Improve your writing!

This link will help you improve your writing skills in English. It is designed and aimed at younger students but should be useful to all. Keep clicking and find you way. Have fun and keeping writing. http://www.writingfun.com/

The Butterfly Circus

The Butterfly Circus, clip with Spanish subtitles, provides us with an opportunity to come up with some interesting vocabulary and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9582NStUdqU

Gatsby: Where Tinsel Town and Tragedy Mingle

We have been studying the classic F Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby in fourth year. Our reading was enhanced by watching a few segments of the 1970s movie adaptation starring Mia Farrow and Robert Redford. Here are a couple of interesting, well-written essays by Alejandro from NI2B Thanks for the good work. I hope to post more.

Jay Gatsby seems to be a very mysterious figure in the book. Describe how this “hero” or “villan” develops as a character in the novel.

Many things are said about Gatsby in the novel. At the beginning of the novel, every reference about Gatsby is confused. People barely speak about him and when it happens, there are always short opinions or their conversations are interrupted. In this way, Gatsby´s figure is really mysterious. Reading forward you can find out why Gatsby is mysterious, nobody knows exactly who he is, he throws wild, raucous parties but he is often alone. People say a lot of different things about him. This “villain” could be a German spy, a killer, a bootlegger, a gambler... Others think he was in the American Army in the world, being a “hero.” Anyway, his figure is not clear at all.

As you carry on reading you realize he is not a bad person. Gatsby would do anything for love. His only aim is to be happy with Daisy.

I don´t really know if he is a villain or a hero, but as Nick says at the end of the novel, Gatsby believed in his dream. Everybody has a dream, and like Gatsby, we must all follow our dream wherever it takes us.

What is Nick Carraway´s role in the novel? How does he change as the story develops?

Although Nick develops a very passive role, I think he is the protagonist of the novel. He does not change anything in the book, he only tells us what is going on in the story. This is a good way to make and join different stories.

In spite of keeping this passive role, I think he´s the protagonist because it links the all figures. Apart from Nick´s role, I think there are different main characters in the novel (something like shared-main roles). Maybe, the most important of them is Gatsby´s one.

There are a few times when Nick does something important for the story. One of them is that he arranges a meeting with Gatsby and Daisy.

He could change the end of the book because he knew how Myrtle had really died, and he knew what Tom had told Wilson, but Nick did not tell anything to anybody. This further shows how incredibly passive Nick was in the novel.

Alejandro NI2

Bilingual Basketball Vocabulary (English/Spanish)

Here is some bilingual basketball vocabulary for my students!
Since its origins in the late 18th century in Western Massachusetts, basketball has become an international sport. But, especially at the professional level, it continues to be considered a US sport. So it shouldn't be surprising that much of the Spanish-language vocabulary of the game comes from English, and that among fans some English terms may be understood more readily than the Spanish equivalents. These terms vary not only between Spain and Latin America, but even between neighboring countries. Even the name of the game isn't uniform throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The vocabulary below represents some of the most common terms used by Spanish speakers.
air ball — el air ball
assist (noun) — la asistencia
backboard — el tablero
bank shot — el tiro a tabla
basket (goal) — el cesto, la canasta
basket (score) — la canasta, el enceste
basketball (ball) — el balón, la pelota
basketball (game) — el baloncesto, el básquetbol, el basquetbol, el básquet
box score — el box score, el sumario
center — el/la pívot
cheerleader — la animadora, el animador, el/la cheerleader
coach — el entrenador, la entrenadora
corner — la esquina
court (playing field) — la pista, la cancha
defend — defender
dribble (noun) — el drible, la finta, la bota, el dribbling
dribble (verb) — driblar
dunk (noun) — el mate, el dunk
fast break — el ataque rápido, el contraataque
forward — el/la alero
free throw — el tiro libre
half, quarter (period of play) — el periodo, el período
hook shot — el gancho
jump ball — el salto entre dos
jump pass — el pase en suspensión
jump shot — el tiro en suspensión
key — la botella, la zona de tres segundos
man-to-man (defense) — (la defensa) hombre a hombre, (la defensa) al hombre
offense — el ataque
overtime — la prórroga, el tiempo añadido pass (noun) — el pase
pass (verb) — pasar
personal foul — la falta personal
pivot (verb) — pivotear
play (noun, as in "three-point play") — la jugada (la jugada de tres puntos)
player — el jugador, la jugadora, el/la baloncestista
playoff — la liguilla, la eliminatoria, el playoff
point (score) — el punto
point guard — el/la base, el armador, la armadora
post — el poste
power forward — el/la alero fuerte, el/la ala-pívot
press (noun) — la presión
rebound (noun) — el rebote
rebound (verb) — rebotar
referee — el/la árbitro, el/la referee
rookie — el novato, la novata, el/la rookie
screen (noun) — el bloqueo
screen (verb) — bloquear
scrimmage — la escaramuza
season — la temporada
shoot — tirar
shot — el tiro
shooting guard — el/la escolta
team — el equipo
technical foul — la falta técnica
timeout — el tiempo muerto
tournament — el torneo
turnover — el balón perdido, la pelota perdida, el turnover
warmup — el calentamiento
wing — el/la alero
zone defense — la defensa en zona
zone offense — el ataque zonal
zone press — el marcaje en zona

