Funny Learning

St.Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T19:36:00.003Z

To my Valentine!!!
I Love you!!!

Summer Reading VII...

2010-08-29T22:58:00.000+01:00

Isprinsessan ( A Princesa do Gelo) by Camilla Lackberg a new Swedish author that has become an international success.

The book is about Erica Falk that returns to her little hometown after her parents death. The death of a childhood friend, Alex, is the beginning of the mysteries in the city. She decides to investigate her friend's death and together with Patrik Hedstrom, the police in charge of the investigation they soon discover that things are not always what they seem. They found out the truth about the city with a really disturbing past...

An excellent book, enthusiastic reading.

Summer Reading VI...

2010-08-29T22:12:00.002+01:00

Outlander( Nas Asas do Tempo) by Diana Gabaldon is about the old Scotland, its Clans, its mysteries and traditions.

In 1945, Claire Randall, an ex-nurse in the Army, comes back from the war and is with her husband in a second honey-moon in Scotland when unexpectadly she touches a circle of rocks. Suddenly, she is transported to the year 1743, to the centre of a battle between the English and the Scottish. Captain Black Jack Randall, an English and an ancestor of her husband thinks she is a prostitute, but next she is taken by the powerful Mackenzie clan. They believe she is an English spy or a witch, however her experience as a nurse gets her the respect of the men. She ends up being forced to get married to a member of the clan, Jamie Fraser, who devotes her true love that Claire feels divided between fidelity and a new passion as well as between two very different men.

She is also taken to a world of conspiracy, war between English and Scottish Claire must decide what to do when one knows the future?

A beautiful book. I loved it all through its 772 pages.

Summer Reading V...

2010-08-29T21:54:00.005+01:00

Rules of Vengeance, written by Christopher Reich is a book that imprisioned me from the first to the last page.

Jonathan Ransom, is a doctor Without Frontiers working under a false identity in a distant place in Africa. Meanwhile, his wife Emma is hiding in the subworld of the international spying to escape the American Secret Services, which she betrayed.

Both are anxious to meet again and they have the opportunity in London, but an attack to foreign diplomats ends ups in a bloodshed. Emma disappears and Jonathan must fight to find again the hidden truth.

An excellent choice, full mystery

Summer Reading IV...

2010-08-29T21:28:00.003+01:00

Here is another book I've read this summer.

Washington D.C., is an excellent book about politics, ethics, high society, blackmail, treason, conspiracy, love and marriage combined with an interesting insight into madness.
Gore Vidal, the author of this great book, writes about the Senator James Burden Day and his assistant Clay Overbury. There is also Blaise Sanford, a milionaire, that follows the political career of Clay Overbury. Clay is an ambitious, handsome and charming man, whose false dedication to the senator is going to give him a prestigious career in the American politics. He gets married to Enid Sanford. Clay is hated by Blaise Sanford in the beginning but he ends up being loved , even if for the wrong reasons.
The book shows the greatness of the American empire during the presidency of F. D. Rooselvelt and goes into the terror period of McCarthy.

A good way to understand American politics.

Summer Reading III...

2010-07-18T14:16:00.003+01:00

" A Concubina Russa" by Kate Furnivall is an incredibly romantic and epic book. The story story begins in 1917 in Russia and ends in China, Junchow.
The story is about two rrussian refugees in China who live a very poor and difficult life. They, mother and daugther struggle to survive in a very hostile community, the old China with its ancient culture and criminality and the international community settled there.
The young girl, Lydia, is a brave character that goes through many adventures but above all great changes, the discovery of a forbidden love with a young communist chinese boy, the discovery of her own identity and the secrets of her mother.
I loved the book because I love to " travel" to distant and unknown cultures. The book is a valuable source of information about China and international politics too.
A beautiful love story.

Summer Reading II...

2010-07-17T18:55:00.003+01:00

This is a post written immediately after having finished reading another book.

This is an extraordinary book about an extrordinary woman who became a Pope of Rome in the ancient times of 853 .

The book of " A Papisa Joana" written by Donna Woolfolk Cross, is the story of a young and brilliant girl who fought against all odds to have the right to learn. To have an academic education was forbbiden to girls because they were considered inferior. Joana, fought against her cruel father, against her mother, against the law of men just to have the pleasure to learn and to study. She was a brilliant student but also persecuted because of her intelligence. She lived most of her life hiding herself under the clothes of men.

Her intelligence, skills as doctor and character take her to Rome and near the Popes. Elected as one of them, she had dedicated those brief times as Pope to help the poorest.

The book is also about her love story.

She died in 855 in the streets of Rome while giving birth to a still-born child.

A book that absorbs our attention till the end.

Summer Reading I...

2010-07-15T19:43:00.005+01:00

I love reading. I've already told you about this passion of mine.

Reading takes me very far away, it takes me to distant places, I meet new people and new cultures.

This year I've already read some books...

To start with I must recommend the Stieg Larson trilogy.

The first book "Os homens que odeiam as mulheres", the second " A rapariga que sonhava com uma lata de gasolina e um fósforo" and the third " A rainha no palácio das correntes de ar", are to be read in this order because the story, the lives of the famous journalist Mikael Blomkvist, of the strange girl and hacker Lisbeth Salander and many others are developed through the three books.

These books are a combination of romance with a thriller. Once you start reading....you can't stop.I vividly recommend this author who died before his work was acknowledged by the literary world.

R.I.P Portuguese Literature Nobel Prize...

2010-06-18T13:41:00.005+01:00

José Saramago, the Portuguese Literature Nobel Prize, has just died in his home in Lanzarote, Spain.

José Saramago left the Portuguese and the world an enormous legacy in Literature. His literary works are of great pride for all the portuguese.

The Portuguese cultural scene is now poorer.

He wrote fabulous books such as Memorial do Convento, Levantado do Chão, Todos os Nomes and for me, a masterpiece Ensaio sobre a Cegueira ...to name but a few.

Rest In Peace.

Douro Valley...

2010-05-22T15:16:00.000+01:00

A wonderful day spent in the most spectacular Oporto Wine region , Douro, in the North of Portugal.

A place worth a visit!

The Xangai Expo....

2010-05-10T17:03:00.007+01:00

The Xangai Expo is here to visit.

Have a look a their wonderful architecture

For my mother...

2010-05-02T21:01:00.000+01:00

A world of flowers, a world of love.

You deserve our love, our kisses and affection.

You're the best mother and I love YOU.

A Few More...

2010-04-20T21:48:00.002+01:00

Fashion and Fun...

2010-04-19T21:36:00.002+01:00

Inspiring Disney Cartoons

A new Blog...

2010-04-12T22:19:00.000+01:00

We're back to school.

