Satisfied n Tickled, Too (Delmar Lemming tribute to two heroes)

The Girls of Zway

Road to Zway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPqt66i618o

Road to Zway

Here are Mariana (right) with Clara (middle) and their Canary friend Irina (isletera) at an Ethiopian restaurant and dance club in the capital of Addis Ababa. Travel to an amazing country in the eastern Horn of Africa with a group of eager, enthusiastic young people who want to live and learn from the Ethiopian students and our host teachers, it is very worthwhile. So it was easy to write the song Road to Zway which I hope you like. Here is the song: 

ROAD to ZWAY 

by David Shea /Delmar Lemming 

Well I ve never seen your country 

Says the pirate to the guy 

Who is busy checking passports 

As we set our sights on Zway 

On the road to Zway

We've been yearning, ever burning

On the road to Zway 

You can fix that old two-wheeler

Said an angel with a sigh 

But we had better get back to choir 

And the mission house in Zway 

On the road to Zway

On the road to Zway 

We've been burning 

Ever learning 

On the road to Zway 

Comments on Clara in the Rain

My song Clara in the Rain is based on a real experience. A couple of years ago in the month of August, my daughter Mariana and her friend Clara (pictured above) and I participated in a summer school program in Zway, south central Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa. In a violent thunder and lightning rain storm, we had to abandon our sports day and take refuge in the camp base where we were staying. Once all 15 volunteers were safe from the torrential rains, their "fearless leader" realized he had left his rucksack in the playground. Yikes! It was going to get soaked! Well, Clara only needed that excuse to go running back in search of the missing bag. That is the story and here are the lyrics.

Run Like Clara in the Rain

Bag left in the mission yard

Thunder, lightning, it was raining hard   

I told Irina, told Mikel, too

They told Clara, see what she might do

I’d like to run like Clara in the rain

               Refrain

I’d like to run like Clara in the rain

Feel such joy within my veins

Drench my clothes through and through

Run with Irina and Mikel too

I’d like to run like Clara in the rain

2”Hey,” says Clara “let’s have a little race”

Mad dash to the playground gates

Mud tromp down a pebble lane

Make that forgotten treasure claim

I’d like to run like Clara in the rain

3 Thanks for your kindness, that crazy spree

Muddy clothes, imagination free

I warned them but it was no use

That bag had just been their excuse

To run like Clara in the rain

Feel such youth within their veins

So ran Irina and Mikel

To catch dear Clara in the rain

4 Youth is contagious, joy is just

Laughter’s a bike that will not rust

Unless you leave it in the rain

Defy all sorrow, go a little insane

When you run like Clara in the rain 

Clara in the Rain

Clara in the Rain by Delmar Lemming (D Shea)

This is a song I wrote in celebration of a summer storm in the town of Zway, East Shoa, Ethiopia. My daughter, Mariana Shea, and her dear friend Clara, travelled to Zway to team teach with Ethiopian instructors from Mary Help School during the month of August 2017. It was a fantastic experience. Everything described in the story actually happened. Or I think it did, anyway. 

These are the Times (Red Grammer/ performed by Delmar Lemming)

Hop along, Peter,

Old Uncle Peter, he got tight,

Started up to heaven on a stormy night.

The road being rough and him not well,

He lost his way and he went... to...

CHORUS:
     Hop along, Peter, where you going?

     Hop along, Peter, where you going?

     Hop along, Peter, won't you bear in mind

      I ain 't comin' back till the gooseberry time.

Old mother Hubbard and her dog were Dutch,

A bow-legged rooster and he hobbled on a crutch.

Hen chewed tobacco and the duck drank wine;

The goose played the fiddle on the pumpkin vine.

Down in the barnyard playing seven-up,

The old tom cat and the little yellow pup,

The old mother Hubbard, she's a-pickin' out the fleas,

Rooster in the cream jar up to his knees.

I've got a sweet gal in this here town,

If she weighs an ounce, she weighs seven hundred pounds,

Every time my sweet gal turns once around,

The heel of her shoe makes a hole in the ground.

Book review NI1

Book review

Introduction: give the title and author of the book.

• Body:
  1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
  2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
  3. Say something about the main characters.
  4. Say something about the content.
  Conclusion:
  1. Comment on the book.
  2. Let others know why you liked the book.
  3. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book interesting?.
  4. Would you recommend the book to certain people (fans of romance, horror, history)?

Write about 150 – 200 words about the book

Deadline for this assignment: November 22, 2016

Cat on the Moon?

You may want to know more about our new cat song. Please search in the box provided (above) for the song. You need to enter a key word. That is all. 

Cat Came Back!

ROVING GAMBLER

ROVING GAMBLER

(Cisco Houston)

I am a roving gambler, I gamble all around
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards I lay my money down.

I've gambled down in Washington, I've gambled over in Spain
I'm on my way to Georgia to gamble my last game.

I had not been in Washington not many more weeks than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little gal, she fell in love with me.

She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
She whispered low in her mother's ear, "I love that gambling man."

"Oh daughter, Oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so?
To leave your dear old mother, and with a gambler go?"

"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, you know I love you well
But the love I have for this gambling man, no human tongue can tell."

"I hear that train a-coming, it's a-coming 'round the curve
A-whistling and a-blowing and a-straining every nerve"

"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me back again, it'll be with that gambling man."

