Frankly speaking,
I’m a little bit discouraged about the general response and participation in our own blogs.
This is to copy literally what Felicity said on her first entry: “I hope we can use this tool to write and communicate in English when we are not in class, you can write about anything as long as it's in English, and better still if it's about English!”
However, the today’s result (the summary) is as follows:
The last entry from Ana was in Wednesday 11th Nov. about British Humour, and with one comment from Felicity only.
The last entry from Ana Gabriela was in Monday 2nd. Nov. about North or South? That's the REAL question, and with no comments
The last entry from Carme was in Tuesday 10 th Nov. about English Humour, and with no comments.
The last entry from Miguel Llana was in Monday 9 th Nov. about English Humour, and with no comments.
The last entry from Elsa was in Thuersday 19 th Nov. about Peep Show, and with no comments.
The last entry from Mónica was in Sunday 12 th Nov. about Peep Show and other TV series, and with one comment from Felicity only.
The last entry from Silvia was in Monday 23 rd Nov. about Peep Show, and with one comment from Felicity only. (By the way and for the absent like me, Silvia has been the only one who has explained you have seen the Peep Show episode last Wednesday).
Last but not least, the last entry from Felicity was in Thursday 12 th Nov. about Pot calling the kettle black. Please note that on this entry she literally asked for: “This week, more importantly than making an entry on your own blog, I would like to see more blog-blog interaction. The idea of the blog is to 'connect' with classmates during the week so that we are never apart!!”
I do sincerely encourage you all to spend few of your time to do this. This practice should be compulsory for the students here thus, for those who want to improve our English fluency.
It’s true that I’m retired and in consequence, I’ve “almost” all the time in my hands but this could be a matter of the length of the text but never excuse for any text at all.
I’ve sent to you all the Mr. Geert Wilders speech, a few days ago but I’ve got no comments.
Let me tell you now, some of our recent past familiar experiences.
Last 19 th Nov. was the first birthday of our grandson POL already. He crawls quickly but hi is not able to walk yet. Both, his parents and grandparents seat together with him for dinner. My wife prepared a special meal for him consisting in his most usual thick vegetable and meat soup but drawing a smiling clown face on the top performed with tomato sauce. He was gobsmacked at all the stuff he saw. A small cake decorated with the nr. “1” plus one lighting candle both joined by our happy birthday’s songs were the perfect ending of the party.
Please keep in touch and my warmest regards to you all.
Miquel Obradó
miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2009
I’m a little bit discouraged
jueves, 12 de noviembre de 2009
"An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman . . ."
It’s a form of joke in the U.K.
The nationalities involved may vary, though they are most usually restricted to those within the UK and Ireland, and the number of people involved is usually three
The punch line is usually based around the Irishman's stupidity, the Scotsman's meanness, or the Englishman's snobbishness.
The joke begins "An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman..." and then places the three characters in a scenario. How each person in the joke reacts to the scenario is then explained, the final reaction being the punch line, playing up to the stereotype of that nationality. Generally speaking in mainland Britain the Irishman is usually portrayed as the butt of the joke.
Let’s go to watch some examples:
· A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman were discussing the infidelity of their wives. "I think my wife is having an affair with an electrician", said the Englishman, "Because I found an electrician's toolbox under her bed last night." "I think my wife is having an affair with a plumber", said the Scotsman, "Because last night I found a plunger under her bed". "I think my wife is having an affair with a horse", said the Irishman, "Because last night I found a jockey under her bed."
· An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walk into a bar. The Englishman has a sword, the Scotsman has an axe, and the Irishman has a bomb. The Englishman throws his sword out the window and leaves. On his way home, he finds a little boy crying. "Oh, what is the matter, poor child?" "A sword flew out of the sky and it landed on my father..." the boy sobs. The Englishman walks home. The Scotsman throws his axe out the window and walks home. On his way home, he finds a little girl crying. "Dear lass, what's the matter?" he asks. "An axe fell out of the sky and it landed on my brother..." The Scotsman walks home. The Irishman throws his bomb out the window and leaves. On his way home, he finds a little boy laughing hysterically. "What's so funny, lad?" he asks. "I went to the loo and my house blew up."
