Joe's Blog

BOTH SIDES NOW (A LOOK AT LIFE)

2011-12-08T06:55:00.003Z

It's difficult to believe this song dates back to the late sixties! Joni Mitchell looks at love and life and clouds from both sides and, in the end, finds she doesn't know any of them at all. I suppose,when all is said and done, we all reach the same conclusion. But how many of us can say it in such a beautiful fashion? Emma Thomson's performance during this song in "Love actually" is absolutely spellbounding. Here are the words - pure poetry. The video is further down, courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/ and CritiquesMaster. Thank you both
Bows and flows of angel hair/And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere/I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun/They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done/But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now/From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall/I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels/The dizzy dancing way that you feel
As every fairy tale comes real/I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show/You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know/Don't give yourself away.
I've looked at love from both sides now/From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall/I really don't know love at all.
Tears and fears and feeling proud/ To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds/I've looked at life that way.
Oh but now old friends are acting strange/They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost but something's gained/In living every day.
I've looked at life from both sides now/From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall/I really don't know life at all.
I've looked at life from both sides now/From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall/I really don't know life at all.

SAMURAI

2011-11-15T17:11:00.005Z

Last night I saw a film, a most unusual japanese film called "Twilight Samurai". Spanish readers can find it under the title of "El ocaso del Samurai". The video that follows is the song featured at the end of the fim; a gentle, touching and yet simple melody sung beautifully by Yosui Inoue.

The Samurai code of honour is something which has fascinated me for as long as I can remember: duty above all, something that is somewhat rare these days when most seek personal gain and satisfaction.

Courtesy of www.youtube.com & The Holy Liberator - Thank you both

SLAVES IN BRITAIN

2011-09-15T00:22:00.004Z

At first, when I read this in a tiny little section of a Spanish newspaper I thought it was an exagerated report of an isolated incident involving one or two domestic-service situations. After all, slavery was abolished in Great Britain in 1807.

However, I looked it up anyway and found to my horror that it involved twenty-four slaves, all men, and most of them British!

The gruesome details have been published
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/09/12/2-dozen-slaves-freed-in-England/UPI-70191315803850/#ixzz1XyYAslqEhttp://es.yahoo.com/?p=us
and can be seen even on youtube.com,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KmqJ9xuj2U
so there is no real need for me to reproduce them here.

What really worries me though is this:
Are British people so stupid as to become trapped into this sort of situation and become slaves against their will?
What about the neighbours?
This took place, allegedly, in Leighton Buzzard - Bedfordshire County - on a caravan site, with hundreds of other people living within earshot! 200 police were needed to arrest just five of the people responsible for this outrage on humanity.
I mean, if this was not so serious we'd laugh about it.

FOR CHRIST SAKE - WHAT KIND OF A COUNTRY IS THIS TURNING INTO? What kind of people are WE turning into that we can allow such practices to develop in our society?

FIFTEEN YEARS - that's right - 15 years! That's how long some of these men were kept as slaves!

LONDON'S BURNING

2011-08-09T22:21:00.000Z

IS IT REALLY ANY WONDER?
Thousands of people out of work.
Speculators aggravating the economy.
Politicians more interested in votes than in social justice.
Big businesses striving for bigger profits than would seem just.
Our planet is fast going to pieces and no clear future appears on the horizon.
There's a clear lack of leadership in Europe.
There's a clear lack of leadership in the UK.
There's a clear lack of leadership in the world.
Is it really any wonder that thousands of people of all ages, of all races, of all political and religious beliefs come out onto the streets to protest against a rotten system that's destroying rather than building our social fabric. The death of
Mark Duggan, RIP, a father of four, at the hand of British Police,can only worsen the situation. British bobbies used to go unarmed in the past. Why this radical change of policy that puts guns in the hands of some, not all, trigger-happy individuals?
This is not an isolated national incident and must be seen in a global world context. We've seen it in Egypt, in Lybia, in Siria and we passed it off as only a protest by liberty seekers in under-developed countries. But then Spanish non-violent protesters took to the streets and marched onto the capital. A non-violent protest probably due to that countrry's tradition of violent suppression by its forces; a reminder of Franco's regime. And in Greece, too, we've seen massive protests. These are not backwards countries, but modern, democratic European states. Now London, at the heart of democracy. AND IT IS NOT GOING TO STOP THERE. I expect we'll see more protests in other European countries before the summer's out. Indeed it's going to be a hot, hot summer and I do hope a better and fairer society will rise out of the ashes of the fires that are burning in the hearts of our cities... and of our people.

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

2011-07-10T23:22:00.006Z

When will the powerful minority stop exploiting the weak majority? 11th July - A SAD DAY in SREBRENICA!

Back in the early 16^th century, over 200 people were executed by order of King Henry VIII as a result of what became known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. Just like that! (Impressive picture taken fron the series "The Tudors") Among them were prominent members of the community, such as Robert Aske and a dozen peers of the realm, 50 odd monks and priests and over a hundred ordinary people, including women and children. An isolated incident? OF COURSE NOT.

History is plagued with thousands, nay, hundreds of thousands of similar crimes against humanity, perpetrated by emperors, kings and rulers, dictators and generals; The last one, probably in Srebrenica, in 1995, when over 8,000 Bosnian males were slaughtered by the Serbian VRS army (Republika Srpska) under the command of General Ratko Mladić, currently being judged for his war crimes at the International Court in The Hague. Here’s what he said on TV at the time: "Today, the 11th of July 1995, is a great day for Serbia. We are in the town of Srebrenica. We offer this town to the Serbian nation in memory of the rising against the Turks. The time for revenge against the Moslems has arrived.”

Now, of course, Kings and Emperors do not have that kind of power anymore; at least not most of them, though they continue to posess great wealth and influence. And so do Large Multinationals, Newspaper, Arms and Oil Magnates, Presidents of Powerful Countries and Organisations, Military Generals, not to mention Drug Barons and White Slave and Prostitution Merchants, many, if not most, of whom have accumulated impressive fortunes on their way to, and especially at, the top of their profession. Many of them, if not most, have not been exactly scrupulous in their dealings and decisions. Just look at Murdoch and his “News of the World”. It is not enough to say sorry for something he knew was going on and which has caused so much distress. Nor does closing down the newspaper make the evil doing go away. Or look at Bush, Blair and Aznar. How many civilian deaths do they have on their conscience? AND THEY JUSTIFY IT!

And what is the common factor? What breeds such violence and disregard for human lives and human rights? Once upon a time, you could have said it was religion. But, NO, that’s just a smokescreen. As the song goes: “Money is the root of all evils”. Yes, the oldest of all reasons: MONEY, WEALTH.

King Henry VIII, through his faithful, and equally corrupt, Prime Minister, had no qualms about dissolving Catholic Monasteries. The revenues from the sales of the confiscated lands went to engross both Cromwell’s and the King’s pockets, as well as the treasury. Did the King sleep at night? Cromwell, of course, was eventually betrayed by his king and lost his head!

Murdoch’s permissive attitude led to more sales and revenues. I doubt that closing the newspaper will even dent his financial armour. Does he sleep at night?

Iraq and Afghanistan would never have suffered the beastly and (at least in the case if Iraq) illegal onslaught of the thousands of bombs and missiles they were subjected to had they not had huge reserves of oil and gas. I really don’t know where the arms engineers get their ideas from in order to design the thousand and one different weapons that enable such wicked and destructive power to be unleashed against helpless civilians. Do the three leaders, and the engineers, and the pilots, and the generals, and the remote control operators, and the spotters, and the arms manufactures get any sleep at night?

As for Mladić, I’m sure he slept reasonably well, in spite of the blood he shed, protected as he was by the highest authorities in his country, until it became politically and financially suicidal not to hand him over. How else could they join the European Union and reap the benefits? From the way he faced his victims’ relatives in court, it seems obvious he has no regrets; though I’m convinced he too finds it difficult to sleep at night in jail.

We, the workers, have slowly, very slowly, gained our rights and recovered our dignity only through repeated revolts and the willingness to suffer and, if necessary, die for our just cause. Whether we continue to allow others to exploit us or respect us is entirely in our hands.

WE CAN CHOOSE TO NOT BUY MR MURDOCH’S PRODUCTS.

WE CAN BRING DOWN GOVERNMENTS THAT FAIL TO OBEY US.

WE CAN WITHDRAW OUR SAVINGS FROM UNSCRUPULOUS BANKS.

WE CAN DECIDE NOT TO INVEST IN ARMS MANUFACTURERS.

WE CAN INSIST ON A JUST COMPENSATION BEING PAID TO ALL VICTIMS.

ABOVE ALL, WE CAN DEMAND THAT ALL THOSE THAT BREAK THE LAW, HOWEVER HIGH THEIR POSITION IN SOCIETY, ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE AND ARE MADE TO PAY FULLY FOR THEIR CRIMES.

I wonder if the descendents of those murdered during King Henry XIII’s “Pilgrimage of Grace” repression could now claim compensation. If they could, who would pay up, his descendents….or we, the workers, through our government?

CHAMPIONS AGAIN

2011-05-15T18:02:00.009Z

Incredible as it may seem for a chess player of my modest level, my team won for the second time in three years the Catalan National league Championship - Second category - in Catalonia, Spain.

To do this we had to compete in a block of a hundred teams of eight players each, divided into 10 groups. First we came top in our group, and then, came through the various play-offs winning the finals 5-3.

Not bad for a team with three 60+ players, four 50-60 players, and only one player under 30!

Here's a photo of our team, taken just after the final game.

You can read the whole story by selecting and pasting the following link . It's in Catalan, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you can get Google to give you a reasonably accurate translation.

http://ajedreznd.com/2011/cerdanyola.html

BRITISH HOSPITALS

2011-03-25T19:01:00.003Z

I'M ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6034988/Death-toll-from-hospital-bugs-hits-new-high.html

The following is the opening paragraph of the article refered to above, in the link.

