fLoR pArRoT...

Students,
Take a look at these pictures my student Jackie, from Inter 1 (Monday and Wednesday) sent me. They're on extinction, so, buying and selling them is not allowed.

Aren't they perfect????God always surprise us with His beauty...
Some things on Earth really deserve our attention and respect. Taking care of them is to show God how happy we are for having such a wonderful world!

They made me remeber a song I hope you all have heard, it's such a beautiful song:

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
(George Weiss / Bob Thiele)

I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world Yes,
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah

Online activities for you!!!

Hey guys, here's a quiz about adjectives followed by preposition!

It's quick and easy.

Have a look:

http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/intermediate/adjectives%20followed%20by%20prepositions.htm


The other quiz is about comparative and superlative and it's also testing your general knowledge:

http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/preintermediate/comparatives%20superlatives.htm

PS: It's a very nice quiz for INTER 2 and INTER 3!!!

Send me your score in the comments, ok???

Hope you have a wonderful week!!!

Tribute to the "survivors"

- Are you God?
- No. My name's Seth.
- Where are we going?
- Home.
- Can mommy come?
- No.
- She will understand?
- She will. Someday.

An youtube user has made a video to comfort all those ones who has lost someone important for them. On the comments of this video (scenes from the movie City of Angels, song by Sarah McLachlan), people that felt comfortable enough left a message for the ones they lost. It's very unique to listen to this sad song and read the kind messages the "survivors" left. I don't know if you'll think as I do, but it made me reflect a lot about life, and how I am supposed to hug and squeeze and kiss all the ones I love before we're somehow apart.

Don't cry, people! Celebrate life and the love you feel for the special ones around you =)

Kisses and have a nice week!

The story of stuff

In english:



En español:

La Marseillaise

Allons, enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrive,
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'etendard sanglant est leve,
L'etendard sanglant est leve.

Entendez-vous, dans le campagnes,
Mugir ces feroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans no bras,
Egorger nos fils, nos compagnes.

Aux armes, citoyens! Formez vos bataillons! Marchons! Marchons!
Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!




L’HISTOIRE DE LA MARSEILLAISE



La Marseillaise : hymne national français. Ce chant fut composé par l'officier français du génie Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle.



La Législative a remplacé l'Assemblée constituante le 1er octobre 1791. Elle essaya de faire fonctionner la monarchie constitutionnelle mais fit pression sur le Roi Louis XVI pour déclarer la guerre à l'Autriche. Le roi cède...

Suite à la déclaration de guerre le 20 avril 1792, à l'empereur d'Autriche et plus tard au roi de Prusse, Rouget de Lisle est en garnison à Strasbourg au Fort Blanc. Il fait partie du bataillon "Les enfants de la Patrie". Le 25 avril 1792, Frédéric de Dietrich, qui est le maire de la ville de Strasbourg, organise une fête patriotique à laquelle participe Rouget de Lisle qui est poète et violoniste amateur. Il est connu localement pour son Hymne à la liberté. Durant cette soirée, monsieur et madame Dietrich ainsi que les généraux de l'armée du Rhin lui demandent de réaliser un chant de guerre pour encourager les troupes. Alors, le capitaine Rouget de Lisle regagne son domicile, rue de la Mésange... Lors de cette nuit, il compose le "Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin". Il a écrit six couplets et composé la musique sur son violon. Rouget de Lisle s'est inspiré d'une affiche des Amis de la Constitution, diffusée dans Strasbourg le 25 avril. Cette affiche commençait par les paroles : "Aux armes citoyens ! L'étendard de la guerre est déployé : le signal est donné. Aux armes ! Etc."

Le lendemain, Rouget de Lisle va à la rencontre du maire qu'il retrouve dans son jardin. Après être retourné dans sa demeure, Dietrich joue alors sur son clavecin cette musique et la juge excellente. En conséquence, il fait venir les généraux et ses amis qui étaient présent la veille pour écouter ce chant. Et, le Chant de Guerre fut chanté pour la première fois, par Rouget de Lisle dans le salon du maire Dietrich, avec un accompagnement de clavecin joué par Madame Dietrich.

Puis, cet hymne se répand dans les réunions des officiers de la garnison. Le 29 avril 1792, ce Chant de Guerre fut interprété publiquement à Strasbourg par la musique de la Garde Nationale devant huit bataillons. Le bataillon de Rhône et Loire, qui doit aller monter la garde à la frontière, prend part à la parade du jour et défile sur la promenade du Broglie au son de cette musique. Les soldats de ce bataillon sont à la fois émerveillés et stimulés. Grâce aux officiers de passage et des soldats de la garnison de Strasbourg allant vers d'autres frontières ou garnisons et des voyageurs de commerce, le Chant de Guerre sera chanté à Lyon, Montpellier et dans toute la France. Ce chant sera répandu partout...



