From the land down under ...

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well. I know you're right at the end of the semester and I hope you all did well in your exams, but more importantly, I hope you have LEARNED a lot during the semester because that is what you'll take away with you forever. 

I'm writing to you from Perth, Western Australia, where I grew up; I'm here with my family for two months before coming back to Mexico City, which has been my home for 15 years now. 

So I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed meeting you and working with you. You had a great teacher and great teacher trainees, and you were a great class! Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you sometime around the CELE.

Shelley Chapman

Hi this is my homework

Tania Georgina Velarca García

Biography

Sakis Rouvas

Anastasios Rouvas is a Greek singer and gymnast, he was born in 5 at January in 1972, in Corfú, Greece.

When he was a student, he used to improvise some shows in the classes of mathematics, in which he used to sing some Elvis' and The Beatles' songs.
His another passion is the artistic gymnastic, he had won loads of national prizes when he became a part of the national Greek team.

When he was 19 years old, Sakis for the first time appeared professionally in the Athens' Show Centre where he was discovered by Polygram, and he was offered his first contract.

A few months later, he made his debut at The Festival of Thessalonica song, with the song "Parta". He won that festival, therefore he won too a lot of fans.
His first album was called "Sakis Rouvas", which was begun to be sold after the day of the festival. The album got at the top of the lists of popularity.
After he began to sell his third album (October, 1993), called “Min Antistekesai”, the press began to make very good critics of him and he began to appear a lot in magazines' covers.

For four consecutive years, he monopolized The Greek Music Awards “Pop Corn”, winning the prizes of New Better Artist, Better Song, Better Scenic Presence and much more.

He has collaborated with artists how Tolis Voskopoulos, Anna Vissi and Katie Garmpi.

At the 19 of May in 1997, gave a step towards the peace and reconciliation, when he appeared with the Turkish star of pop Burak Kud, in a ‘‘binational concert'' because they were over the green line in Cyprus. Therefore he won the Ipeksi Award because his comprehension and collaboration. Sakis and Burak made a duet for the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (Walt Disney).

Since 1996, Sakis has the biggest club of fans in Greece, "SRFC" (Sakis Rouvas Fans Club).

With two discs of gold and one of platinum, Sakis left Polygram and entered to Minos-EMI.

In December of 1998, he presented another disc “Kati Apo Mena” in Virgin Megastores, one of the biggest shops of music, where thousands of fans provoked vehicular chaos in Athens' streets.

In 2004, Sakis was offered to appear in the Opening of Olympic Games.

INTERESTING THINGS

In 2002, Sakis was the first man appearing in the cover of VOGUE magazine in the greek version.

He is the unique Greek singer who has made spots for PEPSI (has made three).

His albums in his country always becomes to gold or platinum.
He has been the image of Vodafone (A company like Telcel), since 2003.

In the Olympic Games he appeared two times: once when he was carrying the Olympic torch and the last at the end of the Olympic Games with another singers like Ana Vissi.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijiEYv0cP_w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IGCMJMj12g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kypJiy8vEvQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEkys0jfsTk

Some weird "how to" books...

Hi, everybody!!!

I want to share with you the link in Amazon for the "how to" books we used for the lesson, there are some of them I couldn't extract the cover image that are as funny as the others... so, if you want to buy one...

Yes!!! they're real!!!

I also found some videos on how to do things like "be ninja", "be nerd", "be gangster" and "be UFC fighter"... if you want to use them for serious purposes, try to identify the vocabulary used for giving the steps, but the main idea behind this is to have fun!!!

Enjoy!!!

See you tomorrow in class!!

HELLO AGAIN ...
THIS TIME I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M VERY SAD 'CAUSE NOBODY VISITS THIS BLOG!!!! :-(
IF SOMEBODY READS THIS... I WANT TO SHARE THIS PICTURE I FOUND...


By the way of what happened recently! ...