To start without feeling it's a great burden I suggest you a very interesting blog. It's author writes short stories. They're easy to read, entertaining and, last but not least, they'll help you to improve your English proficiency.

Villa de Loon is the blog. Check it.

Happy Easter...

2010-04-03T17:29:00.002+01:00

Happy Easter!! ...to all my good and dear friends.

My World...

2010-03-23T16:41:00.001Z

I live in a city of Love.

In your Heart...

To my Father...

2010-03-19T16:29:00.000Z

Just a bunch of them...

They'll never be enough to say...

Father...

I Love You...

I Miss you...

More About Women...

2010-03-08T22:44:00.002Z

Read here about the 100 women that have changed the world.

International Women's Day...

2010-03-08T17:39:00.003Z

(The mimosa - the Silver Wattle ,is the symbol of the celebrations of Women's day in many countries)

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on the 8th of March every year. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.
Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day.

In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

And the Winners Are...

2010-03-08T14:32:00.004Z

Christoph Waltz

Kathryn Bigelow

Jeff Bridges

Sandra Bullock

Bullying...

2010-03-07T22:36:00.003Z

Another boy,

Another victim of bullying.

We must listen,

We must believe and try to avoid tragic consequences.

Bullying .... lets stop it.

Madeira Island's Tragedy...

2010-02-20T19:06:00.005Z

A severe storm has caused chaos today in the beautiful Madeira Island.

The island is partially destroyed by the heavy rain that flooded the city of Funchal and other locations.

More tragic than the material destruction witnessed is the death of people. It is now confirmed that 42 people have died and many injured others are getting medical treatment in hospitals.

A pray for those who died.

Let's help in the island's rebuilding.

Sweet Valentine...

2010-02-14T22:04:00.003Z

To you...

Let's celebrate love

not just today

let´s celebrate love

everyday.

I Love You.

R.I.P ( rest in peace)

2010-02-11T21:51:00.000Z

Alexander McQueen’s death is just incredibly sad ( ... He was enormously creative and intelligent — and funny and rude and fearless. (... )
But he was the real: a genuinely talented man. Soulful, deeply English and, of course, dark. He did have a dark, romantic side that surfaced in his collections. Depressed at times? I didn’t know him well enough to say so, but I would imagine he had his moments of despair. This is a tough business, and as tough and brash as he often appeared, he was, as Mr. Treacy said, a sweet and sensitive person. ( ... )

By CATHY HORYN

Celebration...

2010-02-01T20:09:00.001Z

Another day... Another week...
Another year....your birthday!
I wish you, my love, a full, long and happy life.
To you.... all my love.

Theatre ... in English.

2010-01-28T18:04:00.002Z

Today our younger students went to the theatre (7th, 8th grades and CEF's). The play was "The Game", performed by the Bristol School Theatre.

The 2nd February it will be the secondary students' turn. The play this time will be "Blind Date".

Help...

2010-01-14T16:59:00.000Z

The New Year came, and we celebrated a new beginning. Each new year represents life, hope for a better tomorrow.

However, soon, we have heard cries and the mourning for the beloved ones.

The world witnessed, in shock, the new tragedy.

No, it is urgent to lend a helping hand, to save those who survived from the Earth's rage.

Let's pray for the Haithi people.

Let's help...

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-25T15:18:00.000Z

Merry Christmas to all Men of Goodwill.

Warming...

2009-12-22T12:51:00.002Z

In Pink...

2009-11-30T17:43:00.001Z

A world of pink!! Because life shouldn't be so gloomy...

International Day of AIDS...

2009-11-30T17:26:00.000Z

So that we may never forget that it doesn't go away.

It is there...hiding somewhere near you, always silent, though ferocious and deadly.

AIDS a disease that affects millions everywhere.

A Scary Story to Get You Into the Halloween Spirit...

2009-10-27T21:21:00.003Z

What happens when a girl goes too far with lies about her classmates?

Transcript of radio broadcast: 26 October 2009
And I'm Barbara Klein. October thirty-first, this coming Saturday, is Halloween. Millions of children will dress as ghosts, witches, skeletons, superheroes, princesses -- all sorts of costumes.

Then, with parents usually nearby, they will walk through their neighborhoods. They will go door to door, yelling "trick or treat." This threat of a trick, all in good fun, quickly brings a treat, usually some candy. Then the trick-or-treaters will go off to the next house.
But, you know, there is a reason people in ancient times were careful to honor evil spirits and the dead with a night of their own. The masks that people wore on All Hallows' Eve were meant to hide their identity, so they would avoid a most frightful trick. But now, do you want to know a story that is even scarier than that?
Do you mean the story of my mother? That story? It makes me shake just to think about it!

Faith's mother lived in a small town in New York State when she was a girl. The fall season was beautiful in the Adirondack Mountains, but it was very cold at night.
There was a girl named Arial at my mother's school. She was popular but not very nice. She told stories about people. She ruined them with her gossip.
Missus Hart was a very kind teacher at the school. Everyone liked her.
"Class ... "
she said one morning early in the new school year,

"... we have a new student, Pearl Dew from Kentucky. Please welcome her."

Arial saw an easy victim in Pearl. And my mother says Pearl was very strange. She was so thin and her skin was so white you could almost see through it. She had long black hair. It reached so far down her back, she had to bring it around the front so she would not sit on it. She did not look healthy.
Arial did not help the situation for Pearl, did she? No, she made the situation worse. Soon terrible stories about Pearl and her family were going around the school. Kids were saying that her father had murdered a family of five back in the hills of Kentucky, but got away with it.

Yes, Arial started that rumor. She said Pearl's father had buried them deep in the wilds of the mountains, so their bodies were never found. No one could prove he killed them. Arial also told a lie about Pearl's mother. She said the mother knew about the murders and could not live with the truth, so one night she threw herself off a mountain.
Everyone believed Arial. They all knew that Pearl did not have a mother.
"She fell by accident. She loved walking in the hills. She would never leave me. It was an accident. My father's not a murderer. That family -- he didn't even know them. No one knows what happened to them. Why do you say these things, Arial? Please, stop. What did I ever do to you?"

When Pearl would ask her to stop, Arial would just laugh. Or she would act frightened. "Don't get your Dad after me, Pearl," she would say.

Yes, although Pearl's father was apparently not the threat that Arial needed to worry about.
Weeks went by, and October came. People put pumpkins on their porches and hung skeletons or ghostly shapes on their front doors.
The children at school noticed a slow change in Pearl that month. She began to talk a little more. Sometimes you might see a little smile, or hear a quiet laugh. In late October, she sent out twelve invitations for a Halloween party. My mother got one. So did several of her friends. Pearl even invited their teacher.
But not Arial?