Death toll from hospital bugs hits new high
More than 30,000 people have died after contracting the hospital infections MRSA and Clostridium difficile in just five years, official figures will show this week.

30,000 people! A full-scale war!

My sister had a heart attack, followed by a stent implant. She was sent home within a couple of days! My uncle had a similar experience a couple of months ago and suffered a massive heart attack the day after he was sent home! Both of them live in the South of England.

I live in Spain. I was admitted into hospital about a year ago with respiratory difficulties related to my heart problems. They replacd a stent within a couple of days and I felt like new. But, they kept me in hospital for nearly two weeks, most of the time under observation! I asked to be allowed to go home to play the final round of a chess tournament and they wouldn't hear of it!

What's happening back home? Have conditions really deteriorated so much since I last lived there? Can it be that the Spanish National Health Service is better than the British NHS? I'm approaching retirement and am having serious doubts about going back home....and not only because of the weather! For heaven's sake, is noone doing anything about this? We have the power to change governments and to reverse policies. Let's make full use of it. Bring back effective social policies. Reform and improve the NHS. Full, comprehensive social cover is perfectly compatible with some capitalist concepts. It is a right many have fought and died to secure and protect

Let's not retreat, but move forward in our traditional leading role of providers of what used to be refered to as the world's best welfare state.

A VOICE TO DIE FOR

2011-01-04T04:35:00.004Z

Ever since I discovered her I have been an ardent fan of hers, even though I'm not a follower of that type of music. She has a unique way of combining two styles to produce the kind of music angels must surely play in heaven.

Do listen right through. Notice the unusual drum beat, the musical range of her extraordinary voice, the contrast produced by the rich, deep voices of the backing choir. Do listen... and then listen again. I'm sure you'll find it a very rewarding experience.

Here's the youtube link and, below it, the lyrics..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71rO7ezB5Qg

Quel cuor perdesti - per un miraggio.
Quel cuor tradisti - odiar di piu, non puo!
La mia voce senti - il suo dolor... o no ?
La tua spari, e io, pazza, t'aspetto!

Dimenticar... O non piu vivere
Ormai salvo... La notte... la notte... la notte...
Ah !...

Spente le stelle - Col pallido raggio di luna
Piange l'amore - Che si lancia come l'onda poi se ne va
Vuota, la notte - E la sua speranza breve
Ora sgorga l'amaro pianto - Un cuor ferito, disperato passa qua.

Dunque fuggisti - i sogni vuoti
Dunque perdersi - i brevi vortici

Dimenticar... etc.

Spente le stelle... etc.
Ah !...

HAWKING'S UNIVERSE

2010-10-21T17:56:00.008Z

Do I understand well? Does Stephen Hawking really claim that the universe created itself and, at the same time, that God exists; or at least that both of these theories are perfectly plausible and can co-exist? As a child, whenever I asked:"...and who created God, then?" I was told He had ALWAYS existed. It never occured to me then to ask:"WHERE?"

It's easy to imagine oneself in a room with a table on which someone has placed a completely void, transparent container which has been hermetically sealed, AND WE WAIT, AND WE WATCH FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. Would THAT be the state before the universe came into being? No, because that container is itself INSIDE a space and, therefore, it is subject to the influences of that external space. No experiment could really reproduce the conditions that existed before The Creation because these external influences would always exist and we'd always be asking ourselves:"And WHERE DID ALL THIS TAKE PLACE?" Similarly, the Big Bang theory lends itself to the same questions: WHERE? and HOW?

But what about GOD? Here we also have two questions: WHO or WHAT is GOD? and again WHERE was, and is, HE? We don't need to ask HOW because we're speaking of GOD, to whom all is possible.

Now, some scientists have come up with another claim: The universe has its days counted. It cannot expand forever. Expand where? Where exactly IS the universe placed? Can we fathom an outer region with no limits into which this expansion is taking place? Because the moment you place limits, you're saying it's INSIDE. So, WHAT is OUTSIDE?

I'm not a scientist and do not pretend to throw light on these misteries. But neither am I stupid. Both main theories are based entirely on faith, faith in the existence of God, or faith in that scientists really do know what they're talking about. However, anyone can put forward untested and untestable theories.

So where does that lead us? Logically, to a third, and probably more fundamental, question which must remain "forever?" unanswered: - WHY?

If the possession of FAITH is essential in order to believe in something, then as far as I am concerned, I prefer to place my faith in God, even though I do not understand Him, for I know I will never be able to do so. Humans should be humbly thankful and grateful to He who gave us all. We should not be presumptuously questiomimg HIM and attempting to belittle HIM by putting forward ridiculous theories that seem to aim only at demonstrating how easy it must have been to create something out of nothing.

BREAKING UP & PRIDE

2010-09-09T11:02:00.004Z

Pride, more often than not, is the culprit.

How often have we found ourselves in a situation that required swallowing one's pride and making the first move? I'm not talking about dignity or honour. I'm talking about simple, practical gestures that lead to reconcilliation. I know, 'cause I have sinned, too! More than once.

Age, however, gives you the privilege of being able to measure your actions in the light of your, and other people's, experience. If the loss is negligible, then of course we needn't worry too much. But if it hurts.... if it really hurts, then for the love of Mike, get on the phone and call. Call him, call her, call alcoholic anonymous, call your mother. For Pete's sake, CALL ANYONE THAT MATTERS.... but call!

This is a beutifully performed song by Lady Antebellum, a country group. Written and composed by D. Haywood, C. Kelly and H. Scott (components) and J. Kear, it illustrates the point rather nicely. (Courtesy of youtube.com and saxophonegirl13. Thank you both). Enjoy

ALL HALLOWS RC SCHOOL, FARNHAM

2010-08-25T16:05:00.011Z

Lately, I've been recalling my years at school, wondering what has become of my former schoolmates (We were the Post-War children who grew up with Dylan and the Beatles and read Mao's red book and answered the Student Revolution call and took the pill and won women's lib.). Most of them, I suppose, are approaching a well deserved retirement. Some lucky ones have already retired. A few, I imagine, have left us for good and I'm sure will be missed by their loved ones. How quickly these last fifty years have gone by and how much has been achieved in them: higher studies, holidays, romances, holidays, marriage, honeymoon, jobs, holidays, kids, fewer holidays, grandchildren, more holidays, and soon retirememnt - a permanent holiday. Is that the sum total of our lives?

I want to feel

- that we've left our mark, somewhere along the line,

- that we aren't going to simply disappear,

- that, along with our genes, we'll have transmitted something of importance to our future generations, our descendents,

- that, on the way, we'll have touched some lives, each with his/her own special magic,

- that, if we've been lucky and blessed with talents, perhaps we'll have also managed to leave behind something tangible, of substance, maybe some love letters, or a book, or a song, or a painting,

- and LOVE. Oh, yes! LOTS OF LOVE, along with the memories.

As I recall my years at school, I browse through my photograph album, read my schoolboy diary, some letters that have somehow survived this last half-century, and I feel a nostalgic smile forming as my lips murmur, first a name, then another.

The school, ALL HALLOWS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL in FARNAHM, SURREY, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year (Hopefully, I'll be able to make the trip and get together again with friends from the past), so, I'm putting together a special record of events, as I recall them. IF YOU WERE THERE, during its first five years, and have any documents of any sort that you'd like to share, feel free to contact me. I'd love to include them.

A couple of photographs on the left. The one at the top of this article shows Mr Doyle, the first Headmaster, wearing his usual black toga and heading, seemingly in a hurry, for the playground.

SUMMER

2010-08-09T16:45:00.009Z

It's back, again.

I came here looking for the sun and now I find I hate roasting in it!

I really can't stand the oppressive summer heat, the sweat slowly dripping from my brows, the shirt sticking to my back, the constant thirst and need to refresh myself, the packed beaches and the flying sand that penetrates every pore in my body, the polluted Mediterranean waters full of jelly-fish and domestic waste - shall I go on?

So, when the long-awaited, by others, holidays finally arrive, I choose to sleep during the day and thus escape from the harmful ultra violet rays and the hot temperatures that bathe the country when the sun is out, and, like vampires and bats, I come out at night.

Of course, I don't go round sucking blood and transforming my fellow human beings into nearly perfect replicas of Count Dracula. No, no, that's not for me, thank you. I'm quite happy with my present low fat, low salt, and low sugar diet. I prefer to sit at one of the numerous "terrazas" that most bars offer these days and sip an iced coffee or a Martini Rosso. I watch the scene and try to absorb every detail; the colourful summer - and usually very sparse - clothes, the continuous to and fro, the excerpts of conversation I snatch here and there, the fragrance of the different perfumes and eau de colognes Spaniards love to spray on themselves before going out (and frequently even whilst they are out), or engage in pleasant conversation with the numerous friends I've made since coming to live here over twenty-five years ago.

Then, in the early hours of the morning, when the bars have finally pulled their metal shutters down and everyone has departed, I make my way home, sometimes, especially if the Martini was particularly good, following a slight detour, and sit at my computer to play a few games of "blitz" chess before starting to write.

The choice is wide: something new, something already started, something finished and in need of revision, a piece of poetry, some ideas I jot down, an e-mail, or two, a new article for my blog, and always music in the air, soft classical music, usually. And coffee, or tea.

But, unlike bats and vampires, I don't crawl back to the profound darkness of my cave when the first golden rays of the morning sun appear. I go on with my self-imposed task. I continue till I feel the first effects of its warmth raising my body temperature. Then I know the time is right. I draw the shutters and close the windows, lest the outside temperature invades and disturbs the coolness of my seclusion. I have a hot shower, followed by a cool one, and, having discarded my bathrobe and dried myself thouroughly, I lie naked on the white cotton sheet of my wider-tan-average bed and turn the light out.

Autumn is just a little nearer.

