The negative side of positive thinking

There's a version with Spanish subtitles here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVMBljP80-4

How to wrap a bottle

Some practical advice for those of you who are just as bad as me at wrapping presents, especially those difficult bottles.

Christmas recipes and the Christmas party

Remember the Xmas party is on Thursday the 22nd of December. Don't miss it!

Also remember that although food and drink will be provided at the party, those of you with enough spare time, willingness and skill, are welcome to bring your own HOMEMADE Xmas biscuits, cakes, etc.

If you don't know where to look, this page has a wealth of mouth-watering pictures and recipes:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Christmas-Recipes/Christmas-Candy-Recipes






















Another good page for recipes is Epicurious.

You can use Epicurious's advanced search page in order to narrow down the type of recipe you're looking for, using one or more of the options.

For example:

• cuisine= American/English/Irish, etc
• occasion= Christmas
• type of dish=cookie/cake/candy, etc 

50% of Americans don't believe in evolution

I wonder what the percentage of Europeans would be. Surely a lot higher, don't you think?

In this case it's a school superintendent protesting that the school biology exam doesn't refer to how the world was created according to the Bible (= creationism), but instead just refers to Evolution. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/kentucky-evolution-challenge.html.

Apparently it's an ongoing controversy in the US.

Scary? Worrying?

Cold shoulder for Spanish Royal in corruption scandal

I found this article funny. What about you?

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/annanicholas/10145550/cold-shoulder-for-spanish-royal-in-corruption-scandal/

Aren't they lovely?

London's Famous Red Buses Go Hybrid

Read about it here: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070393_londons-famous-red-buses-going-hybrid-thanks-to-volvo

Improve your fluency

Just in case you haven't received the email from the school, here is the information about the course the EOI will be offering from January onwards.

It is targetted at ex-students who have already passed 5th year (B2), or for students who are currently doing 5th year and wish to improve their fluency (as speaking time in class is always limited).

Price, dates and times are included in the information, but if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Scotland Shut Down By Icy 165mph Blasts

Listen to the latest report on the situation today in Scotland ( not very strong Scottish accent).

Read about it here: http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16125967

Spanish eggs

As Federico Trillo would say "manda huevos!"

As if the Spanish cucumber scare wasn't enough, the UK is debating whether to ban Spanish eggs. Why? The hens' welfare, apparently.

Read about it: UK could ban Spanish eggs

What is it with the cucumbers, hens and eggs?

Little Red Riding Hood

A different version of the fairy tale you probably all know and love.

November Rain

A pretty song for depressing and melancholy autumn.

It's good to bear in mind that there's only one month left until the days start lengthening again.

Lyrics:

November Rain - Guns'n'Roses

When I look into your eyes I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you, don't you know I feel the same
'Cause nothin' lasts forever and we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain

We've been through this such a long long time
Just tryin' to kill the pain, yeahh..
But lovers always come and lovers always go
And no one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walking away
If we could take the time to lay it on the line
I could rest my head just knowin' that you were mine
All mine

So if you want to love me then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin' in the cold November rain

Do you need some time on your own
Do you need some time all alone
Everybody needs some time on their own
Don't you know you need some time all alone

I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you

Sometimes I need some time on my own
Sometimes I need some time all alone
Everybody needs some time on their own
Don't you know you need some time all alone

And when your fears subside and shadows still remain
I know that you can love me when there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness we still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain

Don't ya think that you need somebody
Don't ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one...

Immigrant workers leave struggling Spain

An alternative to Germany? CNN covers the situation of Argentinian immigrants who have decided to go back to Argentina due to the European crisis, as well as that of Spaniards who have decided to try their luck over there.

American accent. Slow-ish, so easy to understand.

The written article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/18/world/americas/spain-argentina-workers/index.html

Won't get fooled again

A good song for before the elections. :P

I recommended THIS video, which has "embedding disabled by request", meaning that you have to click on the link and go to YouTube to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgubG-MOPT4

It's worth it though, believe me; not to mention that the clothes and hairstyles are more entertaining.

This video is more recent, but in my opinion it's not as good as the other one:

Lyrics:

The Who - Won't get fooled again

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again

Change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fall, that's all
But the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie

Do ya?


There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-by
And the parting on the left
Is now a parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

The Euro Crisis Song

My colleague Carlos sent me this link.

Ok, maybe it's not the most optimistic of songs just before Christmas time is coming, but you have to admit it's a catchy tune.

Cuuuuuuuuuuute ♥

Dog and dolphin friends.

I knew Labradors liked swimming, but I hadn't realised they were such strong swimmers.

Clocks go back (again)

I've decided to make this video a tradition in this blog as it's the only thing that makes me feel better about the whole business of messing around with our biological clocks in the name of something or other.

