The EOIs on TV

Talking of media and TV programmes...

Due to the 1OOth Anniversary of the first Official School of Languages, the Spanish TV programme Informe Semanal filmed a short documentary about the history of the schools, with interviews and some curious anecdotes.

Don de lenguas. Click here to watch it. 

Wear sunscreen

Class of '99:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young, written by Chicago Columnist Mary Schmich.

If I were a boy

With the help of the lyrics, what happens in the video?
Is there anything you consider typical/ unusual/ a stereotype/ sexist / a cliché?
In what way are their behaviours usual or unusual?
What changes in roles can you find?

Days like this

On a rainy, grey and depressing day like today, your classmate Encarna suggests this other wonderful song by "The Lion of Belfast":



When it's not always raining
there'll be days like this
When there's no one complaining
there'll be days like this
When everything falls into phase
like the flick of a switch
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When you don't need to worry
there'll be days like this
When noone's in a hurry
there'll be days like this
When all the parts of the puzzle
start to look like they fit
Then I must remember
there'll be days like this

When you don't need an answer
there'll be days like this
When you don't meet a chancer
there'll be days like this
When you don't get betrayed
by that old Judas kiss
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
When everyone is upfront
and they're not playing tricks
When you don't have no freeloaders
out to get their kicks in
When it's nobody's business
the way that you wanna live
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When noone steps on my dreams
there'll be days like this
When people understand what I mean
there'll be days like this
When you bring out the changes
of how everything is
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this

Exit through the Gift Shop

Next Thursday 24th March, Asociación La Azotea in Murcia is showing

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

A documentary about the controversial graffitti artist Banksy

Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. He fiercely guards his anonymity to avoid prosecution. An eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempts to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner. Includes footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the world's most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. As Banksy describes it, "It's basically the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed."




ASOCIACIÓN LA AZOTEA
C/ de la Estrella 2 (junto pza. San Juan). 30003 Murcia
facebook /Asociación La Azotea
Tel. 652 75 01 70
asociacionazotea@gmail.com

Elementary School is Oscars-Bound

Carpetbagger is a section in the New York Times dedicated to cinema glamour. Reporter Melena Ryzik is visiting P.S. 22, a public Elementary School in Staten Island (NY) but why? 

What does this Elementary school have to do with Hollywood glamour?

Watch this video and answer the following questions

How many people are flying across the country?

Is this their first contact with fame and celebrity?

Why did they post videos on youtube?

What type of music do the kids bring to sing?

What happened when the Hollywood producer first rang?

What did the principal think when she got the call?

Most of the kids have never…

What happened at their holiday concert?

Who do the kids think should win an Oscar this year?

How does the teacher feel about all this?

Offensive ads at the Super Bowl

Groupon is a company that offers all sorts of discounts... Their ads appeared in the commercial breaks of the Super Bowl (last Sunday 6th Feb) and caused much controversy as some of them were considered offensive, ...but can you imagine why?

Here are some of these adverts. Is there anything you find controversial, insulting or politically incorrect?







Here is the full article: And the Most Offensive Super Bowl Ad Goes To: Groupon?

To watch the complete list of Super Bowl commercials: The best and worse Super Bowl commercials

Controversial Ads

Here you have some samples of controversial ads from all over the world. What are they advertising?

Can you imagine the reasons why some of them were banned?  

Please feel free to search the Internet to find more interesting ads.















This last one was voted Best European Commercial:

Friends: TOW All the resolutions

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?

I hope you enjoyed watching Friends today. A shame we didn't have time to comment on it in class.

I couldn't upload the videos on the blog as I usually do, but you can still click on some links and watch extracts of the episode again.

Click here to watch all of the resolutions with English subtitles.

Click here to watch a video with a summary of Ross's resolution... and little incident with his leather pants :)

Click here to watch Chandler's resolution... and how it went.

Click here to watch when Rachel finds out about Monica and Chandler... and she can't tell anyone.

The Digital Story of Christmas

For those of you addicted to New Tecnologies like me... You'll love this! Times change :)

Monty Python's Job Interview

Speaking of cruel job interviews and killer questions...

Up in the Air

Yesterday we watched "UP IN THE AIR" (2009) at EOI Alhama. If you couldn't come and see it with us I recommend you watch it at home. It's a very good film with a fantastic plot, brilliant dialogues and great actors.

Here you have the trailer and some information about the film.

The Plot and the main characters

Ryan Bingham’s job consists in visiting other companies to sack employees when the bosses don’t have the courage to do it themselves. He spends his life travelling around the country and becomes a flying addict, collecting air miles. He develops a philosophy symbolised by an empty backpack.

On one journey he meets Alex and they begin an affair which depends on their schedules coinciding.

Natalie is a clever young new employee of Ryan’s company. She proposes to do the job by video conference to save the company enormous amounts of money in travelling expenses. Ryan doesn’t like that and takes her on his next trip to show her the importance of direct contact.

Glossary:

-       fire (v), sack (v): despedir (del trabajo)

-       backpack: mochila

-       How much does your life weigh?: ¿Cuánto pesa tu vida?

-       straps: asas, correas (de la mochila)

-       10K, 10 grand: 10 thousand (dollars)

-       patronize: tratar con condescendencia

-       being grounded: quedarse en tierra

-       downsizing: reducción de plantilla.

-       layover: escala

-       resumé: curriculum

-       runway: pista de despegue o aterrizaje

-       severance package: paquete de indemnización por cese/finiquito.

-       golden lab: labrador dorado (kind of dog)

-       crash a party: colarse en una fiesta.

-       real estate venture: operación inmobiliaria

-       to get cold feet: cambiar de opinión en el último momento.

The First Thanksgiving

What do you know about Thanksgiving?
When is it celebrated?
What do people do on this holiday?
What do they exactly celebrate?

Watch the video again about the First Thanksgiving from the History Channel.



Why did these Englishmen have to leave England?
What was the problem when they were in Holland?
Did they enjoy the journey to America? How long did it take?
What was their first winter in America like?
Who was Squanto? What did he do?
When was the first Thanksgiving? How was it? What did they eat?

Amelia Earhart (II)

Check out this interesting video by National Geographic about the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.
Did the aviator run out of petrol and crash into the sea? or could she have survived?

Where's Amelia Earhart?

Comprehension questions:
1. After a desperate search, what does the Royal Navy conclude?
2. Was their any evidence of a plane crash?
3. What gave hope that she was still alive?
4. What's the 1st hypothesis about?
5. What's the 2nd belief about?
6. What does the 3rd theory say?

In the News: Royal Wedding

Prince William has announced his engagement with Kate Middleton. The Royal Wedding will be next spring or summer.

You can read more about it here.

Watch the video of their first interview and answer some questions below.



According to William, why wasn't the wedding proposal a big surprise?

How does Kate describe her fiancé?

Did William plan how to propose or was it mostly improvised?

Did Kate suspect anything?

Where and for how long did William carry the ring?

What's special about the ring?


Find more interesting stuff about the next Royal Wedding (another video, vocabulary and a cartoon) on Helena's Intermediate 1 classblog.

Learn about Remembrance Day.

Here you have a short explanation on Remembrance Day. The speaker goes very fast and has a strange accent (Belgian?) but you should understand by now what she says about the meaning, the dates and the poppies.

Learn About Remembrance Day

History of Halloween

This is the video we watched in class to find out a bit more about the history of Halloween.



This is some of the new vocab we learned:
druid - foretell - disguise - famine - starving - roaring - gourd - commonplace - bullet

Can you remember the meaning of these words? How did you find the video? Did you like it?