Tag Archives: writing

Piano Man

Music, Students' Corner,

Sent by Mario Pelaez, one of my students. Thanks a lot, Mario.

“I’ve liked this song since I was a child” Mario says. It was released in 1973. The title track is one of Joel’s signature tracks and a seminal song in piano rock. It remains a concert standard, and is the source of Joel’s nickname, Piano man.

About the song…well, I think it’s so moving. It’s a song about people who are disappointed with a part of their lives, about people who still believe in their dreams even thought they haven’t been able to make them come true, and the central character of the song is the pianist, the “piano man”, who plays to alleviate their pain, to make them forget about their lives for a while…

Roald Dahl

Listening, , , ,

Roald Dahl was one of the world’s most beloved children’s authors. Not only did he create such memorable characters as Willy Wonka, Danny the Champion of the World and The BFG, but he also had a very successful career writing short stories for adults. Many of his stories, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, have become classics in their own time.

He was born in Llandaff, Wales. His parents were Norwegian. He did not have a very happy time at school. As soon as he could, he went abroad, first to Newfoundland at 18, and then to East Africa, to train with the Shell Oil Company.
In World War Two Dahl became a Royal Air Force pilot, fighting Italian planes over the Libyan Desert. He started writing after his plane was shot down, and the description of this adventure was so successful that he became a full-time writer in the US.
He was a successful screenplay writer, working on movies like James Bond’s You Only Live Twice. Dahl moved back to England in 1960’s.
If you want more information about this author, click here to visit his website, one of the funniest I’ve ever visited.

http://www.roalddahl.com/

There is also a listening activity which you might want to try in my website. Click here

Designer Clothes

General, Students' Corner,

Sent by Estela Ramon Garcia, 4th year student


First and foremost, I have to say that I’m not the kind of girl who is hooked on shopping and on designer clothes because I’m convinced that you don’t have to wear brand clothes to be dressed up or to be cool, actually, a lot of brand items aren’t cool at all. I mean, usually, while I’m looking through some magazines I realise how spaced-out film stars are, because they put on such ugly gear that they look really scruffy and badly-dressed, don’t they?
On the one hand , having brand clothes is surpassing the boundaries because as far as I know, there are people who blow their money on buying these clothes instead of saving it for a rainy day, and in the end they are broke. From my point of view they just do this to boast and pretend they are wealthy.
On the other hand there are well-off people who can afford to purchase these trendy clothes because of their huge wages. This kind of people usually splash out their money on having everything from a designer name. I believe that people usually fall into the mistake of thinking that if you don’t have expensive clothes you are laid-back and not cool at all. Nevertheless, the truth is the opposite thing, because you are more likely to be spaced out and spoiled if you have loads of expensive things. In my opinion, this sort of people isn’t cool or fashionable , they are posh.
To me being posh it’s not just buying designer clothes, it’s the way you behave, the thoughts and feelings you have…it’s everything! I have to say that as far as I’m concerned purchasing brand gear doesn’t make me posh or spoiled because I’m really down-to earth and sensible and I know that I’m not cooler because I wear one thing or the other. Besides, I often go shopping to unknown places, although to be honest, I have to say that I usually tend to be appealed by brand clothes because I like their designers much more than the bargains I come across in cheap shops, so that’s the reason why I have some fancy gear.
To sum up ,I have to say that in my case, I go for trendy clothes because I like to be cute and dressed up, and I can’t help going window shopping, but this doesn’t mean having everything from a well-known brand. I believe that is a complete waste of money buying a plain shirt which costs you a rip-off and you pay through the nose just because it has a tiny label on it. In these cases I would rather buy one in an unknown shop or at least during sales.

A new way to meet your Mr or Miss Right

Students' Corner,

Sent by Estela Alvarez, a fourth year student.


A long time ago single women who had a romantic meeting always went with a chaperone who kept an eye on the couple, whereas nowadays people can flirt from their personal computer while they are surfing the Internet because there are websites where they chat possible partners up. It seems incredible, but there are people who go out with someone without having ever seen them .
Certainly, we live in a stressful world and some people are too busy to look for love. As a result, new ways of meeting the person of your dreams are coming along. Actually, travel agencies arrange special trips only for single people and TV programmes organize blind dates for their contestants. But one of the most original systems to meet your Mr or Miss Right is a speed date, which is becoming more and more popular in different countries, especially among young people.
It consists of a group of people, where there is the same number of men and women, who are gathered together in a room where they have a few minutes to find out as much information as they can about each other in order to see if some of them is their perfect soul mate. At a speed date a person talks one to one to a member of the opposite sex during a while and as soon as a bell rings the participants have to move on to the next person and then, they start a conversation again. At the end of the event they submit to the organizers a list with people they fancy and they would like to see again because they believe they could be compatible. If the other person also feels the same attraction the organizers will get them in touch .
In Spain a sort of “speed date” is becoming fashionable between university students, although this way to meet a possible pick-up is slightly different. It is called «traffic lights party» and it is usually celebrated in discos. It consists of wearing a sticker with the shape of a traffic light in the lapel and the colours of the signal have different meanings, so if you are wearing the green light switched on, it means you are not engaged; the yellow light means you are single but you are not especially interested in meeting anybody; and the red colour means you already have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Funny , isn’t it?

The Pyramids of Egypt, a Masterpiece of Architecture

Students' Corner,

Kindly sent by Estela Alvarez , a fourth-year student at the EOI
Humanity has achieved amazing exploits for thousands of years. For example, the control of fire and the invention of the wheel in the primitive communities or the sophisticated trips to the outer space nowadays. But if I have to choose one of the most outstanding achievements of mankind, it’ll the Pyramids of Egypt. I find them absolutely fascinating because they are still surrounded by mistery in spite of their age. Actually, nobody knows exactly how these extraordinary structures were built. Although it is thought that ramps, levers and pulleys could have been used to move the huge stone blocks which pyramids were made of, the fact is that archaeologists, engineers and other experts don’t fully agree about the way they were constructed.What I find particularly impressive is the perfect geometry on their slants. Moreover, the pyramids face towards specific stars, so it is a proof of the vast knowledge of Astronomy the ancient Egyptian civilization had. There are people who think that this famous monument is a vestige of an alien colony in the Earth built by creatures from another planet. I respect the beliefs each person has, but from my point of view, these people have seen the film «Stargate»far too many times. Anyway, I’m a bit more agnostic and I agree with the scientific research which has shown the pyramids were simply tombs of pharaohs.

These excepcional pieces of architecture were symbols of status and power in the ancient Egypt and only kings and queens of this civilization could be buried in these peculiar burial chambers when they died. Their bodies were mummified and the richness which belonged to the pharaohs was placed next to their mortal remains so that they could use their wealth beyond their death -they had faith in this sort of beliefs-. It is incredible to think about the wonderful treasures which may be still hidden under the sandy desert. Archeological excavations have been looking for hieroglyphics, old vessels, arks and other antiques along the Nile river bank for ages. However, I believe there are still a lot of marvellous things concealed there.
In my opinion, the Pyramids of Egypt are an admirable masterpiece. In fact, several months ago there was a survey in different countries to choose the new Seven Wonders of the World and millions of people voted for the Pyramids. They are the only wonder which was in the original list before the opinion poll and it is still standing after the survey. Definitely, if I save enough money to travel to Egypt one day, I won’t miss the opportunity to visit the Pyramids.