2012: Year in Review

In 366 days so much can happen - and certainly 2012 "was" no exception! As 2012 draws to an end, it's time for us to review what is already behind, either pleasant or tragic.
Google has produced a new fantastic Zeitgeist video according to 1,2 trillion searches in 146 languages thus highlighting the main events in 2012. Watch and remember:


The Guardian has "2012: the year in viral videos" that I'm also sharing below


Maps of The World has released a 60-second video including the top events of 2012 that you can peep here but even better is their interactive map and timeline you can access here: by clicking on each of the months, we have the main events and when clickng on the events on the map, a new box opens and you have pics and even more info. Visitors are also invited to vote: what event dominated the world's attention???

Screenshot from http://www.mapsofworld.com/events/year-2012/ 

Bio.com also has a fantastic Year in Review including a "2012 in Memoriam Video" also worth watching.
When searching the web, I'm sure you'll find some more available, such as the sound collage featuring a sampling of the musicians who died in 2012 by http://www.nytimes.com/

Also by http://www.nytimes.com/ is the year in review in pictures you can access here as well as a terrific review in graphics here.
What about yourself? What was your most pleasant moment  / event in 2012? And your saddest? Why?
What are your New Year's Resolutions? What are your 2013 goals? What will you do in 2013 to make it better??? (In case you want some input, check this New Year's Resolution Generator :=))))

Valued visitor and reader, my best wishes for 2013! A very happy and successful New Year, both personally and professionally.

Google Doodle DEC 2012

Merry Christmas

Another year over and Christmas day has finally come!
Songs are just perfect for teaching English and do make students more familiar with English-speaking cultures. Whether timeless classics or modern favourites, the set of Christmas songs I've presented for the last 10 days can be used with different age groups and according to (y)our own purposes: either just for fun / for singing, as a way to introduce vocab and Christmas traditions, to raise awareness of the hardships others face in different parts of the world or even to discuss the real meaning of Christmas, the choice is (y)ours.
In my classes this year I used the song "All I want for Christmas is you" by Mariah Carey , and ended up asking my adult learners what they wanted for Christmas. The topic was "All I want for Christmas is..." and each student wrote their own wishes in one of the bubbles. Today's Christmas tree is the result from one of my groups.

Unfortunately, worldwide wishes are surely different from our own and though Christmas should always be a time of peace, love and family gathering, consider the following cartoon from The Independent.

This is clearly a comment on American gun culture especially now in the wake of Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that left 20 children and 6 adult staff members dead... yet, Americans still want more guns whereas in different places around the world (Aghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Syria???) children all want the same for this Christmas: an end to violence!

Hope there are "Christmas truces" in conflict-stricken countries so that at least all children can have a peaceful Christmas.
As for myself, all I want for Christmas is not at all material or that different from the children in the cartoon... all I want is peace, love and harmony. A cliché, perhaps yet so true and heartfelt.
From my family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas!

1 Day

Only one day!!!
Today a Christmas song by a Portuguese singer...yep... and with a very different message to make us think about the true meaning of this festive season.

A'STSNA OSRSEIDPNE

Please check it here.

                                                             ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

2 Days

Wow! Only two days before Christmas!!!
Today's song is one of the most popular Christmas Carols: it was composed in 1818 in Austria and declared an intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO in MArch 2011.

NEISLT ITGHN

Please check it here.

                                                               ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~



Song_1_Title

3 Days

Another (old) song but sung by a contemporary singer

NATAS LSUCA SI IGCMNO OT WONT

As usual, please check it here.



                                                   ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

4 Days

Only four days and Christmas is almost there.
A different song...

TILETL REMURDM YBO

Now please check it here.


                                                     ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

5 Days

Another Christmassy song....

EHGSNMIOT UATBO TSSAIHMCR MIET

Please check it here.



                                                          ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

6 Days

What about this one? Who doesn't know it or any other version???

EWTHI SSAIMHCRT

Please check it here



                                                        ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

7 Days

Well, today another old and well-known song:

SATL MSICTASHR 

Revisit, remember and check it here.



                                                  ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

8 Days

Today's song is

OD EHYT NWKO S'TI SHSTAIMCR

Please check here.


                                                     ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ 

9 Days

Another song...

APYHP MSAITSHCR

Again: identify not only the song, singer(s) / band and  no cheating!

Please check it here.

                                                   ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

10 Days

10 days before Christmas and I've just made up my mind to start this year's countdown with... songs! That's right: famous Christmas songs that one way or the other can be used in our English classes. However, just as it always happens in our own classes, readers will always have to unscramble the letters in order to have the correct title of the song. Oh, and by the way... identify the singer / band, please, and, have some fun!