So, for you, yet again:

Transcript:

This weekend the UK changes, from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time.
Now this often leads to some some confusion, which is why we've made this simple educational film for you and your friends.
Now the first point to make is that the clocks will actually be going backwards rather than forwards. The easiest way to remember that is that it's Autumn, or "Fall" as the Americans call it, as in to fall back rather than spring forward.
Now what this means is that at 2 am on Sunday morning, old time, it's actually going to be 1 am Sunday morning, new time.
So that means for one day only you have a whole extra hour to do... well, whatever you want with.
So be selfish. Why waste it on anybody else?
Brought to you by Radox, official sponsors of the clocks going back.

More about flying

Irish airline Ryanair flight: crew fix pilot's windscreen with duct tape:

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/10/24/ryanair-flight-forced-to-land-as-tape-used-to-fix-pilots-window-comes-loose/

Ok, but in this case, no stereotypes are threatened... :P

Pilot stereotypes

Do you remember how in class you (both groups!) more or less agreed that the accent WAS important, rating a "sevillano" accent as one of the scariest ones to hear before take-off ?

So what about the Scandanavians? More specifically, the Swedes? Serious and trustworthy, eh, like a Volvo or a Saab, I suppose. Yes?

Because if you feel safe with a blond blue-eyed pilot with a nice Swedish accent, you'd be right! :D

Statistically, almost half of them actually manage to fly the plane without falling asleep at the controls.

It says so here: Half of Swedish pilots fall asleep in the cockpit. Reassuring, eh?

Changed your mind about accents?

Words commonly misspelt

Pere F. from 5B has sent me the link to this great page on classical spelling mistakes:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

What a good idea!

Hey, maybe we could adopt this idea at our school in order to improve mobility, especially when there's a fire or something.

Word as image

Analía from 5A sent me this clever video.

Googling leads me to these pages: http://www.coolhunting.com/design/word-as-image.php and http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203914304576629302853066150.html?mod=googlenews_wsj.

American stereotype in the UK

Two extracts from the "Ruddy Hell, it's Harry and Paul!" show, taking a humourous and politically incorrect view of how Brits (cold, reserved, discreet, grumpy) portray Americans (loud, invasive, indiscreet, exageratedly cheerful and friendly).

Excuse the bad picture/sound quality.

More about Moodle

Weeeeell, I've been sitting here in front of the computer for two hours on a nice sunny peaceful relaxing Saturday morning, making adjustments and fiddling around with two of the three different moodles that I have to use, with no sign of an end in sight, and a particular song line springs to mind.

Moodle killed the Blogger star

Well, as some of you know, this school year things have changed a bit in all levels of public education, and not necessarily for the better, what a surprise.

The reason? A six-letter word, beginning with C and ending in S, with another S somewhere in there. Got it? It also has two Is and an R.

In our school, the new law that obliges teachers to do one more teaching hour a week has been put into practice in the form of the school Moodle platform. (Different schools have chosen different options).

This is of course not necessarily bad as such, as the Moodle platform has certain advantages. I can't think of any right now, but it does.

The thing is that a lot of us already used to dedicate quite a lot more than an hour a week on our own private blogs, quite happily and of our own free will.

But now the time we spend on online activities has to be quantified (=Moodle), and for this reason I really don't know if I'm going to have time to continue this blog, however much I'd like to.

Disadvantages of Moodle? That it's closed to all people who are not current students of the EOI. This is the bit that I don't like as I enjoy the independent open personal side to blogging. It's nice to see that people have visited from India or the USA or Germany, for instance. That's the whole idea of internet, surely? Sharing world-wide. I'm sure Tim Berners Lee would agree with me.

As I say, though, Moodle does have some advantages, which still haven't come to my mind as yet, but believe them me.

I think this is a good song to represent change.

Lyrics:

Video killed the radio star - Buggles

I heard you on the wireless back in fifty two
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through

Oh-a oh

They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine and new technology
And now I understand the problems you can see

Oh-a oh
I met your children
Oh-a oh
What did you tell them?

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

Pictures came and broke your heart
Oh-a-a-a oh

And now we meet in an abandoned studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
And you remember the jingles used to go

Oh-a oh
You were the first one
Oh-a oh
You were the last one

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone to far

Oh-a-aho oh
Oh-a-aho oh

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone to far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Put the blame on VCR

You are a radio star
You are a radio star

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are a radio star)

Oh-a oh
Oh-a oh
Oh-a oh

A time to learn

Hello new students!

The course has started and now it's...

a) time to remember everything you learnt last year and have gradually forgotten over the long lazy summer, and...

b) time to learn new things, study and revise regularly, and in the case of 5th level students, time to make that extra effort in order to obtain the prized "nivell avançat" certificate to frame put on your sitting room wall.