No, no, not after all that torture Pearl had to suffer from Arial.
But Arial did not understand that reasoning. She was angry. In fact, it was the first time anyone saw her speechless. She was so filled with rage, she could not put a sentence together.
But that did not last long. Arial told my mother that she planned on attending the party anyway. She said she did not need an invitation.
The night of the party was cold enough that you could see your breath. My mother dressed as a ghost, so she could wear a heavy coat under her white sheet. It was difficult to get to Pearl's house. She and her father lived in an old house in the valley of a mountain. There was a footpath, but parts of it got a little rough.

But they all got there safely?
Well no. They never got to the party at all. My mother said all the guests first met at her house. They decided it would be best to walk to the party as a group. So they started along, dressed as witches and zombies and the like. It was fun, she said, playing little tricks to scare each other along the way. The group entered the woods near Pearl's house. The kids were excited, happy to be going to a party. They could see the lights in Pearl's house in the distance below.

So what happened?

Well, the kids and Missus Hart, their teacher, saw a woman ahead of them walking very close to the edge of the path. Missus Hart quickly reacted.

"Oh my god -- she's going to fall! We have to warn her. Miss! MISS! Run ahead, kids. Oh, no!"
It was too late. The woman went over the edge. Yet she did not fall. She was floating in the air. She had her arms held out.
"Come to me, child, come to me, my little girl."
All of a sudden two girls come crashing out of the woods and across the path. The girl in front is clearly Pearl. Her black hair is flowing like wings of a dark angel. But who is she pulling behind her?

"Pearl, STOP! You'll fall off the cliff. You'll kill yourself. Who is that with you? PEARL!!

Pearl stops and looks toward the floating woman.
"Come to me, child. Come to me, my Pearl."
My mother shined her flashlight at Pearl and the girl behind her. And there for an instant a look of insane fear stared back at the group from the face of Arial.
(SCREAMS)
Well, after that night, no one ever found any sign of Pearl or Arial. Pearl's father also disappeared that night. The house had been decorated for a party that never took place.
At the cemetery in town, there are headstones for Pearl and Ariel in graves that hold no remains. My mother says she visits sometimes when she goes back to her hometown. She told me that the last time she was there, she noticed something for the first time. If you mix around the letters of Arial's name -- spelled A-R-I-A-L -- it spells "a liar."

Our program was written and produced by Caty Weaver.

Halloween...

2009-10-26T17:52:00.003Z

Halloween (also spelled Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones. Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America during Ireland's Great Famine of the 1840s.
The day is often associated with orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols like the jack-o'-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, reading scary stories, and watching horror films.

in WIKIPEDIA

English Language...

2009-10-21T18:10:00.003+01:00

English gets its one-millionth word

According to an organisation called ‘The Global Language Monitor’, the English language now contains almost one million words. They predict that the total will hit one million this month, on 10th June.
The Global Language Monitor keeps track of new English words as they come into use. New words are added to the list every week.
Paul Payack, president of the organisation, says, “We add a word after we see or hear it 25,000 times in the global media.”
So which word will become English’s one-millionth word? The Global Language Monitor says there are several contenders, including these:
to de-friend (v) – Delete a friend from a social-networking website
an alcopop (n) – A sweet, sugary alcoholic drink
a recessionista (n) – A person who wears fashionable clothes even when they don’t have much money to spend
carbon neutral (adj) – Referring to something environmentally friendly, that doesn’t produce too much carbon dioxide
But, linguists are skeptical. They say it is impossible to count the number of words in the English language. Robert Beard, a Professor of Linguistics, says, “It’s nonsense. Paul Payack knows nothing about linguistics.”
However many words there are in English, you don’t need to know them all to speak it well. According to a study in 1997, native speakers use about 2500 words in their everyday speech.

in Current

Francisco...

2009-10-08T14:39:00.002+01:00

Life has a meaning because of you!

The day I took you in my arms

changed me forever.

Life has new colours, new sounds

because you're here.

You're the best of me.

I love you, my dear!

Happy birthday Francisco!!

26th September...

2009-09-26T21:46:00.000+01:00

The first European Day of Languages took place on 26 September 2001. It was one of the highlights of the European Year of Languages.

Celebrating linguistic diversity, plurilingualism, lifelong language learning

"Everybody deserves the chance to benefit from the cultural and economic advantages language skills can bring. Learning languages also helps to develop tolerance and understanding between people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds." - Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer and the European Commissioner Viviane Reding in a joint statement released at the official launch of the EYL

The overall aim of the 2001 Campaign was to promote the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of Europe. It was the occasion to celebrate the linguistic diversity of Europe and highlight the importance of intensified and more diversified language learning so that all Europeans can face the challenges of an increasingly interactive multilingual and multicultural continent.

The aims of the Year were:
to increase awareness of Europe's linguistic heritage and openness to different languages and cultures;
to motivate European citizens to develop plurilingualism, that is, to achieve a degree of communicative ability in a number of languages, including those less widely used and taught;
to encourage and support lifelong language learning for personal development.

European Day of Languages...

2009-09-26T21:38:00.001+01:00

Did you know that...
There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world - spoken by six billion people divided into 189 independent states.

There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe - roughly 3% of the world’s total.

Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia, India, Africa and South America.

Many Europeans think most people speak only one language, but in actual fact at least half of the world’s population are bilingual or plurilingual, i.e. they speak two or more languages.

No language is in itself more difficult than any other – all children, in fact, learn their mother tongue in the same natural way and with equal ease.

Many languages have 50,000 words or more, but individual speakers normally know and use only a fraction of the total vocabulary: in everyday conversation people use the same few hundred words.

Languages are constantly in contact with each other and affect each other in many ways: English borrowed words and expressions from many other languages in the past, European languages are now borrowing many words from English.

In its first year a baby utters a wide range of vocal sounds; at around one year the first understandable words are uttered; at around three years complex sentences are formed; at five years a child possesses several thousand words.

The mother tongue is usually the language one knows best and uses most. But there can be “perfect bilinguals” who speak two languages equally well. Normally, however, bilinguals display no perfect balance between their two languages.

Bilingualism brings with it many benefits: it makes the learning of additional languages easier, enhances the thinking process and fosters contacts with other people and their cultures.

Bilingualism and plurilingualism entail economic advantages, too: jobs are more easily available to those who speak several languages, and multilingual companies have a better competitive edge than monolingual ones.

Languages are related to each other like the members of a family. Most European languages belong to the large Indo-European family.

Most European languages belong to three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic.

The Germanic family of languages includes Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, English and Yiddish, among others.

The Romance languages include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian, among others.

The Slavic languages include Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and others.

Most European languages use the Latin alphabet. Some Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. Greek, Armenian, Georgian and Yiddish have their own alphabet.