Have a good laugh!
Miquel
The nationalities involved may vary, though they are most usually restricted to those within the UK and Ireland, and the number of people involved is usually three
The punch line is usually based around the Irishman's stupidity, the Scotsman's meanness, or the Englishman's snobbishness.
The joke begins "An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman..." and then places the three characters in a scenario. How each person in the joke reacts to the scenario is then explained, the final reaction being the punch line, playing up to the stereotype of that nationality. Generally speaking in mainland Britain the Irishman is usually portrayed as the butt of the joke.
Let’s go to watch some examples:
· A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman were discussing the infidelity of their wives. "I think my wife is having an affair with an electrician", said the Englishman, "Because I found an electrician's toolbox under her bed last night." "I think my wife is having an affair with a plumber", said the Scotsman, "Because last night I found a plunger under her bed". "I think my wife is having an affair with a horse", said the Irishman, "Because last night I found a jockey under her bed."
· An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walk into a bar. The Englishman has a sword, the Scotsman has an axe, and the Irishman has a bomb. The Englishman throws his sword out the window and leaves. On his way home, he finds a little boy crying. "Oh, what is the matter, poor child?" "A sword flew out of the sky and it landed on my father..." the boy sobs. The Englishman walks home. The Scotsman throws his axe out the window and walks home. On his way home, he finds a little girl crying. "Dear lass, what's the matter?" he asks. "An axe fell out of the sky and it landed on my brother..." The Scotsman walks home. The Irishman throws his bomb out the window and leaves. On his way home, he finds a little boy laughing hysterically. "What's so funny, lad?" he asks. "I went to the loo and my house blew up."
Have a good laugh!
Miquel
miércoles, 4 de noviembre de 2009
From north to the south and from east to the west, England is the best
I’ve been many times in GB as well as in Ireland.
I’ve been in Bishop Auckland (County Durham) for business given that the company I was working for was the representative of a GB Company leader in dehumidifier technology located there.
On the occasion of my visits there, I’ve well known Durham a city in the North East.
Durham is known for its Norman Cathedral and 11th. Century castle, and is home to Durham University founded on the nineteenth century. Durham Castle became the first University College. Both are highly recommended sightseeing attractions.
Durham is a hilly city bathed by the River Wear which flows north through the city. There is also a lovely Market Place, which still hosts regular markets.
Many of the inner city areas are now inhabited by students living in shared houses.
In some roads nearly 70% of the dwellings are occupied by students.
Besides the business, I’ve also visited GB for pleasure.
I’ve been in Yorkshire and Northumbria. York is a really interesting cultural getaway with its iconic York Minster. To delve into the city's vibrant café culture or simply watch the world go by while sipping a drink by the river are just samples of how you can enjoy the life there.
Whitby (from "white settlement" in Old Norse), it’s a town in the north-east coast of England. In the 18th century it became a centre for shipbuilding and whaling but nowadays it is a fishing port situated at the mouth of the River Esk and spreads up the steep sides of the narrow valley carved out by the river's course.
Whitby is also a don’t-miss-stop for the Coast to Coast Walk, the mostly green long distance footpath in England which passes through three national parks (I’ve walked no more than 10 miles from its 220 ones).
I’ve visited Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon (birthplace of William Shakespeare), both Kent County and City.
I’ve been in Bath a World Heritage City which holds the most famous Britain spa, Warwick with its magnificent castle, traveled from Chester to the Lake District through Cumbria and up to Northumberland fully spattered by fortresses.
Lastly, I went all over North Wales one summer and the coming summer travelled the whole territory of South Wales.
At the end I also know Scotland from Glasgow to Edinburgh and from Stirling to Inverness.
In conclusion, stereotypically, those living south of the Watford Gap (the logical route connecting the English Midlands with the South East) claim that it is the point where well being, self respect and spirit begin. Northerners respond by claiming that it is the line where humour, humility and humanity end. Both have their good and bad points, the North has some of the rougher and industrial cities but it also has some spectacular countryside.
In the North it rains and it rains but down South the sun never sets.
