3
min read
Are you rorting the system? Do you find your job a bit of a rort? Or are you up for a rort this weekend? What the Australian term "rort" means and where did it come from.
Read more
August 1, 2026
6
min read
A guide to Australia's sporting vocabulary—from football codes to the very naughty meaning of "rooting" for your team.
Read more
July 28, 2026
3
min read
Time for me to spruik the very uniquely Australian term spruik. What does it mean and where did it come from?
Read more
July 6, 2026
10
min read
Wotz hot and wotz not?! Your resident Australian English localiser goes through the Oxford English Dictionary's latest Aussie slang additions and gives a propa Aussie verdict.
Read more
July 2, 2026
2
min read
This initialism represents one of the most important dates on Australia's financial calendar. What does it mean and what you should know about it?
Read more
July 1, 2026
13
min read
How “dream” and "dreaming" in Australia came to describe the sacred, the suburban, the satirical and the simply delusional, and what this says about the country that uses these words these ways.
Read more
June 26, 2026
3
min read
It's hot and everyone's a bit heat-affected... well, we Aussies have the perfect sayings to describe this craziness!
Read more
June 25, 2026
1
min read
The heat and humidity can do weird things to people, so that's why Aussies have this saying to explain it all...
Read more
June 22, 2026
2
min read
Most native English speakers have no idea about this very common feature of English, even though they use them all the time. As for others, they're a nightmare.
Read more
June 9, 2026
1
min read
Many clients try to pass off their US English texts and copy for Australia. While most Aussies will get it, there's a large section of the Australian public that won't. Who are these people?
Read more
May 19, 2026
2
min read
Australia's weather bureau thought it had a branding problem with its explosive acronym. How solving it bombed when Aussies had their say about it.
Read more
May 18, 2026
1
min read
No, it's nothing to do with an animal call. It's a sound that international music stars have even sampled...
Read more
May 13, 2026
5
min read
"But '-or' spellings are American?" has said many an Aussie. But are they really? Not exactly. Find out how and where there are exceptions to the rule in Australian English.
Read more
May 8, 2026
4
min read
The recent case of Kumajayi Little Baby shows how Australian media handle indigenous mourning protocols. Here are the details and background to them.
Read more
April 25, 2026
11
min read
Parades, dawn services, two-up, biscuits... What you need to know about Australia (and New Zealand's) veteran's day. Plus, why the day is more important to some Aussies than others.
Read more
April 3, 2026
2
min read
What's open and what's not this Easter in Australia...Time to give a real-life example of Australian English.
Read more
March 27, 2026
2
min read
Found in most pubs, clubs and casinos throughout Australia, the pokies are an important feature of Australian social culture. But what are they? Find out here...
Read more
March 24, 2026
5
min read
Feta or white cheese? Prosecco or sparkling wine? How will the new EU-Australia free-trade agreement (not) affect the terms Aussies use for certain products
Read more
March 18, 2026
4
min read
No, I'm not leaving here. Linguistically, Australians actually have unique ways of bidding farewell to someone who's going for a long time... or forever.
Read more
February 23, 2026
1
min read
Yet another unexpected Australian-ism I and an internet superstar recently discovered...
Read more
February 18, 2026
2
min read
Aussies love shortening words and ending cutesy endings to them. But what happens when the same shortened word could mean multiple things?
Read more
February 16, 2026
2
min read
If Australia's answer to the Onion is making fun of how AI uses US English as a default, then that means Aussies notice when you're using it in your text and copy. But there's a solution to this...
Read more
February 2, 2026
2
min read
Are your international customers getting your message? Are you aware that some of the words, phrases and terms you use could have no or a different meaning elsewhere. That's where you need your copy and text reviewed for your target audience.
Read more
October 14, 2025
1
min read
Off to the beach? Avoid the snakes and sharks? No... something completely different but expected from me.
Read more
September 10, 2025
2
min read
Aussies love wearing thongs outdoors. But does "thongs" mean the same in Australia as it does in other countries? Find out here...
Read more
July 31, 2025
2
min read
Which one is the accepted spelling in Australia? You might be surprised at the answer!
Read more
June 6, 2025
2
min read
There are a number of seemingly ordinary English words that can get Aussies thinking 'that's not right'. Here's the case with one...?