LAL I NTAW ORF TCSSRAIMH SI OYU

Please check the solution here but no cheating :=)

                                                 ~ Merry Christmas ~

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Held annually on 3rd December since 1992, International Day of Persons with Disabilities "aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and moblize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities." According to the United Nations, over one billion people - "the world's largest minority" -  live with some form of disability!
As a teacher / an educator, how do you deal with Special Needs Students? How do you overcome any possible obstacles so that teaching / learning can take place?
I found the video below quite appropriate and moving to mark this 20th anniversary ... Hope you also feel John Lennon's wish behind this musical performance with Special Education Students... imagine!

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is almost there and it’s time to start thinking about what to offer. Books make perfect gifts and there are books suitable to every taste and pocket as well! Either with bookstore gift certificates, or taking advantage of book fairs, book sales, discounts or even second-hand books, there are no possible excuses for not choosing at least a book for yourself and/or for a Christmas gift.

Now, what books have caught your eye during 2012? Which ones are in your Christmas wishlist, either for you to buy / read or would like to get as a Christmas present? What book(s) are you most looking forward to reading on your upcoming days off?

My challenge and request would be for YOU to visit this  new wallwisher and simply write down what your choice(s) is/are. You just have to double click to add a new post-it or drag a file from your computer; If you wish to add any kind of multimedia file, at the bottom of the post, there are options to add a link, upload a file, or take a picture from webcam.

Why Wallwisher? Well, because it is so simple and allows you to publish anonymously. Experience tells me that many people visit this blog and one of the reasons some readers don’t leave a comment is to avoid being identified… That’s ok, I understand that - and exactly to try and persuade more people to collaborate and share their preferences, I’ve created this wallwisher. Nevertheless, if you lack ideas and/or have read a book recently, why not pay here a visit and (also) leave your recommendation(s)? 

Brace yourselves! Christmas is coming... and so (hopefully) are books!
Happy Wishing :=)

Thanksgiving 2012

Prior to this blogpost, I've already left here, here and here a lot of info as well as loads of resources for teachers with different age groups and levels. This year, and because I'm teaching adult beginners' courses, I felt I had to prepare something based on visuals, yes, but not childish...
Observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated holidays in the US. As it is so often broadcast in the news, even the president pardoning a turkey, I think we can and should use the holiday as a teaching moment: an interesting way of bringing in some cultural content, some history, the concepts of sharing and gratitude, of being thankful for something, ...
Here is the PPt presentation I'll be showing next Thursday:

Open publication - Free publishing - More give thanks

I also browsed a bit, trying to find some books and reading for and about Thanksgiving, but the truth is that I basically found children's books. Anyway, here they go:
You can find some info here

You can also find info about the one below here.

Hope you can make good use of these resources and ideas! I'll be waiting for some kind of feedback via mail or blog.

In any case, a happy day, a happy Thanksgiving day.                                                                  

International Day for Tolerance

A quote...
"We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race" 

KOFI ANNAN,  former UN Secretary-General

A poem...

CELEBR8

WE SHOULD CELEBR8

NOT DISCRIMIN8

LEARN TO APPRECIATE

DON'T PLAYER HATE

BECAUSE THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU

AND THERE'S SPACE FOR ME

LIVING IN THIS WORLD OF DIVERSITY

LET'S CELEBR8 DIVERSITY

Nature has dressed us up

in many shades of skin 

the variety of tone we display

is the result of melanin

if you hate your neighbour

becaus of their skin colour

you really hate yourself´

as we are all versions of each other.

People embrace religion 

but still they fuss and fight

many believe in one God

so why on earth don't they unite

there are many different faiths

we have lots of beliefs

so let's celebr8 our differences

instead of crying out in grief

WE SHOULD CELEBR8
NOT DISCRIMIN8
LEARN TO APPRECIATE
DON'T PLAYER HATE
BECAUSE THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU
AND THERE'S SPACE FOR ME
LIVING IN THIS WORLD OF DIVERSITY
LET'S CELEBR8 DIVERSITY

Battle of the sexes
the competition is rigid and strong
women cry out for equality 
as men treat them wrong 
society creates roles
for the genders to define
I know we are the yin and yang
but we could be floating on cloud nine.
The elders in our communities 
they still have a lot to give
you don't reach  that golden gate
by being stupid
so let's respect our elders
to lift their spirit higher 
as everyday we're getting older
like them one day we'll all retire.


WE SHOULD CELEBR8
NOT DISCRIMIN8
LEARN TO APPRECIATE
DON'T PLAYER HATE
BECAUSE THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU
AND THERE'S SPACE FOR ME
LIVING IN THIS WORLD OF DIVERSITY
LET'S CELEBR8 DIVERSITY

When it comes to sexuality

there is true diversity

now a days sexual expression

is red hot and spicy

some people abstain

while others are down right kinky

STRAIGHT, GAY, A OR BISEXUAL

which is your category?

Being Trans

is not about sex or sexuality

the Trans of this world

need to define their own identity

Trans just want the right

to a little privacy

the right to protection

in this society.

