The fine folk at the Esperanto associations E@I and ILEI have recently released a 24-page booklet titled “Discover Esperanto”. It’s available in several national languages, one of which, of course, is English.

The booklet presents a very effective introduction to Esperanto, both the language and its history. It’s main contribution, however, is that it reproduces comments from Esperantists about how and why they use the language. An outstanding example would be from the American Amanda Higley, who spent sixteen months travelling in Europe yet only had to pay for three nights’ lodging: The other 470+ nights she spent as a guest of Esperanto-speakers.

I’d recommend the booklet to people who already speak the language, since they might just learn a little that they didn’t know about the origins of the language, but especially to beginners.

If anybody asks you about Esperanto, I think that this would be a wonderful thing to show them.

The English version is available to download here.

The JEB AGM 2010 took place on 15th May 2010 during the British Esperanto Congress in Llandudno. A copy of the minutes of this meeting is available to download here. If you require further information about any of the issues raised during the meeting, please feel free to contact us in the forums

During our AGM at the brita kongreso in Llandudno it was mentioned that JEB could build on the interaction that the forums allow us by also making a chatroom available.

A chatroom would allow people to practice their Esperanto without having to type up a lengthy post. Potentially we could also be an instant-tuition service for beginners.

Thanks to Thomas, we have a new chatroom as of today.

It’s not yet incorporated into the main page of the Jebsite or forums, so users will have to bookmark it directly.

Simply click here, enter a nickname, and talk with whoever happens to be online

JEB are planning to meet in the beautiful town of York (northern England) during the weekend of 26th/27th June 2010.

On the Saturday there will be a meeting of the Yorkshire & Humberside Esperanto Federation, where Professor John Wells will lead a programme on the theme “Kiel ekspluati la vortprovizon de Esperanto” during the day. The programme will start at 11am and finish at 5pm. To take part, you need to send a cheque for £12 (which includes lunch and tea/coffee) together with details of your name and address to F-ino AB Duerden. (It doesn’t seem right to publish her postal address here, but it’s included within the information on the “Somera renkontiĝo de JEB” event on Facebook, and if you’re not on Facebook you can get in touch with us on the forums.) Cheques should be addressed to “Yorkshire & Humberside Esperanto Federation”.

The seminar will take place in Guppy’s Enterprise Club, 17 Nunnery Lane, York. The location is not far from the main train station in York so should be easily accessible for everyone

We hope that lots of JEB members will take the opportunity to participate in this interesting event. For those who don’t fancy it or who won’t be able to arrive on time, we invite you to meet up with us afterwards, when we are bound to relocate to the nearest Wetherspoons to enjoy the rest of the evening

We’re currently looking for cheap accommodation in York and intend to spend the night there. On Sunday we hope to meet up again and see some of the sights of York.

So, if you’d like to come, please let us know either on Facebook or in the JEB forums. If you’re thinking of going to the seminar, please decide as early as possible and send your cheque to the federation, so that they know how many people are going to be coming

Mia vojaĝo al la Esperanto-aranĝo “Novjara Renkontiĝo / Novjara Internacia Semajno” en Saarbruecken, Germanio preskaŭ ne okazis. Unu semajno antaŭ la ekvojaĝo alvenis novaĵon, ke la dungitoj de la trajnfirmao Eurostar, per kiu mi intencis vojaĝi, intencas striki la tagon de mia vojaĝo. Poste okazis grandaj teĥnikaj problemoj kun la trajnoj mem – kelkaj paneis en la Manika Tunelo, kaj pro tio estis nuligitaj ĉiuj trajnservoj dum preskaŭ unu semajno. Sed feliĉe solviĝis ĉiuj trajnproblemoj, kaj la vojaĝo fakte okazis senprobleme.

Do alvenis mi, kun kelkaj aliaj britoj kunvojaĝantaj, ĉe la ĉefa stacidomo de Saarbruecken vespere je la unua tago de la renkontiĝo, dimanĉo. Terure pluvis, sed ni ĵus maltrafis la autobuson kaj do decidis piediri al la kongresejo – kie ni fine alvenis por trovi la ĥaoson kiu, laŭ raportoj de miaj amikoj, ĉiam troviĝas je la komenco de internaciaj Esperanto-aranĝoj.

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