Le Chant de Guerre pour l'armée du Rhin arriva jusqu'au sud de la France et fut chanté à Marseille le 22 juin 1792 par le docteur Mireur. En effet, ce jeune médecin partit de Montpellier pour rejoindre le bataillon des Fédérés marseillais afin d'unir leur troupe. Et lors d'un banquet, où chacun était prié de faire entendre sa chanson, le docteur Mireur monte sur une table et se mit à chanter l'hymne de l'armée du Rhin. Une fois de plus, cet air vivifiant fut accueilli avec enthousiasme. Ainsi, les journaux marseillais publièrent le lendemain, les paroles et la musique.

Tout en se rendant à Paris, les fédérés marseillais qui s'étaient unis au bataillon de Montpellier le chantèrent en continu. Effectivement, pendant le trajet, dans les villes et villages, les Fédérés reprirent sans cesse ce chant et successivement des volontaires se joignirent à eux et grossirent la troupe. Ils arrivèrent le 30 juillet 1792 pour s'installer et prendre garnison au faubourg Poissonnière. Mais, Danton rassembla les volontaires marseillais pour les mener au Club des Cordeliers. Le bataillon de Fédérés marseillais entra à Paris et participa à l’insurrection du palais des Tuileries le 10 août 1792 en chantant ce chant de guerre révolutionnaire ; d’où le nom de Marseillaise.



Le premier couplet des Enfants a été ajouté en octobre 1792 par l'abbé Pessonneaux, de Vienne. Cette mélodie appelée Marche des Marseillais a obtenu un grand succès ; par conséquent, lors de l'anniversaire de la prise de la Bastille, elle fut décrétée chant national par la Convention du 26 messidor an III, c'est-à-dire le 14 juillet 1795. Ce chant fut proscrit sous tous les régimes autoritaires de l’Empire et de la Restauration puis est remis en valeur lors des Trois Glorieuses, le 27, 28 et 29 juillet 1830. Berlioz en a fait un remarquable arrangement pour solistes et double chœur et l’a dédié à Rouget de Lisle. De plus, lors de la guerre de 1870, la Marseillaise est reprise par le peuple. Elle retrouve également son ton de chant de guerre en 14-18, puis sous l'occupation allemande pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. La Marseillaise est reconnue comme hymne national par une loi votée le 14 février 1879 sous la IIIe République et est chantée dans les écoles. Puis en 1887, le Ministère de la guerre en approuve une version solennelle après l’appréciation d’une commission formée de musiciens professionnels.

La Marseillaise sera reprise sur les champs de bataille, en des journées d'héroïsme. Le général en chef Dumouriez, la chanta le 6 novembre 1792 face à l'armée autrichienne à Jemmapes (ancienne commune de Belgique ; aujourd'hui Mons); l'officier Carnot contre les Autrichiens à Wattignies (Nord) en 1793 ; à Wissembourg (Bas-Rhin), c'est le général Hoche ; puis en mai 1800, Napoléon Bonaparte la fit chanter au Mont Saint-Bernard pour soutenir ses troupes lors de la campagne d'Italie. Le dimanche 17 novembre 1918, dans l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, après la messe et les prières, Charles Marie Widor joua la Marseillaise sur les orgues. Et les Français qui avaient assisté à ce Te Deum, se mirent à chanter.

Le statut d'hymne national de la Marseillaise est de nouveau confirmé dans les constitutions de 1946 et 1958. Sous son mandat de Président de la République française, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing a fait diminuer le tempo de la Marseillaise afin d'atteindre le rythme original. Par conséquent, la Marseillaise jouée actuellement est une adaptation de la version officielle de 1887.

Salva tu español

Hola, compañeros.

Esta semana les ofrezco la oportunidad de entrenar su español. Accedan al sitio de abajo, hagan los ejercicios propuestos en él y después mira a la publicidad de Coca Cola y disfrútala.


http://www.ver-taal.com/index.htm

The US Election

The road to the White House is long, complicated and expensive.

The early stages
A politician with presidential ambition usually forms an exploratory committee to test the waters and raise money, sometimes up to two years before the election. They then formally declare their candidacy and campaign in key states.

The primaries
The primary season begins in the January before the election and lasts until about June. This is where candidates fight within the two main parties, Republican and Democratic, for their party's nomination.

Voters in each of the 50 states select party delegates, who in most cases have pledged to support a particular candidate. Some states use a caucus - a local meeting system - rather than primaries.

The party convention
The national party conventions, held a few months before the election, are where the candidates are formally nominated.

National party conventions are great set piece events
Delegates who have been chosen during the state primaries pick the nominee, though by this stage, the party normally knows who has won.
The winning candidate then picks a running-mate, sometimes from among the defeated rivals.

The final lap
Only now do the candidates fully square up against each other. There is massive spending on advertising, and a major flurry of state-by-state campaigning. Much attention is paid to the televised debates between the candidates. This can, but does not necessarily involve any independent candidate.