Boston: Keeping up with my Homeland

In the last few years I have visited Boston in summer holidays. Although I come from Western Massachusetts, the Bean Town was always dear to my heart. I am pleased to report that going back to that city more recently has proved to be very interesting and fun. I recommend Boston to my students who plan to tour the USA. You can keep up with the city and its environs at the following web site which is linked to the hometown newspaper, The Boston Globe: www.boston.com. I also use this link to keep up with my favorite basketball team and my hero Rondo!!!!! (pictured here on a layup).

Expedito Recommends the Guardian (London)

My NI 2 student Expedito from Cuatro Caminos (near San Mateo) recommended a couple of web sites for his colleagues at the EOI Santa Brigida. I thank him for his suggestions and include the Guardian link in the Recommendations sidebar.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Slang with a Twang!! Scrum with Rum!

As we start our second novel in the fourth year class, I notice we are going to get into a lot more slang. Here below (taken from the English Club site) is a link to some US slang, although in the archives there are slang terms from many lands.
The Irish travel Pete McCarthy once declared Australia the unchallenged capital of slang and swearing in the English speaking world. He noted that the Australian rugby team could defeat opponents "just by swearing at them!" Ouch!! ***%%% ! (expletive deleted).

http://www.englishclub.com/ref/slang-of-the-day.php

Banana English! English Banana!

I found this fun site for learning English with lots of materials for teachers and students of English and also drama. http://www.englishbanana.com/

I also happened upon a scrumptious recipe for banana pancakes ... which apparently is a delicacy of the Canary Islands. To avoid wildly unhealthy cholesterol and fat levels, I will keep the recipe to myself!

Learn English at Home or Abroad?

This is a recent writing assignment from the Flo-Joe link (http://www.flo-joe.com/fce/students/index.htm) which you may find of interest.

Writing Paper Part 2.
Task Type: Discursive Composition
Question: In your English class you have been discussing different ways of studying English. Your teacher has asked you to write a composition with the following title:

The advantages and disadvantages of learning English abroad compared to learning in your own country. Write your composition for your teacher (around 120-180 words). What you need to do to pass is to understand what the examiner wants you to do.

Ideas for writing. Ask yourself the following questions to help you get started:
What are the advantages of learning English abroad, especially in an English-speaking country?
What are the disadvantages? (E.g. Cost? Being homesick?)
What are the advantages of learning English in your own country? (E.g. Being with friends and/or people who have similar language problems to you?)
What are the disadvantages?
What is your final conclusion?
Drafting and proofreading your workYou should look at your first draft of the task and decide:
Have you answered the question?
Is the composition organised in a clear and logical way?
Is the language correct with a good range of structures?
Will the reader enjoy reading your composition?
Is the style OK?

If the answer to any of these questions is 'no' you will need to do some more drafting!

English Forum and other links

http://www.englishforum.com/00/

You will find many interesting links in one of the "recommended" sidebars on this blog, including the English Forum. With these links you can sail the seven seas in your English studies!

News in English: El Pais Offers Assistance

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Cyclists/can/hit/sidewalks/highway/authority/says/elpepueng/20110220elpeng_2/Ten

There are many ways to get local news in English now. Here is one example, taken from the national Spanish daily, El País. Hope you like it.

What are you doing? Present continuous

If any beginning students are still unclear about the present continuous tense, you should visit this link put together by Isabel Perez:


http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/present_cont.htm

The Typewriter

A dear Canadian pal of mine, found an abandoned typewriter beside a trash can in our city. He took it home where his nearest and dearest asked "what are you going to do with that?"
Thus I inherited the ancient artifact and now I am poised before the keyboard, ready to write a message to a friend back home, Wid and his family. It is a custom that used to take up a considerable part of my week, tappìng out friendly letters on a Smith Corona. The portable I typed on for many years was a high school graduation present from my sister Neal. I still cherish that machine and all its memories.
Unlike a PC, you have to really think before you tap away. You can cross out, but your errors and slip ups are all your own and out there for all the world to see. It can be a daunting prospect. Anyway, it is all part of the writing process from another era. I read an interview with the English novelist Penelope Lively who shuns the use of word processors in the novel-writing process. She much prefers pen and paper, it is a custom that has produced wonderful literature and even earned her success. Alan Bennett, the playwright, also avoids PC use, I read, and prefers a typewriter. That was his habit until very recently, anyway. Writing is a sacred act however we compose our thoughts. -- Delmar Lemming

Do you want to improve your writing skills? Then, write!!!