The mother tongues spoken by most people in Europe are Russian, German, English, French and Italian, in that order.

The non-European languages most widely used on European territory are Arabic, Chinese and Hindi, each with its own writing system.

Russia (148 million inhabitants) has by far the highest number of languages spoken on its territory: from 130 to 200 depending on the criteria.

Most countries in Europe have a number of regional or minority languages – some of these have obtained official status.

Due to the influx of migrants and refugees, Europe has become largely multilingual. In London alone some 300 languages are spoken (Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Berber, Hindi, Punjabi, etc.).

In their daily lives Europeans increasingly come across foreign languages. There is a need to generate a greater interest in languages among European citizens.

In Heaven...

2009-08-16T21:15:00.002+01:00

Dear Father

You will be forever in my heart! You will always be loved!

07/12/1912 - 15/08/2009

Darkness...

2009-07-22T19:01:00.001+01:00

Dark rose...

Dark thoughts...

Dark feelings!!

For you only...

2009-07-03T22:12:00.001+01:00

Musical Icon...

2009-06-26T22:02:00.001+01:00

I felt sorry for the man.

I grew up listening, singing and dancing his songs. They were great...better, they are still great!

I remember the show, the scenery on stage, the lights, the musics but specially the amazing performance of his first and only concert in Lisbon.

I was lucky to be there.

Remembering...

2009-06-25T21:52:00.001+01:00

American superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 and entertained audiences nearly his entire life.

By the early 60s the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Michael and Marlon had joined in.

A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5."

Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group.

Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller" in 1982.

In the 90s the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to rear itself. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his peerless celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts.

Michael Jackson's passion and artistry as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled adult life.

For it all to end on June 25, 2009, with his sudden death at age 50 of a cardiac arrest just as he was just coming out of a four-year reclusive period and rehearsing for a sold-out London concert "comeback" in July seems uncommonly cruel and tragic.

Millions upon millions of dedicated fans will remember where they were "the day Michael died".

Junk Food and Exams...

2009-06-22T19:33:00.004+01:00

Revision and snacking go hand in hand, found researchers .

Junk food could be hampering the chances of exam-stressed youngsters' success, it is claimed. Trust chairwoman Prue Leith said there was clear evidence that "smart eating" boosted brain power. (...)
She said: "It's often said you get out what you put in - our research shows that children are able to perform better in class when they have had a healthy school lunch rather than junk food.
"Children aren't stupid and they know that healthy food is better for them, and that a healthy breakfast and a balanced school lunch will give them more energy for their studies and help them concentrate more.
"Making that choice, and sticking with it, especially come exam time, could be the difference between success and failure."
However, some 42% said they had skipped meals to make time to revise, while nine in 10 regularly felt tired because of their school work.
The trust said that as a result, half of the youngsters it surveyed could only study for 30 minutes before losing concentration.

Yet nearly half agreed that eating a proper lunch helped them concentrate better in lessons.
And children tended to be aware of which foods would fuel their brains and aid concentration. These include fish, fruit and vegetables.
The trust recommends starting the day with a healthy wholegrain cereal such as muesli or porridge or wholegrain toast, swapping fizzy drinks for water and caffeine for herbal tea.
It also warns that energy boosting snacks like sweets and biscuits may give you an instant hit but will make you "crash and burn" soon after they release their energy.
Instead, it recommends, pupils chose healthy snacks and take regular breaks on their revision every two or three hours.

in BBC News

The EU...

2009-06-07T20:24:00.005+01:00

The European Parliament is based both in Brussels, Belgium and Strasbourg, France, with administrative offices also located in Luxembourg. The Parliament meets in Strasbourg for one week each month for Plenary Sessions to amend and vote on draft legislation. Preparatory meetings of political groups and committee work take place largely in Brussels. Given the disruption and expense of moving between the cities (around £200 million before the accession of ten new countries), the UK Conservative Delegation and many other MEPs support a single seat for the Parliament, but this needs the national Governments to agree a revision of the treaties.
Committees
The main work of the Parliament is, in fact, carried out in Committees. The Committees of the Parliament 1999-2004 were:
-Agriculture and Rural Development

- Budgets

- Budgetary Control

- Citizens Freedoms and Rights

- Justice and Home Affairs

- Constitutional Affairs

- Culture, Youth, Education, Media and Sport

- Development and Cooperation

- Employment and Social Affairs

- Environment, Health and Consumer Protection

- Fisheries

- Foreign Affairs

- Industry, External Trade and Internal Market

- Petitions

- Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism

- Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities.

Find out more about the European Union

The results of the largest election in the history of the European Union are due within an hour, as voting draws to a close after four days.
Nineteen EU countries voted on Sunday, with eight others having voted in the past few days.
All 736 parliament seats are up for grabs. Provisional figures suggest the lowest turnout on record, at 43.01%. (...)

But analysts say the global economic crisis could influence people's vote, and that disenchantment may be reflected in greater support for far-right parties.
Voters are choosing representatives mainly from their own national parties, many of which then join EU-wide groupings with similarly-minded parties from other countries.
The largest grouping has for the last five years been the centre-right EPP (288 seats out of a current 785), followed by the centre-left PES (216) and the liberal ALDE (100).
Opinion polls before the election began suggested fewer than half the 375 million electorate would vote.

Because of you...

2009-05-27T22:30:00.004+01:00

Because of you

my world is now whole

Because of you love lives in my soul.

Because of you I have laughter in my eyes,

Because of you I am no longer afraid of good-byes.

You are my pillar my stone of strength,

With me through all seasons and great times of length.

My love for you is pure

boundless through space and time,

it grows stronger everyday

with the knowledge that you'll always be mine.

For I have it all now

and it's all because of you.

by Amy S. Bedford

The Aboriginal People...

2009-05-25T16:15:00.006+01:00

The word "aboriginal" means "the first" or "earliest known". The word was first used in Italy and Greece to describe people who lived there, natives or old inhabitants, not newcomers, or invaders.
Australia may well be the home of the worlds first people. Stone tools discovered in a quarry near Penrith, New South Wales, in 1971 show that humans lived in Australia at least twelve thousand years before they appeared in Europe.

The first Aboriginals found an Australia with a better environment than today. Large animals, now extinct, provided more meat than the animals with which we are familiar. Some parts of the continent were richer in vegetable foods, but the land contained no cultivated crops, or animals that could be domesticated, such as cattle and sheep.
Whatever their early history, Aboriginals had settled throughout the entire continent many thousands of years before the white man came and had evolved a way of living that was in harmony with the environment, and that satisfied their needs. Because Australia was isolated from the rest of the world, Aboriginals had little contact with outside groups from whom to "borrow" techniques, to trade goods, to acquire crop seeds, or animals, as was happening in the North of the world. It was only for a few centuries prior to white settlement that visitors came from islands to the north. However, the Aboriginals adjusted to the environment, learned to understand it and gained the maximum from it.