In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on big so-called "swing states", where the outcome is uncertain.

The election
American presidential elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Voters do not, technically, participate in a direct election of the president. They choose "electors", who are pledged to one or another candidate. This is known as the Electoral College.
Each state has a certain number of electors to the college, based on the size of its population.
In almost every state, the winner of the popular vote gets all the electoral college votes in that state. Because of this system, a candidate can take the White House without winning the popular vote, such as in the 2000 contest between George W Bush and Al Gore.

The US Electoral College

Electoral College votes decide winner.

An American president is not chosen directly by the people. Instead, an Electoral College is used. In a close election, the importance of the College grows.

How does the Electoral College work?
Each state has a number of electors in the Electoral College equal to the total of its US senators (always two) and its representatives, which are determined by the size of the state's population. Technically, Americans vote for the electors not the candidate.

California, the most populous state, has 55 electoral votes. A few small states and the District of Columbia have only three.

There are 538 electors in the College. In all but two states, Maine and Nebraska, the College works on a winner-takes-all basis. The winner of the popular vote in a state gets all the Electoral College votes in that state.

To become president, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. The winning candidate does not need to win the national popular vote.

Why was the system chosen?
When the United States was founded, a national campaign was almost impossible given the communications; states were jealous of their rights; political parties were suspect and the popular vote somewhat feared.

The framers of the Constitution in 1787 rejected both the election of the president by Congress - because of the separation of powers - and election by direct popular vote, on the grounds that people would vote for their local candidate and the big states would dominate.
Another factor was that Southern states favoured the College system. Slaves had no votes but counted as three-fifths of a person for computing the size of a state's population.
The original idea was that only the great and the good in each state would make up the electors in the Electoral College. Over the years the College has been changed to better reflect the popular will.

Isn't it unfair that the winning candidate might get fewer popular votes?
This is seen as a major drawback of the system. In 2000 Al Gore won 48.38% of votes nationwide compared to George Bush's 47.87%. Ralph Nader took 2.74%. Yet Mr Bush won because he got 271 Electoral College votes compared to 266 for Mr Gore. The winning votes came from Florida whose 25 College seats all went to Mr Bush despite the difference between the two in the state's popular vote being only 537.

A similar thing happened in 1888 when Benjamin Harrison won in the College despite having fewer popular votes than Grover Cleveland.

Another drawback is that in many states the result is a foregone conclusion and there is thus little incentive for the individual to vote. It is also a disincentive for candidates to campaign there.

So what are the advantages?
The Electoral College system is respected for its historical roots and because it does usually reflect the popular vote. It also gives greater weight to smaller states - one of the checks and balances the US Constitution values.

For example, the largest state, California, has 12.03% of the US population but its 55 Electoral College votes represent only 10.22% of the College total. Wyoming, a sparsely populated state, has 0.18% of the US population but its three seats in the Electoral College give it 0.56% of the College votes.

The College system also means that a candidate needs to get a spread of votes from across the country.

What happens if no candidate gets a majority of Electoral College votes?
The decision is taken by the House of Representatives, because its seats are in proportion to the population and therefore reflects the popular will better than the Senate. Each state delegation, however, has only one vote, which means that the majority party in each delegation controls the vote. An absolute majority of states is required for election.

The vice-president is chosen by the Senate, with senators having an individual vote.

Are the electors in the College bound to vote for their candidates?
In some states they have a free vote but in practice they vote for the candidates they are pledged to. In other states they are required to do so. From time to time, individuals or small groups, called "faithless" electors, vote for another candidate but this has happened only rarely and no result has been changed by it. In 2000 an elector from the District of Columbia abstained.

If the result is extremely close, a "faithless" elector could cause real trouble. The issue would probably have to be decided by the courts.

The electors are chosen by the parties before the election, often in a vote at a convention. The electors then meet in state capitals after the election (this year on Monday, 13 December) to cast their votes. The results are formally declared to the Senate on 6 January. The new president is inaugurated on 20 January.

Want to know more about 2008 US Elections?

visit: http://www.nytimes.com/; http://www.barackobama.com/; http://www.johnmccain.com/.

A lovely barbecue

Look at you!!!!!!! It was a perfect night, don't you think? We had a lot of fun...

Kisses

La BeLlA dONa: MaDoNnA

Born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Rochester, Michigan, this "bella donna" trained as a dancer at University of Michigan and with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Madonna performed with a number of rock groups before signing with Sire Records. Her had her first hit, “Holiday,” in 1983.

She hired Michael Jackson's manager prior to releasing Madonna (1983), an album which included five US hit singles. Subsequent albums have included Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), Ray of of Light (1998), Music (2000), American Life (2003), and Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005).
Madonna was the first female artist to take full advantage of the music video. She collaborated with top designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, photographers, and directors. She drew inspiration from underground club culture and the avant-garde to create distinctive sexual and satirical images—from the knowing ingenue of “Like a Virgin” (1984) to the controversial red-dressed “sinner” who kisses a black saint in “Like a Prayer” (1989).