Read more
April 23, 2025
2
min read
Want to hear how I speak in Australian English with another Australian English specialist? Here's your chance
Read more
February 28, 2025
2
min read
How do you describe using a payment card to use public transport in Australia? It depends where in Australia you are...
Read more
February 27, 2025
2
min read
Want to get Aussies angry? Ask this mathematical question...
Read more
January 29, 2025
3
min read
Many people are shocked when they find out I'm a translator, but their jaws drop even more when I tell them that I also 'translate' into Australian English.
Read more
January 25, 2025
5
min read
Would you believe that one of the most anticipated events in the lead-up to Australia's national day on 26 January is... an ad about eating lamb! More about the vibe here...
Read more
December 19, 2024
2
min read
Why wishing your clients, friends and relatives in Australia a happy start to summer on December 21st is not the way to do it...
Read more
December 11, 2024
5
min read
Tread carefully! The extraordinary story of this salty Australian regionalism and how it can ignite passions worthy of a civil war.
Read more
November 26, 2024
2
min read
Australia's prime source for all things Australian English has picked its word for 2024. And this time, I agree!
Read more
November 19, 2024
3
min read
India and Australia have common bonds that go beyond a passion for cricket. Here are a few words that Indian and Australian English uniquely share...
Read more
November 7, 2024
2
min read
One of Australia's most visited tourist sites has two official names, but Aussies almost exclusively use one of them. Do you know which one?
Read more
October 23, 2024
6
min read
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
Read more
September 11, 2024
2
min read
Welcome to confusion with "email" in Australia. It's generational...
Read more
July 31, 2024
2
min read
How a comedy routine during the 2000 Sydney Olympics provided Australia with its own, very naughty, gymnastics lexicon!
Read more
July 28, 2024
1
min read
To get away from the sharks! Nah, it's more than that.
Read more
June 21, 2024
4
min read
Many Australians are in "de facto relationships". What are these and how do they differ from marriage?
Read more
May 23, 2024
10
min read
Is Burger King the drama? How come there's no Burger King in Australia but you can still get a Whopper? A story of how a technicality turned an alternative brand into a part of local Australian identity, and how that was almost usurped.
Read more
May 22, 2024
2
min read
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Australia's richest woman, mining magnate Gina Rinehart got more than what she bargained for when she wanted a portrait of her taken down. And how does wine figure into this too?
Read more
August 31, 2023
1
min read
It’s all about being friendly when driving out in “woop woop” (the middle of nowhere) in Australia. A definite must-do!
Read more
August 28, 2023
2
min read
Watch out for the killer squirrels! 🐿️ We’re very much in “silly season” right now in the UK 🤪
Read more
August 14, 2023
3
min read
Ask what’s most unique about Australian English 🪃, the answers usually are our accent and slang✔️. However, there are also a number of uniquely Australian English words in regular use, even in formal situations, that Australians are surprised to find are not used everywhere else in the English-speaking world (OK, sometimes also in New Zealand🥝, […]
Read more
June 30, 2023
3
min read
Are you a fan of the cult TV comedy show The Office?🕺And which version: the UK one 🇬🇧? The US one 🇺🇸? The French one 🇫🇷? The Indian one 🇮🇳 or any of the other 13 variants made? 📣 News in is that an Australian 🇦🇺 version of The Office will be hitting our screens […]
Read more
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June 22, 2023
2
min read
They are chocolate-covered chewy caramels 🍬 that were often so hard to bite into that they kept many dentists in business 🦷. Nothing particularly unique so far, you might think.
Read more
May 29, 2023
6
min read
Do Aussies have "bank holidays" like in the UK? Well, it's complicated
Read more
April 24, 2023
1
min read
Last Saturday Australian 🇦🇺 🎭 comedy legend Barry Humphries passed away aged 89.
Read more
April 12, 2023
2
min read
Now this might sound a bit random but this is something you’ll hear all the time, in all places, in department stores in Australia. How come?
Read more
April 11, 2023
3
min read
The story behind Australia’s current most notorious youth sub-group
Read more
April 7, 2023
2
min read
Bunnies are considered cute and loveable… except in Australia 🇦🇺, where they’re a major scourge🤬.