To sweeten the moment, here is a song about time, and the moment for doing different things:Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds, in my opinion one of the most beautiful songs in the world, so we can forgive them the pudding-bowl haircuts. A lot of you may know the song from the Forest Gump movie OST (original soundtrack).

The words were adapted from the book of Ecclesiastes by Pete Seeger in 1959.

Strangely enough, there's no mention of a time to study English, but that was probably because in biblical times English didn't exist yet, and then in the 60's people were too busy doing other things and studying was not a priority.

I chose this particular video in spite of the imagery (although some of you might like it) because of the lyrics., so as to make it easier for you to sing along.

Oh, see if you can spot the spelling mistake!

Enjoy!

The art of translation

Such a good, accurate translation, but somehow I get the impression that s/he didn't quite finish the job.

Passers-by unite to rescue trapped motorcyclist

It happened in Utah.

Read about it and watch the video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14898430

Hats off, especially to the girl who seems to take the initiative.

Ten years later

I know the 11th of September is also an important date in Catalunya, but the events on 11-9-2001 in New York shocked the world and will have far-reaching implications for a long time to come.

CNN's coverage of the attacks and their consequences: here.

1 in 25 bosses is a psychopath

You probably suspected it already, but now you can be sure:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032912/One-25-bosses-psychopath-hides-charm-business-speak.html

Back to school

For those of you who have "relaxed" too much this summer and need to refresh your memory, apart from the usual links in the right column, try one or more or all of these level tests.

http://www.learn4good.com/languages/english_level.htm

http://www.englishjet.com/english_courses_files/test_level.asp

http://www.pass-english-exams.com/en/courses/test.php

Is the euro crumbling?

Mini video on the situation of the euro.

Body language

Summer is a great time for meeting people. They say. But before you even try your foreign languages on your new friends and acquaintances, test your knowledge on what their faces and bodies are telling you with this little quiz:

http://www.aquiziam.com/quizzes/body_language_short.php

(I got a 21 out of 30)

In the news

Amidst the horror of the Norwegian tragedy, and the shock of Amy Winehouse's overdose (?), Aljazeera covers the Spanish "indignant" movement: Spain's 'indignant' converge on Madrid.

I was also reading about the most fuel-efficient cars of 2011 according to The Daily Green, and there was one particular thing there that caught my attention, and that was the car prices. As a Prius fan I know that the price in Spain is not below 23,000€. Discovering that you can get one in the US for $21,600 (=15,045 €) makes me indignant.

The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars of 2011

Passport photos

Now that holiday time is almost here and you might be needing to renew your passport, here are a couple of options to make that all-important passport photo look more interesting without disobeying the law:

1. Become a cyborg
2. Join the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Both possibilities are well within your reach.

Don't believe it?

The cyborg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Harbisson

The man with the spaghetti strainer on his head: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2014553/Pastafarian-wins-right-wear-sieve-head-driving-licence-photo-does-belong-Church-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster.html

Goodbye Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle Atlantis lands successfully, putting an end to an era.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/07/21/shuttle.landing/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Nasa says that the end of the space shuttle project does not mean the end of space exploration. Read about their future plans in "What's next for Nasa?"

Americanisms

Recently the BBC page ran an article titled "Why do some Americanisms irritate people?", with the author giving his list of most hated American expressions, and asking readers to write in theirs.

This is the result of the survey: Americanisms: 50 of your most noted examples

Personally I agree with a lot of them but would add the word "anyways". They use it instead of "anyway" and it drives me mad!!! Why just add a random S?!!! It sounds so rural and redneck, as if they've just finished milking the cows or something. Or like some people in Spanish that say "taxis" instead of "taxi", or "donuts" instead of "donut". Aggggghhhhhhhh

Alec Ferguson wants to beat Barça

Manchester United's Alec Ferguson dreams of beating Barcelona FC, according to today's The Sun.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3702032/Alex-Ferguson-tells-Manchester-United-to-dethrone-Barcelona.html

PS. I don't usually read The Sun anyway, but it was only recently that I discovered that Liverpool supporters have been boycotting it for more than 20 years. I suppose some of you are old enough to remember the Hillsborough tragedy.

http://dontbuythesun.co.uk/site/

Anti-Powerpoint Party

If you thought that the Ban Comic Sans campaigners were bad enough, wait till you read/listen all about Switzerland's Anti Powerpoint Party. :D As usual, they have their reasons.

For Ppt fans, however, at the other extreme, this other page features a selection of artwork, games, etc, in an attempt to demonstrate how Powerpoint can go well beyond the function of a mere presentation tool: http://pptheaven.mvps.org/index.html

Animal Friendship

A nice happy story with a summery feel to it about an unexpected friendship.

Holiday destinations

Trying to decide where to go on holiday?