By 1991 Madonna had achieved 21 Top Ten hits in the United States and sold some 70 million albums internationally, generating $1.2 billion in sales. Committed to controlling her image and career herself, Madonna became the head of Maverick, a subsidiary of Time-Warner. Her success as a performer and businesswoman sent a clear message of financial control in the industry.

Her defiant and sexual siren image soared in 1992 when she published Sex, a soft-core pornographic coffee-table book featuring her in a variety of “erotic” poses as well as the release of the album, Erotica.
Madonna has also acted in films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Shanghai Surprise (1986) and Body of Evidence (1993). In 1996 she starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita (1996). She won a Golden Globe for her performance and her song, "You Must Love Me," earned an Academy Award. Also notable is the film Truth or Dare (1991), a documentary of one of her tours.
In October 2006, during a trip to an AIDS orphanage in the southern African nation of Malawi, Madonna adopted a baby boy named David Banda. Madonna’s application to permanently adopt the boy was approved by Malawai’s high court on May 28, 2008, the pop star’s lawyer said.
"It's a beautiful and positive judgment," Alan Chinula told reporters. "Finally the court has granted Madonna full adoption rights of the boy ... It's all over, thank God."

In 2008 she wrote and was the executive producer of I Am Because We Are, a documentary about the lives of Malawi's 1 million plus AIDS orphans.
Madonna continues to sing, act and manage a number of business interests, splitting her time between the UK and the USA. She launches her forthcoming Sticky and Sweet world tour August 23, 2008.

Romeo and Juliet with Monica and Jimmy Five

Do you like SHAKESPEARE? I love HIM!!!!....
Have a look at a very beautiful story writen by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet with Monica and Jimmy Five!


This is only the First part, next week the second part....

I hope you enjoy it!
See ya!

QUIZ

Hi, there!

I found a very nice quiz about confusing words in English, because sometimes we don't know that word to use (some words may be very similar and commonly confused).

Here there's a quiz with 50 questions. Yes, it takes time but it's GREAT to improve your vocabulary or just remember some words and their meanings:


http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_confusing1.htm


It answered the quiz and it was nice. And you? Tell me if you liked it!

Have a nice week!

=)

Explaining some proverbs in english

Hi guys!
Sometimes when we're dealing with English texts or dialogues we see ourselves facing expressions that, literally, don't make sense, for example:

- Mom, I'm going to make my reservation on that nice resort on the beach.
- But you don't have the money, sweetie.
- Not yet, but Mr. Johnson is going to give me some money for painting his fence. He told he'll pay it next week.
- Well... you'd better don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

If you can't read between the lines, you'll probably think: chicken? WHAT CHICKEN? Aren't they talking about money? WHAT CHICKEN, FOR GOD'S SAKE??!!
Well, when you say "don't count your chicken before they're hatched" means "don't start making plans for something until it is a reality, rather than a pleasant speculation".
Here are some common proverbs in English and their meaning:

Caught between a rock and a hard place/
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
(to be stuck with two choices that are both undesirable)

Out of the frying pan and into the fire
(to go from a bad to a worse situation)

Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
(if you're going to get into the same amount of trouble, you might as well commit the greater offense)

Six of one, half a dozen of the other
(each choice is really the same thing)

Two sides of the same coin
(two aspects of a situation that are connected by necessity)

In for a penny, in for a pound
(if you're going to make a minor committment you might as well make the entire committment)

Don't cross your bridges before you get to them
(don't worry about future problems before you need to)

A stitch in time saves nine
(if you take care of a problem while it's small you won't have a bigger problem to deal with later)

Time and tide wait for no man
(act in a timely fashion because you can't get back lost chances)


I hope this brief explaning helps you out in difficult situations :)
And remember: besides you can't teach an old dog new tricks, you're never too old to learn.

Have a nice week!

xxxx,
teacher Bel

Dicas de Pronúncia em Inglês, com o teacher Arthur

El Camino de Santiago de Compostela

¿Quién fue Santiago?


El Camino es el fin, y la tierra, polvorienta y de asfalto, es el medio de transitar por él. El Finis Terrae romano y anteriormente celta es el destino de miles de personas durante estos años de comienzo del milenio. Parece ser que antes de la aparición del cuerpo del apóstol Santiago ya se iba a Finis Terrae, y allí miles de hombres sintieron aquel "religioso horror" al ver apagarse el sol en las aguas del océano.