Read more
March 28, 2023
1
min read
Have you unwittingly done a hand gesture that meant something completely different in another country? Here’s a true story…
Read more
March 10, 2023
3
min read
Calisthenics is a form of body strength training worldwide. Not in Australia though, where "calisthenics" has a completely different meaning.
Read more
January 24, 2023
4
min read
How the Shakespearean title for a popular TV series sporned the terms for a number of related internal migration processes in Australia.
Read more
November 3, 2026
1
min read
Montenegro is poised to join the EU, but language is now a hurdle.
Read more
September 24, 2026
1
min read
There are huge benefits for going direct to a translator for your translation needs
Read more
August 17, 2026
2
min read
How the Cyrillic alphabet can play tricks on people who only know the Latin alphabet
Read more
July 25, 2026
1
min read
My talk about Balkan multilingualism can be seen now!
Read more
July 15, 2026
4
min read
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
Read more
June 29, 2026
2
min read
It's the simplest of things that can cause the most trouble. And when it comes to certified translations, getting this right is crucial!
Read more
May 20, 2026
2
min read
Two years ago I attained the highest qualification for translators, Chartered Linguist. And I'm the only one in the UK for the languages I work from.
Read more
May 5, 2026
1
min read
How come Macedonian Language Day is on 5 May, and what strict rule makes spoken Macedonian sound so distinct?
Read more
April 29, 2026
17
min read
What happens when our listeners can't understand what's supposed to be "their" language? The battle between standard languages and their dialects.
Read more
January 6, 2026
2
min read
Секоја година пред празникот се појавува истата дилема: Која форма е „помакедонска“? Еве го одговорот базиран на истражувањата на проф. д-р Елка Јачева-Улчар.
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August 22, 2025
3
min read
Are you up for a crazy coupon where you're strutting your stuff on the "dancing"? Perhaps you're a "labour" or a "gender"? A sneak peak into some Bulgarian linguistic false friends
Read more
August 11, 2025
5
min read
After many decades of Yugoslav rule, Albanian spoken in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro has some Serbo-Croatian words, but particularly in certain areas. Which ones? And why is this not unique?
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July 3, 2025
10
min read
There once was one "Serbo-Croatian" but now there are four near-identical languages. Can we still use the term "Serbo-Croatian"? Well, it could cost you dearly...
Read more
February 20, 2025
4
min read
International Mother Language Day and Global Language Advocacy Day are on! So what do I consider to be my 'mother languages' and why one of them is under threat...
Read more
February 8, 2025
6
min read
I translate into English from all Southern Slavic languages except one. Sorry, I can't do Slovenian. Here's my apology.
Read more
November 29, 2024
4
min read
3 decades have passed since it officially ceased to exist but I still get requests to translate from Serbo-Croatian. How come?
Read more
November 24, 2024
2
min read
Yet another accreditation...
Read more
November 22, 2024
4
min read
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
Read more
October 23, 2024
6
min read
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
Read more
October 20, 2024
5
min read
Let's see how Turkish has influenced the languages of the Balkans and further afield. Bujrum!
Read more
October 17, 2024
3
min read
Where the translation gets undone because just because a word looks the same in another language, it doesn't necessarily means the same.
Read more
August 28, 2023
2
min read
Watch out for the killer squirrels! 🐿️ We’re very much in “silly season” right now in the UK 🤪
Read more
August 25, 2023
3
min read
So who’s having a “crazy coupon” this weekend? 🎉 Wait!✋ A crazy coupon?🎟️😲 What’s that?
Read more
August 22, 2023
1
min read
Did you hear about the man who collects “old-timers”? 👴🏽 Or that Frank Sinatra has many “evergreens”? 🌲
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June 26, 2023
1
min read
How do you say in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin or Serbian this: “Up there, the mountains burn worse”?👉 Gore gore gore gore.
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March 29, 2023
3
min read
I’m about to fly off to Australia transiting through Munich Airport 🇩🇪 … so I’m preparing myself to be ready to speak in “naš jezik” (“our language”).
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March 22, 2023
2
min read
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts today, but how do you call the month? A case of local vs global of different circumstances
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October 29, 2026
7
min read
Why do Balkan people look so grouchy? That’s what many westerners say. What’s the reason for this? Here’s your guide to smiling, or not, in the Balkans...