Many students complain that they find it difficult to express themselves in English. Some say they even have qualms about expressing themselves in their own mother tongue, Spanish, when it comes to paper and pencil.
I cannot help you with your Spanish, unfortunately, but there are some general considerations which might help you in any language you want to write in.
Putting pen to paper may be a challenge but I know from experience that the best recipe for overcoming this dilemma is to practice, to keep at it.
Here is a place where you can visit for assistance: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/achick.html

Glossary
qualms = misgivings (in Spanish, reparo)
keep at it = carry on, perservere (in Spanish, seguir dándole)

THESAURUS

Here is an on-line thesaurus:
http://thesaurus.com/

I love the thesaurus, a bulky index of words, words, words... their friends, enemies, relations, linkers.
Words are wonderful.
Words survive when we think they are dead!
Words serve our purposes when we are precise and betray us when we are vague.
Pete Seeger once quoted someone else (I am not sure whom) who said "never speak more clearly than you think."
Words are verbs, adjective, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, conjunctions and loads of other stuff. Words are tools!
Pete Seeger once wrote a song called Words that says

"Words, words, words,
In Tom's old Declaration
How much of truth remains?
If I only understood them
If my life pronounced them,
Would not this world be changed!?"

Drunken Sailor

This is one of the most amazing sea shanties of them all. A work song which serves as a standard singalong for the British Navy. As it has gotten institutionalized, it has also taken on loads of bawdy verses which I will not share with you here! Enjoy!

What shall we do with a drunken sailor (3x)
Early in the morning
(chorus) Way Hey and up she rises (3x)
Early in the morning

Pull out the plug and wet him all over (3x)
(chorus)

Shave his belly with a rusty razor! (3x)
(chorus)

Tie him by the leg in a running bow line (3x)

Wake him up and shaken him up! (3x)
(chorus)

Early in the morning!!!

Patience is a Virtue.... Help for Beginners!

http://www.eflnet.com/vocab/dictionary/clothing1.php
In class yesterday with the beginners' group, we were considering thedifferent pronunciation of
Writing -- (long "i" sound)andWritten -- (short "i" sound)
and your teacher explained that the two consonants (TT) were thereason for the short "i" sound.
"But this is too difficult," a wonderful student named Floryannounced. "How will we ever learn this!"
Well, I advise patience but also recommend getting as much exposure toEnglish as possible.If you would like to prove or disprove my observation about the doubleconsonants' effects on preceding vowel sounds, you can consult anon-line dictionary of English with prounciation options.I recommend the EFL vocabulary and grammar page cited above and alsolinked in the sidebar here.
Good luck and keep plugging away -- (plug has a short "u" sound, by the way!!!!)
David Shea, your teacher

Yikes! Cold Weather! Let's Serve some Soup!

Jung at Heart!

Carl Jung: Dreams and Symbols

http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/carljung.html

We are studying dreams and imagination in our NI (fourth year) classes. Somehow I got onto the subject of Carl Jung, one of my heroes, so here is some information. There are hyperlinks to many terms which may interest my students. Have fun and, as Jung advised, take your dreams seriously!

Dickens and Trafalgar Square: Lucia´s London Recommentations

London's city is one of the most important cities in the world. It is interesting for its museums and its history. Many tourists visit the Tower of London where you see are the magnificent crown jewels. Shakespeare lived and worked in and near this city. Although a native of Portsmouth, Charles Dickens, another famous author, wrote about the lives of the rich and poor people of London in his day. You can tour many impressive places in London such as the banks of the Thames, or you can visit the old Royal Observatory. You can visit the Imax movie or you can go to the London Eye and from there see the whole city. You can find many art galleries, in Trafalgar Square, you can visit the most famous, the National Gallery, with many famous paintings. London also has famous churches including St Paul's Cathedral. At night there are many festivals, pubs and club bars where you can have a good time with your friends. (Lucia)

A London Adventure with Patricia and her friends!

Dear friends:

Almudena, Esther, Angel and I are going to travel to London this summer. If you like, you can travel with us. There are many interesting places in London!! We have travel plans already! The first day, on Monday, we can go on a boat trip from Tower Bridge to Westminster; so, we see the town from the Thames which is a big part of London’s history. It has always been at the centre of the city. In the evening, we can visit The British Museum, one of the largest museums in the world. There are thousands of exhibits and over five kilometres of galleries, it is fantastic!

The Second day, on Tuesday, let's visit South Bank, there we can see The Royal Festival Hall and The Tate Modern. We can also see art galleries and we will have lunch in their restaurants or bars. In the afternoon we can visit the Imax Cinema.

On Wednesday, we visit Buckingham Palace, the London home of the Queen. The most famous old buildings are north of the river. The houses of Parliament and of course, Big Ben. This is the name of one of the bells.