For the weather I would prefer the South but for the people I would rather prefer the North. In the North you can have a lovely man seated next to you on the bus and you can talk each other about fish and chips for about 15mins. That's the type of kind, generous, wonderful people they are. You wouldn't get that down south.
The Northerners are the salt of the earth and they should all stand shoulder to shoulder as a Nation.There are more things to do in North however South is also nice, North just feels homier.
The south cost is lovely, so rugged and wild.
They are both good in the right place. North and South are better in England than anywhere else.
In short, from north to the south and from east to the west, England is the best.
Miquel
I’ve been in Bishop Auckland (County Durham) for business given that the company I was working for was the representative of a GB Company leader in dehumidifier technology located there.
On the occasion of my visits there, I’ve well known Durham a city in the North East.
Durham is known for its Norman Cathedral and 11th. Century castle, and is home to Durham University founded on the nineteenth century. Durham Castle became the first University College. Both are highly recommended sightseeing attractions.
Durham is a hilly city bathed by the River Wear which flows north through the city. There is also a lovely Market Place, which still hosts regular markets.
Many of the inner city areas are now inhabited by students living in shared houses.
In some roads nearly 70% of the dwellings are occupied by students.
Besides the business, I’ve also visited GB for pleasure.
I’ve been in Yorkshire and Northumbria. York is a really interesting cultural getaway with its iconic York Minster. To delve into the city's vibrant café culture or simply watch the world go by while sipping a drink by the river are just samples of how you can enjoy the life there.
Whitby (from "white settlement" in Old Norse), it’s a town in the north-east coast of England. In the 18th century it became a centre for shipbuilding and whaling but nowadays it is a fishing port situated at the mouth of the River Esk and spreads up the steep sides of the narrow valley carved out by the river's course.
Whitby is also a don’t-miss-stop for the Coast to Coast Walk, the mostly green long distance footpath in England which passes through three national parks (I’ve walked no more than 10 miles from its 220 ones).
I’ve visited Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon (birthplace of William Shakespeare), both Kent County and City.
I’ve been in Bath a World Heritage City which holds the most famous Britain spa, Warwick with its magnificent castle, traveled from Chester to the Lake District through Cumbria and up to Northumberland fully spattered by fortresses.
Lastly, I went all over North Wales one summer and the coming summer travelled the whole territory of South Wales.
At the end I also know Scotland from Glasgow to Edinburgh and from Stirling to Inverness.
In conclusion, stereotypically, those living south of the Watford Gap (the logical route connecting the English Midlands with the South East) claim that it is the point where well being, self respect and spirit begin. Northerners respond by claiming that it is the line where humour, humility and humanity end. Both have their good and bad points, the North has some of the rougher and industrial cities but it also has some spectacular countryside.
In the North it rains and it rains but down South the sun never sets.
For the weather I would prefer the South but for the people I would rather prefer the North. In the North you can have a lovely man seated next to you on the bus and you can talk each other about fish and chips for about 15mins. That's the type of kind, generous, wonderful people they are. You wouldn't get that down south.
The Northerners are the salt of the earth and they should all stand shoulder to shoulder as a Nation.There are more things to do in North however South is also nice, North just feels homier.
The south cost is lovely, so rugged and wild.
They are both good in the right place. North and South are better in England than anywhere else.
In short, from north to the south and from east to the west, England is the best.
Miquel
lunes, 26 de octubre de 2009
Mother Tongue
Hi mates,
“Come In” has got the Mother Tongue already.
I’ve taken my copy this afternoon and I’ve devoured the 1st. chapter in the bus on the way back home. It’s easy to read and really amusing.
See you on Wednesday.
Miquel
“Come In” has got the Mother Tongue already.
I’ve taken my copy this afternoon and I’ve devoured the 1st. chapter in the bus on the way back home. It’s easy to read and really amusing.
See you on Wednesday.
Miquel
sábado, 24 de octubre de 2009
TUSCANY, LIKE A FINE WINE, HAS BEEN SOME TIME IN THE MAKING...
Hello.....I love to go on vacations. My wife and I usually go on vacations for a few days but about 5-6 times a year and sometimes more. To start, I’m going to explain our last experience in Tuscany (La Toscana). We went there with a hired motor home.