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October 15, 2026
4
min read
Did you know that the amount of times you kiss someone on the cheek can mark your ethnicity? All you need to know about kissing and hugging in the Balkans.
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September 29, 2026
3
min read
Laibach is performing in London again and I'll be there! Who is Laibach, why the band was enemy number 1 in socialist Yugoslavia, and why the group claims now to be a 'pop act'
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August 11, 2026
15
min read
It's time to find Biljana. But before that, why does it seem that everyone in Macedonia knows each other? And why war-lead ethnic unity is addictive as Macedonia's opium.
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August 9, 2026
2
min read
Džansever Dalipova, star of Macedonian Roma and Turkish Arabesque music, has died aged 59.
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August 7, 2026
1
min read
A bit of fun in the sun with one of this year’s viral summer songs in Greece – Vibeάρω (I Vibe)
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August 3, 2026
1
min read
How binary discourses in war societies where everything is black and white creates the environment to brutally attack anyone who questions this
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July 22, 2026
4
min read
The only woman the great Salvador Dalí knelt for. The glory, mystique and controversy surrounding this celebrated Yugoslav and Serbian actress and singer.
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July 21, 2026
1
min read
This has had me laughing all day. If you know, you know!
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July 18, 2026
2
min read
The World Cup grand finale is on this weekend. Let's remember how Bulgaria did well in 1994 but failed in 1998. And what happened to 1994 star Lechkov?
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July 4, 2026
1
min read
Good news: she's still looking after her bees.
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July 3, 2026
17
min read
Going from fax to internet... and into armed ethnic conflict. And how war hits harder when you actually have to deal with its brutal consequences.
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June 30, 2026
2
min read
One of Macedonia's biggest pop stars has gone to his starry sky far away
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June 27, 2026
15
min read
Three generations of a family that mostly never had a throne, a country... or much in the way of restraint. And how does an Australian woman get involved in all this? Show us the drama!
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June 23, 2026
12
min read
A family history of exile, a tsar's comeback as a 21st-century prime minister, and how it all ends with his daughter trending for her muscular arms. Welcome to the stage, the Bulgarian Royal Family.
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June 15, 2026
13
min read
A government-backed parade, a tolerated Pride, and the fiction of democratic balance and the "traditional family" in the Balkans.
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June 14, 2026
2
min read
Move over the Donald! There's someone else grander who has her birthday today too. But the similarities don't end there...
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June 8, 2026
12
min read
Why the tradition for big weddings in Bulgaria is no longer the case... and why graduation balls and festivities have taken their place.
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May 26, 2026
1
min read
Socialist Yugoslavia always treated the Hajj and the participation of its citizens with care – they could come back with concepts that could bring the system down. But a Hajji in 1972 brought back something far more dangerous – a killer virus.
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May 21, 2026
10
min read
Who needs real evidence? Where the Balkan thing for bread and circuses, and claiming everyone and anyone as they're own, collide. Plus, I reveal Lady Gaga's alleged Balkan roots!
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May 15, 2026
21
min read
Disposable, easy pop with a local flavour and pleasing to the eye. You'd think turbo folk/chalga would be ideal for Eurovision, but you won't be seeing it on the big stage. How come...?
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May 13, 2026
3
min read
Croatia's dark ethnic ballad entry for Eurovision 2026 has gained many fans across Europe. But the song is problematic in some aspects...
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May 6, 2026
12
min read
Did you know the most recognisable face of socialist Yugoslavia after Tito was of a Roma furnace worker from Bosnia? But many ex-Yugoslavs think it's another Bosnian. Here are their stories...
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May 1, 2026
19
min read
Who's up for a picnic? It's time for bean soup. How Tito's Yugoslavia celebrated the "holiday of labour" and what changed over time and what didn't. Oh, and there's that time I got punched.
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April 27, 2026
3
min read
How video casettes illegally smuggled from the west caused Bulgarians and Romanians to question their communist system in the 1980s. And how are James Bond movies treated in Bulgaria...
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April 23, 2026
2
min read
The book that launched my career as a Balkans sensitivity and authenticity reader is back, updated and bigger than ever!
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April 22, 2026
2
min read
So Lenin was one of the world's most prominent revolutionaries, but his legacy lasts by way of... first names and spring cleaning? All is explained here.