Here's a great page with mini-videos where you can learn the basics about different places without moving from your computer.

http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/alldestinations//

At the top of the page on the left you can choose your destination and specific place.

Ex EOI students

A number of you have expressed an interest in the Associació d'ex-alumnes d'EOI Garraf, and have asked me for more info, as their webpage hasn't been updated for a long time.

I finally managed to get hold of an email address to write to the coordinator and he has answered me that although they don't update their webpage any more, the Association will definitely continue next year, and that their timetable will most probably be Mondays and Thursdays, from 18.00 to 20.00 h, and that they plan to start their sessions when regular classes begin in September.

He says that everybody with a good level of English is welcome.

For more specific information I'm afraid you'll have to wait until September and ask them directly. If I find out anything before then I'll pass on the info.

$25,000 for an old chair

Are you planning to throw any old furniture away any time soon? Maybe with the arrival of the hot weather?

Well, before you throw anything away, check it REALLY carefully, 'cos if you're anywhere as lucky as this man, you might be able to get a lot of money for what you think is junk.

Can you guess why?

Read about it and watch the interview here: http://www.ocregister.com/news/chair-305346-balducci-jesus.html

It's also worth checking out the Ebay page just to see the pics. :D

At the time of writing this blog entry he didn't have any bids, though.

Exam day

I have been asked to remove the photos of the 5th year students taking the exam.

Sorry!

Never too late for phrasal verbs (basic revision)

I found this weird exercise while I was trying to recover my lost favourites in Chrome and Firefox after my computer broke down.

I say "weird" because of the story.

The original page is here: http://esl.about.com/od/advancedlistenin1/a/Phrasal-Verb-Gap-Fill-Listening.htm, but I've copied it here to use it differently, so don't click on it yet. You can also refer to it at the end if you don't understand the audio, but as it's really clear, you might not need to.

My suggestion is that first you try to fill the gaps in the text with the phrasal verbs, and then you listen to the audio to correct your work.

The Phrasal Verbs: (some are used more than once:)

come into (inherit), get on with (have a good relationship with), pass on (die), cut down (reduce), give up (stop), be up to (to be doing), drop in on (visit), look after (take care of), put through (pass on the telephone), hold on (to wait on the telephone), get over (recover from),set off (to leave), come up with (to have an idea), make out (to see in the distance, to pretend), look for (to search for), tell off (to criticize), take on (to employ), turn up (to arrive), take up (to begin a new activity)

The text:

Uncle Fester

Last year, Jack Peterson _____ that he _____ a small fortune after His uncle Fester _____ . His uncle had been a heavy smoker for many years and hadn't been able to _____ on his smoking. Jack _____ his uncle Fester, and often _____ on him to see what _____ . One summer, uncle Fester promised _____ on his cigarette smoking after having taken 3 months _____ an extremely bad cough. Jack _____ him those 3 months and, a number of times, he _____ uncle Fester. Then he _____ a brilliant idea to make uncle Fester _____ his nasty habit. He had the local cancer society telephone uncle Fester. When they called, he told them to _____ and then _____ . They proceeded to _____ that they _____ a volunteer to _____ to help _____ the patients. Well, that frightened uncle Fester and he immediately swore to _____ smoking. In fact, uncle Fester _____ jogging in order to help him feel better. He even began to _____ other smokers (although he couldn't quite give smoking up himself). One day, as he _____ on his morning run, he _____ a stand in the distance. A new society _____ that day _____ people willing to _____ young puppies. Uncle Fester immediately _____ a cute Dalmatian, and _____ _____ this new responsibility. Now, three years later Jack _____ the "small fortune" which reminded him every day of his wonderful, if not wise, uncle Fester.

To listen to the audio RIGHT-click on this link and open in a new tab or window: http://esl.about.com/library/media/audio/fester.mp3

Angry birds

I suppose we've all played the video game but this news is real: angry birds attack people in Seattle and California.

Read about it and watch a video here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43358296/ns/us_news-weird_news/

Cute! :)

Say yes to nuclear :D

The unfortunate phrasing of the Italian anti-nuclear slogan may actually cause people against it to vote in favour. Oooops!

See why it's so important to write clearly?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13732050

Likely culprit of E.Coli outbreak

E. coli outbreak: German farm in Uelzen 'likely source': http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13663630

So, can we start enjoying our salads again now?

Hey, now there's an idea!*

Teenager 'sells kidney for iPad'.

Read about it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13639934



*Only joking as usual

Barça

My brother, a staunch Barcelona FC supporter, has recommended this glowing review of the game by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13576522.stm

Culés will feel proud.

End of the world rescheduled for October

Ooops, it turns out calculations were a few months off.

Read and/listen:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13517496

Use of English practice for 5th level

Remember there are many online resources to practice Use of English.