SUCH A NIGHT

2010-05-22T19:43:00.019Z

In the words of an old Elvis Presley hit:"It was a night, what night it was, it really was such a night!"I only just got the photos, which is why I hadn't posted anything before.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, back in February, one of my courses ended and the students suggested having dinner together to celebrate. Well, I always enjoy an evening out with my students, and in this case even more so because they were all women, ALL young, and ALL attractive. Wow! Was it going to be fun!

We met at 9 pm at the local "Vienna", where we ordered a wide variety of goodies. I had a small salad, a chicken roll and a Diet Coke. We talked, we laughed, we cracked jokes, we recalled special moments in class. Some of them showed photos of their children, we exchanged gossip and, in general, a good time was had by all.

At about 11 o'clock, one of them suggested going on to a bar for drinks, so I took them to a friend's bar - a Heavy Metal bar, I should stress - to help him out a little as times are a bit hard at the moment. We piled up into a couple of cars and headed for the joint. When we got there, there were exactly six guys inside! Well, it was a Thursday night! Naturally, he was delighted to see me arriving with a bevy of beautiful maidens and was already counting the "Cuba Libres" he expected to sell. Anyway we all crowded around some stools near the stage and placed our orders.

Just then a couple of guys went on stage with their guitars, and a third one sat at the drums.
That night was "Jam Session" night, so we were going to have some live music. After about forty-five minutes, my friend came and said he was going on the drums and would I like to go on stage. Well, I'm not Elvis, or anything like that, but I do give a reasonably good rendering of one or two of his songs. However, they wanted to play something with a bit of a beat so I suggested an old Black Crowes number with a simple chord sequence: SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER - you can listen to them live at the following youtube.com link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QK8cHwv6I0

By then, the place started to fill up, though not excessively. The girls couldn't believe I was going on stage so they all crowded in the front, forcing the rest of the drinkers, well, the shorter ones, to stand on their toes or a stool. Anyway, no sooner had I launched into the song that a scream was heard, then another, an another. The girls literally went "beserk". One of them got on stage to hug me, another tugged at my sweater (well, it was february and there was no heating on), while the others danced frenetically and screamed. The public couldn't stop laughing and pointing at them. Nevertheless, THEY ALL CLAPPED ON AND ON when I'd finished!
NEEDLESS TO SAY, I FELT LIKE A STAR

Later on, the mood quietened down a bit and I gave them my very own version of Hank Williams's classic "Your Cheating Heart", a favourite at parties, I might very modestly add (See youtube.com for an Elvis Presley version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpYH7t0NrVc&feature=fvw

By about 2.30 in the morning I was absolutely shagged out. The girls started to get their bags and coats and called over "Are you coming with us". I said "Sure. Which one of you is taking me home?"· "Home?" they replied, "We're not going home. We're off to the all night disco!" Well, I think you can guess what my answer was... so I won't print it here.

THEY ALL LEFT .... AND I .... WAS LEFT WITH THIS WONDERFUL MEMORY OF A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

UK GENERAL ELECTIONS

2010-05-06T16:39:00.005Z

I've been living away from home for so long now that I honestly don't know what's going on there. I counldn't even tell you what the price of a loaf of bread or a pint, or is it a litre now, of milk is these days. I wonder whether any of the three main candidates shown below know the answer.

I'm a socialist at heart, though I liked Ted Heath and was sorry when he lost out after the "Three-day week". I finally left England, however, mainly in order to get away from the Thatcher doctrine.

I found Spain a much more dynamic country where I was able to bring up my kids in a much healthier and much better political, cultural, culinary, educational, and social environment. They now all speak Spanish and Catalan as well as their native English, and needless to say, so do I. Did you know that Spain leads the way in many sports, including Football? Motorcycling? Cycling? Motor Racing (Rallies, Formula 1 (until very recently)? etc.? Where's britain now, I wonder, and will it get back on the track in time for the Olympic games?
I have found, through my Spanish experience especially, that hung parlaments usually produce coalition governments that cannot be as radical as those with an overwhelming majority. Instead, over a period of time, the partners learn to work together to produce laws and policies that benefit more people. In Catalonia, three parties have been working successfully together now for several years; The "Tripartito" they call themselves, or the "Three-party party".
I sincerely hope both the Labour and Liberal parties come to an "entente" and govern jointly for a while in the UK. I'd hate to see the tories back in power, even though it wouldn't be me who would have to live under their nightmarish rule!

THERE'S HOPE FOR US YET

2010-04-18T16:05:00.004Z

A couple of weeks ago I was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties. The medical team diagnosed coronory failure and sent me for a "catheterism" operation. This is not as complicated as it sounds. The surgeon introduces a very thin catheter through one of the main arteries to check out the bloodflow in your heart and repair the damage (see image on the left). The following link explains it in more detail. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4491

The whole procedure took less than an hour and I was fully conscious during the whole operation. Really, I felt like a car being taken to the garage to have a faulty valve replaced!

Anyway, the extraordinary thing was that afterwards, the surgeon approached me to check if I was OK and asked me where I was from (all this took place in a Spanish hospital). I said I was English and he looked surprised. "From your name I thought you were Jewish," he said. "No," I replied. "In fact I'm Catholic." "OH!" He said, "I'm Palestinian!" I just stood there staring at him for a few seconds and finally we both burst out laughing. The man had operated on me as best he could, even though he thought I was a Jew!

I don't remember his name, now, but I really do want to thank him from the bottom of my heart.

UP?....OR .... DOWN?

2010-03-16T17:05:00.007Z

Some years ago, on a visit to the South of France, I was horrified to find a hole in the ground where I had expected to see a gleaming, white toilet bowl. Not long afterwards, this time in Spain, I once again found myself transported to the middle ages (and to my early years in North Africa) when the hole-in-the-ground fixture stared at me from the bowels of the earth. Needless to say, I restrained myself on both occasions and waited until I was back at the hotel - not out of prudishness, I might add, but because of a bad back!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_toilet
Modern toilets, the kind you sit on, are not as modern as we mught think - circa 2800 BC- though their use was restricted to the affluent classes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_toilet#History
It was not until the middle of the 19th century that they became common in Europe. I suppose that is when the Great Debate began!

SO, women want it down, so they can sit on a clean, dry seat, whereas men prefer it up so they can aim directly into the bowl. Here's a part of a lovely poem I came across on the www. It clearly, and poetically, illustrates the"loving" consideration that women expect from men.

But of all the signs depicting love,
there are few that can compete
with the man-of-the-house remembering to
put down the toilet seat!
http://www.theplumber.com/wclid.html

I won't argue with THAT!

HOWEVER ... It would appear that the OTHER alternative, leaving both the seat AND the cover down are not acceptable either by the more-and-more-demanding female population. Apparently, when women want to pee, they wait until the very last minute and then rush into the smallest room in the house (and God help us if it's occupied!) like a bull in a china shop. Then, with their back to the toilet bowl, they spectacularly carry out three actions simultaneously. They pull up their skirt (with jeans, of course, things get a bit more complicated), they pull down their nickers, and they let themselves plop down onto ....... the lid, where all their accumulated-under-pressure liquid reserves are released! UGHH!

WELL, I ASK YOU!

I love women and would never dream of offending a single one of them. I hope they'll take all this with the same dose of fun and good humour I felt when writing it, and then reflect on my conclusion.

FLUSHING the toilet, may seem to have nothing to do with this "battle-of-the-sexes" debate. But in fact, it has everything to do with it. I take it we all agree that whether you've been "weeing" or "pooing", flushing the toilet is a "follow-up" must. Did you know that when a toilet is flushed, it sprays droplets of its contents into the surrounding air? Millions of parasites floating freely and happily in your bathroom, eagerly clinging to the tiles, to the mirror, to your bath curtain, to your toothbrush even! Cryptosporidium & friends are absolutely thrilled when you fail to put the lid down before flushing your toilet! Read about Dr. Charles Serba's work at
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/23/health/scientist-at-work-charles-gerba-on-germ-patrol-at-the-kitchen-sink.html?sec=health. I'm sure you'll end up convinced

SO, LADIES, LET'S DO A DEAL. We will be delighted to put the seat, and the lid, down before flushing the toilet, and leave them down, with no strings attached. Perhaps you might just like to think about planning your visits to the loo just a little better and, just like in any self-respecting airport, get there in plenty of time. BY JOVE, I DO LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

2010 - HAITI

2010-01-21T19:12:00.005Z

Belatedly, I'm afraid, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year.

In saying this, I am deeply conscious that for thousands of people in Haiti this year will be anything BUT happy.

It really is so dificult to understand that with dozens of governments involved, thousands of soldiers and volunteers in situ, and millions of dollars in help pouring into the banks, the thousands of tons of supplies already delivered are not getting through fast enough to the people who need them. They're just sitting there, at the airports and in the docks, rotting away in the hot Haitian sun, acting as detonators for violence in the street. Well, what else can these people do? If you're going to die anyway of hunger and thirst, at least go down fighting for a drop of clean water or a crust of stale bread. Surely there are plans traced for just such disasters; or have we not learnt anything from the Tsunamis, the Katrinas, and the other world-wide catastrophes we have been experiencing lately in these rapidly changing climatic conditions? Heads should roll. HEADS MUST ROLL.

INEFFICIENCY ON THIS SCALE CANNOT BE TOLERATED.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.... NOW!

MAKE Vs DO (Part 1)

2009-11-25T17:34:00.003Z

Last week, during my usual Wednesday class, I was asked to explain the difference between the verbs “make” and “do”; no easy matter, I can tell you! I started by saying that we use do mainly for duties and obligations, whereas make is used for building something (this was no time, and certainly not the right level, for complicated explanations). Some of the examples I used were, “make a car” and “do your homework”. The ensuing silence seemed to indicate that no further explanations were needed.