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April 18, 2026
7
min read
The aspects of Bulgarian elections that no-one else talks about. And what does Chalga have to say about it? All aboard the 'Bulgarian train'. Toot, toot!
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April 10, 2026
1
min read
Yes, it's that time of year again, and I'm glad to say that the eggs turned out great this year.
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April 8, 2026
2
min read
Today is International Romani Day. Note, not 'Gypsy'. Why this is not the most appropriate term, and how ethnic labels can be complicated.
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April 7, 2026
2
min read
Famous Bulgarian folk singer and member of the world-famous Trio Bulgarka, Yanka Rupkina, has died. Here is her extraordinary life.
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April 4, 2026
3
min read
The weekend before Easter in Balkan Orthodox Christian societies sees major celebrations for the coming of spring, steeped in pagan origins.
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April 2, 2026
14
min read
How I transitioned from listener to being listened. But first, let's bring in some music. 1990s Macedonian Turbofolk anyone? And what was the (surprising) word we couldn't mention?
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March 23, 2026
12
min read
50 years ago today started the service I loathed as a child... but became my ticket to my future. The crazy yet wonderful world of ethnic, and particularly "Yugoslav", radio in Adelaide, Australia.
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January 30, 2026
2
min read
Legendary Macedonian folk singer Kostadinka Palazova has passed away. Her life has been dedicated to keeping the songs of her birthplace alive in the face of official bans, ethnic cleansing and life in exile.
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January 2, 2026
1
min read
Big issue of the day – what coin do you use for your lucky-coin Christmas tradition? It matters to many in the Balkans AND Australia
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December 19, 2025
2
min read
It's a pretty big day in some Orthodox Christian parts of the Balkans – St Nicholas Day. But how come it's happening 13 days after the rest of the world? And what are you not supposed to do today?
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May 12, 2025
2
min read
Garth Cartwright's award-winning book about the talented Roma music stars of the Balkans is getting a re-release!
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February 16, 2025
2
min read
How my experience growing up Balkan in Australia has provided valuable knowledge to others.
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February 8, 2025
6
min read
I translate into English from all Southern Slavic languages except one. Sorry, I can't do Slovenian. Here's my apology.
Read more
December 31, 2024
5
min read
There's always one thing each year that stands out in my travels, and this year it was accidently discovering the huge gastarbeiter houses of eastern Serbia
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December 22, 2024
11
min read
22 December was Yugoslav People's Day. Here are some notes about the topics raised in this research, my personal connection to the former JNA and how its legacy lives on in the memories and legends of millions.
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December 4, 2024
3
min read
Some societies take them very seriously, some not so much. Find out more here...
Read more
October 20, 2024
5
min read
Let's see how Turkish has influenced the languages of the Balkans and further afield. Bujrum!
Read more
October 6, 2024
1
min read
How thanks to the Albanians, a Latin American cake conquered the Balkans.
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September 6, 2024
2
min read
Did you know that people regularly contact me to identify text they can't decipher. That's what happens when I know a number of languages.
Read more
July 30, 2024
4
min read
How the life and death of a popular chalga singer embodied the nature of post-Communist Bulgaria
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July 4, 2024
2
min read
Vote-count competitions between rival cities? How a mundane sausage in generic white bread is the epitome of mass democratic participation in Australia. And why a Bulgarian train is not a train. The weird world of election traditions.
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August 22, 2023
1
min read
Did you hear about the man who collects “old-timers”? 👴🏽 Or that Frank Sinatra has many “evergreens”? 🌲
Read more
March 22, 2023
2
min read
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts today, but how do you call the month? A case of local vs global of different circumstances
Read more
March 8, 2023
1
min read
🪃 In Australia, IWD is a day of campaigning and awareness, elements that are much closer to the day’s original purpose of bringing mainstream attention to issues affecting women.
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February 1, 2023
1
min read
The latest book that I played a part in its fruition (no, I’m not in it this time), by my dear friend, the award-winning writer Kapka Kassabova, is now available for purchase.
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May 10, 2025
3
min read
Ahoy, me hearties! What may appear as a community service actually serves to undermine the supposed primary purpose of such language provision.
Read more
February 7, 2025
4
min read
Children who interpret for their family members who do not know the local language are often portrayed as heroes. But what do these children think?