Here's a selection, from Intermediate to Advanced (don't despise Intermediate! It's good revision for you.):

B1

http://phobos.xtec.net/eoi/index.php?module=detic_portal&ref=an_el_cg

http://www.caib.es/sacmicrofront/archivopub.do?ctrl=MCRST117ZI63887&id=63887 (KEY)

B2

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/tsindex.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/index.html

http://phobos.xtec.net/eoi/index.php?module=detic_portal&ref=an_ap_cg

http://www.caib.es/sacmicrofront/archivopub.do?ctrl=MCRST117ZI63902&id=63902 (KEY)

C1

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/tests/pt1index.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/CAE/index.php

http://www.caib.es/sacmicrofront/archivopub.do?ctrl=MCRST117ZI63918&id=63918 (KEY)

C2 Do this only if you're extremely confident, else you might get demoralised. :)

http://www.examenglish.com/cpe/index.php

The elections

"Spain's governing Socialist party has suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections.

With 91% of municipal votes counted, the centre-right Popular Party (PP) had almost a 10-percentage point lead, the interior ministry said.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero conceded defeat but ruled out early general elections.

Voting took place amid mass protests against high unemployment and the government's handling of the economy.

Young demonstrators holding sit-ins in Madrid and other cities said rallies would continue for another week.

Mr Zapatero said three years of economic crisis had taken their toll."

Read more and watch the video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13496038

Other gadgets: Apture

I got this idea from a colleague's blog and have now incorporated it onto this one.

Apture is a tool which allows you to look up words just by highlighting them. It's easier and quicker if I just post the video for that too.

Apture: Search. Explore. Experience. from Apture Inc on Vimeo.

So, now you can look up any word on this blog just by highlighting it. Cool, eh?

Dropbox

Does anybody want an invitation to Dropbox? I get extra storage for inviting people (if they accept, I suppose) and they do too.

I started using it about 2 days ago, put 4 videos in it and now it's almost full. So if you think it could be useful for you let me invite you.

This is how it works:

http://www.dropbox.com

Youth protests

The Washington Post's account of today's demonstrations:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/tens-of-thousands-march-in-spain

Use sunscreen

This video was recommended to me by Romuald from 5B.

Apparently it was originally an essay written by Mary Schmich and published as a column in the Chicago Tribune. Its original title was "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young". It was then turned into a "song" by Baz Luhrmann and renamed "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)".

There are quite a few videos set to the song on YouTube, but this is the one Romauald recommended, with some captions and subtitles.

I'm sure everyone will find some words of wisdom in it, even if it's just the bit about sunscreen.




Lyrics, here: http://www.lyricscrawler.com/song/3953.html

Tributes to Seve

Apparently Severiano Ballesteros was very popular and well-loved in the UK.

A selection from the British press:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/golf/ballesteros-dies-at-home-in-north-spain-2280507.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/8500074/The-golfing-world-pays-tribute-to-Seve-Ballesteros.html

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,18232_6917680,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/may/07/seve-ballesteros-obituary

The end is nigh

On the subject of TIME and its running out I discover that a California (where else?) preacher has predicted the end of the world (again) for the 21st of May, quite conveniently on a Saturday, at around 6pm, he specifies. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-preacher-warns-end-of-the-world-is-nigh-21-may-around-6pm-to-be-precise-2254139.html

The implications for EOI students are of course enormous as all the exams are AFTER that date, and so now is the time to decide whether to believe it and stop studying, or to shrug it off as just another California weirdo making ludicrous claims.

Maybe a photo of him will help you make your minds up, so here he is:

Preacher man. Does he know something we don't?

Gerund vs Infinitive

Some online practice:

Battleships, http://www.quia.com/ba/52505.html :a very basic and slighly infuriating version of the game, topped off by an actual grammar mistake! It's We SANK, not "sunk" in the simple past, as YOU all know.

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_verbform1.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_verbform2.htm

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund#exercises

"En guarde" another slightly surreal game: http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/En%20garde/gerunds%20infinitive/gerunds%20or%20infinitive.html

http://academic.cuesta.edu/ahalderma/gerinfinq.htm

http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz97mkm.htm

http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.html

http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/420.html

http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/gerinf1.php

http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/gerund_infinitive_ex.htm

Congrats so far, culés

Well, you know I'm not a Barcelona supporter, but the noise all my neighbours were making last night (and the poor show up for the last class: only six people came, of whom 2 decamped at 20.30) made it impossible to ignore the proceedings.

Congratulations so far to all the culés. Read about the match here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13191779.stm

"Messy" by name but not by nature

Plants and flowers

Hi people!

I just wanted to show off the beautiful plants and flowers I have on my terrace, as my friends are already sick of them (year after year) and it's spring, after all. :)

A lot of them are hybrid Clematis, which for some reason aren't very common here, which is a shame because they seem to grow quite happily in this climate.