Aborigines were limited to the range of foods occurring naturally in their area, but they knew exactly when, where and how to find everything edible. But food was not obtained without effort. In some areas both men and women had to spend from half to two thirds of each day hunting or foraging for food.
Inland, the quest for water was a life and death matter. Aborigines survived where others would perish. They knew where the water holes and soaks were in their area. They drained dew, and obtained water from certain trees and roots. They even dug up and squeezed out frogs, which store water in their bodies.

The necessity to be mobile meant that Aboriginals could afford only those possessions that were essential to their way of life. Many belongings were multipurpose - like the coolamon, a curved wooden dish, which was used to dig, to carry water or the baby; to toss seeds or collect the plant food gathered daily by the women.

As well as the practical side of life, they began to join in spiritual matters. They were taught the rhythms of dances in preparation for later participation in sacred and non-sacred rituals. Children began to learn songs and stories that embodied knowledge to be passed on from generation to generation. From early childhood to death, the Aboriginal was continuously learning more about the traditions of the past. Religion was related to the past, the present and future. Man identified with animals, plants and other natural phenomenon, and grouped himself according to this identification - his totem. Relationship with a totem meant a responsibility towards that totem - for example, people of a kangaroo totem might not kill kangaroos, and carry out special ceremonies to ensure the continued increase of the kangaroo.
Dreamtime
The "Dreamtime", the mythological past, was the time when spirit ancestors had travelled throughout the land, giving it its physical form, and setting down the rules to be followed by the Aboriginals. Beings such as the "Fertility Mother", the "Great Rainbow Snake", the Djanggawul brothers and sisters, survive in stories and ceremonies that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Some sacred aspect of these stories and ceremonies were available only to initiated adult males. Women had their own sacred ceremonies from which they excluded men, but there were ceremonies and songs in which the whole group joined men, women and children.

Old people in Aboriginal society were cared for, and respected for their wisdom and knowledge.

The MAORI People ...

2009-05-25T15:56:00.007+01:00

"Hi everybody!

Many of you asked me to speak about Maori so I decided to make you happy....

I did some research because I wouldn't make mistakes telling you about this People. There are so many things to tell you about them so I think I will do it in more than one day, otherwise you will become bored I'm afraid!! Today I am going to tell you a little bit of history and I will show you some pictures we shot three years ago, when our cousins Valentina and Gianfranco, came to visit us. In that occasion we went to visit an ancient village, now used only as a tourist attraction, situated few kilometres from Rotorua, in the middle of the North Island. It is in the middle of a wood and all the huts are in wood as well. They are very tiny so you can't stay stand up in one of that. They were used just for sleeping as Maori used to live all together in the village.

There are many legends about Maori so dates are not so sure. Anyway, I will tell you what I found.....

In the 1300s the Maori came from the islands hundreds of miles to the north and by 1500 had established contact with over 60 countries, including the Vikings. When the English began to settle here the Maori had many of the same experiences as American Indians - wasted by white man's diseases, and their huge sequoia like (kauri) forests were razed. The Maori fared well compared to natives in other countries because they were such fierce warriors. Even with superior weapons the whites gave up fairly quickly. The land was so rugged and the Maori so fierce and scary, that the whites signed treaties which they largely kept (quite a contrast to most histories with native peoples). In 1840 the Waitangi treat was signed between 45 Maori head-men and Captain William Hobson and so the Maori had a relatively peaceful and prosperous relationship with the English. Today this treat is still very important as it defines the relation between white and Maori regarding both aspects financial and territorial. The Maori were cannibals who ate their enemies as a way to insult them. Much of the Maori art shows bulging stomachs to warn you what will happen if you mess with the locals. I think all these should be very scary for enemies! It was probably one of the main reasons white people came here just in the late 1600s.

Below you will find some pictures of carvings images. As you can see all the faces are with tattoos. In fact it is very common here seeing Maori with many of them. Some people have both arms and legs painted!! Do you like them?

Today some of the tribes are quite well off, as they own large tracts of land which they lease. They are all over the island, fully integrated into every aspect and corner of NZ.

Well, it's all for today. I hope you enjoyed this story! I will tell you more tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day!!!!

Rosalba "

in BBC Learning English

Susan Boyle: unlikely superstar?...

2009-05-20T15:45:00.000+01:00

Less than a few weeks ago Susan Boyle was a virtual unknown. However, since auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent, a televised talent competition, she has experienced a stratospheric rise to fame. A YouTube video of her audition has been watched by more than 26 million people, making it one of the most watched videos on the internet in recent times. It is undeniable that technology such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter has helped to spread the word about Susan’s performance.
So just what is it about Susan that the people find so fascinating? Arguably, it is the fact she is such a class act. However, many have suggested that her biggest appeal lies in her unassuming persona.
Susan’s persona and appearance have been somewhat controversial and the initial reaction to her audition has made many people question whether they are guilty of judging a book by its cover. With her plain Jane, middle-aged looks and her no-nonsense approach to life, Susan is perhaps the most unlikely star to be discovered of late.
Commenting on her rise to fame, Max Clifford, a renowned PR guru, said that the massive public interest in her is partly due to people having to challenge their own assumptions and prejudices.
So what’s next for Susan? For the moment, she is preparing for her next appearance on Britain’s Got Talent and she is the odds-on favourite to win.
Looking forward, with talk of record contracts and celebrity duets, it is very likely that we’ll soon be seeing a Susan Boyle album in the charts!

in BBC Learning English( 20th May)

Cristo Rei...

2009-05-17T17:38:00.000+01:00

Cristo Rei in Almada, faces Lisbon and celebrates today 50 years since it was built.

It is a monument that symbolizes peace.

Lisbon and Almada saw the image of Nossa Senhora de Fátima for the second time. Faith and hope for a better future were the feelings of thousands of citizens that have participated in the official ceremonies Cristo Rei's 50th anniversary.

Poetry...

2009-05-13T14:42:00.004+01:00

Like The Water

Like the water of a deep stream,

love is always too much.

Though we drink till we burst,

In its abundance it survives our thirst.

In the evening we come down to the shore to drink our fill,

and sleep,while it flows through the regions of the dark.

it does not hold us,

except we keep returning to its rich waters thirsty.

We enter,

willing to die,

into the commonwealth of its joy.

by Wendell Berry

On The Breakwater

On the breakwater in the summer dark,

a man and a girl are sitting

She across his knee and they are looking face into face

Talking to each other without words,

singing rythms in silence to each other.