El resurgimiento peregrinal, sobre todo desde el Año Jacobeo -1993- es un hecho que los estudiosos sociales tendrán que analizar. La mezcla de reto deportivo con religiosidad, con búsqueda de lo auténtico y de uno mismo, todo ello escoltado por estilos románicos y góticos, entre caballeros templarios y monjes benedictinos, entre hayas y trigos, entre castaños y carvallos, entre leyendas y milagros hacen del Camino de Santiago una experiencia singular. El marketing de las diferentes Comunidades Autónomas ha hecho el resto. Para muchos el recorrido del Camino de Santiago se convierte en peregrinaje cuando se encuentran con las raíces religiosas e históricas de Europa, cuando renuevan un camino de transformación interior, y cuando caminan al ritmo de otros siglos.

Desde el descubrimiento de la tumba del Apóstol Santiago en Compostela, en el siglo IX, el Camino de Santiago se convirtió en la más importante ruta de peregrinación de la Europa medieval. El paso de los innumerables peregrinos que, movidos por su fe, se dirigían a Compostela desde todos los países europeos, sirvió como punto de partida de todo un desarrollo artístico, social y económico que dejó sus huellas a lo largo de todo el Camino de Santiago.

El centro de la tradición jacobea es la creencia de que el cuerpo de Santiago está enterrado en el sepulcro de Compostela. Corría el año 813 después de Cristo cuando el obispo de Iria Flavia, Teodomiro, avisado por el eremita Pelayo de la existencia de unas luces misteriosas, informó al rey asturiano Alfonso II del descubrimiento milagroso de una tumba que contenía los restos mortales del apóstol Santiago. Según la leyenda, los discípulos de Santiago en el año 42 robaron el cuerpo de Palestina, donde le habían decapitado, y le embarcaron en una nave que con una tripulación angelical llegó a Iria, en la confluencia del Sar y el Ulla (actualmente la ría de Arousa). En cuanto atracaron, el cuerpo del apóstol fue llevado por los aires 12 millas hasta el lugar donde hoy se le venera. En la catedral de Santiago se conserva la roca donde dicen que fue atada la barca que trajo el cadáver del santo. Con la "aparición" del cuerpo del apóstol se inició lo que hoy conocemos como la ruta compostelana: "El camino de las estrellas".


Hay varios Santiagos en el Nuevo Testamento, por ello es preciso identificar bien a nuestro Santiago, al que se le añade el apelativo: "Santiago, el Hijo de Zebedeo o el Mayor". Era el hermano mayor de Juan, el Apóstol, y originarios de Betsaida habitaban en la cercana Cafarnaún, trabajando en el negocio familiar de pesca en las riberas del Lago de Genesaret; pertenecían, pues, a una familia de modestos propietarios con su padre Zebedeo.

Estaban asociados con otra pareja de hermanos, Pedro y Andrés, en la industria de la pesca del lago para cuyo trabajo contaban con empleados ocasionales. De este círculo de pescadores, Jesús se llevó sus cuatro primeros discípulos: Pedro y su hermano Andrés, Santiago y su hermano Juan. Santiago, pues, gozaba de especial confianza y relación con Jesús, como uno de los discípulos básicos, destacándose con Pedro y Juan del resto de los discípulos, obteniendo el puesto de testigo privilegiado en los momentos más importantes. El mismo Jesús apodó a Santiago y a Juan con el sobrenombre de "hijos del trueno" seguramente por su arrojo y decisión. Santiago aparece como una persona apasionada, capaz de ponerlo todo en juego; un hombre que arrasa por su empuje y que no se para a echar cálculos y medir consecuencias. Una vez muerto Jesús, Santiago forma parte del grupo inicial de la Iglesia Primitiva de Jerusalén. Herodes Antipas I lo escoge, igual que a Pedro, como figuras representativas para dar un escarmiento a la comunidad cristiana y contentar a los judíos. Y así termina Santiago: Herodes lo hace decapitar con la espada allá por los años 41-44, convirtiéndose en el primer apóstol en verter su sangre por Jesucristo.

YoU wOrE iT, yOu WeAr iT, YoU'rE gOiNg To WeAr It

F A S H I O N !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah!
Let's go over it today!

Like the fashion of all modern decades, 1980s fashion in popular culture incorporated distinct trends from different eras.
This helped form a cultivating movement of style. . The most conservative, more masculine fashion look that was most indicative of the 1980s was the wide use of shoulder pads. While in the 1970s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close fitting clothes on top with wider, looser clothes on the bottom, this trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear looser shirts and tight, close-fitting pants. Men wore power suits as a result of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein household names.

In the United States, Madonna was titled the "Material Girl" and many teenage girls looked to her for fashion statements. The popular movie Flashdance (1983) made ripped sweatshirts well-known in the general public. The television shows Dallas and Dynasty also had a similar impact. Leggings were also very popular. Headbands became fashionable in 1982. The trend started in California and spread across the nation. Other associated trends were leg warmers and miniskirts, especially the ra-ra skirts, modelled after the short, flared skirts worn by American cheerleaders.