The others are Hardenbergia, Laurentia and a lesser known geranium hybrid called "Fireworks".

Next to start blooming will be the Hybiscuses, the Bouganvillea and the Passifloras.

Do you like gardening?

Easter and the ex-USSR

Hiya people!

Are you enjoying your holidays? I am!

Ok, I couldn't find anything interesting related to Easter*, so I thought you might like this song/video: the "Complete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris" by Pig with the Face of a Boy.

I think it's funny and clever, and you'll especially like it if you're interested in history.

You can find the lyrics on their page, here: http://pigfaceboy.co.uk/tetris-lyrics/

*admittedly I didn't try very hard

June exam date

The other day some of you mentioned that you still didn't know the date of the exam.

If that's you, here's the link to all the information: both levels, different timetables, different languages, plus other info: http://phobos.xtec.cat/eoi/index.php?module=detic_portal&ref=lliures

However, I suppose the bit you're interested in is the date of the wriitten "avançat" level, English, which is, as you can see, the 14th of June.

The speaking dates aren't decided yet. As soon as I know anything I'll let you know.

More about internet addition

Homograph game

Choose one or two players, the points you want to try for, then try and guess the word(s) being described:

http://www.quia.com/cb/8285.html

Another good but very short game is this one on synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and homographs:

http://www.quia.com/rr/3116.html

And another problem with it is that at the end it says that you've won $1,000,000, which is kind of cruel.

Something to do next year

I saw this in Vilanova this weekend, and among other things (political, economical, social), it got me thinking about what you're going to do next year, when you've passed English and don't know what to do*.

The answer is of course to take up another language at the EOI!

Don't let those brain cells die, after putting in so much effort to maintain and improve your English!

Maybe a 4th (or 5th or 6th...) language will never come in useful but maybe one day it will. And I'm sure no one ever regrets knowing several languages.

What do you think?

*although remember you also have the great option of joining the EOIX

The customer is always right

Read some surreal but supposedly real exchanges between shop assistants or waiters and their customers: http://notalwaysright.com/a-b-c-easy-as-d-u-h/5086

For more, just click on the "random" or the "popular" tab. I was lucky with the "random" one and got a lot of funny ones.

Here's the A-B-C one:

A-B-C, Easy As D-U-H
Bookstore | Massachusetts, USA

Customer: “Hey, can you help me find this book?”

Me: “Sure.”

(He holds up a piece of paper with the title and author of a book on it. I find it on the shelves and hand it to him.)

Customer: “Thanks! How’d you do that so fast?”

Me: “Well, I’ve worked here awhile, and the books are all in alphabetical order by author’s name.”

Customer: “What do you mean?”

Me: “Alphabetical order. Like the alphabet song? You know, A’s before B’s?”

(He looks confused, but then widens his eyes.)

Customer: “The letters actually go in that order? I thought that song was just to remember them all!”

PS. See, don't say I never include anything American. :P

Arguments for debates

My colleague Carlos has passed me the link to this great page with debate topics with their arguments for and against: http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Past_Debate_Digest_topics

It also has a list of links to other interesting pages on debates: http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Useful_links

Very useful for vocabulary and good inspiration for your writing and speaking.

Catcher in the Rye quiz

Test your knowledge on the book, after reading it:

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-quiz/titles/catcherinrye/bl-start.htm

Pears

Actually one of the few fruits that I like, so I don't feel guilty.

Ipaditis: iPad addiction

I don't have an iPad but if I did I'd probably be like this too.

If you can't see it (???), try the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clips/p00fx5v7/spout_ipaditis/

75-year-old leaves country without internet

I thought this was very funny.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/06/georgian-woman-cuts-web-access

New conversation class timetables

After very intense negotiations this is the new timetable for the conversation classes.

I know that some of you won't be happy about it, but please understand that bearing in mind the different levels, numbers of groups for each level, different days and times for class, and varying number of people who actually go to the sessions, it was impossible to keep everybody happy.

As they say, "you can please some of the people all of the time, and all the people some of the time", or something like that. You get the gist.

Smoking Law Debate

We watched this in 5A yesterday, as they were the actual participants, but for those of you who missed it, would like to watch it again, or for whatever reason, here you are: the Smoking Law Debate tht we did the last Friday class in 5A.

IMPORTANT Disclaimer: I know it's a crappy video. I know there are weird bits of other scenes mixed in. I know the volume is too low and you can hardly hear what they're saying. I know I filmed it in the wrong resolution and have no idea if that can be fixed.

But you can make fun at my pathetic attempts at video-making; I don't mind.

It was a good laugh on the day and this way we have a souvenir. And I've passed the course... :P

The 10 most pointless salad ingredients

So you think you're oh-so-healthy because you eat a lot of salads?

