Missing old times

A picture is worth a thousand words, believe me ...

Hope this finds you all well

To my students, with love and admiration

In the classroom, the students are the ones that usually pay homage to the teacher. This post seeks to do the exact opposite.

Our job as teachers is to educate, to instruct, to motivate, to inspire. Their job as students is to learn. 

This idea could never be oh so wrong. 

It is so good to be able to share experiences with a group as diverse as they are in number and in attendance. They come and go, they come late, but they ALL PARTICIPATE.

Even on an occasion as informal as a get-together in a bar (in Trinidadian English it would be known as a lime), you can learn some useful language. The example this time has to do with sight.  

* Lime/Liming - a party or any get-together/to hang out, or (more recently) to date someone

Watching a computer or TV screen for too long can make your eyes tired or sore: you then suffer from what we would call sore sight. 

But to be honest, it would be impossible to have that problem after looking at these pictures and watching this video. The people in them are the ones I always want to keep in close sight.

It will always be a pleasure to see you guys, you will be a sight for sore eyes.  

 

Raise a stink

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013 - Raise a stink

Isn’t it incredible how public figures capitalize on situations to gain some kind of fame or notoriety? Politicians, for example, take advantage of their constituents’ misfortune to gain political points with the rest of the population.

Manifestations, strikes, protests, go-slows - what good do they do?

To call someone a traitor is a serious accusation. The recent story involving American security technician Edward Snowden sparks the debate about the fine line between invasion of privacy and national security.

The most common name Snowden has received since the story hit the news channels is that of WHISTLEBLOWER - a person who reveals confidential information that results in a national scandal.

There are other names for this kind of person:

SNITCH

RAT

SELL-OUT

Hero or traitor?

Patriot or free rider?

Why did he do what he did?

Snowden makes his first statement from Moscow

In his recent interviews, Snowden has threatened to let the sh... hit the fan. In other words, he is going to raise a stink, cause a mega national scandal.

What more could he have to say that would cause more damage to the US’ global image as superpower?

Are you in it for the money?

The question above is simply asking why we get up every day to go to work. It's about what moves us. 

Are you money-hungry?

Are you power-hungry?

Are you driven by money?

Why do we do what we do professionally? Certainly, it is hard to find just one reason. In the same manner, it is virtually impossible to choose one day as the most important day in your life.

Every day is important for your growth as a person.

Another universal truth is that we can’t change the past or the future, so what we have is now.    

Here are two opinions about the past and the future:

You can't change the future, but you can shape it.

The past can haunt you if you have skeletons in your closet

Here is our list of reasons for working:

• to improve society
• to be useful
• to leave your mark
• to make history
• to make a contribution
• to help others
• to make the world a better place
• to learn new things
• to do volunteer work
• to be recognized in many ways
• to do an outstanding job
• to stand out = to be above the rest
• to create new ways to do (old) things
• to discover new uses for old things e.g. use coca-cola to clean marble or to unblock your sink
• to be able to show off (in more colloquial language, to “bling-bling”)

Here are some of the quotes that might serve as inspiration:  

   

Where did these guys get THEIR inspiration?

Farewells - when words really get in the way

Knowing you're not going to be with someone anymore before they leave doesn't help reduce the feeling of sadness. 

Goodbyes are never easy, but sometimes goodbyes don't mean forever, but rather a period apart from each other.

The German phrase used in the video above, seems more appropriate: AUF WIDERSEHEN > SEE YOU SOON. 

So when I broke the news that the next few weeks would probably be our last together as a conversation group (I'm leaving to take up a new post), nothing else mattered at the time.

Thoughts raced: what to do? Protest? Complain? Sign a petition? Blackmail the teacher? Convince him to stay on? Break things? Use a lucky charm against him?

Saying good things about someone in their presence doesn't necessarily mean you are being an apple polisher or that you are sucking up to the person. Honesty is the best policy. 

What teacher would not want to receive a homage like this one?

  
What makes a class unforgettable? Some would say it has to be:
unpredictable
fun-filled
therapeutic
profitable
a win-win situation

What would you add to the lest? 

Thursday, June 27th, 2013 - Save the language from slang

Is Carnival the only season when people from Bahia put sound trucks on the streets, organize parades of revelers and have a real good time?

How often do you do any of these things? Do you do them regularly enough to be called a regular or  a goer?

go to the movies  

go to the theater

go to a soccer match

go to bars

go to the beach

go to church

go to free events or freebies

moviegoer

theater-goer

soccer-goer

bar-goer

beach-goer

churchgoer

freebie-goer

Can someone be overly obsessed with something or someone else?

Obsessed people who become intensely involved with something tend to come across as freaks.

How many people have you met that sounded or acted like a freak - that were obsessed with something and dedicate hours of their time to an activity?

An eternal battle: Remind x Remember

Ernie and Bert might be able to help:

　

　

Some slang-like expressions

What do you think about this boy? Do you think I should go for it?

YOLO, try it. You have nothing to lose. (You only live once)

Th scene from the movie was so funny I am still LOL. (Laughing out loud)

This ain't going to work: we need to rethink things

Some people have nothing against slang, others believe it should be banned or eradicated

HOW can u if what gives the language the pizzazz is the slang?

I don't know if the head of school would see a project located near an ecological reserve area in a good light?

newspaper = daily

a weekly

a monthly

a yearly

Bread and Circus no more?

The protests in progress all over the country have been the talk of the town. Here are some of the ideas that came to mind during our discussion:  

　

• peaceful demonstrations
• violent riots
• invasion of buildings
• vandalism of public property
• battering of main gates to public buildings
• getting past police barricades
• protests in front of government offices  - city and state halls
• cities all over the county (municipality) and state joining the movement
• people demanding change
• people expressing dissatisfaction with the state of things
• increase in bus fares as a spark for the recent protests
• reaching boiling point
• feeling as if you were in a pressure cooker
• desire to take advantage of the international media attention due to the international events
• clear attempts to bend information and influence public opinion
• a strong belief that the protests are serious   
• a movement to ensure people’s rights as citizens
• a drive to develop a sense of citizenship and civic pride　
• a desire to see an end to politicians’ slush funds (money that is acquired illicitly, by diverting public money into their private accounts)

All this is well and good, but I can't help but ask myself:

Did we wait too long or are we still waiting on the world to change?

Isn't this maybe just a little too late?