London is well know for its parks so in the afternoon, we can visit some of them. We will go to walk through Hyde Park and Regent´s Park to see more than six thousand animals in its zoo. Then, we can attend an open–air theatre and we can watch Shakeaspeare’s plays.

On Thursday, we go shopping. London is world famous for its shopping. We go to Oxford street, Selfridges and Harrods. Surely there are sales!

On Friday, in the morning, we visit The London Eye, This is a big wheel that takes you 135 metres above London. We can see for forty kilometres in all directions. We can see St. Paul Cathedral, Windsor Castle and new buildings like The Milenniun Dome and Gherkin. In the afternoon we visit Canary Wharf, that is a new centre of business in London. On weekend mornings (Saturday and Sunday) we can take the tube to two well known markets, at Porto Bello Road and Camden Town. There they sell exciting things (and some junk).

On Saturday evening we will visit Covent Garden and have a coffee. Covent Garden is famous for its street performers. At night we will go to Soho to frequent the old pubs. On evening Sunday we return home. Oh well, it was a wonderful trip! Best wishes from Patricia NB1c

Visiting London with Nieves from NB 1C

Our NB1 students are planning an imaginary holiday week in London. Here Nieves offers an itinerary.

London town is very nice to visit. When I go there I want to see many interesting places. You can visit Imax Cinema or the London Eye, the biggest wheel in the world. From up there you can see the city for forty kilometers in all directions above London. Another very important feature is the Houses of Parliament with the clock tower or Big Ben. You can visit many parks, palaces or art galleries and museums for example The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square (one of the most famous places visited by everyone), The British Museum (with many ancient Roman, Greek or Egyptians pieces of art), Buckingham Palace where Queen Elizabeth lives or Hyde Park.

I love shopping so let's go to the most famous shop in London, Harrods. Another famous place for shopping is Covent Garden which, in the past, was a fruit and flower market although there are many more markets in London, two of them are in Notting Hill. This neighbourhood is also famous because it has the largest carnival in Britain.

When night falls on London, you have thousands of pubs where you can eat and drink. The Prospect of Whitby was built in 1520 or The Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden. In Soho there are many restaurants and cafes for a range of fare from more expensive to cheap meals. So you have Chinatown zone or very different restaurants, with French, Spanish, Indian Japanese food. If you want to go to the theatre or cinema you can go near Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.

In short, London is an incredible town to visit… so come on, let's go!

Irina's Unforgettable Holiday in Fuerteventura

Yes, I was there! I saw these enormous waves while sitting on the sand. All
morning, I walked along the sea shore. The sailing boats were beautifully located
just a few metres away. I checked into a hotel very near the beach and started my holiday in Fuerteventura.

There I practised surfing, kayaking, kitesurfing, canoeing, and diving. I was very proud of my progress in those activities. I started without knowing how to dive nor to surf but at the end of my vacations I enjoyed the feeling of being good at those sports. Furthermore, I met my boyfriend when we were canoeing, where I had the luck to explore the coastline, to smell the extraordinary nature and to gaze at the birds, trees, the blue sea and sky, and so on. That was the most unforgettable holiday of my life. Irina NI 2A

NB1 C Monday-Wednesday Group

David Shea's NB 1 C group (Monday-Wednesday 7-9) will meet on Monday at 7 as normal. We can review the examination results and also plan our next term. Thanks for all your enthusiasm and hard work! See you Monday at 7 in Room 19!!!! David

Susana's New Year's Secret

31st December 2010: Before the old year gave way to the new Susana NI 2 shared some new year's secrets!

On last New Year’s Eve my family and I went to a party in my neighbor’s house. Whenever we throw parties at home we always remember to invite neighbors, so they don’t complain about the noise. They hosted a fabulous spread including parma jam, foie gras, smoked salmon or stuffed dumplings for about 20 guests.
I wore a beautiful red dress which I had bought it in Internet, it was too big for me. I hadn’t time to get it altered, so I decided “do it myself” putting safety pins in the back side (no taking my jacket off, of course). We danced and drank Champagne and wine and at midnight we wished us a happy new year with kisses after choking on grapes.
When I got tired I was the safest transportation home: on foot, just across the street. The most interesting point of the evening was to create an atmosphere of intimacy, where everyone could stop trying to seem impressive and instead reveal ourselves to be the flawed creatures we all are underneath.

Gloria (from Seville) NI 2 Appreciates Las Palmas

Gloria wrote to an imaginary friend Suzie with details about Gran Canaria, from the Canteras to Tejeda and its almond trees in bloom!