I was just about to change the subject when someone asked:” Can I make a favour?” “No,” I said. “You don’t make favours, you do favours”. “And, can I do a suggestion?” “No, you can’t,” I replied. “You make a suggestion.” Fifteen pairs of unconvinced eyes stared at me during several seconds. They were obviously confused. Just then, a shy female voice from the back row asked: “Why?”!!!!! I was trapped. “Look,” I said, “I understand you. You’d like to know the difference, but it isn’t easy to see it. English is based more on the evolution of the Anglo-Saxon languages and the influences of French and Latin than on rigid rules. So, you will find occasional contradictions and/or situations where both verbs can be used. Why don’t we discuss it at our next lesson and I’ll bring you some notes to help you see it more clearly.”

So, there goes my weekend! I shall prepare the material I need for my class and post it here at the same time. In the meantime, here are some links with interesting quizzes to test your understanding of the two verbs in question. Some are aimed at Spanish speaking students so the instructions may be in Spanish. Enjoy.
Quiz http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blmakedo1.htm
http://www.better-english.com/vocabulary/makedo.htm
http://www.quia.com/pop/84958.html?AP_rand=840467976
http://www.iescampanillas.org/ingles/activities/make%20and%20do/make_do.htm
http://www.iescampanillas.org/ingles/activities/make%20and%20do/makedo2.htm

I'M NOT WRITING..... JUST THINKING!

2009-11-16T19:31:00.005Z

I've sat in front of my PC, day in, day out, for the last ten days trying to write something.... but No, nothing comes out. My mind has gone dry and I cannot think of anything I really want to talk about. I feel like a desert in search of an oasis, a sky looking for a star, a field without a single tree in sight. How can that be, considering the number of things happening around the world, around the country, around me! It just doesn't seem possible: the financial crisis, the anniversary of the Berlin wall, Obama's visit to China, this latest animal flu, my grandson's birthday, the local wine trade fair.... my goodness there are hundreds of subjects out there I could write about, but NO, NOTHING COMES OUT!

So, I have resolved to leave it at that. My current post will be a non-post. In other words, I'm writing about NOT WRITING, if you can follow me.

I'm sure this NON-WRITING phase will not last very long and I'm confident that very soon I shall have something interesting to put down on paper. Bye for now.

THE "ROCIO" MASS

2009-10-26T15:56:00.014Z

(Pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Rocio in Spain)

Last Sunday I went to mass; not something I've been doing a lot just recently. The occasion was very special. A close friend invited me, just as she had done several years ago, to attend a "Rocio" mass in the near-by town of Badalona, a very short distance from Barcelona. This particular mass takes place on the last Sunday of every month. It's actually called "Misa Rociera" in Spanish and is named after Our Lady of Rocio.

It would seem that during the XIII century, King Alfonso X, known as "the Wise", had a chapel built in the territory known as "Las Rocinas", an area he had reconquered from the Moors and where he enjoyed hunting. This sanctuary contains a life-size wooden statue of Our lady, apparently found by a hunter. Further information of interest can be found at the following link.

http://www.elrocio.net/page2.html

The special feature that makes the Rocio mass so unique is its music. A group of "Rocieros", devout followers of Our Lady of Rocio, dressed in the typical Andalusian costumes of the region, sing the official songs of the mass, as well as others, in the traditional flamenco style of the South of Spain. The experience is so emotive that it really is difficult to hold back the tears; I certainly couldn't. The high point of the mass is usually the "Salve", though there are times when they don't sing it.

Here's a video with a selection of photographs (I couldn't find a decent film of the mass) and the "Salve" sung by "Ecos del Rocio" or "Gente del Gines" - I'm not quite sure - and offered by kakiera on youtube.com. Lyrics follow the video in original language (Spanish). Translation, and other pictures, on the left.Thank you kakiera and thank you youtube.com for your excellent iniciative. I really do hope you'll enjoy this and that you'll find the experience as. or at least almost as, spiritually enriching as I did.

For other versions of this beautiful song, try searching for "salve rociera" in youtube.com. In particular, I recommend this other version from Isabel Pantoja's concert at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. The standing ovation lasted four minutes! The song comes after the ovation-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YClSepfy_BM

There's also a beautiful version by Rocio Jurado-namesake of the virgin- who died a couple of years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrxsfBkszdQ&feature=related

For a more popular version, try this one from the singers at the Virgin's Sanctuary of Almonte, the village where it all took place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ6Y-dP1lnc&feature=related

Dios te salve María, del Rocío Señora, luna, sol, norte y guía, y pastora celestial.

Dios te salve María, todo el pueblo te adora, y repite a porfía, como tu no hay otra igual.

Oléééééé, olé / olé, olé, olé / olé, olé, olé, olé, olé,olé, olé, olé,olé,olé,olé / olé, olé, olé,

al Rocío yo quiero volver, a cantarle a la Virgen con fé,

con un Oléééééé...............................................................................................................

Dios te salve María, manantial de dulzura, a tus pies noche y día, te venimos a rezar.

Dios te salve María, un rosal de hermosura, eres tú, madre mía, de pureza virgina

Oléééééé, olé / olé, olé, olé / olé, olé, olé, olé, olé,olé, olé, olé,olé,olé,olé / olé, olé, olé,

al Rocío yo quiero volver, a cantarle a la Virgen con fé,
con un Olé...............................................................................................................

MIQUEL VIVES ARTÈS - R.I.P.

2009-10-05T15:41:00.003Z

Sadly, he passed away during the night of the 29th/30th of September. Curiously enough, it was his Saint's Day, Saint Michael. He was well over eighty.

Miquel Vives was my children's maternal grandfather, my father-in-law. I hadn't seen him in over 25 years, but I retain fond memories of us walking in the mountains of Vandellos, in Spain, or collecting olives on his land in those same mountains, and of our after-dinner conversations over a good glass of brandy and a strong "Faria", the Spanish cigar from Galicia. I remember, especially, that night during the winter of '70/'71 when, driving up the mountain in a heavy snowstorm, his car got stuck. My two baby kids were in that car with their mother! Jaume, her brother, had to walk in the freezing cold and thick snow to the next village for help.

Miquel was an educated man with a vast and varied experience in a dozen different fields, ranging fron the Spanish Civil War, in which he participated, to running businesses, driving taxis, building and modernising houses and working the land.

We quarelled back in '82 and never saw each other again, mainly because of his poor health, and also to avoid causing each other unnecessary stress. We did, however, respect each other. I am sure he will be sadly missed.

His favourite song was "j'attendrai" by Dino Oliveri and Louis Poterat/N.Rastelli. It's a French wartime song, based on an Italian song, that tells of waiting for one's loved one's return. Here it is, sung by Tino Rossi, courtesy of Youtube.com and maldoror26, thank you both.

The song is, of course, quite old and so is the arrangement. Perhaps a more modern, and possibly more popular, version was Dalida's (1975), but this one, Tino Rossi's, retains a certain melancholic flavour which, I think, is particularly suitable for the occasion.

J'attendrai,
le jour et la nuit, j'attendrai toujours
ton retour.
J'attendrai,
car l'oiseau qui s'enfuit vient chercher l'oubli
dans son nid.
Le temps passe et court
en battant tristement dans mon coeur si lourd.
Et pourtant, j'attendrai ton retour.
Les fleurs palissent, le feu s'éteint,
l'ombre se glisse dans le jardin.
L'horloge tisse des sons tres lent,
je crois entendre ton pas.
Le vent m'apporte des bruits lointains
que dans ma porte j'écoute en vain.
Hélas, plus rien,
plus rien ne vient.
J'attendrai...(etc.)

NEW COURSE AND THE CRISIS

2009-09-21T15:15:00.006Z

Summer's over and classes have begun. The new course has been inaugurated and the first students have started to learn English or, in the case of previous years' students, are busy revising what they've learnt so far.

The CRISIS, however, has taken its toll and I thought the cartoon on the left was particularly apt for the occasion! It reads:

We’re sorry… we just can’t afford to send you to the kinds of schools where the guys who wrecked the economy went! )

There are fewer classes; fewer students; fewer grants; less work; less teaching hours. Result: more time for writing. So, I'm taking advantage to put on paper some ideas, revise my work and send copies to book competitions, agents and publishers in the hope that someone will, in the words of ABBA, "take a chance on me"!

Getting a book published is proving to be really difficult. Publishers don't want to take risks on new, unknown writers and prefer to stick to classics and outstanding authors. Unfortunately I'm neither one nor the other; I just write reasonably good (I am told) stories for children and adolescents.

However, time will tell. In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH – BY PHONE

2009-09-01T10:39:00.002Z

It is widely accepted that, at an international level, people tend to communicate in English. In this age of mobile phones, this is especially more and more frequent. Could that be the reason why there are so many misunderstandings in the world of international politics? Those who cannot speak and understand this language find it very difficult to progress in their career and run the risk of making fools of themselves.

The following was sent to me recently and appears to be copyright of a certain Morten Ingemann. The document is entitled “communication.jpg”. I have decided not to reproduce the drawings in order to avoid offending anyone. The dialogue, though, is absolutely hilarious and clearly illustrates the dilemma. That particular telephone conversation, in Spanish or French, would have taken a different turn, of course. It would not, however, have been anywhere near as funny!

- Name?
- (Any foreign name will do) (my remark)
- Sex ?
- Three to five times a week.
- No, no… I mean, male or female?
- Male, female. Sometimes camel.
- Holy cow!
- Yes. Cows, sheep, animals in general.
- But isn’t that hostile?
- Horse style, doggy style, any style.
- Oh dear!
- No. no! Deer run too fast.

OF COURSE, IT MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE TYPICAL UNREQUESTED MARKET RESEARCH CAMPAIGNS DONE BY PHONE, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY GIVEN VERY SIMILAR ANSWERS!

AUGUST

2009-08-01T20:15:00.003Z

In deference to my cousin's family, I shall not be posting any articles during this month either. You can of course scroll down and read some of my earlier postings. You'll find articles on a wide variety of subjects. I wish you all a happy summer holiday. Back in September.

LAURA RAHAL - R.I.P.