Read more
November 22, 2024
4
min read
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
Read more
September 6, 2024
2
min read
Did you know that people regularly contact me to identify text they can't decipher. That's what happens when I know a number of languages.
Read more
August 23, 2023
3
min read
Surprising as it may be, I was once a child, but one who happened to grow up in a multilingual environment but dominated by English.
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November 2, 2026
1
min read
One of the most important aspects of good and effective service is being on time. Here's why...
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October 19, 2026
2
min read
How translating dialects and colloquial speech into another language using perceived equivalents comes with issues.
Read more
September 28, 2026
2
min read
We know how well AI uses good writing to present and convince people what can be unfactual information to be true. But what about the opposite effect? How not using idiomatic language in translation can lose the credibility of what is being presented...
Read more
September 24, 2026
1
min read
There are huge benefits for going direct to a translator for your translation needs
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September 22, 2026
1
min read
Why going for large translation companies can mean your sensitive documents being leaked.
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August 10, 2026
2
min read
But will they? Why having public-facing text optimised from the onset is better than expecting members of the public will simply ask if they don't understand something.
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July 27, 2026
2
min read
What are anchor clients and how I was able to regain one thanks to sound advice on using reminders
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July 22, 2026
2
min read
Translation is supposed to convey info from one language to another, but if you just use the words only tweaked from the source language, then you're doing a disservice.
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July 15, 2026
4
min read
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
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June 29, 2026
2
min read
It's the simplest of things that can cause the most trouble. And when it comes to certified translations, getting this right is crucial!
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May 20, 2026
2
min read
Two years ago I attained the highest qualification for translators, Chartered Linguist. And I'm the only one in the UK for the languages I work from.
Read more
May 14, 2026
1
min read
Is there any truth that knowing another language eliminates any chance of you being a bigot?
Read more
February 7, 2025
4
min read
Children who interpret for their family members who do not know the local language are often portrayed as heroes. But what do these children think?
Read more
January 30, 2025
3
min read
What's one of the biggest giveaways that a text in English was not written by a native speaker? Find out here with a simple and yet important tip...
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December 17, 2024
2
min read
To add to that professional touch, I can have your documents stamped with my personalised round stamp.
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December 4, 2024
3
min read
Some societies take them very seriously, some not so much. Find out more here...
Read more
November 29, 2024
4
min read
3 decades have passed since it officially ceased to exist but I still get requests to translate from Serbo-Croatian. How come?
Read more
November 24, 2024
2
min read
Yet another accreditation...
Read more
November 22, 2024
4
min read
There are words that are the same in Hindi and Urdu as in Croatian and Romanian?! How can this be? Find out here...
Read more
October 23, 2024
6
min read
Does DeepL live up to its claim of being "the world's most accurate translator" when it comes to Aussie English? Get ready for some zingers!
Read more
September 29, 2024
3
min read
How the Ottoman Empire granted its translators and interpreters, the Dragomans, with respect and status.
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August 21, 2024
1
min read
Why you shouldn't trust automated translation on LinkedIn or anywhere else. And are the Macedonians being targeted?
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June 26, 2023
2
min read
👍The best thing about being a freelance translator is being able to work at any place at any time. 👎The worst thing about being a freelancer translator is being able to work at any place at any time.
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April 26, 2023
3
min read
Republic of Serbia 🇷🇸, Republic of Croatia 🇭🇷, Kingdom of Norway 🇳🇴, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 🇬🇧, Oriental Republic of Uruguay 🇺🇾, Plurinational State of Bolivia 🇧🇴 …
Read more
September 28, 2026
2
min read
We know how well AI uses good writing to present and convince people what can be unfactual information to be true. But what about the opposite effect? How not using idiomatic language in translation can lose the credibility of what is being presented...
Read more
August 13, 2026
1
min read
I'm the guest on the latest episode
Read more
July 15, 2026
4
min read
Welcome to the crazy world of "false friends" and "pseudo-anglicisms"... they look like English words but they're not
Read more
May 22, 2026
2
min read
Have you heard of Muphry's Law? No, it's not Murphy's Law, and if you thought that it was, then that's Muphry's Law. Confusing? Well, time to clear it up...
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May 14, 2026
1
min read
Is there any truth that knowing another language eliminates any chance of you being a bigot?