Dear Suzie
I am living at the moment in Las Palmas. It is a fantastic and amazing city. The city centre is small but it has a special charm. You can choose different ways to get around the city centre but the best is on foot because you take photographs and you can stop in the different restaurants and cafés.
In this zone you can visit the cathedral and different old churches. There are important squares and parks. If you like shopping, make sure you visit the Triana shopping area.
The weather is often warm and sunny so you can swim or leisurely stroll on the “Canteras Beach”. From this beach you can see the most spectacular views of the neighboring island of Tenerife and Alfredo Kraus Auditorium. If you want go to the beach, you must go south on a touristic town. Careful this is more expensive or if you prefer mountains you really should visit Roque Nublo and the town of Tejeda.
The public transport is cheaper than taxi and there are some routes around the city. The buses are modern, clean and air-conditioned and many run up to 18 hours a day, every day. You can pay the fare using a Bono pass or cash. Taxi is more expensive but I believe that is the quickest because in Las Palmas we haven’t metro.
Whichever way or ways you choose to get around Las Palmas, you are sure to enjoy visiting this amazing city.
Best wishes
Gloria

Which month is special for you? NB 1 students respond

January is special because the Three Kings come to visit.

January is the first month of the year.

In January, there are sales (rebajas). (Lucia M)

February is special for me because I have a birthday.

In February we normally have Carnival celebrations.

In this month it is still winter and I like winter.

The almond trees bloom in February in the mountains.This month is special because it is short. (Leticia B)

March is when the flowers bloom and people wear happy colors.

In March the birds sing in our garden and the days start to grow longer.

March is special because we both have a birthday in this month.

(Esther and Patricia)

April is special because it is when I have my birthday.

April is special for Holy Week and Easter celebrations.

April is special because the days are long and I go to the beach.

April is special because I travel to Barcelona! (Guillermo)

May is the fifth month of the year and also the month of Spring.

In May, there are lots of flowers and lovers and there are 31 days!

(JuanMa from Bilbao!)

June is special because it is the month of my birthday.

In June, we start to go to the beach and some people begin their holidays.

June is special because the days are long and we eat summer fruit!

(Almudena G)

July is the second month of summer and I can go to the beach.

In July, people in the USA celebrate their Independence Day on the fourth.

In July there is a street party in the street where my grandfather lives.

In July I sometimes go to Agaete for a holiday. (Fabio)

August is special because on the third I have my birthday.

For a lot of people this is their favourite month for holidays.

My sister also has her birthday on 10^th August. (Nieves S)

September is special because students have a second opportunity to pass their exams.

In this month the beautiful season of Autumn begins.

On 18^th September it is my friend's birthday.

It is cheap to travel in September so I often take my vacations.

(Maria Nieves R)

October is my favorite time to visit my favorite beach.

The weather is wonderful in October and the beach is empty.

In October my wife has to work but I can take my holidays!

There is a big celebration in my town in October.

My wedding anniversary is in October. (Angel NJ)

November is special because it is my brother's birthday.

In November it is the first day I don't work.

I am on holiday sometimes in November. (Atteneri)

December is special because it is my best friend Vanessa's birthday.

It is also special because we celebrate Christmas.

This is the last month of the year.

On the 25^th many people gather with their family to have a nice meal and celebrate.

(Dunia GR)

Dunia and the Grapes of New Year's Eve!

It was about two years ago, in 2009.
First we gobbled up those twelve grapes
with our families at home and then we met
up with friends near of the Canteras beach.
 We all headed up to "Montaña Alta"
in Guía on the north coast and when we
arrived there, it was so cold.
About 10º I think. A friend started to
dispense blankets for everybody. I can't
stand the cold, so I had brought a lot of
warm clothes. The night was unforgettable
and we left the house about four or five
in the morning and when we arrived
in Tafira we could see the first dawn of 2010. It was beautiful,
the perfect dawn for a perfect night. (Dunia A, NI 2) 

Vocabulary: Gobble up (or gobble down) = comer de prisa o con muchas ganas

Trumpets Resound as the New Year Rolls in (Venezuela)

My best New Year's Eve Party was on 26th December 1992 in Hooligans pub. I lived in Caracas, Venezuela then and worked for “VIASA”airline, my office located in a famous shopping center. We were going to have lunch that day as every Friday night some colleagues and I would go for a beer before returning home for the weekend. I went out with my friend Jairo, of “TACA” airline, Costa Rica, I never had been to a new year's party because in Venezuela this special date is just for family celebrations, or at least that is the tradition.

Any way, we ate two pizzas and drank some beer, it was early and we talked about our jobs and laughed as the waiters wore special clothes as they hung balloons. A new band sang gaita, a typical Venezuelan Christmas music . In a few minutes many people sang all the songs and toasted with champagne, they gave us confetti , at 23:30 they started to announce the countdown....30min remaining…20min remaining…5min remaining…!!!!!!! 00:00 ! Happy New Yearssss !

People started to give hugs and kiss, many cried, some happy, some sad, others just drank their beer. It was funny and beautiful, I had never had a similar experience. Till then all my New Year's were quite boring, my mother did housework and at least she finished exhausted. My father played old songs all night and my brother had going to bed early and always on the balcony we watched people walking.