In the 1980s, rising pop star Madonna proved to be very influential over female fashions. She first emerged on the dance music scene with her "street urchin" look - short skirts over leggings, rubber bracelets,fishnet gloves,hairbows, long layered strings of beads, bleached, untidy hair with dark roots, head bands and lace ribbons. In her Like a Virgin phase, millions of teenage girls emulated her fashion example that included brassieres worn as outerwear, huge crucifix jewellery, lace gloves, tulle skirts, and boytoy belts.

Don't forget, fashion was much more than clothes, it was an image of a generation which really had something to say...


see you guys!!!!

Ao mestre, com carinho!

Nós da International House Idiomas nos orgulhamos de comemorar o 15 de outubro. Salve, salve professor.

Recebam nosso agradecimento e saibam o quanto vocês são importantes para nós.

KT Tunstall

Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She broke into the public eye with a live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three BRIT Awards and one Grammy nomination.

Tunstall's first appearance of note was a solo performance of her famed blues song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland.The performance was notable as she had only 24 hours to prepare after scheduled performer Nas cancelled. Her performance caught the eye of many viewers, although she had previously performed it on French television only some weeks before, upstaging more established acts such as The Cure, Embrace, and The Futureheads; she then went on to top the post-show poll on the website for that episode.

Tunstall's North American break came when American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee contacted her asking to use "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" as her choice for a Billboard-themed week. At the time, the song was #79 on the Billboard charts. Tunstall had not been shy with her opinions regarding shows like Idol saying "The major problem I have is that it's completely controlled... they're told what to say. They're told how to sing." She chose to license the song as she felt that "no one on that show told Katharine McPhee to sing my song because no one knew it" Tunstall's belief was correct - the song was suggested to McPhee by Billboard columnist and author Fred Bronson. The song immediately jumped to #23 on the Billboard charts the week following McPhee's performance.She has later said "My status as a musician in America is pretty much cemented by Katharine McPhee, which is really interesting and funny for me because I've never been polite about how I feel about shows like that."

Tunstall received three BRIT award nominations when they were announced on 11 January 2006. Nominations included Best British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act, and British Female Solo Artist. At the ceremony on 15 February 2006, Tunstall performed "Suddenly I See" and won the award for Best British Female Solo Artist, remarking that she wished to share it with fellow nominee Kate Bush

The singer's breakthrough hit "Suddenly I See" was used in the opening scene of the 2006 fashion satire The Devil Wears Prada. Now you can watch the video, which I really like!





Hope you enjoy it!

Prepositions...

A little music to make you remember some prepositions...

Zodiac Sign

If you were born under this sign, this goes for you:

Signs of the Zodiac

By Athena Starwoman

Libra

Your element: Air
Your ruling planets: Venus
Symbol: The Scales
Your stone: Opals
Life Pursuit: To be consistentVibration: UnsteadyLibran's Secret Desire: To live an easy, uncomplicated life.

80's tV..."ImAgEs Of A gEnErAtIoN"

Hello everybody,

We're almost there, our trip is going to end soon....=(
This week , as I've promissed, we're seeing some tv programs that were remarkable for some of us: movies, sitcoms intros, a video game commercial and a great part of a memorable show...

A compilation of some movies intros- enjoy it





Don't you remember this lovely E.T.?
Alf's intro




A family to remember surely
Growing pain's intro




Those girls... do you remember watching them???
Golden girl's




Let's play????
Atari's commercial




Another brick in the wall... What else can I say????
Pink Floyd's show




All right!
That's it for today, but I want to ask you guys to do sth for me...
Please, if you remember some tv program that I didn't, send me an e-mail or leave here your comment so I'll post your suggestion...
see you...


Next week: 80's fashion!!!!!!

Do you guys like Garfield?

I totally love him, He is the funniest cat in the world, isn't he?????



Have a nice weekend...

Ps.: Next week We won't have classes on Monday and Tuesday!

BODY IDIOMS

Have you ever heard any body idioms??? And thought: "My God, I don't understand it"!!!

Here are some expressions about body...it's very useful to know their meanings:

to happen behind your back
- happen without your knowledge, or when you are absent, secretly

to have butterflies in your stomach
- have a feeling of fear or anxiety, be nervous

to give the cold shoulder
- treat someone in an unfriendly manner

to get off your back
- stop criticizing someone

to get under your skin
- bother or upset someone

to be neck and neck
- be equal or nearly equal in a race or contest

to get something off your chest
- tell something important, but difficult to say

to pat someone on the back
- praise someone for a job well done

to be skin-deep
- be only on the surface, superficial

to stab someone in the back
- say or do something unfair that hurts a friend or someone who trusts you

to turn your back on
- refuse to help someone in trouble or need

to turn your stomach
- make you feel sick

I hope you enjoy it!!!

From http://esl.about.com/od/advancedvocabulary/a/q_idiommatch4.htm

Joy!

Quotes about happiness

Aristotle:
Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient


Carl Jung:
There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.