Read more
February 21, 2026
2
min read
To show why mother languages matter, here's my story how educators in Australia tried stopping my parents speaking to me in my mother language.
Read more
February 9, 2026
15
min read
Think you can say vile things about the people around you because hardly anyone speaks your language? Think again! Because when you least suspect it, there'll be someone who does understand...
Read more
August 22, 2025
3
min read
Are you up for a crazy coupon where you're strutting your stuff on the "dancing"? Perhaps you're a "labour" or a "gender"? A sneak peak into some Bulgarian linguistic false friends
Read more
August 20, 2025
2
min read
Oil, banking, jewelry, optics, radio broadcasting, hard spirits... Nik does it all! But do I really?
Read more
August 11, 2025
5
min read
After many decades of Yugoslav rule, Albanian spoken in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro has some Serbo-Croatian words, but particularly in certain areas. Which ones? And why is this not unique?
Read more
July 3, 2025
10
min read
There once was one "Serbo-Croatian" but now there are four near-identical languages. Can we still use the term "Serbo-Croatian"? Well, it could cost you dearly...
Read more
May 10, 2025
3
min read
Ahoy, me hearties! What may appear as a community service actually serves to undermine the supposed primary purpose of such language provision.
Read more
February 20, 2025
4
min read
International Mother Language Day and Global Language Advocacy Day are on! So what do I consider to be my 'mother languages' and why one of them is under threat...
Read more
November 19, 2024
3
min read
India and Australia have common bonds that go beyond a passion for cricket. Here are a few words that Indian and Australian English uniquely share...
Read more
October 14, 2024
1
min read
It may come as a surprise but it's not just in French...
Read more
September 6, 2024
2
min read
Did you know that people regularly contact me to identify text they can't decipher. That's what happens when I know a number of languages.
Read more
October 23, 2023
2
min read
We all know how some translations can be so bad that they’re unintentionally hilarious, like the viral examples from Engrish.com...
Read more
September 14, 2023
1
min read
Working in IT? 👩🏻💻 Would you call yourself an IT-ian, Hitechist or Startupist?
Read more
August 28, 2023
2
min read
Watch out for the killer squirrels! 🐿️ We’re very much in “silly season” right now in the UK 🤪
Read more
August 24, 2023
2
min read
Two more language directions have been added to my Institute of Translation and Interpreting profile
Read more
August 23, 2023
2
min read
Would you believe that the names of all these famous products are the cause for the deadlock in the free-trade agreement negotiations between the EU 🇪🇺 and Australia 🇦🇺. How come?
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August 21, 2023
5
min read
🟰 Words that look the same or similar in two languages but have two, at times radically, different meanings are called “false friends”.
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May 30, 2023
1
min read
Translation can often be a very sedentary existence, plugging away in front of a laptop, with little or no face-to-face contact with clients👨🏻💻
Read more
February 4, 2026
2
min read
Even after being cured of cancer and remission is over, there's still the threat of it coming back for around go. What to do with a new cancer scare?
Read more
February 3, 2025
3
min read
What's one constant when it comes to the cancer experience? It's the gallows humour. Yes, it gets very, very dark. Why is this so?
Read more
September 15, 2024
2
min read
And I know because of an annual procedure a work colleague advised me to do...
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June 14, 2024
5
min read
The story of how I found out by chance that I no longer had cancer
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November 5, 2026
15
min read
Seven years after accompanying writer Kapka Kassabova in northern Greece, I make my first return to some of the places we visited... and find perception and reality to be poles apart. A personal journey reckoning with the past and present in Greek Macedonia.
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November 2, 2026
1
min read
One of the most important aspects of good and effective service is being on time. Here's why...
Read more
September 18, 2026
1
min read
It's been a quarter of a century of being in London!
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September 8, 2026
15
min read
How the anthem for an independence movement has humble origins from a suburban kitchen on the other side of the world, unknown to those who live there
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September 2, 2026
20
min read
The odyssey ends with the final mission – bribing the doctor to make sure my auntie has her operation done properly.
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August 13, 2026
1
min read
I'm the guest on the latest episode
Read more
July 30, 2026
13
min read
Part 1 of my most Balkan trip ever, in 2001. With two extraordinary missions to complete, hurdles along the way ushered me instead into a unique Balkan experience. This is my story...