Hello everyone!
I hope all of you are fine!
This time I want to share with you a link of a web page from the British Broadcasting Corporation, that we use to know it as the BBC.
It has a section named LearningEnglish and I found it useful for everyone of us!, those who want to improve your English!
This page has lots of options to work with...
But this time I want you to look at this ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1728_people_places/page11.shtml
Here you will be able to practice your pronunciation ... Join in a lesson to learn how to speak English like someone from the USA or from Yorkshire, in the north of England.
But generally you can visit this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
Also visit the Flatmates section, I do like it, it is my favorite !!!
Well, That's all for today, hope to see you again over here...
Enjoy!
Greetings !! :-)

Do you like the violin?

What do you think of it? Do you like it?
-Javier

Fail-Safe and Rocky IV

We had a LOT of topics last class. I am sorry we had those technical problems. Here you can see the first image I showed (click to enlarge)

You can see two more pics here and here.

If you are interested on Fail-Safe, here's the part we watched:

If you are brave enough (and patient!!), you can see the whole thing here. You can read a more detailed summary of it at Wikipedia or IMDB.

This is the trailer of Rocky IV (from 1985):


This is the music video we watched:

The lyrics can be found at lyricsfreak.

With all this information, do you think movies nowadays show the same stereotypes? Do you think that, as Apollo Creed says in the trailer, "This is not an exhibition fight; this is US against THEM" is something that Hollywood still presents?
As this was the most successful of all Rocky series (collecting more than 127.8 million dollars only in the U.S.), would you go to the movies to watch it if it were released next month? Why? Why not?

Thanks to all for sharing your thoughts!
-Javier

Hello Everybody!
As usual, I hope you're fine ...
This time I want to share with you this quote I found ...
It is from Henry Van Dyke, an American short-story writer, Poet, and Essayist (1852 - 1933)
I hope you enjoy it as I did !

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” ... Henry Van Dyke...

Be happy !
Greetings ...

Soooo...!

I apologize for the lateness of this entry, my dear m8s from Class 510, but this midterm has been madness!!!

Anyway, here is what I promised, a serious site that will give you some hints on writing formal letters:

http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-writing.html

As well as this section of the site, that I think will be helpful to review some things we have done together... or not... like idioms, or irregular and phrasal verbs... oh, and the downloads section!!

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference.html

I hope you like and use this site...


Ah! by the way, remember that Abel told you about the visit of the Belizean Ambassador? well, after all, the cocktail party we had the other day is somehow coming true; so, as a reminder, he will be in our classroom next November 6th. please tell all you classm8s, and I know that you will prepare good, thoughtful and interesting questions, like the ones you always ask; and try to dig deeper than just surface-level matters... we heard that someone asked what are their point of view on us, mexicans... or what are their most important celebrations... I think they are very good questions to ask him... after all, not everyday we have an opportunity like this one!!!

I hope you'll enjoy it!!!

Well, I bid you goodbye for now, I'll post soon and see you all in class... or around... whatever happens first!

Daniel.

A Site to practice Listening

Hello everybody!
I found a site with listenings and exercises we can answer in the net. I've seen a few and I think they're good so, this is the address:
http://www.elllo.org/english/home.htm

For those of you who want to start right away I suggest we begin with the following exercise and on Monday you can tell me how did it go:
http://www.elllo.org/english/Situations/006S-ToddGym.htm

See you on Monday!

PD. The picture was taken from Old Photos:
http://old-photos.blogspot.com/2007/05/woman-listening-to-old-recording-device.html

My blueberry nights

Looking for something nice and relaxing to watch this weekend? Well, from one of my favourite directors, Wong Kar Wai, you can watch "My blueberry nights" (In Spanish "mis noches púrpura"... Don't you hate that translation?). Yes, it's in English. It's not his best piece, but it's quite nice. Wanna know more? Here's Rotten Tomatoes' synopsis:

With his first English-language film, beloved Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's touch loses none of the seductive luster and magic that made his Chinese films so popular. MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS follows the fortunes of Elizabeth (Norah Jones), who after having been left by her boyfriend, sets out across America to find herself and recover. She makes a stop in Memphis, where she pulls double-duty at a diner by day and a bar at night, and watches the disintegration of another pair of troubled lovers (David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz). She moves on to Nevada where she befriends a vivacious card player and smalltime hustler (a delightfully saucy Natalie Portman) who challenges her notions of contentment. However, it is New York City and the arms of an English café owner (Jude Law) for which Elizabeth's heart truly longs and ultimately returns. While MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS isn't Wong's best film--as it suffers from some clunky, heavy-handed dialogue and some frustratingly broad performances--it still contains all of the hallmarks of his aesthetic, and is therefore hard not to fall for. The film is undeniably beautiful, and features the director's trademark visual sense: shimmering neons, lush chiaroscuro, and swirling slow-motion images. It makes for a seductive view of America, one populated by swaggering, yet deeply melancholic drifters that listen to Otis Redding and Ruth Brown, drink too much, and love even more. The sadness and tears that emerge from America's taverns in the wee hours are as breathtakingly alluring as its natural landscapes. In Wong's hands, everything is cast in the light of joy-life and death, suffering and happiness-and the same goes for his understanding of America. Whether this America ever existed is wholly irrelevant; for when you watch a Wong movie, you happily enter his country, wherever that may be.

Miau

Hi everybody!
Sorry I haven't posted any comments to your writings, I promise this weekend I'll catch up. Meanwhile, I want to say that I'm very impressed with your participation and that it is a good motivation for me, as a teacher, to keep up with new ideas ;)
So... I also have noticed that you care much about me and I want to thank you by sharing something personal: my comics. I haven't posted any since I came back to México but I still like them a lot. Hope they make you laugh a little. Well, see you soon!
Helen.

Good Luck in this Week of Exams !!!!

Hello everybody!

I hope all of you are well !

In this week I just want to say, Good Luck in all the Exams !!!

I DO NOT like Exams !!! I get very nervous, and suddenly my brain is empty!!

I'm just like this picture !!! hahaha ...

I hope you do not !!!

See all of you at school!!

Greetings!

Project 3

1. Your idea's name:
Self-efficient homes.

2. The category that best describes your idea:
Energy

3. What one sentence best describes your idea?
For the good of all, lets build self-efficient homes

4. Describe your idea in more depth
We need to improve our way to build houses, in this days, a house is a very important place for all the world, but in many cases here is where most of the energy and resourses of this planet are spent indiscriminately, so I plan to start building houses that can produce many of the resourses that it will need. For example, in this days the water of the toilet is pure water, instead of using pure water for the toilet, we can use the water previously used for exmple in washing our hands, or the water used after you take a bath. Also the house must have a system in the roof to recolect the rain, this water can be use for watering the plants, for doing the cleaning of the home, etc.

The house should have a grave where all the waste of the bath arrive, and this grave is going to be use to generate enegy by the descomposicion of organic matter organica, the graves is gping to have some bacteria that are going to produce methane, this methane can be used to cook, to heat the water, etc. The descomposition of organic matter also generates phosphorus, and nitrogene, which can be used as fertilizers.

In the roof, there will be some solar cells, that catch the solar energy, and they transfpormed it into electric energy, so the house will work through solar energy. Also in the roof, there will be plants, that produce oxigen, to reduce the pollution.

5. What problem or issue does your idea address?
My idea talk about energy and resourses, in this days, fosil fuels are being exhausted, therefore we should find new forms to generate energy, therefore I propose to produce electric energy electrica in solar cells by using the solar energy and to produce methane by the descomposition of organic matter, so we are going to stop consuming LP gas or natural gas, which are being exhausted. On the other hand the pure water is finishing and nobody uses the rainwater which is very useful.

6. If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the best and how?
If my idea becomes a reality, it would benefil the planet, and all human beings, because it will make this planet a better planet, with less polution, and because we can have more resourses by generating energy in our homes.