Are you sure? Read about it here: http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-most-pointless-salad-ingredients?nocache=1

And watch the slideshow of the the 10 most pointless things to put in a salad (according to them) here: http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-most-pointless-salad-ingredients-slideshow-0

Mmmmm sweet corn, mmmmm croutons, mmmmmm crispy bacon...

What we see vs. what kids see

More pictures here: http://pleated-jeans.com/2011/03/28/what-we-see-vs-what-kids-see/

In some cases I agree with the kids.

Trinitat and nuclear power

Good morning people!

Sorry about the misleading title. Just to clarify: the Trinitat Chapel is (probably) NOT powered by nuclear energy.

Did you have a nice weekend? I did. Yesterday, aka the "first day of my healthy lifestyle and diet ha ha", I joined the "secta's" organised hike up to La Trinitat, which was lovely and came to an end much too soon for my liking.

I can't believe this is the only photo I took, hauntingly similar to one I took last year. Did anyone else take photos?

Really, it was nice: a day out enjoying nature and spring, doing exercise, eating outdoors, having the time to talk to people nice and relaxed instead of always being in a hurry, seeing old ex-students again...

But now, Monday again, with the usual obligations, my online course to do (today's the deadline), classes to prepare, writing tasks to correct, meals to prepare, etc, etc, etc.

But as usual I'm glued to the computer, this time researching nuclear energy, as lately people have given me some really scary looks when I've said I'm in favour. Yesterday I'm pretty sure that they were eying the cliff and toying with the idea of giving me a swift push.

So today I'm reading about the arguments in favour and against nuclear energy, apart from the usual "prophecy of doom" scaremongering that we hear all the time from environmentalists*.

I've read this: http://www.slate.com/id/2259986/, and this http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121432182593500119.html and this http://timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainability and this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12746129 and this http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2011/03/is_japans_fear_of_radiation_wo.html

and this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12860842 ("We should stop running away from radiation")

These pages deal mostly with the arguments for and against nuclear energy.

Then with increased interest I've read about how nuclear energy could be used more efficiently and a lot more safely, if this theory can be put into practice: http://www.evworld.com/currents.cfm?jid=84 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveling_wave_reactor

Now THAT would be a way forward, because, let's face it, we ALL want an endless electrical supply for all our gadgets, even though we moan about our electricity bill.

It's just that I do have a lot of faith in science and I like the idea of progressing, finding a way forward, not backwards to candles and horse-drawn carts like the Amish.

(Remember that people used to think that travelling above 25km/h would kill you!)

There's only ONE thing that got my attention in one of the articles, and made me think "hmmmm, that's true, and very worrying." and that's the possibility of nuclear plants being targetted in a terrorist attack. I think that would be the only thing that would make me change my mind. One thing is an accident, which obviously could and can happen, which is why there's such a strict protocol. A completely different thing is somebody actually wanting to cause harm...

... which kind of brings us back to the human race and how nice animals are, really, doesn't it?

Well I can imagine your opinions on this but let me have them anyway.

Or we could have a class debate: everybody against me...

*I have nothing against environmentalists, in fact I actually used to be a member of Greenpeace. However I just don't find them so convincing anymore, maybe it's all those beards, and some of them come across as a bit fanatical, which is always scary.

The truth about cheap flights

Somebody sent me the link to this video about the cheaps flight you can find on the internet. Song performed by Fascinating Aida.

Without subtitles (up to minute 4.10):



With subtitles



Notice the Irish accent: she pronounces all the Rs, for example, and the "th" / θ / sound is replaced by a regular /t/ sound.

Some vocab:
"Feck" is a softer variation of "fuck" as a swear word.

A "do" (noun) is an occasion, in this case, a wedding.

Tralee is a town in Ireland.

To "diddle" someone is to cheat them out of money, by overcharging, etc.

The "jacks" is Irish slang for toilets.

Asian Aromas

Yesterday at the EOI there was a very interesting cultural activity on Indian Culture and Indian cooking, by Susen Ahluwalia, resulting in some delicious Tandoori Paneer.

The activity was only for 1st and 2nd level students, so for those of you left out, or those who couldn't make it, here's the link to Susen's web page, http://asianaromas.com/, where you can read about her activities, and there are also a few recipes.

My blackberry is not working

This is the video I mentioned in 5A yesterday.