2009-07-01T20:31:00.005Z

A whole month has gone by and it all becomes clear now.
Like Ceasar, she came, she conquered and now she's gone.

I never met her. I never got to know her.

Yet, there she was, my cousin's only daughter;

a gift from heaven, an angel in disguise

on loan to us, headed for paradise.

Her smiling face will live forever after.

Her time with us, so full of happy laughter,

was not in vain. Her mission over, she said goodbye

and flew out of that plane and headed for the sky.

R.I.P. - LAURA

2009-06-18T15:53:00.006Z

LAURA RAHAL, MY COUSIN'S DAUGHTER FROM SWEDEN, DIED IN THE AIR FRANCE CRASH. SHE WAS ONLY 27.
Please light a candle and/or say a prayer for her soul.
Thank you.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=206635395625

CHESS AGAIN ? I'M AFRAID SO!

2009-06-10T20:30:00.004Z

It's been almost a month, now, since my last posting and truly I didn't know what to write about. I still don't!
Let me explain:
Our team 's achievement in the Catalan Chess Championship has left me so astounded that I haven't really recovered yet. To make matters worse (or better, depending on one's point of view), a few days later I won First Prize in my category in an Open Tournament - the Terrassa Open Chess Tournament - where I tied in 8th place with several other much stronger players. So, as you can well imagine, to win two championships at my age, and in my chess category, is not an everyday event. Please, allow me to savour the moment a little longer.
Here is the game for those of you who are interested in the technical aspects.
29) Torras González,Ramiro (2016) - Rahal,Joe (1740) [D35]
Open Terrassa 2009 Terrassa (9), 23.05.2009
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Ktc3 c6 4.Ktf3 Ktf6. 5.cxd5 exd5 6.g3 Bd6 7.Bg2 0–0 8.Bg5 Re8 9.0–0 Ktbd7 10.Qc2 h6 11.Bxf6 Ktxf6 12.Rad1 Bg4 13.Rfe1 Qd7 14.Ktd2 Re7 15.f3 Bh5 16.e4 Bg6? dxe4 17.Ktdxe4 Ktxe4 18.Ktxe4 Rae8 19.Rf1 Bg6 20.Qb3 b6 21.Rc1 Bb8 22.Qc4 Bf5 23.Kh1 Be6 24.Qxc6 Qxd4 25.b3 Rd7! 26.Ktf2 Qf6 27.f4 Red8 28.Kte4 Qe7 29.f5 Bd5 30.f6 Qe5 31.Qc2 Rc7 32.Qe2 Rxc1 33.Rxc1 Bxe4 34.Bxe4 Qxf6 35.Rf1 Qd6 36.Qf3 Rf8 37.a4 g6 38.Bd5 Qe7 39.Qg4 Kg7 40.Qf3 h5 41.Kg2 h4 42.Rf2 hxg3 43.hxg3 f6 44.Re2 Be5 45.Bc4 Rh8 46.Qd5 Rd8 47.Qc6 Qd6 48.Qb7+ Rd7 49.Qa8 Bxg3 50.Qg8+ Kh6 51.Bf7 Qd3 52.Bc4 Qd6 53.T
Re6 Qf4 54.Re2 Bh4 0–1
For more detailed info, please send a mail (joesabadell@yahoo.es)
Photo on the left

OH! VICTORY, HOW SWEET THY TASTE!

2009-05-12T16:44:00.012Z

The following is the sms I sent my sister. There is little I can add to express how I felt after, first, winning my game on Sunday and, then, seeing how we absolutely thrashed our opponents 6-2.
"Dearest sis, I'm over the moon, love. I'm floating on cloud number nine and I can't find my way back to earth. I'm revelling among the stars, way up there, on the edge of the milky way, where the bright lights leave you blind and time is never-ending. I feel wholly and utterly fulfilled. And, no, It isn't love! We've won the championship! First we made it to the top of our group. Then, we went through the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and yesterday the final, which we won 6-2. I am now a (the oldest) member of the winning team of the Catalonia Chess League Championship - II category....."
For those of you who are interested in the full story, go to:
http://escacspec.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=354&Itemid=48
You may need a text translator (eg. babelfish.yahoo.com) as the article is in Spanish.

I THOUGHT THIS VIDEO CLIP WOULD BE THE IDEAL "FINALE" TO THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES BASED ON MY VERY OWN CHESS EXPERIENCE (and thanks to ASIMOS78 for posting it on youtube). ENJOY!

FINAL - HERE WE COME!

2009-05-04T08:34:00.005Z

SHAME ON ME! Just as quickly as I won last week, I lost this week. No excuses. I played badly and lost a pawn in move 21 as a consequence of my 12th move, a stupid move which was completely unnecessary. You can imagine how I felt. The psychological effect on the team, losing a game so early, worried me and I seeked refuge in the bar (coffee, of course! Well, with just a drop of brandy, of course!).

When I got back to the playing hall we were down 2-3 with three games to go. I thought we might just draw the match. We lost one game and the other two looked like draws. So, 3-3 and everyone tense; both our team and their team. A draw would have been good for us, but incredibly, we won both games. So, 5-3 and we're through to the final. Who would have believed it! At the start of the championship, our president told us our aim was just to maintain our category. We've actually gone up to the next one and we're now going to fight to be absolute Champions. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Wish us luck!

PLAY-OFF (2)

2009-04-30T14:45:00.003Z

Incredible! We made it to the semi-finals.

The team we played against, Viladecans, was reputed to be much stronger and, on paper, they were. Their top four players all had much higher ratings than our top four players. Further down, the bottom four were more evenly matched. I was lucky and won in fifteen moves (anyone interested in the game can send me a mail. I'll be happy to provide it). Our top two players lost and then our player number 5 won. So, there we were, 2-2, with four games to go. Each team won and additional game. So, with 3 points to them, from the first four boards, and 3 points to us, from the bottom four boards, it looked as if the match would end up in a draw, which would have favoured them, as the top boards score more in a tie. However, Lady Luck was on out side and we managed to win the last two games, giving us an outstanding victory of 5-3.

We're now through to the semi-finals, which will be played on Sunday. Another strong opponent, apparently.

Wish us luck!

PLAY-OFF (1)

2009-04-20T08:20:00.004Z

Those of you who are interested in chess will be pleased to know that our team won the first Play-off round. Our rivals were the Barcelona chess club "Peona i Peó", which means "Female Pawn and Male Pawn". They are reputed to be quite strong and, in fact, had two teams playing the first play-off round. Unfortunately for them, both teams lost their opportunity to go up a category.

In our case, the team in fact drew 4-4. However, draws are resolved by a special point system which gave us the victory (8 points for the first board, seven for the second, and so on). Boards number 1 and 2 drew. We won in boards number 3, 4 and 6 (total of 14 points), whereas they won in boards number 5, 7 and 8 (total of 8 points). My own rival, a seventeen-year-old girl with an enchanting smile, whose playing strength is similar to mine, asked me for a draw which my team leader would not allow me to accept. We both played on and, unfortunately for her she made a slight mistake which was sufficient for me to get a slight advantage. In the end, I sacrified my queen in a winning combination.

The position just prior to my sacrifice was as follows:

Whites (Joe Rahal): Re1, Kh1, Ph2, Qb3, Pg3, Re5, Pd7.

Black (Aina Delgado): Qf2, Pa7, Pb7, Rf7, Pg7, Ph7, Rd8, Kh8.

In this position, I played Queen takes Rook f7, to which she replied Queen takes Queen. I followed with Rook to e8 check, and she resigned. (After Rook takes Rook, Rook takes Rook, ckeck, she would be forced to take my Rook with her Queen and I, in turn, would take her Queen with my pawn giving checkmate). An interesting game which started off with Knight to f3, my usual opening move. For details of the full game send me an e-mail.

I drew in my other game, in the Terrassa open. So, one and a half points out of two is not at all bad for a weekend of chess. Let's see what next weekend has in store for us!

GROUP CHAMPIONS

2009-04-02T14:53:00.007Z

I can hardly believe it myself. We started the championship pretty well as underdogs. We just wanted to maintain our position. In the end, we actually came top in our group.

CHESS - I'm talking about Chess of course, as anyone who knows me would quickly realise. I love the game and spend many hours analising positions and playing against my PC. Anyway, I changed clubs this year. I'm now playing for Cerdanyola Chess Club in team "D"(which shows I'm not a very good player!) Our team has eight players in it and we played in a group of ten teams from our area. Now, the champions in each group wil play the final phase to determine who will be the overall champion in our category in Catalonia.

The photo - taken outside Bar Grau in Cerdanyola del Vallès - shows only seven of us, the eighth couldn't make it. By the way, I played eight of the nine rounds ... and won seven of them!

TCHAIKOVSKY'S SWAN SONG

2009-03-18T10:58:00.006Z

I don't know why, but with winter's lament dying away at last and the warm rays of spring sunshine beginning to thaw the thin layer of ice that still covers the surface of many ponds, I am suddenly reminded of Tchaikovsky and I play his music night and day.

Tchaikovsky, who was born in May and died in November, lived in a cold, very cold land. He nevertheless produced some of the best, the most beautiful, the most haunting music ever heard. The warmth that invades my soul when I listen to his symphonies is surely reminiscent of spring emerging out of the coldness of winter. There is nothing, absolutely nothing in the world of music, that compares with the sad theme that grips you from about minute 5 of the "pathetique", his Symphony nº6. The crescendo that builds up quickly in the third to fourth minute of the first movement suddenly turns into a desperately slow, agonising, lead-in to what, in my very humble opinion, must rate as the most romantic theme ever. I like to think of it as Tchaikovsky's Swan Song, performed, and conducted by him, for the first time just a few days before his death. Beauty, to be truly appreciated, must somehow be combined with sadness.

Here is the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by Mariss Jansons, at the 2004 London Proms, performing that particular part of the First movement. (Posted by exponentu on youtube) Do listen to it; I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

SPRING IS HERE

2009-03-05T17:39:00.006Z

Well, nearly here! Only a couple of weeks left.