The Ballad of Jesse James

The Ballad of Jesse James

Jesse James was a lad that killed many a man

He robbed the Danville train

He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor

He'd a hand, a heart, and a brain

(Chorus)

(Poor ) Jesse had a wife, to mourn for his life

And three children, they were so brave

But that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard

Has laid poor Jesse in his grave

Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor

He couldn't see a brother suffer pain

And with his brother Frank

he robbed the Springfield bank

And he stopped the Glendale train

(Chorus)

It was Robert Ford, the dirty little coward

And I wonder how he feels

For he slept in Jesse's bed and he ate o' Jesse's bread

But he laid Jesse James in his grave

(Chorus)

It was with his brother Frank that he robbed the Gallatin Bank

An' carried the money from the town

It was at that very place that they had a little chase

For they shot ol' Captain Sheets to the ground

(Chorus)

They went to a crossing, not very far from there

And there they did the same

For the agent on his knees delivered up the keys

To the outlaws, Frank an' Jesse James

(Chorus)

It was on a Wednesday night, not a star was in sight

When they robbed the Glendale train

Those people, they did say for many miles away

It was robbed by Frank an' Jesse James

(Chorus)

It was on a Saturday night,

When Jesse was at home

Just talking with his family brave

Robert Ford came along like a thief in the night

And laid poor Jesse in his grave

(Chorus)

Now, the people held their breath

When they heard of Jesse's death

They wondered how he ever came to die

It was one of his own gang called little Robert Ford

An' he shot Jesse James on the sly

(Chorus)

Jesse went to his rest with his hand upon his breast

And there are many who never saw his face

He was born one day in the County of Clay

And he came from a solitary race

(Chorus)

This song was made by Billy Gashade

As soon as the news did arrive

He said there's no one man with the law in his hand

Could ever take ol' Jesse James alive

Into the Holler (by D Shea and Katy Hooper)

This is a song I wrote with my friend Katy Hooper who sings with me on this recording. We were pleased to have the able accompaniment of Diego Torres on the flute. I hope you like it. 

Questions, a key language learning technique (for all my students)

For the last few academic years, I have been considering different strategies to stimulate conversation in my classes. One fairly simple method of getting people talking is to propose topics of interest. For each topic, the students are presented with a series of questions to share with a partner or in small groups. 

This idea is not original, it actually dates backs to the Greeks, but more recently, I have been taken by the work of Larry Pitts who teaches English language and culture in Korea. His book has been a valuable resource for me. I do not use all his listed questions, but rather choose a few that I hope the students will appreciate. In future postings here, you will find some of my lists.

Advice

What three pieces of advice will you give your children?

Whose advice do you follow more, your parents’ or your friends’ advice?

If you could give the leader of your country some advice, what would it be?

If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would you
tell your younger self?

Who was the wisest person in your country’s history? 

What kind of advice did that person give?

Where do you go to get good advice?

Now it’s your turn to give some advice:

1) 

2) 

3)

What are some things students should do to improve their English?

What should I do to make more money?

How can I get more free time?

What should people do when first meeting their boyfriend/girlfriend’s parents?

What should someone do to be happy?

( Adapted from the following source materials: http://iteslj.org/questions/)

CLIL students

Welcome to all my CLIL students who want to improve their communication skills, achieve better speaking skills. 
Here are our first questions: 

1) How useful is English to you?

2) How often do you use it?

3) What are your strengths in English?

4) What English speaking countries have your visited?

5) Do you have any strategies for improving your spoken English?

Huddie Ledbetter, great American singer, songwriter and the king of the 12-street guitar

Huddie Ledbetter, as known as Leadbelly, is one of my favorite singers. I am going to include two of his songs in the next few classes. I hope you like them and find them interesting and fun to sing!

biographical data for Huddie Ledbetter

On a Monday (by Huddie Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly)

For Leadbelly Song, Click here  

On a Monday (by Huddie Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly)

On a Monday
I was arrested
And on a Tuesday,

I got locked up in jail
And on a Wednesday
My trial was attested
And on a Thursday
Nobody would go my bail

Yes I'm gone
Aaaalmost most gone (3x)
And I ain't going to be seein' them pretty women no more

Take these stripes
These stripes from off my shoulder
Take these chains
These chains from off-a my leg
Well these stripes,
You know that they don't bother me
But these chains
These chains are killin' me dead

Yes I'm gone…

Now on a Friday
My baby went out walking
And on a Saturday
You know she locked up the door
And on a Sunday
She must have done some talkin'
Cause on a Monday
She had sold all o my clothes.

Yes I'm gone …

Speaking Test Tips

RULE ONE: BE POLITE

“Good afternoon, my name is Fabio BL…. (entire name) and I am very happy to have this opportunity to share my thoughts today. “

THEN enter into your topic:

“In this photo, we can see ….” or “I can see “ or “There are many people dancing ...”

RULE TWO: LOOK BEYOND THE IMAGE

“I also notice that many of the people in the picture are in a hurry, they are walking along the road toward the port, perhaps they are going to take a boat to another island or maybe they will meet someone who is arriving at the port of Las Palmas.”

RULE THREE (IMPORTANT): Finish off with a flourish!

Examiner: “Okay, excuse me, your time is up, the exam is finished.”

You: “Well, that's all I would like to say, thank you for listening to me and have a great afternoon.”