A funnel of white ranges the blue dusk from an out-going boat,

Playing its search light,

puzzled,

abrupt,

over a streak of green,

And two on the breakwater keep their silence,

she on his knee.

by Wendell Berry

Tutoring...

2009-04-19T20:25:00.007+01:00

It will be a session ( 23rd April 2009 )to help us discover some possible solutions to deal with some problematic situations at school and with students in particular.

I wish to thank to Professor Doutor Pedro Rosário, who in spite of his overscheduled agenda kindly agreed to come to my school.

"An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions."

Robert A Humphrey

He knew...

2009-04-14T16:04:00.002+01:00

Darwin was a bright scientist, we all recognize his genius. However, this sentence shows how great he was...

Darwin's Exhibition...

2009-04-11T15:54:00.000+01:00

These are just a few images of what visitors are offered at the Calouste Gulbenkian Fundation in Lisbon.

A very well spent afternoon in Lisbon.

Another one...

2009-04-06T16:15:00.000+01:00

I'm older...

but I don't feel older.

Age is nothing...

Life is everything.

I feel life is a precious stone...

a costly but sparkling diamond.

Birthday...

2009-04-02T13:45:00.002+01:00

For my mother...
Happy Birthday!!!
I wish you a long and happy life.
A kiss!!!

Death...

2009-03-22T20:31:00.004Z

"She was a courageous woman both in life and death and the whole country have admired her determination to provide a bright future for her children."

Prime Minister GORDON BROWN, on U.K. reality TV star Jade Goody, who died Sunday at the age of 27 after a high-profile battle with cervical cancer

Robot Teacher...

2009-03-18T15:17:00.001Z

Named Saya, she can speak different languages, carry out roll calls, set tasks and make facial expressions Photo: REX

The device, created by scientists after 15 years of research, is being trialled at a primary school in Tokyo.
Named Saya, she can speak different languages, carry out roll calls, set tasks and make facial expressions – including anger – thanks to 18 motors hidden behind her latex face.
The humanoid was originally developed to replace a variety of workers, including secretaries, in a bid to allow firms to cut costs while still retaining some kind of human interaction.
Her creator, science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi at the University of Tokyo, had been working on a robot for 15 years. She is the latest example of robots spreading to every aspect of life in Japan. They already guide traffic, attempt to lure university graduates to sign up to courses and one is even being developed to provide company to Alzheimer's sufferers.
The Japanese government has said that by 2015 it wants a robot in every home and is pouring $35 million (£23 million) into robotic intelligence to make it happen.
The push is because of Japan's ageing population – in seven years one in four Japanese will be over 65 – which means the workforce is declining, pushing up wage costs for businesses and making recruitment difficult.

(published in Telegraph.co.uk)

International Women's Day...

2009-03-08T15:23:00.000Z

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.
The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday.

Loving you ...

2009-02-25T19:49:00.004Z

Our love is strong

Our love is shared

Our love is singular

Our love is now and forever

Our love is one and it stands...

amidst the storms and against all odds.

Our love is you and me!

Stop Global Warming...

2009-02-11T12:35:00.004Z

The raging infernos that have left more than 160 people dead in southern Australia burned with such speed that they resembled less a wildfire than a massive aerial bombing. Many victims caught in the blazes had no time to escape; their houses disintegrated around them, and they burned to death.(...) (...)of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for example, warned that fires in Australia were "virtually certain to increase in intensity and frequency" because of steadily warming temperatures over the next several decades. Research published in 2007 by the Australian government's own Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization reported that by 2020, there could be up to 65% more "extreme" fire-danger days compared with 1990, and that by 2050, under the most severe warming scenarios, there could be a 300% increase in such days. "[The fires] are a sobering reminder of the need for this nation and the whole world to act and put at a priority the need to tackle climate change."

To learn a little more about Man...

2009-02-09T23:41:00.004Z

Watch the series of videos published in YouTube.

Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey. ( by Dr. Spencer Wells )

Incredible information about Man's journey throughout time, explaining how and why we have changed.

Changeling...

2009-02-08T18:17:00.005Z

Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother. In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).

Revolutionary Road...

2009-02-01T18:32:00.004Z

It's 1955. Frank and April Wheeler, in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they're not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job - one where he places little effort - although he has never figured out what his passion in life is. One day, April suggests that they move to Paris - a city where Frank visited during the war and loved, but where April has never been - as a means to rejuvenate their life. April's plan: she would be the breadwinner, getting a lucrative secretarial job for one of the major international organizations, while Frank would have free time to find himself and whatever his passion. Initially skeptical, Frank ultimately agrees to April's plan. When circumstances change around the Wheelers, April decides she will do whatever she has to to get herself out of her unhappy existence.

Happy Birthday...

2009-02-01T16:23:00.001Z

Happpy Birthday!!!

to you....

my love.

Because our love is much more than words.

With all my love.

Video...

2009-01-26T22:44:00.002Z

Watch...

And start taking action to save the Planet...

This is a fine video used by Adriana anda Vânia (my students) in their oral assessment.

Footsteps to Follow ...

2009-01-13T22:31:00.002Z

Heroes of the Environment 2008

Read about the lives of some people, all over the world, that commit themselves to save the planet.

How to Win the War on Global Warming...

2009-01-13T22:12:00.008Z

"(...)
We are now faced with a similarly momentous challenge: global warming. The steady deterioration of the very climate of our very planet is becoming a war of the first order, and by any measure, the U.S. is losing. Indeed, if we're fighting at all—and by most accounts, we're not—we're fighting on the wrong side. The U.S. produces nearly a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases each year and has stubbornly made it clear that it doesn't intend to do a whole lot about it. Although 174 nations ratified the admittedly flawed Kyoto accords to reduce carbon levels, the U.S. walked away from them. While even developing China has boosted its mileage standards to 35 m.p.g., the U.S. remains the land of the Hummer. Oh, there are vague promises of manufacturing fuel from switchgrass or powering cars with hydrogen—someday. But for a country that rightly cites patriotism as one of its core values, we're taking a pass on what might be the most patriotic struggle of all. It's hard to imagine a bigger fight than one for the survival of the country's coasts and farms, the health of its people and the stability of its economy—and for those of the world at large as well. The rub is, if the vast majority of people increasingly agree that climate change is a global emergency, there's far less consensus on how to fix it. Industry offers its plans, which too often would fix little. Environmentalists offer theirs, which too often amount to naive wish lists that could cripple America's growth. But let's assume that those interested parties and others will always be at the table and will always—sensibly—demand that their voices be heard and that their needs be addressed. What would an aggressive, ambitious, effective plan look like—one that would leave us both environmentally safe and economically sound? .