But the birds don't know that... they're out there in force singing away to their heart's content.... and ours (many of them have already returned from their winter migration).

And the flowers don't know that. They've forced their way through to emerge as beautiful as ever and splash the bare landscape with their gorgeous colours.

And in the park I saw two snow white swans gliding gracefully across the mirror surface of the lake, obviously courting. Isn't life wonderful!

Yes, I know there's misery everywhere, and people are fighting and killing each other all over the world, and men and women are tortured and kids are exploited and animals are treated badly and made to suffer. This world is full of injustice, but it does have its positive side, or at least I like to think it does.

Otherwise, what would be the point of trying to do good. Oh, yes, thousands of people are out there doing good. Volunteers, medical people, missionaries, teachers. I even venture to suggest that some, not many though, politicians are trying to do good. Ordinary people, such as yourself, or humble me; in our ordinary lives and within our ordinary families and communities, surely we're all trying to do good. And that is beautiful. There's beauty everywhere, if only we stopped and looked and learnt to appreciate it. Gilbert and Sullivan expressed it so poetically in "The Mikado" when Katisha begins her song:

There is beauty in the bellow of the blast,

There is grandeur in the growling of the gale,

There is eloquent outpouring

when the lion is a-roaring,

and the tiger is a-lashing of his tail!

Gosh! That brings back memories, of school days, and operettas, and Nanki-Poo, and Jaqueline. Sweet Jaqueline. I wonder what's become of her and her sensational voice.

Youtube has a large selection of performances, including one with Groucho Marx! The first line is the title of the song. Do listen to it, it's really good. As for the words, you can get them at:

http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/mikado/webopera/mk212.html

I raise my glass to beauty.... in spite of all the horrors that surround us. For beauty is love..... and love is beauty.

FEBRUARY

2009-02-01T19:04:00.006Z

Nice month, February. What with Carnaval (great fun) and St. Valentine's day (Love, love, love) there will be plenty to do.... I hope. Furthermore, it's a short month - only 28 days before we get paid again!

So, to all of you out there, I wish a very happy month. May the joyful celebrations of Mardis Gras bring unprecedented cheer into your life and may Cupid's arrows find their way to your heart.

CHRISTMAS 2008

2009-01-18T20:34:00.005Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! Let's hope this one will bring cheers and happiness to all of us and peace in the world.

Photos of our Xmas activities at Network can be seen at the following site:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=13125&id=1406359030&saved#/album.php?aid=13125&id=1406359030

Thanks to Maite, Teresa, Montse Sarai and Damian, who all sent the photos they took. And a very special thanks for the numerous presents I got!

GAZA

2009-01-02T21:32:00.012Z

I READ THE LATEST NEWS AND WATCH THE INDISCRIMINATE BOMBINGS ON TV AND MY HEART BLEEDS AND I WEEP WITH SORROW. (SEE PHOTOS ON THE LEFT)

IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE COME TO?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PERFECT WORLD WE STRIVED FOR IN THE SIXTIES? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBC3LSre10Y

- THIS WAS A BRITISH PROTECTORATE AT ONE TIME!

- SURELY WE CANNOT JUST TURN OUR BACK ON THESE PEOPLE.
- SURELY WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO VETO THE UNITED NATIONS EFFORTS TO PUT AN END TO THE ATROCITIES THAT ARE BEING COMMITED THERE.
- SURELY IF ISRAEL FEELS REPRISALS AGAINT HAMAS ARE REQUIRED THEN THEY SHOULD AIM THOSE REPRISALS AT HAMAS ITSELF AND NOT AT INNOCENT CIVILIANS WHO ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE SLAUGHTER.
- OR HAS THIS BECOME THE NORM NOW, AS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAK?

I READ THE LATEST NEWS AND WATCH THE INDISCRIMINATE BOMBINGS ON TV AND MY HEART BLEEDS.

http://rainbowwarrior2005.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/will-the-world-do-nothing-to-stop-genocide-in-gaza/
http://www.debate.com/debates/UN-Resolution-1674-should-be-invoked-to-stop-the-genocide-in-Gaza/1/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1345214/gaza_strip_genocide_israel_goes_beyond.html
http://www.debate.com/debates/UN-Resolution-1674-should-be-invoked-to-stop-the-genocide-in-Gaza/1/
AND IS THIS NEXT ONE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2148548.stm

CHRISTMAS & OUR SOLDIERS

2008-12-16T18:26:00.002Z

Today, with Christmas so close, I want to send a special Xmas wish to all our soldiers abroad.

Please be careful, watch your back and take every possible precaution. Remember that your loved ones are constantly thinking of you and praying for your safe return. May you be blessed with a specially joyful Christmas experience this year and every other year to come. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

I posted a song, and an article against war, in my joessongs.blogspot.com blog. I hope you'll read it and maybe suppoprt the initiative.

APOLOGIES & XMAS

2008-12-10T18:33:00.005Z

My most sincere apologies for the time elapsed between my last posting and this one. This academic course is proving much busier than originally expected and I really am very short of free time. I hope to remedy this next term.

Anyway, Christmas is just around the corner and, although we're all feeling the consequences of the financial crisis, the shops seem full and people appear to be spending a fair amount of time and money. To be honest though, the discount shops seem busier than ever; I wonder whether quality this year will be sacrificed in favour of quantity.

A couple of my groups are busy rehearsing their Xmas songs for the forthcoming Christmas Carol Concert. This will take place on Thursday the 18th at around 3.30 pm. If we manage to film it I'll post some clips and a few pictures.

IF YOU'RE THINKING OF DRINKING.... THINK ALSO ABOUT NOT DRIVING :-)

OBAMA

2008-11-10T15:56:00.005Z

I have no doubt that the whole world feels much better, and safer, now that Barack Obama has been elected President of the USA. I was absolutely amazed by the size of his victory, but also by the almost unchanging face of the USA political map: Republicans in the centre and Democrats on the Eastern and Western coasts. Some day, let's hope, the two will meet, as did the big railway lines once.

I've just had a thought: how about renaming Bo Didley's hit song from Hey, Bo Diddley to Hey, Obama! We could just start a new rage. Or, "I come from Alabama with Obama on my knee". I do think the new president elect will be a great source of inspiration. Let's all wish him good luck in his new job and a safe and happy stay in the White House.

NEW BLOG FOR BEGINNERS

2008-10-26T16:36:00.003Z

Today, I published my first session for absolute beginners whose native language is Spanish. Those interested can go to; http://lasclasesdejoe.blogspot.com/

I hope you'll find it useful. Don't forget to send your comments.

FINANCIAL CRISIS

2008-10-20T09:13:00.003Z

"Laugh and the whole world laughs with you," - says the song. - "Cry and you cry alone!"
So there's a new financial crisis. I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough bad news this year, so I'm all for a good laugh. I hope you'll join me. Here are the views of two famous comedians on the on- going financial crisis (with Spanish subtitles for my Catalan and Spanish students).

WELCOME BACK TO THE NEW ACADEMIC COURSE

2008-09-25T20:38:00.003Z

Well, summer came and whispered sweet things in my ear,
as it flew south across the border.
But now that autumn's chill begins and winter's near
I start to feel a little colder ...
and a little older!

Welcome back. I hope you've all had an enjoyable summer holiday (those of you who live in the northern hemisphere, that is!). Summer went by all too fast for me - which explains my little poem above - and I do feel a little colder; must be old age creeping up on me. Anyway, I managed to write a couple of stories and compose a couple of songs, one of which is my previous posting.

So, glad to have you all back and I hope you'll continue to enjoy popping in from time to time. Do post a comment now and then.

Joe.

IN A PERFECT WORLD

2008-08-01T16:11:00.006Z

I started to write this song back in May. I was hoping we could include it in our End-of-Course Peace Concert (June). However, I didn't finish it in time, so we never got round to playing it. (In fact, I never even mentioned it to the others!)

Anyway, when I did finish it, I thought I'd try and do something useful with it. So, I created the accompanying video. The quality is not exactly "PERFECT", probably due to the conversion of files to an acceptable format, but it does reflect the kind of world we live in. In any case, I'm working on it. Maybe by the time I improve it enough the world WILL be a better place!

You can also access it directly at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBC3LSre10Y

I hope you like it.

HELLO AGAIN & THANKS

2008-07-17T15:20:00.012Z

Another week has gone by. We're now one week closer to August and to the month's holiday that's waiting to be enjoyed. I don't know about you, but I NEED A REST. I'm not sure yet about what I'll do or how I'll spend my holidays, but I do know that I'm going to rest,REST, REST!

This has definitely been one of the most exhausting academic years I can remember, though I must confess it has also been one of the most rewarding. Working on this blog, and on the others, has really been fulfilling. It has been especially satisfying to see the number of visits increase week by week, with visitors coming from as far away as Mexico, the States or India (you can check out the statistics yourselves by clicking on the small graph at the bottom left hand corner of the page) Thank you all; you really make it worth while. Do post a comment, however; you're thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

I thought the following song would be especially appropriate. Cliff Richard singing about a Summer Holiday in the film "The Young Ones". Lyrics below the video. Enjoy.

LYRICS - Summer Holiday by Tony Temple/Dell Clyde - Sung by CLIFF RICHARD

We're all going on a summer holiday. / No more working for a week or two. / Fun and laughter on a summer holiday. / No more worries for me or you. / For a week or two.
Were going where the sun shines brightly. / Were going where the sea is blue. / We've seen it in the movies. / Now let's see if its true.
Everybody has a summer holiday, / Doing things they always wanted to.
So we're going on a summer holiday, / To make our dreams come true, / For me and you.

END-OF-COURSE CONCERT

2008-07-10T10:25:00.008Z

WHAT BAD LUCK! The evening chosen for the concert turned out to be the evening of the BIG MATCH.

