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.