Tuscany is possibly the greatest repository of art in the world, from extraordinary paintings and sculpture to frescoes and architectural masterpieces.
We went there not only in search of fine art but also, to explore the extraordinary countryside and as gourmets to enjoy the simple yet wonderful cuisine and wine.
There is a lot to see and do in Tuscany, the difficulty is really where to start.
Our first stop was in Siena. Other stops were Florence, Arezzo, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Lucca.
I want to talk about Montalcino. It’s a hill town located no far from Pienza and in the valley called “Val d’Orcia”.
There are medieval walls and a fortress built at the highest point of the town. Down the narrow short street that extends from the main gate of the fortress is the museum “Musei Riuniti” which is both a civic and diocesan museum.
The main square, the “Piazza del Popolo”, is downhill from the fortress. The principal building on the square is the town hall, once the “Palazzo dei Priori” but now the “Palazzo Comunale”.
There are many other medieval buildings in Montalcino that make up its historical centre “centro storico”.
Last but not least, Montalcino is famous for its wine “Brunello di Montalcino”. It’s the first Italian red wine awarded with “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” (DOCG), 100% produced in the territory of Montalcino province of Siena. This fantastic and highly recommendable wine is considered for the most experts as the most long-lived Italian red wine.
I’ll see you on the next experience.
Tuscany is possibly the greatest repository of art in the world, from extraordinary paintings and sculpture to frescoes and architectural masterpieces.
We went there not only in search of fine art but also, to explore the extraordinary countryside and as gourmets to enjoy the simple yet wonderful cuisine and wine.
There is a lot to see and do in Tuscany, the difficulty is really where to start.
Our first stop was in Siena. Other stops were Florence, Arezzo, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Lucca.
I want to talk about Montalcino. It’s a hill town located no far from Pienza and in the valley called “Val d’Orcia”.
There are medieval walls and a fortress built at the highest point of the town. Down the narrow short street that extends from the main gate of the fortress is the museum “Musei Riuniti” which is both a civic and diocesan museum.
The main square, the “Piazza del Popolo”, is downhill from the fortress. The principal building on the square is the town hall, once the “Palazzo dei Priori” but now the “Palazzo Comunale”.
There are many other medieval buildings in Montalcino that make up its historical centre “centro storico”.
Last but not least, Montalcino is famous for its wine “Brunello di Montalcino”. It’s the first Italian red wine awarded with “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” (DOCG), 100% produced in the territory of Montalcino province of Siena. This fantastic and highly recommendable wine is considered for the most experts as the most long-lived Italian red wine.
I’ll see you on the next experience.
sábado, 17 de octubre de 2009
Creating a blog
Thanks to the collaboration of my daughter, creating a blog has been not so difficult so, I’m going to explain why I had written my name down for this course.
I studied English for 500 hours at ESADE but, long time ago. Soon after, I have used English mainly for business but I’d never come back to study it.
Besides nearly 25 years using English on business only, makes easy not only to forget the grammar but also adopt some bad habits. Perhaps the only positive point is to keep certain fluent speaking. That’s the reason why I decided to take part in this advancing in English course, trying to remember all the forgotten things and recovering the knowledge of English that I had years ago.
I’m also fully devoted to English mainly because the wide opportunities of worldwide communication you can get using it, in fact this is for me important enough to such an extent that I dislike English under no circumstances.
In the first week’s session we have tended towards the knowledge of the English language’s origin and cultures, starting since the Anglo-Saxon invasions, 449 AD.
I studied English for 500 hours at ESADE but, long time ago. Soon after, I have used English mainly for business but I’d never come back to study it.
Besides nearly 25 years using English on business only, makes easy not only to forget the grammar but also adopt some bad habits. Perhaps the only positive point is to keep certain fluent speaking. That’s the reason why I decided to take part in this advancing in English course, trying to remember all the forgotten things and recovering the knowledge of English that I had years ago.
I’m also fully devoted to English mainly because the wide opportunities of worldwide communication you can get using it, in fact this is for me important enough to such an extent that I dislike English under no circumstances.
In the first week’s session we have tended towards the knowledge of the English language’s origin and cultures, starting since the Anglo-Saxon invasions, 449 AD.
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