Alicia (NI2B) Remembers Her Best Teacher from Grade School

My favourite teacher was my English instructor in the eighth grade of primary school.
He was a tall man with dark hair, broad shoulders and bushy eyebrows. He was over forty, balding with a big moustache, a round face with chubby cheeks. He used to have a very good sense of humour and vivid imagination. He was always telling jokes. He was highly intelligent but he didn't lose his temper easily with us. He was friendly and he seemed to be a very good person, he never wanted to hurt his pupils’ feelings and he taught us to be honest. The first time I saw him I thought he was very shy but when he started talking to us I realised that he was quite confident.
He made us study hard and in that academic year I think I really started learning English. We had to memorize long texts or dialogues, then we had to perform in class. I enjoyed his classes but as he was so relaxed, sometimes I fell asleep. But do not get me wrong, the classes were never dull. They were very interesting by far. He was easily the best teacher I had in primary school.

Let's go to Costa Rica!

Jesús B dreams of exotic climes! In NI2B We have been proposing some far off adventures.

Dear Jose,
I’m thinking about where I’d like to spend my next summer holidays. I have visited most of Europe but I’ve never gone to America. I know the USA and Canada are the safest places there, but I would prefer to take in a country with a more natural landscape. Although Central and South American countries are somewhat dangerous I’ve read Costa Rica is the best option, because it has a lot of natural protected areas, with different climate zones and varied landscapes.
I believe it is an ideal place to see wild animals and plants, both in the sea or inland. Costa Rica boasts one of the world’s most well-preserved rainforests. Therefore, I have heard you can do many outdoor activities there, like canoeing, rafting, snorkelling and swimming. A very nice experience is to see turtles laying their eggs in a hole in the beach sand. They do this at night and always at the same beach where they were born, it must be incredible!
Jose, I know you love wildlife like me and you are looking forward to visiting a country like Costa Rica. I’ve been checking out some websites searching for information about accommodation, flights and travelling around the country. I think the overall cost will be about € 2000 for two weeks.
Aren’t you dreaming of this trip? I am sure we will have a marvellous holiday. Please, write me soon. We have to book hotels and flights three months before the departure. Best wishes, Jesús

MY FAVORITE TEACHER FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL

By Maria del Mar

My favorite teacher from primary school was Mary because she had such a cheerful character. She was fifty years old, wasn't very tall and she had white, short hair so she seemed older than she was.
She had a very fair skin, with small blue eyes. Her hands were very small and very strong, too. She told me when she was a kid she lived in the countryside and had to work very hard with her father. Also she told me that she learnt much about life in the countryside and liked it more than living in the city. She had moved to the city to find a job and was happy teaching children.
As I say, she was cheerful and always singing with her guitar which I found quite amusing. She was bossy, too, because she urged us to study hard and wanted us to be responsible children. She was caring and kind and always helped us.
When I left school, we talked once a week, talking about our lives. She was more optimistic than me and helped me to see the bright side of everything and gave me good advice.
We stayed in touch over the years and nowadays I can talk with her about anything so I consider Mary to be like my grandmother. Although we don't live in the same town now we talk on the phone almost every day.

That's all folks!

Miguel Angel from our NI2B class wrote a great account of his foggy adventure. Now here is the question: is it truth or fiction. Please write and let me know! -- David

It was a cold rainy night as we drove along the old road to Santa Brigida, when suddenly, my car broke down. I tried to fix it, but apart from a wheel flat, the battery was low and I could not make the engine start.
We parked the car and started to make our way home. Several cars overtook us but no one stopped to help, even though it was raining cats and dogs. Soon we got wet; we did not take any umbrella or raincoat. We could not see beyond 2 meters, due to the rain and mist. It was 2 p.m. and we were worrying a lot because we had a very long way to reach home.
As we passed by the dark streets and houses on either side, dogs were barking – but still, no one helped us – even that we saw people peeping through their windows. It was getting worse and worse when we saw a car approaching with blue lights on the roof. They stopped at our side and asked what we were doing at that time and in such heavy rain. We explained that we were lost and our car had broken down.
But they did not believe us since it was someone in the neighbourhood who called the police, saying that a strange couple were walking in the rain and that perhaps we were nuts. They took us to the police station and it was the following morning that they set us free. What we did first was take the car to be repaired, and later, visit the doctor for a heavy cold. And that’s all folks!