Spain was playing against Russia for a place in the finals of the European Footbal Cup at the precise time that our concert was starting. There was no way we could change the dates, so we played to a reduced audience - to which, of course, we shall be eternally grateful!

I hope you like the pics (click on them to enlarge). I'll post the video just as soon as it's ready.

SPECIAL REQUEST .... & USED TO

2008-06-28T20:35:00.014Z

This one's for you, Marta. I know it's one of your favourite songs, and it does bring back cherished memories of those days, long gone by, when we all thought we could change the world. Thursday night's End-of-Course concert was, in a sense, a tribute to all those young, and not so young, students, workers, thinkers and idealists, who joined forces in 1968 in what has probably been the largest ever world-wide demonstration in favour of peace, equal rights, social dignity and an end to war, exploitation and the rest of this world's injustices. We're so much older now, but.....are we really any wiser! I really think we could do with a repetition.

As far as "USED TO" is concerned, and for the benefit of my Students of English, I thought the song was a good way of illustrating that "used to" , followed by an infinitive is equivalent to "usually" in the past. Let's look at a couple of examples:
Present - I usually start work at 8 am. (A habit in the present)
Past- I used to start school at 9.15 am when I was young. (A habit in the past)
In the song, Mary Hopkin sings about the place "where we used to raise a glass or two".

What a lot of students don't know, however, is that we can use "Would" with the same result:

Present - My grandparents usually visit us every Saturday evening. (A habit in the present)
Past - My grandparents would visit us every Saturday evening. (A habit in the past)
In the song, Mary Hopkin sings "We'd sing and dance....We'd live the life.... We'd fight and never lose..."

Here's the full video from youtube. (I wonder how many of you knew it's based on an original Russian folk song!). Lyrics on the left and in the video itself. Enjoy.

MORE RIDDLES & THE FEAST OF SANT JOAN

2008-06-23T14:36:00.001Z

It turned out that "INVINCIBILITY" was not the word Mike had been thinking of. HIS word was "INVISIBILITY". So in fact there are at least TWO words that contain 5 "i's" and a "y", and no other vowels. Can you think of any more?

SANT JOAN - This is, without a shadow of doubt, my favourite Spanish festivity. The shortest night of the year becomes, in fact, the longest one, since very few people actually go to bed before the dawn. Indeed, it's quite common to see thousands of party-goers in Barcelona congregating on the beaches, after celebrating all night - with fireworks, cava and the traditional "Coca de Sant Joan" - to watch the sun rising on the horizon over the mediterranean sea. ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT

ANSWERS

2008-06-11T08:32:00.005Z

Ok, you guys and gals, you've had more than enough time to find the answers to the riddles; so, here we go:

1. Five eyes and a why - INVINCIBILITY (5 "I"'s AND A "Y")

2. Five vowels joined together in one word - This is what "askoxford.com" says

"We know of only one word in anything like standard use which has five consecutive vowels, and that is Rousseauian 'pertaining to Rousseau or his views on religion, politics, education, etc.' Apart from this, and the large vowel clusters in queueing, there are only the Greek-derived words of the pharmacopoeia type.

3. What did the big chimney say to the little chimney? - "You smoke too much!"

*******************

While we're on the subject, here are some more pearls of the English language:

- OOLOOPOOLOO - A palindrome (A word that reads the same in both directions). This one refers to a dialect spoken in Australia. I'm not sure you can call it "English", though!

- EDUCATION - A word containing all five vowels.

- ABSTEMIOUS - A word containing all five vowels IN THE RIGHT ORDER!

For more gems like these, check out this link:
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/fivevowels?view=uk

ALSO, CHECK OUT "RIDDLES" - left-hand column - and ENJOY.

5 EYES and a WHY - answer

2008-06-04T12:11:00.006Z

Well, for those who couldn't find the answer, perhaps this will help:
i--i--i-i-i-y (5 "i"s and a "y"!).

Am I right, Mike?

And now, an English word containing 5 vowels, all joined together! This one's also from Mike. Thanks Mike.

FIVE EYES AND A WHY

2008-05-25T19:07:00.005Z

This riddle was sent to me by Miguel "Mike".

What English word has five eyes and a why? Thanks Mike. Keep it up.
By the way, noone's answered my first riddle yet: "What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?"

The word-dominoes competition in the First Certificate group was won by Angel, who managed to connect 9 dominoes correctly. Well done Angel, you've won a CD. Keep it up.

La Patum

2008-05-21T17:43:00.004Z

The following is a message sent by Sergi. I thought it might be of interest. Thanks Sergi. Keep it up.
Hello Joe,This week is "la patum”.The main and more spectacular activity is today (21/5) about 12:00. The people make an spectacular dancing in a small square (the people make a concentric circles and they dancing without electric light the only light is from some people that carry a fireworks).It’s spectacular and exciting.You can fine all the thinks about this typical and traditional festivity in this web: http://www.lapatum.cat/

Here's another link for this famous Catalan feast. This one's in English.
http://www.bergueda.com/lapatum/festa.asp#

END-OF-COURSE PARTY

2008-05-15T17:16:00.015Z

Tuesday 6th of May is a date I'm going to remember for a long time.

A group of students organised an End-of-Course BBQ (Barbecue) at Rosa's home, see Rosa's pic at:

http://picasaweb.google.es/printimatge/2008_05_06_englishgroup_graduaciNCursoAleman/photo?authkey=MTPx0EgXLCQ#5199999281447458338

and Party pics at:

http://picasaweb.google.es/printimatge/2008_05_06_englishgroup_graduaciNCursoAleman?authkey=MTPx0EgXLCQ

We ate very well (canadian maple leaf syrup cookies and María's home-made browny included), drank moderately (some of us had to drive back to work, but we did just get a modicum of a good 12-year-old Speyside whisky, provided by yours truly!) and sang old campfire songs such as "Oh, Susanna" and "She'll be coming round the mountain": Luís Miguel took the excellent photographs that you can see at the previous web address. All in all it was a most enjoyable party that will linger on "among my souvenirs" for a very long time.

Thanks friends.

Song "Among my souvenirs" - sung by Dave Williams (what a voice!)

Lyrics on the left

Try also "The way we were" sung by Barbara Streisand

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xtu9RXeYSLU

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/barbra+streisand/way+we+were_20013256.html

QUESTIONS

2008-04-30T17:59:00.013Z

Asking questions is a natural part of any conversation, whether it's social or business. What shampoo do you use? Have you met the new manager? When's the meeting? etc. However, it really is surprising to see students at ALL LEVELS continuing to make mistakes in this area. So, let's just look at a few rules.

IN GENERAL, a question starts with a question word (when we want information) or an auxilliary verb (when we want confirmation, i.e. yes or no).

QUESTION WORDS - WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO, WHICH, WHY, WHOSE, HOW.
Very often, these question words are accompanied by other words that complete the information we require. For example: WHAT COLOUR, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY, WHICH ONE, HOW OFTEN, WHOSE CAR,ETC..
AUXILLIARY VERBS - AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, HAVE, HAS, HAD, DO, DOES, DID, plus the MODALS: CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, WILL, WOULD, SHALL, SHOULD, MUST, (and a few more complicated verbs, like ought to and need, which can act as auxilliary verbs). Here are some examples: ARE YOU....? IS THE NEW MANAGER...? CAN WE GO...? DID THE MEETING...? MUST WE...?

The BASIC order of a question is as follows:

For questions requesting information -
QUESTION WORD (INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED) - AUXILLIARY VERB - SUBJECT - MAIN VERB - COMPLEMENT.
EXAMPLES: Why do you work there? Where did you put the document? How much does it cost?

For questions requesting confirmation - AUXILLIARY VERB - SUBJECT - MAIN VERB - COMPLEMENT.
EXAMPLES: Do you work here? Did you put the document in the desk? Does it cost much?
NOTICE THAT when you use do, does and did, or any of the modal verbs (can, could, etc.) the main verb is in the infinitive) MORE ON THIS IN MY NEXT ARTICLE.

EXCEPTIONS 1:
The verb "To be" is a curious verb. It can work alone, as the only verb in a sentence, AND it can work as an auxiliary verb, accompanying other verbs.
EXAMPLES:Are you a doctor? Where is the car? (You will notice that no verb is placed after the subjects "you" and "the car", and the verbs "are" and "is" go where auxilliary verbs usually go, i.e before the subject.)
Are you drinking beer? What are you drinking? (Here, the order is the usual one because there is an additional verb - "drinking")

EXCEPTIONS 2:
WHO and other question words, when they request information about the subject. Who wants an ice-cream? Which one is mine?
This is a little more complicated, so I will deal with it separately in my next article.
As with all other aspects of the language, the more you practise the better your English will become. GOOD LUCK and GOOD PRACTICE!

USEFUL LINKS FOR QUESTIONS:
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/question.php
http://www.curso-ingles.com/ejercicios-ingles/questions.php
http://www.mailxmail.com/curso/idiomas/verbosingles/capitulo7.htm
http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz87mca.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-questions_structure.htm
http://www.spotlight-online.de/CoCoCMS/generator/viewDocument.php?doc=2972&archive=1 http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/questiontext.htm
http://www.english4today.com/englishgrammar/grammarfaq/
THIS LAST ONE DEALS WITH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ENGLISH.

AND HERE'S A SONG - "THE MOODY BLUES" ASKING A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION:
Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPGV452X6s&feature=related
Lyrics: http://www.allspirit.co.uk/question.html

MY BOOKS

2008-04-21T15:44:00.008Z

Some of you may know already that I write in my spare time. Not just Blogs, but short novels also, especially for the younger readers and for teenagers. Some of the stories, however, are perfectly suitable for adults, as more than one reader has told me.

What you may not know, and is less easy to understand, is that I usually write in Spanish. I also write in English, of course, though I haven't finished anything yet. The reason I tend to write in Spanish is that most of the stories were originally conceived as bedtime stories for my grandson, who was born and is being educated in Spain. From there it was just a step before I converted them into novels.

