Articles written by Jon Martin

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About me - Jon Martin

Enthusiastic writer interested in prose fiction and non-fiction on unusual topics.

Soon to graduate (hopefully) with a BA in English Literature.

I have travelled in Australia, New Zealand, Bolivia and Chile, and am planning a bike ride across Africa.

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Pets & Animals > Birds Bird facts: Golden Eagle: 2 of 20
You live on the periphery of civilization, deep in the Altai Mountains of Central Asia. All your children are hungry, as is the wheezing donkey who hauls your weight from one desolate valley to another. But how are you going to find food in these wastes? Well, that's where the golden eagle perched on your left arm comes in us... More..
Arts & Humanities > Philosophical Concepts What is true love?: 8 of 76
I once met an elderly couple at my local train station, and started a conversation about the erratic rail service. The old boy launched into an unrelenting tirade about disrespectful ticket attendants, uncomfortable seats and obnoxious fellow passengers, soon erupting into an unwavering crescendo of churlishness and vicious i... More..
Society & Lifestyle > African & Middle Eastern Culture The hijaab/ head scarf: 1 of 9
There are three main types of veil worn by Muslim women: the hijab, which covers the top of the head and wraps around the neck; the niqab, which is a full-body veil leaving just a slit for the eyes; and the burqa, which hides even the eyes with a mesh screen. "Hijab" is often used in Western countries in reference to any type... More..
Arts & Humanities > Languages (Other) Learning the Arabic language: 1 of 6
How do you deal with the horror of Arabic broken plurals?I remember well the heart-wrenching moment. I had spent an enjoyable few weeks learning Arabic script and beginning to write simple sentences. And then I was faced with the agonising realization that most Arabic nouns have different plural forms. Rather than simply addi... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Adventure: 45 of 183
The Ready Salted Odyssey.I watch the others being eaten and wait for my own time to come."Relax," says the cowboyhatted man while his fingers bludgeon me to fragments. "I know a good shortcut. Of course I won't get lost." He hangs up the phone and munches one of the last of us.He won't eat me; won't even notice me. I've becom... More..
Sports & Recreation > Boating & Sailing Yacht reviews: Westport 164: 1 of 4
Westport's latest and largest tri-deck luxury motor-yacht seems a world apart from the commercial fishing boats that the company originally began building in 1964. Yet, despite how leading-edge computer-aided design has evolved the Seattle-based shipbuilder's products into paradigms of yachting elegance, beneath the W164's ma... More..
Travel > Transportation (Other) Tips for a great biking vacation: 2 of 6
I woke on the slopes of a lonely mountain and gazed down at the plain which, bathed gold by the early sun, stretched away to a distant horizon. Out there I could see a hamlet whose mud-brick buildings were the homes of native Aymara Indians; people who had never met a westerner in their lives. But that was soon to change, bec... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Outdoor revelries: 12 of 31
Cycling down a Steep HillIn arthritic insectoid poseI'm hitched to wicked metaland dash with legs and feet and fistsagainst the gnashing of the pedals that revolvethe tarmac to an engine-grind blur beneath my solesbike wheels sing at fifty with frantic panic stricken whispersand breeze brings me to distortionair, everywhere, ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Islam Story of the prophet Sulaiman: 1 of 1
Dawud, prophet and second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, had nineteen sons who all wanted to inherit his throne. With Allah's guidance Dawud chose as his heir the youngest, Sulaiman, for his wisdom. When Dawud died Sulaiman became prophet and king at the age of thirteen.Allah received favourably the humble pr... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Common grammar mistakes and how to fix them: 16 of 27
* "Whose" or "who's"?"Whose" is the possessive: "Whose is this half-eaten sandwich?" "I wonder whose this old sock is.""Who's" means "who is": "Who's coming for a pint with me?" "Who's that strange looking man behind the tree?"* "Its" or "it's"?"Its" is the possessive. "Don't play with its tail." "This is its last chance to l... More..