I am from Coimbra, Portugal, and am currently teaching in a school in Soure, about 30 km away from Coimbra. I have been a teacher of English for over 20 years and have already taught different levels and age groups. After all this time I can say I love working with adult groups because there are no coursebooks and I can create my own resources.
I am an avid reader, a blogger and very curious about free tools and their implementation in the classroom.
After an emotional farewell to José Saramago (whose ashes, after all, will remain in Lisbon...), Portugal has a reason to cheer up.
Though I'm not much of a football fan, I have to admit that I was quite relieved when Portugal started scoring and we could celebrate a 7-0 victory over North Korea. I was really hopeful but ... never expected such an expressive advantage! Again, here as in South Africa, Portugal fans noisily celebrated the result and how??? Blowing vuvuzelas...
Have a look now at a very interesting infograph I came across today at http://mashable.com/2010/06/18/vuvuzela-infographic/
Portugal is mourning José Saramago, our Nobel Literature Laureate, who died at the age of 87.
Saramago's coffin is by now already in Lisbon's city hall for all who wish to pay their last respects; his body will then be cremated and his ashes will be divided: half will taken to his native village of Azinhaga / Santarém and the rest will be taken to Lanzarote / Spanish Island, where he spent the last 17 years of his life.
Portugal is so much poorer now...
After going to the movie for "Invictus", my postings and your precious comments, some re-reading of "Long Walk to Freedom" (Mandela's autobiography first published in 1994, the year he became president), my expectations towards the newly-released biography were high. Indeed, "Young Mandela" contains explosive revelations on the committed freedom fighter who ruled South Africa and won a Nobel Peace Prize and is sparking controversy... controversy around Mandela's alleged infidelity, a disputed incident of spouse abuse and his emotional neglect of his wives and children...a lot, hem?
It was kind of surprising to me as I didn't imagine young Nelson Mandela as an unfaithful and violent man at home! Perhaps with his companions and in his political fight but with his own family??? He seems to be so kind, now, of course... his commitment to end racism in South Africa and prison have surely left their marks. Well, nevertheless, David James Smith - the journalist who wrote Mandela's biography - doesn't mean to destroy the reputation of South Africa's former president but to portray him more humanly. And he does manage that: heroic in the liberation struggle and in unifying a deeply divided nation, yet a human being, well aware of his flaws who has paid a heavy price for his achievements. Right now, Nelson Mandela is mourning another loss in his already long (life and) list of personal tragedies...the death of his thirteen year old great-granddaughter, Zenani.
For more, click on: http://www.davidjamessmith.net/ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article7140034.ece ( 1st EXTRACT from the book) http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_extracts/article7144681.ece (2nd EXTRACT from the book)
The 2010 WORLD CUP opening ceremony was today at 8.00 local time at Soccer City Stadium of Johannesburg South Africa in a dazzling burst of colour, noise and joy... all tainted by the tragic death of Nelson Mandela's great-granddaughter :((
Yesterday there was also a kick-off celebration concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto with Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys,... to mark the start of the most expected sporting event of the year :)
Now listen to the official song and video:
Now with the flags of the participating countries (in the tournament, of course) as well as the lyrics:
I do hope Portugal wins but, folks, do not blow your VUVUZELAS too often! According to the most recent studies, these long plastic horns can not only cause permanent hearing loss but also spread colds and flu. What about that, hem???
After 50h of English for Beginners plus 200h of Business English, it was time to say goodbye to another class - this time, HEROES from "Tecnico Comercial". They invited me for dinner and on 24th May, myself, a colleague ("mediadora") and obviously the class, all gathered in Soure for a fantastic dinner. Though a little bit late already, we still had some drinks together. Is there a better way to say goodbye???
We spent some rough time together due to hard work (all day long in our jobs and then again from seven to midnight at school) but we also had many nice moments together (as this farewell dinner) and those good memories are the ones we should all keep, right?
Now, enjoy :=)
Many thanks for the dinner, the company, the beautiful flowers and my best wishes to ALL of you :)
According to statistics, smoking-related illnesses kill more females than males and female lung cancer fatalities are rising - that's exactly why women smokers were targeted on this year's World No Tobacco Day.
Adults smoke conscious of their own acts and aware of the consequences (or at least they should be); teens usually start smoking within their groups of friends, but what about kids, toddlers??? Please have a look at this video:
Even more details in http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1281538/Smoking-year-old-Ardi-Rizal-40-cigarettes-day.html
Now this is what I find really shocking - a two-year old kid hooked on cigarettes!!!!!! As a mother and teacher I find this unacceptable and was truly scandalised when I saw it but... who is it to blame? The father? The tobacco companies???
Indeed, this is part of a larger problem in 3rd World Countries. While in the Western countries smoking rates are declining among young adults, and the sales of cigarettes have been falling for many years because people know more about the dangers of smoking, in developing countries it is a growing problem. In Asia and Latin America, places where people know less about about the danger to their health caused by smoking, at least one large tobacco company has increased its marketing activities. At the moment, about 150,000 people a year die there from smoking-related illness and this number is going up every year. The tobacco company knows this(they all do, right?) but it continues to sell more and more cigarettes in those countries where legislation against it is poor or nonexistent. The pressure group ASH (Action on Smoking and Health, http://www.ash.org.uk/) says tobacco companies use the fact that people don't understand the dangers and believe this is unethical as it puts profits before people...
A curious (?!) situation is what is happening in China: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Mf9zCAuq4&feature=player_embedded
Oh, and by the way, if you are reading this and are a smoker, why not try and kick the habit? Click in http://www.lungusa.org/associations/states/florida/educational-programs/freedom-from-smoking//