I've set up a new blog to put them within reach of a wider public. The blog has been created, but it will be a little time before I manage to get over the technical problems of getting the books in there, so please be patient.
http://www.loslibrosdejoe.blogspot.com/

READING

2008-04-10T17:07:00.006Z

There's no doubt about PMP - Practice Makes Perfect!

Reading will help you recognise, revise and consolidate the structures you have studied. At the same time, it will introduce you to new vocabulary.

To do this effectively, however, it is a good idea to read books that are slightly (a little) below your own (personal) level. As your level increases, so will the level of your reading material.

Don't be tempted to aim (choose as an objective) too high. After all, the object is to enjoy, as well as improve, your English, not to spend all day looking up words in the dictionary!

Graded readers (books of varying levels) are there to help you do just that! Spending 5 or 10 minutes every day reading a relatively easy book can be much more beneficial than spending 1 hour once a week!

Useful links for students:
General:http://www.richmondelt.com/spain/english/resources/richmond_times.htm
Reading:http://www.richmondelt.com/spain/english/resources/PDF/richmond_times/2%20Ciclo%20Eso/Richmond12_low_18.pdf
Listening:http://www.richmondelt.com/spain/english/resources/audio/rt12/13.mp3

Other useful links for students:
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/readers/studentsite/bookclub.htm
http://www.short-stories.co.uk/
http://www.crimelibrary.com/
http://www.awesomestories.com/index.php
http://dewey.uab.es/pmarques/pdigital/webs/cmprimenglish.htm
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/elt_projectpage.asp?id=2500560

I shall be adding more links as and when I descover them. It's especially difficult to find easy texts!

Links for teachers:
http://www.marmaraelt.com/kategori/reading-texts/
http://iteslj.org/
http://www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/eltblog/blog/labels/Reading%20activities.html
http://www.eoiburgos.es/ingles/websitesrecommended.htm
This last one is definitely one of the best I've seen!

MORE SONGS

2008-04-07T09:51:00.012Z

Here's a song I'm sure you'll all like. Needless to say it's one of my favourites. The first line is pure poetry: Lay a whisper on my pillow...!"
Enjoy...
Video:
Lay a whisper on my pillow - Leave the winter on the ground - I wake up lonely, there's an air of silence - In the bedroom and all around - Touch me now, I close my eyes And dream away...
It must have been love, but it's over now - It must have been good, but I lost it somehow
It must have been love, but it's over now - From the moment we touched till the time had run out.
Make believing we're together - That I'm sheltered by your heart - But in and outside I turn to water - Like a teardrop in your palm - And it's a hard winter's day I dream away...
It must have been love, but it's over now - It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without
It must have been love, but it's over now - It's where the water flows, it's where the wind blows
It must have been love, but it's over now - It must have been good, but I lost it somehow
It must have been love, but it's over now - From the moment we touched till the time had run out

ENGLISH and SONGS (and the Second Conditional!)

2008-04-02T10:04:00.015Z

Listening to songs in English is an excellent way of consolidating structures and improving both pronunciation and intonation. It also helps you acquire new vocabulary. However, you must choose your songs carefully because in many cases the lyrics (words) are just too poetic and can be difficult to understand.

Let me illustrate how useful this technique can be with a song that was popular in the sixties.
[It's from the West End musical, Pickwick, based on Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers. In the context of the stage musical, the song is sung by Samuel Pickwick when he is mistaken for an election candidate and called on by the crowd to give his manifesto.-Source Wikipedia]

The song 's title is "If I ruled the world". It's a very good example of the Second Conditional and is a really good opportunity to practise this relatively difficult grammatical structure (If I had a car I would drive to Rome)
Video:
Lyrics: http://www.lyricsdepot.com/tony-bennett/if-i-ruled-the-world.html

Now, compare it with "If I ruled the world" by Nas (Different song, much more difficult, rap style)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMn2cCBwH18
Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nas/ifiruledtheworld.html

By the way, the first version is by Tony Bennett. Sir Harry Secombe's version is far better, but I can't find it anywhere. HELP!

While we're at it, What would Trini do if he had a hammer? and what would Topol do if he were a rich man? Answers below!
Video - Trini: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyTO5vcFWuw&feature=related
Lyrics - Trini: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/trini_lopez/if_i_had_a_hammer.html
Video - Topol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc
Lyrics - Topol: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/fiddlerontheroof/ifiwerearichman.htm

If you found this method useful let me know by e-mail or by posting a comment below. I would then include some more songs.
Enjoy!

EASTER

2008-03-22T15:22:00.005Z

When I was a child, a long time ago, an Easter tradition at home was the Egg Painting Competition.

My mother would boil some eggs. When the hard-boiled eggs were completely cold, my brother, my four sisters and I, and occasionally some friends, would get down to the seemingly impossible task of converting the dull, inanimate shells into miniature masterpieces. We used food colouring, mainly, which we carefully applied with cotton wool and brushes.

Our creations usually consisted of heads: bald heads, funny heads, sad faces, animal heads, etc. We did, however, produce the odd ship or farmhouse.

When the paint was dry, we would rub the egg with oil to make it shine and protect the paint.

On Easter Sunday, during lunch, the eggs were judged by our parents and relatives and the winner of the painting competition was allowed to keep the winning example. This was followed by the "egg tapping" game. The rest of the eggs were shared out and each player hit another player's egg with his/her own egg. The winner was the holder of the last intact egg. The losers got to eat their eggs while the winner of the game was also allowed to keep his/her egg.

I don't think I ever won a single egg painting competition.... but I did manage to eat dozens of colourful eggs!

CHESS

2008-03-13T19:26:00.007Z

I wouldn't say chess is my passion, but it's definitely one of my main interests. I try and play three or four tournaments a year, especially during the summer. The picture is from the one-day Castelldefells tournament. I came second in my category. The youngish looking man in an orange T-shirt is my son Michael. He's much better than me and came third overall!

For those interested in this game here are the English names for the pieces:
Pawn = Peón
Rook = Torre
Knight = Caballo
Bishop = Alfíl
Queen = Dama
King = Rey

To check is Dar jaque.
Check mate is jaque mate.
Resign is abandonar
Offer a draw is ofrecer tablas.
To draw is hacer tablas.

From time to time I shall include short articles with some more vocabulary.

Interesting chess links:
This one's my son Michael's. It contains a number of recommended chess sites - http://mikerahal.blogspot.com/
The Catalan Federation -
http://www.escacs.cat/

SPEAKING (First Certificate Exam and Higher)

2008-03-13T11:26:00.012Z

At these levels, examiners are not really interested in descriptions, they really want to hear opinions. The more varied the better.

You can of course play safe and use the standard "In my opinion" or "I think", etc.

But, how about being a little bit more daring and stun you listener with "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that...", or "From a purely personal point of view, I'd say that...".
Try "It's quite evident that..." or "It seems perfectly obvious that..." when the answer is quite clear.
When in doubt, you could venture :"I could be wrong, of course, but I'd say that...".
When absolutely certain of what you are looking at: "Well, I'd be prepared to bet my last farthing that..."

NOTE:
Speaking, contrary to popular belief, is not an intellectual activity. It's entirely Physical. It requires coordination between brain and vocal chords. Your brain sends a message to your vocal chords and they, in turn, perform the action. As in all other physical exercises, perfection requires practice. It's not enough to "KNOW" what you have to say, you ACTUALLY HAVE TO SAY IT...... AND SAY IT WELL!
Which means Plenty of REPETITION - Listen... and then Repeat.
REPEAT to improve your pronunciation.
REPEAT to improve intonation (Rythm and stress).
REPEAT to improve fluency.

GOLDEN RULE - REPETITION is the key to GOOD SPEAKING

The more = Cuanto más

To play safe = Ir sobreseguro

Daring = Osado, aventuroso

To stun = Abrumar

To hazard a guess = Aventurar (una Opinión), Atreverse (a dar una opinión)

Purely = puramente

To venture = Aventurar (una opinión)

To bet = Apostar

Farthing = Moneda de más baja denominación.

Brain = Cerebro

Chords = Cuerdas

Actually = De hecho

ADJECTIVES - and their position

2008-03-07T10:20:00.008Z

General Information (specially for beginners)
Adjectives are invariable, i.e. they do not change according to the gender and do not take the plural (eg. A young boy, a young girl, young boys, young girls)
Adjectives are usually placed before the noun they describe (eg. A big town), but they can also go after certain verbs (eg. This town is big).

Position of Adjectives
When more than one adjective is used, the order in which you place them is important. Opinion adjectives come first (nice, interesting, ugly, etc.) and they are followed by fact adjectives (long, old, expensive, etc.)
eg. I bought a nice new shirt last week
We don't normally use more than one opinion adjective, but we often use more than one fact adjective. The relative position of fact adjectives is as follows:

[How big is it?] Size & length are usually followed by shape & width (eg. a large oval desk, a long narrow building)
[How old is it?] Age (eg. a large new desk)
[What colour is it?] Colour (eg. a large new brown desk) NOTE: when using more than one coulour use "and" before the last one (eg. a large new black and brown desk)
[Where is it from? ] Origin (eg. a large new brown scandinavian desk)
[What is it made of?] Material (eg. a large new brown scandinavian wooden desk)

NOTE - We don't normally use more than three adjectives together in English. If you want to say "Last week, I bought a large new brown scandinavian wooden desk for my study", try saying it in two separate sentences. For example; "Last week, I bought a large new wooden desk for my study. It's brown and comes from Scandinavia."

Useful link ADJECTIVES
http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/adjective_order.htm
Useful link GENERAL GRAMMAR
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar

2008-03-06T19:27:00.000Z

Today I had a fantastic opportunity to update and improve this blog. Raul, one of my PEC students, who is an expert in webpage design, spent over an hour explaining to me the secrets of this obscure but very necessary art. Thanks, Raul.

THANK YOU for visiting my blog

2007-04-25T10:27:00.002Z

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