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July 27, 2026
2
min read
What are anchor clients and how I was able to regain one thanks to sound advice on using reminders
Read more
July 25, 2026
1
min read
My talk about Balkan multilingualism can be seen now!
Read more
July 21, 2026
1
min read
This has had me laughing all day. If you know, you know!
Read more
July 19, 2026
3
min read
How the 1990 World Cup was my most favourite one ever... but also the last straw for me with my relation the slowly combusting Yugoslavia
Read more
July 3, 2026
17
min read
Going from fax to internet... and into armed ethnic conflict. And how war hits harder when you actually have to deal with its brutal consequences.
Read more
June 11, 2026
1
min read
25 years ago today I left my birthplace Australia for what should have been a few years. I had no idea then that it would be permanent...
Read more
May 20, 2026
2
min read
Two years ago I attained the highest qualification for translators, Chartered Linguist. And I'm the only one in the UK for the languages I work from.
Read more
April 29, 2026
17
min read
What happens when our listeners can't understand what's supposed to be "their" language? The battle between standard languages and their dialects.
Read more
April 26, 2026
2
min read
Some memories of the after-effects of Chernobyl on
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April 25, 2026
11
min read
Parades, dawn services, two-up, biscuits... What you need to know about Australia (and New Zealand's) veteran's day. Plus, why the day is more important to some Aussies than others.
Read more
April 22, 2026
2
min read
So Lenin was one of the world's most prominent revolutionaries, but his legacy lasts by way of... first names and spring cleaning? All is explained here.
Read more
April 10, 2026
1
min read
Yes, it's that time of year again, and I'm glad to say that the eggs turned out great this year.
Read more
April 2, 2026
14
min read
How I transitioned from listener to being listened. But first, let's bring in some music. 1990s Macedonian Turbofolk anyone? And what was the (surprising) word we couldn't mention?
Read more
March 23, 2026
12
min read
50 years ago today started the service I loathed as a child... but became my ticket to my future. The crazy yet wonderful world of ethnic, and particularly "Yugoslav", radio in Adelaide, Australia.
Read more
February 21, 2026
2
min read
To show why mother languages matter, here's my story how educators in Australia tried stopping my parents speaking to me in my mother language.
Read more
February 10, 2026
1
min read
When you find footage of yourself as a child by accident on the net, and then find out it was shown on national TV!
Read more
February 9, 2026
15
min read
Think you can say vile things about the people around you because hardly anyone speaks your language? Think again! Because when you least suspect it, there'll be someone who does understand...
Read more
February 4, 2026
2
min read
Even after being cured of cancer and remission is over, there's still the threat of it coming back for around go. What to do with a new cancer scare?
Read more
December 31, 2025
17
min read
Cosplayers in Guangzhou, a Balkan restaurant in Kenya, a surprising Macedonian city and tears of joy and pain. The highlights of my travels in 2025
Read more
October 14, 2025
1
min read
Off to the beach? Avoid the snakes and sharks? No... something completely different but expected from me.
Read more
August 20, 2025
2
min read
Oil, banking, jewelry, optics, radio broadcasting, hard spirits... Nik does it all! But do I really?
Read more
February 20, 2025
4
min read
International Mother Language Day and Global Language Advocacy Day are on! So what do I consider to be my 'mother languages' and why one of them is under threat...
Read more
February 17, 2025
4
min read
The blog is expanding to a new platform and new audiences
Read more
February 16, 2025
2
min read
How my experience growing up Balkan in Australia has provided valuable knowledge to others.
Read more
November 24, 2024
2
min read
Yet another accreditation...
Read more
July 26, 2024
3
min read
At 4:17 am on 26 July 1963, Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, was almost fully destroyed in an earthquake measuring 6.1, killing thousands.
Read more
July 17, 2024
3
min read
The story of one of the freakiest things to have happened to me, involving what a Russian dedushka told me in Estonia and what later happened soon after I arrived in Ukraine.
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June 20, 2024
3
min read
World Refugee Day today. What would you if this happened to you?
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June 1, 2023
1
min read
🎉 50 years ago today, the Adelaide Festival Centre, the premier performing and visual arts venue and precinct in Adelaide, Australia, opened. The centre to this day remains one of the symbols of Adelaide. 🇦🇺
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