7. What are the initial steps required to get your idea off the ground?
That the governments support the initiative, and that the people believes in my idea and make conscience to modify their homes for the good of all.

Project 2 "National Parks"

· Which park are you visiting?

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

· When can you visit it?

All the year, so it is specially recomendated to do it in spring and summer

· Why did you choose to visit this park?
Because the park is in Massachusetts, one of the most important states in the Uniteds States history. There we can find large and ancient forests and historic villages and towns.

· What can you do there while you are visiting?

It is posible to enjoy short walks, day hikes, and long-distance backpacking journeys. The park offers a variety of opportunities for viewing spectacular scenery, for exploring, for exercise and for nature study.
The visitors can camp, fish and view the wildlife.

Homekork : Project (Module 3)

Helloooooo

1. My idea's name: The knowledge’s garden


2. The category that best describes your idea: Education


3. What one sentence best describes your idea?
A place where you can practise martial arts, you can learn to play a musical instrument but also you can read a good book listening good music.


4. Describe your idea in more depth
It is a place opened 24 hours of the day and the 365 days of the year. The place is supported economically just by donations. And people can learn things without any cost.



5. What problem or issue does your idea address?
The problem of the people who wants to get education but they can’t afford that.


6. If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the best and how?
It would benefit to all the people who wants to get education (or to improve the education that they are receiving) but they can’t afford that. People can come to that place freely, and they can take classes of martial arts, tango (or anything else because it depends of the people who wants to teach something) and music or read a book (without any cost). But they can’t borrow the books out of that place.


7. What are the initial steps required to get your idea off the ground?
To make a big construction of a mansion with a big garden (where you can practice martial arts), to get loads of books (it doesn’t matter if loads of books are for the university, it is better), to get some chairs and tables (and bookcases too), to find people who wants to teach just for the love of teaching (but of course they receive money) and cops for the vigilance.


8. Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented.
I think it should be selected because people would have more knowledge than they have now and would be happier.

Loving Nature!!!

Improving my Listening Skills
§ I watch television programs: watch movies or cartoons.
§ I go to Internet sites to practice listening.
§ I listen to music in English on the radio.

a) Which park are you visiting?
Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming
b) When can you visit it?
I can visit it on autumn during September or October. In this period the park is in transition to winter, you would see as leaves change color. Many animals on October migrate in the Park.
c) How much does it cost to visit it?
Single entry $25- 7 days, on winter day $5 - 1 day
If you like to stay on the night there, Campground fees are $17-$19 per night per site and half price for Golden Age.
d) Why did you choose to visit this park?
I chose to visit it because I like the wildlife, in this park there are mountains, lakes, rivers, abundance plants and animals. I prefer to go to the forest to walk around plants, spend time enjoying the environment and the page mention that Grand Teton is one of the most recognizable mountain landscapes in the world.
e) What can you do there while you are visiting?
I’ll enjoy the abundance of wildlife and plants found there. There are herbivores and carnivores plants that eat animals like bears, coyotes. I’d do a lot of activities like biking, climbing, fishing, horseback riding, boating and floating, mountaineering, etc. Then I’ll go to the trailer villages to have lunch and dinner and on the night I’ll camp in the park.

HI EVERY ONE!!! GO TO THE NEXT VACATION!!!

- a) Which park are you visiting?
I LIKE TO KNOW DELAWARE NATIONAL SCENIC RIVER
- b) When can you visit it?
I LIKE TO VISIT IN SUMMER, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE VSIT IN THESE DAYS AND IN THIS PARK DOES MANY RECREATIONS ACTIVITIES
- d) Why did you choose to visit this park?
- BECAUSE I LIKE A LOT THE WATER IN THIS PLACE HAS VERY LONG RIVER THAT IS THE MIDDLE DELAWARE PASSES BETWEEN LOW FORESTED MOUNTAINS. I LIKE THE FOREST BECAUSE YOU CAN BREATHE A PURE AIR
- e) What can you do there while you are visiting?
I LIKE TO PRACTICE KAYAK, CLIMB THE APPLACHIAN TRAIL AND KNOW THE STORY ABOUT MILLBROOK VILLAGE IN THIS PLACES YOU CAN RETURN A MEDIEVAL EPOC

RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT LISTENING:

I CHOOSE THIS RECOMENDATONS BECAUSE A I CAN DO IN A NORMAL WEEKEND

- Listen to different kinds of materials.
Listen actively. I try to answer the “wh” questions. And I recognize the main idea
who
what
when
where
why
how
- Rent videos (turn off the captions!) or go to a movie in English.
- Exchange language lessons with an English friend who wants to learn my language.

A good option to visit...

Writing about:

The National Parks

Every National Park in US is unique and interesting; all of them have their own memorable history and their beauty is amazing.

The US has several kinds of parks that one can visit, for example: monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic river and trails and the White House.

In the places previously mentioned people can do many different activities, for instance: biking, boating, camping, climbing, fishing, horseback riding, etc.

Well, this entire variety permits people to choose what kind of park they want to visit according to their interest or what activities they want to do.

The people can learn and enjoy at the same time in their visits to these places.

All Parks are a good option to go vacations, but when the people visit these parks they have to respect the rules and the politics of all of them. They have to put the crash and garbage in the correct place, and show respect to the animals, and the nature that exists there.

The National Parks in US are a treasure that people have to take care of. To contribute to preserve natural wealth is an invaluable heritage to the next generation.

Questions:
a)Which park are you visiting?
I am going to visit a beautiful island called: The Dry National Park, in the state of Florida, which is accessible only by private or charter boat or seaplanes.

b)When can you visit it?
I can visit it whenever because The park is open the whole year.

c)How much does it cost to visit it?
The entrance fee for park is $ 5.00 for visitor 17 and older.

d)Why did you choose to visit this park?
I chose this park because it is an Island, and for me is a different place to visit and I like too much the turtles and to arrive up to there one can do it by boat or seaplane. These activities are very exiting for me and the landscapes of the seashores are beautiful. It is a wonderful place and there we can do funny activities, which I will mention in the next question, jiji.

e)What can you do there while you are visiting?
Like the page says: … “A variety of remarkable experiences await those who arrive.”
In this Park I will do many things, for example: camping, snorkeling, birdwatching, fishing or just enjoying a view from the top of the massive Fort Jefferson. Here the people can realize how magical this place could be.

About the tips of the listening:
- I´m going to listen music cds in English of course that I have.
- I´m going to watch the CBS News on TV and by Internet.
- I´m going to rent videos (turn off the captions).

Homework

Hello:

I'm Tania Georgina

*I’m going to take these tips*

Ø I’m going to go to Internet sites to practice listening, like youtube.com for watch soap –operas and TV’s programs.

Ø I’m going to listen to the radio through the internet.

Ø I’m going to look for people out of the central library for to speak with.

REPORT

a) Which park are you visiting?
Glacier National Park located in the northwest corner of Montana.

b) When can you visit it?
Every day of the year.

c) How much does it cost to visit it?
Free entry, but if you want you can give an economical support.

d) Why did you choose to visit this park?
Because at first when I saw the map, the first state that I pointed was Montana so I decided to visit a park of that state because I couldn’t fight with the curiosity. Then I saw the announcement of the Glacier National Park and there was a photo of an adorable animal in that, so I decided to enter to that park.

e) What can you do there while you are visiting?
I can camp, I can walk through the forests and up mountains, I can take a backpacking for to see the wild side of the park, I can take a boat cruise for learn about geology and the history of the park, I can ride a horse and explore historic and contemporary routes. I can fish, I can skiing, I can bicycle, I can go boating through the lakes. Also I can learn stories of Native Americans. I can take a tour the Going-to-the-Sun Road in a Red Bus or learn all about the Blackfeet Indian culture in motor coaches. I can see high temperatures with sunny skies but later I can see snow showers and falling temperatures in the same day.