This is only a very small extract from a long article published here, that you should read and learn a little more on this issue - Global Warming.

It's snowing...

2009-01-09T15:53:00.005Z

Today it's snowing here, in Felgueiras.

This is a very unusual phenomenom. It's cold but beautiful...

Celebration...

2008-12-31T14:45:00.002Z

To all my friends I wish a Happy New Year.

To you I wish that 2009 brings health, prosperity, and loads of happy moments.

Lets celebrate the New Year!!

Happy 2009...

2008-12-31T14:42:00.000Z

Merry Christmas...

2008-12-24T13:28:00.000Z

Holly Season...

2008-12-17T22:55:00.003Z

Christmas is here...And it's a most magic time of the year.

I Love Christmas because of the spiritual atmosphere brought by the Season.

I love the excitment of giving, I love the colours around and everywhere.

I love the family gathering, I love the laughter of the kids.

I love the celebration of life... Christmas

Lovely...

2008-12-13T12:38:00.000Z

and in love!!!

Another year...

2008-12-07T15:24:00.003Z

Another year has gone by in your life.

Every day to come is a blessing.

Happy Birthday...96 is a very respectable age!!!

from your daughter ... with love

On Strike...

2008-12-03T23:04:00.002Z

I am on strike today so that teachers might have a dignified career.

Fight ...

2008-12-01T14:47:00.003Z

International Day against AIDS.

We mustn't forget or hide.

To Read...

2008-11-27T20:08:00.003Z

As my husband knows my passion for reading and because he knows I love José Rodrigues do Santos' books, he offered me the first edition of his latest book " A Vida num Sopro", with a love vow.

But I'm supposed to talk about the book.

I read the book, and as usual I felt I needed to read it as quickly as possible.

The story makes us go back in history, to the 30's, when Portugal lived under a fascist dictatorship. Salazar is in power and tries to govern Portugal with a very strong " hand" against anyone that made a slight attempt to go against his ideas. The political police is created (PVDE) to ensure order .

In this political atmosphere we meet a young student from the north of Portugal( Trás-os Montes) that falls in love for a beautiful girl who attends the same high school in Bragança.

Love puts them together but fate separates them.

They will have different lives until they meet again in Penafiel. However, they're not allowed to live their passion for each other.

Amélia is married to a military and Luís is about to marry Joana, who is her sister.

They are forced by circunstances to see each other but a tragic event puts them in danger...

Once again they are separated, Luís goes back to Trás -os- Montes, where he dedicates himself to his profession, veterinary.

In the meantime, we are told about the Spanish civil war.

I won't reveal the end of this magnificent book, but I must say that Amélia and Luís will once more fall prey of the political system that didn't care about human lives or feelings or justice...

" A Vida num Sopro" is a great book!!!

Crisis...

2008-11-23T21:34:00.002Z

Why Unemployment Could Be Worse This Time
By Stephen Gandel Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008

Sissi...

2008-11-17T21:01:00.003Z

You'll never be forgotten.

...

2008-11-16T19:53:00.002Z

Caught...trapped!

Telework...

2008-11-11T20:09:00.003Z

What's the advantage to telecommuting?

Read the article published by Kate Lorenz in CNN

Jobs...

2008-11-10T20:25:00.000Z

Finding and applying for a job

It is not an easy task but here are some very useful tips on what you should do when looking for a job.

Go for it!

Teachers' Protest....

2008-11-09T19:19:00.005Z

More than 120.000 teachers demonstrated yesterday afternoon, in Lisbon, against the evaluation system that the government is imposing on them.

They want to stop the system because it is highly burocratic, unfair and aims to destroy the teachers' dignity in their career.

Teachers want to be evaluated, but they don't want this evaluation.

It's time the government listens to all the voices spoken out loudly but respectufully.

Education needs motivated, not frustrated teachers.

Let's change!!!

Let's think...

2008-11-07T14:58:00.004Z

"When the last tree has fallen down;

When the last river has dried;
When the last fish has been fished;
Then you will understand that money can't be eaten."

(Greenpeace)

A New Tomorrow...

2008-11-05T15:27:00.002Z

The Election of Barack Obama as the new American President has raised the American's hope for the reborn of the national prestige.

Barack Obama starts a new era for the world. He is the symbol of a new beginning, a better future for all.

Grammar...

2008-11-04T22:53:00.002Z

Here's a site for you to explore...

http://esl.about.com/lr/modal_forms/6630/1/

Modals: What you might need to know.

And there's a lot more to explore on the English Grammar.

Let's study!!!

Quiet...

2008-11-03T18:04:00.002Z

A place to enjoy the Season.

To appreciate time as it goes by.

To be in silent meditation.

To forget life, in a lapse of time!

Halloween...

2008-10-31T17:41:00.002Z

Halloween (or Hallowe’en) is a holiday celebrated on October 31, thought to be one of the night of the year when ghosts, witches and fairies are especially active.

Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies.

The carved pumpkin lit by a candle inside is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols in America and is commonly called a jack-o'-lantern. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body, containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off any superstitions.

Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Costumes are also based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from television shows, movies, and other pop culture icons.

Tips To Stay Safe on Your Gap Year Abroad ...

2008-10-13T16:04:00.003+01:00

Prince Harry worked with Lesotho Aids orphans in 2004. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Knowledge of a second language, or better still, the ability to converse in the local tongue while on a gap year abroad, can be an invaluable safety tool, but often the excitement takes over and many forget to take adequate safety measures.

In the current climate of terrorist conflict and continued unrest in certain parts of the world, the government and the travel industry are taking extra precautions. Airport security has increased notably, baggage controls have become much stricter and people are being urged to travel in groups, refrain from visiting politically unstable places and register all travel plans with appropriate British authorities.

Peggy Lohmann, spokeswoman for Rosetta Stone said: “Being able to speak the local language, even if it’s only basic phrases, automatically puts you ahead of the pack. It increases your confidence in the sense that you know that you will be able to understand and follow instructions in an emergency situation, you will be able to read directions and will be in a position to explain your situation to local authorities much more proficiently.“

It is wrong and dangerous to assume that everywhere British residents travel, they will be able to get by with only English. That is not the case and in some places, such an assumption is likely to cause offence.

“It is common knowledge amongst locals in many of the less developed parts of the world that police in those areas are not English educated. Therefore, it is also common practice to perform the so-called ‘language test’ on tourists. Should they fail to understand a basic question, they are deemed a perfect target for petty crime, as even the local authorities will not bother investigating a claim that they cannot understand. Young people in the UK are not being offered enough opportunity to learn a foreign language. In 2004, the government ceased compulsory language education for students past the age of 14, meaning that upon finishing school most graduates have no knowledge of any language other than English.