Now, living in the Canary Islands, my New Year's Day is calm, I enjoy making something for dinner and decorating my home, I will never go to a party on this date again, I fear! (Carolina P NI2 )

Maria T, New Year's Eve in La Palma island (2009)

My new year´s eve anecdote happened two years ago. It started on 31^st December 2009, when my sister, my mother and I decided to go to La Palma to spend that night where riends of my family reside. They are just like family.

We arrived in the evening and a few hours later we started to eat. We had dinner a modest but delicious dish which consists of chops with corncob, potatoes and green mojo. After dinner and the popping of the twelve grapes, my sister, my friend Ylenia and I went downtown for the street party. At 7 am, the three of us went to sleep in the car because we had drunk. The sunlight woke up us at 11 am. We were really hungry so we headed for a bar to have breakfast. After that, we decided to go to the beautiful secluded beach of “Los Cancajos” to continue the day. We arrived home at 6 pm. That was quite a memorable occasion!

Ines (NI 2) Remembers a Special New Year's Eve

NEW YEAR’S EVE

I have nice memories about a New Year’s Eve celebration when we went to Madeira in a cruise with the family and friends several years ago.

We arrived at Funchal early in the morning and we went to visit the city. The streets had a splendid Christmas decoration at that time with thousands of lights. The weather was lightly cold but not cloudy, the sun was shining and it was very nice to go for a walk.

That night everybody wore their best dresses for supper. I wore my long, black, evening dress and my high-heel-shoes. Our family and friends shared a large table. When one of my best friends was slowly walking to the table she twisted her ankle and fell on a chair near her. After that, she was very worried thinking about the people who had noticed that, although we insisted in saying her…No! Don´t worry nobody saw you!

For starter we had lobster salad with raspberry sauce. The main dish could be fish or meat. We had meat, a tasted sirloin in green pepper sauce, roast potatoes and sweet onions. And for dessert a fabulous pineapple cake with cream and almonds. We drank a lot of soft drinks and a bit of wine and champagne too.

Funchal is in a great natural amphitheatre looking onto the blue Atlantic so we could see the amazing show of fireworks from the boat which is the largest display in the world. Then we were dancing all the night. At 5 a.m. they served an amazing buffet of chocolate, it was delicious and then we went to bed.

I would like to celebrate my next New Year’s Eve in the same way!

Clown Costume Vocabulary

To give some background to today's topic here is some vocabulary you might fine useful.

Carnival Looms and Nancy is Ready!

A wonderful student Nancy applied for a (make believe) job in a casino that doesn't actually exist. She feels she is the perfect candidate for the post based on her clown experience. Speaking of clowning around, Carnival is coming up soon in Gran Canaria and throughout the Canary Islands. If you have not got a costume ready, check this one out!

Here is Nancy's letter

Mr. Randolph

I am writing in reference to your advertisement published on your website.

At the moment I am working independently as a clown. I usually organize children's party where I do magic tricks and games for children.

I am particularly interested in this job because I worked as a magician at The World Circus three years ago. I believe my experience as a magician would be an interesting quality to enable me to work in your company.

As you can see from on my CV, I have over four years of experience in dealing with customer sand I have done different magic courses and I knowledge about cards games. I have learned a wide variety of skills connected with my work.

I would be pleased to attend an interview to discuss my application in more detail. Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Nancy O of NI2

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

We have had a quiet Christmas holiday and now Little Christmas (January 6) looms, the most important day of observance in Spain.

My friend Luis in Santa Brigida closed his DVD rental business this week after over a decade of providing local residents with big screen dreams on their own home TVs.

Although it was sad to see the video shop close down, Luis did offer us a dozen films for our EOI Santa Brigida library. Students will be able to borrow these films which includes big hits like Star Trek (the movie) and more quirky movies such as Jim Jamusch's Broken Flowers with comic actor Bill Murray in a more or less serious role.

The Boston Globe rated Broken Flowers, "among the best films of 2005." We found it a bit slow but also compelling. The story of Murray's struggle to get his life on track and join the human race after a bout with some sort of mysterious depression was moving. The final scene leaves the audience totally up in the air. But let's not ruin it for future viewers!

I would stare at the grains of light suspended in that silence space, struggling to see into my own heart.What did I want? And what did others want from me? But I could never find the answers. Sometimes I would reach out and try to grasp the grains of light, but my fingers touched nothing.

Haruki Murakami, in the novel "Norwegian Wood"

Gloria Wants to Work at Camp Active!!!

Here is another great application letter for the imaginary camp job at Camp-Active.

It is written by Gloria NI2 who hails from Andalusia.

Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to apply for the job as Camp-Active counselor, recently advertised on your website.
As you can see in my CV, I have previously worked as a babysitter, entertainment organizer and in a school. All these posts involve work with children so I possess relevant experience.
In the different hotels where I have worked, we played games with children and this required considerable creativity to come up with new games every day. We practiced different sports such as cycling, tennis, sailing, windsurfing and all types of outdoor activities. At the school where I worked, I taught languages.
I am particularly interested in this job, because I love working with children and establish good relations with them. I feel sure that this experience would be valuable in the post as counselor.
Enclosed please find my CV. Thank you for taking the time to consider this application. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully,
Gloria

Tennis Coach Post Sought -- Nancy NI2A

Nancy NI2A is applying for an imaginary job. Her qualifications are also fictitious, but well written! She actually works in computers. This is a great model letter for anybody seeking employment.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in reference to the advertisement on your website.

I finished my degree three years ago. At the moment, I am in charge of the Happy Valley Tennis Club, teaching children how to play tennis. As a physical education teacher, my responsibilities range from organizing timetables and managing instructors to giving classes.

I have worked as a primary school teacher for two years. I believe that my experience with children and education make me a very competitive candidate for this position.

As you can see from my CV, I have worked as an instructor at various summer camps for children when I was studying. I am physically fit. I like to run every day and I hike once a month.

I would be pleased to discuss this letter and my enclosed CV at an interview. Thank you for taking the time to consider this application.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Nancy

Mercedes and her Sister!

(We have been discussing the merits of growing up as an only children. Mercedes NI2 wrote a nice essay on this subject. Please note the clearly organized structure with an introduction, central body and conclusion.)

Nowadays people start their own family later than our parents, and they often have to work long hours each day. So, many families have one child.

Parents with an only child can buy everything that a child needs, such as: clothes, shoes, computers and toys. They also can bring up a child better than many children. Only children are more independent because they don’t have siblings to help them. However, children without brothers and sisters may feel loneliness. They are often selfish because they don’t lend their toys to other children.

In my opinion, my sister is the most important person in my life, because she always helps me when I need it. She is very loyal and kind. I love shopping with my sister and my cousins, especially in the boutiques in Triana.

“Csarnok Market” Laura (NI2) takes us to Budapest

Csarnok is the name of the biggest market in Budapest. It is a beautiful 19th century cast iron building. The famous architect Gustave Eiffel, (well known for the Eiffel Tower in Paris), went to Budapest to design the East Station. The market was built at the same time, in the same style as the train station.

Csarnok Market is well-stiuated, just by the Danube river in Pest side, (the name Budapest comes from the join of Buda and Pest, the two big parts of the city separated by the Danube). It is easy to reach Csarnok, there are many buses and trams that stop near there.

The first thing you find when you arrive, is a sight of the wonderful building, the bridge, the river, and the Buda foot hills. As you enter the market, the great space overwhelms you. Though somewhat gray and not very bright, it teems with stalls that break the darkness with colorful vegetables and fruits, apples, peaches, strawberries… and bananas that come from South America or even the Canary Islands!

I think there are three big groups of stalls, the first one sells fruit and vegetables, where the colors abound ...but take care! These stalls sell different types of Hungarian peppers (or paprika), the little dark red ones, strong green ones which are bigger than the reds, and finally a lovely innocent light green pepper. Guess! Which one is the most spicy?.... The innocent light green may kill you! You don’t need to eat it, just hold the pepper in your hand to cut it, and touch your eyes or mouth with the same hand, and you will start to suffer its effects…just try it if you are brave!

The second group of stalls sells meat, milk, eggs and cheese. In this part of the market the smell is not so good, but you can buy fantastic meat, and also a vast array of Hungarian cheeses, very tasty and not dangerous.

Finally you find spirits, sweets and bread, these are my favorites. I love biscuits and cakes, and I could find there a wide range of them, very cheap. You can also buy strong popular Hungarian alcoholic drinks such as Palinka or Unicum. The bottles seem so rude, you can imagine they are very strong before you buy them. It doesn’t happen the same with the peppers!

As for the sound of the market? Csarnok is not a noisy place, which intrigued me, people don’t talk much to each other, when you go to a stall and there are people waiting, you find a perfect queue! Thus they avoid to ask the other persons whose the last one or whatever, with this system somehow they avoid communication!

This happens very often in Budapest, often gray and nostalgic, but always beautiful.

Spooky Story by Mercedes NI2

There are many versions of this old tale, but Mercedes made this one her own! Although Halloween is already gone, I wanted to include the story in our blog. Thanks to Mercedes for sharing her imagination with us!


Last Sunday I went to a Halloween party with my friends in an old house in Santa Brígida. We prepared a barbecue in the garden and my friend Peter told me a really scary story about himself. It went something like this...
One day, I worked in my grandfather’s house until midnight. The weather was awful, so I was driving slowly. Suddenly I saw a young girl standing on the road and I stopped. The young girl moved in my direction and got into the car. I took her to the town because she told me that her car had got broken down. Her name was Molly and she lived in a farm near the road. When we arrived in the town, I lent her my jacket because she was cold. I left her at the door of her own home and, after that, I left.
I returned to Molly’s farm to pick up my jacket two days ago. The farm was very old and untidy. I saw an old woman and I asked for Molly. The old woman was surprised and she told me that Molly died many years ago, and that her tomb was near there. I went to the cemetery and I discovered her tomb. I was quite surprised to see my jacket on her tomb!