Anne Frank:
We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

H.H. the Dalai Lama:
The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.



John D. Rockefeller:
I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.

Mark Twain:
Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination.



Nathaniel Hawthorne:
Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.


Willa Cather:
That is happiness; to be dissolved into something completely great.




Kin Hubbard:
It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty an' wealth have both failed.

James Oppenheim:
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.



Have a happee week you all =)

xxx,
Teacher Bel

Para reír

CLIENTE PASOTA EN LA TERRAZA DEL BAR.

Camarero: Buenos días, ¿qué le pongo al señor?
Cliente: Al señor, le pones dos velas en Semana Santa.
Camarero: Perdón, quiero decir, ¿que qué desea?
Cliente: ¿Yo? Ser rico, famoso y vivir como Julio Iglesias.
Camarero: No, no, perdone, ¿quiero decir que qué desea Vd.?
Cliente: Pues yo deseo a aquella rubia de la esquina, un ferrari y mucho, pero que mucho dinero.
Camarero: No, ¿que qué desea Vd. tomar?
Cliente: Unas vacaciones en Acapulco, ¿me entiendes?
Camarero: ¿Que qué desea Vd. tomar de beber?
Cliente: ¡Ah! Un vaso de agua que estoy seco.
Camarero: Por un vaso de agua no se puede ocupar una mesa.
Cliente: Pues, tráigame 10 o 12.
Camarero: Aquí no podemos poner agua. ¿Dígame qué va a tomar?
Cliente: Un café con leche, ¿qué me costaría?
Camarero: 50 ptas.
Cliente: ¿Y el azúcar?
Camarero: El azúcar, nada, se la regalamos.
Cliente: Pues, tráigame 2 kilos.
Camarero: No me tome más el pelo y dígame que va tomar.
Cliente: Pues, el sol.
Camarero: Para estar aquí hay que pedir algo.
Cliente: ¿Me das un cigarrito?
Camarero: Mire señor, se me está acabando la paciencia, ¿dígame lo que va a ser?
Cliente: Yo ingeniero, sólo me quedan dos asignaturas.
Camarero: Quiero decir, ¿que qué desea?
Cliente: Que me toque la primitiva y acabar la carrera.
Camarero: Me parece que Vd. y yo vamos a ¿salir muy mal.
Cliente: No sé como saldremos; pero tú pagarás la foto, porque yo no tengo un duro.

( http://platea.pntic.mec.es/~jescuder/camarero.htm)

Funny Waitress....

Many people leave their contries and go to United States to try a better life. It's not uncommon hear from someone who have a known person who went to U.S. to work without know the English Language. I kept me thinking how can they survive there in this condition?

They usually work with hard jobs in constructions, because they don't need to speak. But... as they are learning how to speak the groce English, they start looking for a new job, with a better salary. It's very usual that they end up in a restaurant working up as a wait(er/ress). What is very funny in this situation is that they aren't able to understand English as well as they shoud do. So... many funny situation in loco apears when attended by a Foreing Wait(er/ress).

See this situation below! hahaha

The scene is a mostly takeout sandwich shop kind of like Subway. Your order is taken at the counter, and the sandwich is made while you watch. It is difficult for an order to get messed up unless neither party is paying attention. While I admit that from time to time I mumble, and, having been raised in the South, my drawl is not understandable by some, I generally have no trouble communicating with the vast majority of people that I speak with.

So you can imagine my surprise and consternation when, one afternoon:

Me: "I'd like a plain number three, white, end piece preferred, no cheese. And BBQ chips. To go." Clerk: (grabs a wheat roll) "Number three?"
Me: "Yeah. Plain."
Clerk: (holding a wheat roll) "What size?"
Me: "That's on white, please. Large."
Clerk: (cutting off a small piece of the wheat roll) "Ok."
Me: "Uhhh...I want that on white. End piece if you got it. And a large."
Clerk: "Oh...yeah...sorry. What size?"
Me: "Large."
Clerk: (grabbing a white roll -- with an uncut end still attached) "Ok."
Me: "End piece is preferred."
Clerk: (cutting off a small piece from the roll which is just barely long enough to qualify for a large sandwich, resulting in two pieces of the roll: a small-sized piece and a piece that is only about half as long as the small size although it is the end piece of the original whole roll) "Hmm."
Me: "That's large, please. Large."
Clerk: "Huh?"
Me: "I want a large number three."
Clerk: "Oh...yeah...sorry." (looks at the two pieces of bread on the counter in front of him, confused) "You said you wanted an end piece?"
Me: "Yeah. End piece is OK. Not required. Picky teenage daughter."
Clerk: (horizontally slices the smaller-than-small-sized piece of white roll -- the piece that has the end on it) "Ok."
Me: "Uh. Excuse me. I want a large number three."
Clerk: "I thought you wanted the end piece."
Me: "I want a large number three. Plain. The end piece is OK, but it is not required."
Clerk: (continues to make the sandwich on the less-than-small-sized end piece) "Ok."
Me: "Uh. Excuse me again. That's a large number three, please."
Clerk: "I thought you wanted the end piece."
Me: "I want a large number three, plain. Forget about the end piece, OK?"
Clerk: "What do I do with this?"
Me: "What do you do with what?"
Clerk: "What do I do with this end piece?"
Me: "Push it aside. Get a fresh roll of white bread, OK? I want a LARGE number three."
Clerk: "Oh...yeah."
Me: "Picky teenage daughter. She has to have a large, plain sandwich."
Clerk: (cuts off a large sized piece from a fresh, whole white roll) "That's a large, right?"
Me: "Yes. Large. You got it."
Clerk: "Number three?"
Me: "Yeah. Plain."
Clerk: "What kind of cheese?"
Me: "That's plain."
Clerk: "What kind of cheese do you want on it?"
Me: "I want it plain, please."
Clerk: "What is that?"
Me: "What is what?"
Clerk: "What is plain?"
Me: "I want a large number three, plain."
Clerk: "What do you mean, plain?"
Me: "Yes, plain."
Clerk: "What do you mean, plain?"
Me: "Just a number three. Plain. Absolutely plain."
Clerk: "I dunno know what you mean."
Me: "I want a large number three, absolutely plain."
Clerk: "I don't think we have that."
Me: "You can't make a plain sandwich? I order them here all the time!"
Clerk: "What do you mean, plain? We don't have plains."
Note that, at this point, the other customers at the counter are visibly amused, one even chuckling out loud. I look at them, and get "What a moron!" looks from them, so I know it's not just me. The other clerks appear curious about why a customer is raising his voice, but they still appear unaware that anything odd is going on.
Me: "I want a LARGE number THREE, absolutely PLAIN. Can you make one of those for me?"
Clerk: (visibly irritated) "I dunno. What do you mean, plain?"
Me: "PLAIN! Nothing on it!"
Clerk: "Nothing? Just the bread?"
Me: "No. Just a plain number three. Nothing on it at all. No--"
Clerk: (interrupting) "What kind of cheese?"
Me: "No cheese at all! Plain!"
Clerk: (walks away from his station and talks to the manager) "I can't do this."
Manager: "What's wrong?"
Clerk: "He won't tell me what kind of cheese he wants."
Me: "Can I speak to a manager?"
Manager: "Is there a problem?"
Me: "I'm just trying to get a sandwich made."
Clerk: "He keeps talking about some kind of airplane or something."
Manager: "Airplane? What's his order?"
Clerk: "A large number three airplane...or plane...I dunno what he wants me to do."
Manager: "What did you order?"
Me: "I'd like a number three, plain, on white, preferrably an end piece...no cheese. BBQ potato chips. To go."
Manager: "What was the problem?"
Me: "I have no idea, but it appears from what he said to you that he doesn't know what the word 'plain' means."
Manager: "Well, we'll get you taken care of."


hahaha.... I think there's just ont thing that fits in these situations: Relax and breath!!!

My students prepared a very special HOT DOG, take a look at their receipt:

Ingredients

• 15 Hot Dog bread


• 20 sausages


• 1 can of corn


• 2 onions


• 3 tomatoes


• 1 can of tomate sauce


• salt


• oil


• 1 can of pea


• ketchup


• mustard


• mayonnaise

How to prepare

First of all boil the sausage. Cut the onions and the tomatoes and fry them in another pan. Add the corn, the peas, water and the tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the boiled sausage and put in your bread!

Vous aimez le lait ?
En oménage aux espagnols





Il faut boire du lait pour bien jouer le foot !!!

80's CaRtOoNs ...SoMe "FrIeNdS" tO kEeP iN mInD!!!

Hey there!!!

Let's come back to our "trip" to the 80's and remember some cartoons which were part of our childhood and will be forever in our minds ( I'm saying that, part because I remember some of them, and because I'm sympathetic to you guys who really watched them in the 80's - lucky you all !!!!!!!!

Well, One of my favorites: Peanuts!!!!!
Who doesn't remember seeing this lovely dog on the roof of his doghouse thinking about life and its meanings????kkkk we all have fell in love with him!!!!
All right, here's a comic strip to ilustrate what I'm trying to say...





And to make you fall in love with Peanuts (if you're still not in love with him), watch a very interesting video of his creator, Charles M. Schulz, talking about Peanuts and his friends...(you can find other documentaries and more about Peanuts, including the cartoons,in Youtube).

Peanuts documentary (1985)(2 of 5)





I hope you have enjoyed!!


Now two compilations of cartoons intros from the 80's...I bet you will find one or two very familiar...






And for those who use to love Sesame Street...Here's its intro...



Muppets: a passion...Its intro:



Thank you all for coming back to the 80's with me...
Next week we will watch some sitcoms and movies! see you !!!!