Script:

Customer: I bought some thing from you last week and I’m VERY disappointed.
Shop Assistant: Oh yeah? What’s the problem?
C: Yeah, well, my Blackberry is not working.
S. What’s the matter? It ran out of juice?
C: No, no, it’s completely frozen.
S: Oh yeah, I can see that. I’ll tell you what.: let’s try it on Orange.
C: That’s got a few black spots. You see there?
S: Oh, dear, yeah. Sorry about that.
C. Well […] think you can get my Blackberry working?
S: Well, could be an application issue. Where do you store that Blackberry.
C: Well, on my desktop.
S: Well you could try using a mouse, to drag the Blackberry to the trash. And after you’ve done that, you might want to launch the Blackberry from the desktop.
C: Well, I’ve already tried that a few times, but all it did was mess up Windows.
S: Well, it might be worth waiting a couple of weeks. They’ve got the latest Blackberries coming in then.
C: Well, could you give me a date?
S: Certainly.
C: Let me put that date in my diary.
S: Anything else I can help you with?
C: Yes, yes, I’ve also got a problem, to be honest, with my Apple.
S: Oh dear oh dear. That is an old Apple, isn’t it? When d’you buy that?
C: Last week.
S: Last week?! Cor! They’ve brought out two new Apples since then. What’s the problem with it?
C: Well, I’ve tried to put my dongle in it, and it won’t fit.
S: Oh yeah? And how big’s your dongle?
C: Well, I don’t know much about these things, but my wife’s seen a few dongles in her time, and she says it’s a little bit on the small side.
S: Well, I’m afraid there’s not a lot I can do about that. Tell you what: let me try booting it. No, it’s crashed. Anything else I can help you with?
C: Well, funnily enough, yes. My grandson’s birthday’s soon you see. Now, he’s already got an Apple. I mean, have you got anything else that he might just like?
S: Well, we’re doing a special offer on these. I mean I can’t make hear or tail of them, but the kids seem to like them: EggsBox. Three sixty.

I wish I could do that

I can't remember how I got to this video.

I've always been fascinated by trial: the balance, the precision... but this is something else.

The first video looks more difficult and the music is better (that's subjective I suppose, but it is), but the background scenery of the second video is breathtakingly beautiful, if you can take your eyes off the bike of course. According to the Wiki, the locations featured in the (2nd) video include Edinburgh Castle, North Berwick, wartime bunkers on the island of Inchgarvie beneath the Forth Bridge and a hydro-electric power station in the Scottish Highlands.

Google results: his name is Danny MacAskill, he's from Edinburgh, he's 25, and he's been doing this for more than 14 years, so if you're planning on taking it up, now's the time to start. Just a sec, I'm just imagining you all flying though the air on your bikes - now that would be a good class video for my course.

Well, there's no speech, just images and music. Enjoy!

And if those two videos sparked your interest, here Danny explains how to do a G-turn. It's all quite simple really.

Grammar quizzes

I can't remember if I've posted this link before, although it's definitely somewhere on the list.

Mostly grammar quizzes, but also some vocabulary.

http://www.roadtogrammar.com/

Cambodian older foreign husband ban discriminatory?

That's what some people think of this new Cambodian law: Cambodia sets marriage age limit for foreign husbands

But being over 50 is not the only obstacle: even younger potential husbands-to-be have conditions they must fulfil.

The weird thing is that there's no ban on foreign women, of any age or income, only men.

Authorities have mentioned aesthetic considerations, but surely there must be something else behind the whole thing.

I wonder what would happen if hordes of older European or American women went down there to pick up younger trophy toy-boy husbands?

Quiz time

Although my mind is still on the newest developments in Japan, I think it's also good to find something less depressing to do, like Quiz Time, a short weekly seven-question quiz on current affairs, which I didn't do very well at, I must say.

What about you?

Almost forgot: Mercury

Ooops, almost forgot to tell you that little planet Mercury is easy to see this week.

Read all about it here: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/breakingorbit/2011/03/night-sky-news-mercury-easy-to-see.html

Something more lighthearted

Let's ignore the nuclear meltdown* in Japan and the fight for power in Libya and turn our attention to something you've all probably often wondered at some time or other, namely: HOW BIG EXACTLY IS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION?

I'm sure that like me whenever you've heard a piece of news about the ISS, your first question is "YEAH, BUT HOW BIG IS IT?".

Well, wonder no more, as a BBC page will set your mind at rest. Just type in the address that you want to see and it will show you the map with the ISS to scale plonked on top.

http://howbigreally.com/dimension/space/international_space_center

I tried to put it on top of the IES Joaquim Mir for no particular reason ha ha, but this is the nearest I could get. Please let me know if you can get it any nearer.

*If you're as ignorant on the subject as I am, read about how nuclear power is produced here: http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm, and about Nuclear Reactor Safety here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-energy-info3.htm (scroll down 8 paragraphs). Notice the last line of the paragraph:

"To prevent the possibility of a meltdown, nuclear reactors are built with one or more emergency cooling systems to provide extra coolant in case it is needed. The effectiveness of these systems has been debated, however, because the conditions that would be produced following the loss of coolant in the core are uncertain."

I have the feeling they're going to be rewriting that article soon...