Peggy continued: “Since schools are not providing this opportunity, it is up to parents to help their children gain these valuable skills that will benefit both their future career and social development, and help them stay safe when traveling. It can be as easy as providing them with a computer and a Rosetta Stone box set, so they can learn at home at their own pace.”

Other Rosetta Stone tips to stay safe on your gap year abroad:

• Obey cultural and religious rules and customs

• If only learning language basics, ensure you know the terms for any medical conditions you have

• Always carry ID and personal details, like blood type and any strong allergies

• Know how to get in touch with emergency services

• If accepting employment, do research on the organisation to ensure it is reputable

• Adhere to travel advice regarding unsafe areas

• Understand how much you should pay for things and know the exchange rate

• Leave your travel details and itinerary with family or friends

• Don’t accept invitations to homes or hitch rides from strangers, no matter how helpful and friendly they appear, or how desperate and tired you are

Gap-Year Advice...

2008-10-13T15:59:00.001+01:00

.. Going it Alone
Finishing school presented me with that heady sense of liberation that comes to all prospective gappers. The stress of A-levels, teachers and rules was suddenly gone. As I contemplated my future, I realised that I wasn't considering just my new-found freedom beyond the confines of college, but also the world beyond Britain. I wanted a gap-year project, but what to do? How to do it? Where to do it? It was an overwhelming as well as enthralling choice.
While some of my friends were volunteering with the gap travel companies, others were learning languages or furthering their academic interests at foreign institutions. I wanted to travel.
When people ask me now, "What did you do for your gap year?", I often reply that I took it quite seriously. That is, I spent nearly eight months living out of a small pack, continuously on the move, travelling through the night on rickety buses to save money and cover miles, writing, photographing, dreaming the life of a Kerouac-like wanderer in foreign lands. I didn't learn a definite skill, apart from an acute ability to smell out inflated tourist prices.
For the first part of my trip, I made my way overland from India to Thailand, through Nepal, Tibet, China and Laos, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. Experiences, I soon realised, were more fun with people I knew well, but felt more profound when I was alone. But after three weeks without a companion, I began telling myself humorous anecdotes, aloud. I was relieved to meet friends again in Laos. In Bangkok I bumped into other people I knew, but didn't linger with them. ...
Telegraph, 18th August 2007

Francisco...

2008-10-08T16:26:00.003+01:00

Time flies!!!

I remember all days in your life,

I can see all your smiles and sorrows,

I Know it all,

I love you and I'll always will ... no matter what!!

Happy Birthday to you...

A Man Told me...

2008-10-06T16:56:00.003+01:00

"A Man Told Me The Story of His Life" is a short story taken from the Collected Stories , by Grace Paley.

The story is being studied in your English classes. Leave your comment here.

Grace Paley...

2008-10-06T16:42:00.006+01:00

Born in the Bronx,( Dec. 11, 1922— died Aug. 22, 2007), New York, Paley was the youngest child of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. She grew up in a socialist, intellectual household amid a babble of three languages;Yiddish, Russian, and English.

As a writer of fiction, Paley would pick up on the music of all three tongues, celebrating their rhythms and idioms.
From an early age, she wrote poetry, and at age 17 she took a course with the British poet W. H. Auden.

As a student Paley attended Hunter College and New York University.

She married early, in 1942, and settled with her husband in Greenwich Village, where they raised two children (the marriage would eventually end in divorce). In this community of artists, intellectuals, and bohemians, Paley became involved in leftist politics. She frequented anti-war and anti-nuclear demonstrations, and she became engaged in local issues.

As a young mother in the mid-1950s, Paley made her initial forays into writing fiction. The urge to tell stories had begun to grow in her, but the responsibilities of motherhood called. Falling ill one day, she arranged for her children to attend an after-school program while she convalesced. Paley was not too ill to sit at a typewriter, however, and the extra hours of quiet and solitude were all she needed to begin writing fiction.

Paley's stories explored the everyday lives of her contemporaries, focusing most attentively on the lives of women. The dreams and goals of her female characters, independent, strong-minded, and often idealistic, propelled these narratives forward.

She was perhaps the first writer to explore, with gritty realism, the lives and experiences of divorced mothers.

Some critics point to her early stories as the beginnings of a feminist literature, written years before the women's movement of the 1970s.

When she was not writing or protesting, Paley was teaching. Like most authors, she needed a source of income to supplement earnings from the occasional publication. Though her original motivation to teach was financial, Paley grew to enjoy the work and even to gain inspiration from it.

It was the short story that Paley had mastered as an art form. Late in her life, she remains one of America's most esteemed authors.

5th October...

2008-10-05T16:13:00.000+01:00

To teachers...

22nd September...

2008-09-22T22:42:00.002+01:00

Nature's in motion...
To celebrate a new Season...
Autumn's here!

...

2008-09-22T22:32:00.003+01:00

"The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul."

Thomas Moore, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life

"Your mind is a garden,your thoughts are the seeds,the harvest can be either flowers or weeds."

Author Unknown

Unbelievable...

2008-09-16T22:41:00.002+01:00

Need a job?
How about looking for one advertised here?...

???...

2008-09-16T21:51:00.004+01:00

Career is a term defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an individual's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)". It usually is considered to pertain to remunerative work (and sometimes also formal education).
A career is traditionally seen as a course of successive situations that make up a person's worklife. One can have a sporting career or a musical career without being a professional athlete or musician, but most frequently "career" in the 20th century referenced the series of jobs or positions by which one earned one's money. It tended to look only at the past.
As the idea of personal choice and self direction picks up in the 21st century, aided by the power of the Internet and the increased acceptance of people having multiple kinds of work, the idea of a career is shifting from a closed set of achievements, like a chronological résumé of past jobs, to a defined set of pursuits looking forward. In its broadest sense, career refers to an individual’s work and life roles over their lifespan.

Manual labour (or manual labor) is physical work done with the hands, especially in an unskilled job such as fruit and vegetable picking, road building, or any other field where the work may be considered physically arduous, and which has as a profitable objective, usually the production of goods.(...)

Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, though, the introduction of reliable machinery further lowered the status of labourers. The reduction in status led to the worldwide labour movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to the formation of trade unions. Further technological progress leads to an increasing segment of manual labour (generally using machinery) requiring more training or even theoretical insight.

A job is a role served by a person or thing, usually involving productive work. A person usually begins a job by becoming an employee, volunteering, or starting a business. The duration of a job may range from an hour (in the case of odd jobs) to a lifetime (in the case of some judges). If a person favors or is trained for a certain type of job, they may have an occupation. The series of jobs a person holds in their life is their career.

in Wikipedia