Since then, Peter doesn’t drive that road at night.

Idaira: Our World Explorer

Idaira (NI 2) enjoys undertaking great adventures. Last summer she went with her boyfriend and a group of intrepid Spaniards on a trekking holiday to Papua, New Guinea in Indonesia. There they learned about a very different culture and savored the great outdoors with great forays into the hills and jungles. We would like to thank Idaira for sharing her slides with us of the trip in a fascinating presentation she made at EOI Santa Brigida recently. In the photo, Idaira crosses a very unusual footbridge in the wilds of Papua New Guinea.

MEMORIES

I just read an amazing novel by a Japanese writer.
I found this quote in the text and would like to
share it with you. -- Delmar Lemming

"…I think … people's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. Whether those memories have any actual importance or not, it doesn't matter as far as the maintenance of life is concerned. They're all just fuel. Advertising fillers in the newspaper, philosophy books, dirty pictures in a magazine, a bundle of ten-thousand-yen bills: when you feed 'em to the fire, they're all just paper. The fire isn't thinking 'Oh, this is Kant,' or 'Oh, this is the Yomiuri evening edition… ,' while it burns. To the fire, they're nothing but scraps of paper. It's the exact same thing. Important memories, not-so-important memories, totally useless memories: there's no distinction--they're all just fuel." — Haruki Murakami (After Dark)

Keep on the Sunny Side of Life

I learned this lovely Carter Family classic from Lorre Wyatt in the 1980s. He recorded it on his Folk Legacy LP "Roots and Branches" I seem to recall. Lorre tells a great tale about the author Ida Blenkhorn, which involves a nurse pushing her patients around in a wheelchair. One young woman's only request was that they stick to the sunny side of the path. It apparently led to a great song!

There's a dark & a troubled side of life
There's a bright, there's a sunny side, too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view

[cho:] Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us everyday, it will brighten all the way
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life

Though a storm in its fury breaks today,
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear;
Clouds and storms will, in time, pass away
The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Let us greet with the song of hope each day
Tho' the moment be cloudy or fair
As we walk let us clear a sunlit way
And hope other souls will travel there.

(Ida Blenkhorn, lyrics modified by Lorre Wyatt circa 1987)

You are my Sunshine (from Idaira of NI 2)

Many thanks to Idaira from San Mateo (NI 2) for the link to You are my Sunshine!

My kitchen (by Susana from Santa Brigida NI 2)

The kitchen is very special to me. I have lived here for over ten years and it has become a part of me. It’s full of personal possessions: my crockery I have collected over five years, the wooden furniture that I have personally chosen. Here you will find all the kitchen tools needed to prepare delicious and aromatic recipes. Even a part of the wall has been decorated with my own hands with cheerful flowered wallpaper.
It’s about to 6 meters long and 4 meters wide. It’s big enough to have a glass round table at the bottom with 4 leather chairs which is the local point of the room, just at the front of the conservatory. This conservatory is a large floor-ceiling glass window which looks out onto the garden. The other two walls to the sides are plenty of furniture and appliances such as a microwave, the oven and the fridge, everything of steel colour. But you won’t ever find anything on the table or worktop except some flowers or fruit if we aren’t eating or cooking. This is because I can't stand clutter.
There isn’t any door, which means you come straight into through the living room and the dining room. In fact, there is no door anywhere on this floor except at the bath.
Whenever we have a party or a Christmas dinner, people gravitate with their drinks to the kitchen. It always ends up the fullest and noisiest room in the house but I harbour very pleasant memories of it.

Notes on You are my Sunshine

This old family favorite of mine has a lot of history to it. Apparently one of the co-authors actually ran for governor in Louisiana (or was it Mississippi?) and won.

Whatever the case, he helped produce one of the most tuneful folk classics in US singable history. Indeed, this has proved a crowdpleaser for me in three continents.

Please note that I have never, as far as I know, ever sung the song in G (one sharp) as written below. But the melody is more or less right. Enjoy this ditty and keep singing!

Delmar Lemming

Popular Request for Guaci and all!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away!

1) The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.

2) I'll always love you and make you happy,
If you will only say the same.
But if you leave me how it will grieve me,
You'll regret it all some day.

3) You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one else could come between.
But now you've left me to love another;
You have shattered all of my dreams.

HALLOWEEN IS COMING

One of our favorite holiday celebrations, Halloween, is coming soon. We hope to have another session of spooky stories and songs and activities for our classes at the EOI Santa Brigida.

The Cat Came Back!