WE SHOULD CELEBR8

NOT DISCRIMIN8

LEARN TO APPRECIATE

DON'T PLAYER HATE

BECAUSE THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU

AND THERE'S SPACE FOR ME

LIVING IN THIS WORLD OF DIVERSITY

LET'S CELEBR8 DIVERSITY

Now disabilities they vary

society has a long, long way to go

people exclude disable people

as if they are really slow

equal opportunities are vital

for disabled people to succeed

your disability is not the problem

it’s the world that doesn’t cater to your needs.

Refugees are really suffering

Who really knows their plight?

refugees are fleeing persecution

in the middle of the night

dressed in desperation

where do they go from here?

We all need somewhere to live

Free to live without living in fear.

WE SHOULD CELEBR8

NOT DISCRIMIN8

LEARN TO APPRECIATE

DON'T PLAYER HATE

BECAUSE THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU

AND THERE'S SPACE FOR ME

LIVING IN THIS WORLD OF DIVERSITY

LET'S CELEBR8 DIVERSITY

LEVI TAFARI, 2006

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/britlit/celebr8-levi-tafari

Blog Anniversary #4

http://www.4-anniversary-gifts.co.uk

Looking back, I find it hard to believe that 4 years have already gone by, but here I am, with the same commitment and dedication to learn, teach and share!
Thank you all,
A

Read... DRACULA

Today's Google Doodle celebrates Bram Stoker's 165th birthday, the Irish author best known for his vampiric creation, the gothic novel Dracula.
As I have often suggested in former blogposts, one doesn't need to spend money to read - that can only be considered an excuse (and a bad one) once there are different sites where you can get ebooks as these - public domain - legally and freely.
Again and again, Project Gutenberg offers over 40,00 ebooks you can download and here is Dracula, by Bram Stoker: 1. Choose format 2. click on download link 3. Done!!! You can read it any time anywhere.
Another possibility is http://dailylit.com/, a fantastic website I haven't mentioned before, where you can get installments of books and decide HOW, WHEN and WHERE to receive them! You browse books (by title, author, category) or enter search terms. In this case, Dracula is entirely free and has 176 installments - click here to check it and try it out for yourself! Weekend is coming, why not choose to start reading an installment on Saturday evening and another one on Sunday? Register and decide whether to receive these 176 short installments by email or RSS, the days you feel you can / want to read, the time... everything really is in (y)our hands. Have a go and let me know.
Happy Reading :=)

SUMMLY - for more Reading!

Summly logo

Summly is a free mobile app that automatically summarises full news pages from different sources. Developed by a now seventeen year-old British schoolboy, Nick D'Aloisio, and already dubbed “the internet’s newest boy genius” and “the next Mark Zuckerberg”, this young tech whizz found it difficult to look for what he needed when surfing the web and created a simple and easy to use app. According to him, regular news articles and blog posts are long and always sprouting the web, don’t fit in a mobile screen and we can’t afford to waste so much time reading huge blocks of texts that may end up not being what we were looking for. So, why not a convenient app that customizes content for a mobile screen, now that we are always on the go?

Summly condenses news articles into three key paragraphs that fit onto an iPhone screen. It already includes package categories such as BUSINESS / TECHNOLOGY / ENTERTAINMENT and ARTS / US NEWS / THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and obviously APPLE (the only platform that currently supports it). These categories are represented by large horizontal color blocks and the latest story shows up after choosing one. By swiping left or right, you can navigate through the latest summaries.  If any of them sounds interesting, you may save it for later use, email it, tweet it or share on Facebook – you just hold down and a flower-shaped menu shows up for sharing options.

Why am I interested in this? Well, first I believe it may improve reading skills and habits taking advantage of the fact that even our students own a smartphone… though it’s only available for iPhones (or any other iOS-using hardware) yet, it’s surely just a question of time to make it available for Androids, thus allowing many more to download this free app and READ short texts, eventually longer ones. As a teacher and an avid reader, hope dies last, and for reluctant readers (either adults or teens) this can be a start – with news, then with other areas that Summly might develop.

I did try to introduce a new category… EDUCATION… then CULTURE… none of them worked and my doubts are whether they don’t work at all and still need to be developed once this app is brand new, or whether it’s simply blocked due to excessive traffic overloading Summly servers.

On a final note, I find it relevant that this app is simple to use even with more troubled students since the UI (user interface) changes according to the user’s country, thus making it easier to understand how it works whilst still having to read the SUMMLYS and news articles in English ;=)

To sum up, Summly is still pretty much a fresh app with its downsides, but has had a good start and is looking promising.

Let’s wait and see!

Did you know...?

Have a look at this short video by History.com with loads of info on pumpkins, a fruit, so often used in soups, jams, desserts...



Again, out of curiosity, check ou this The Wall Street Journal with the greatest pumpkins :=)
And... why not finish with a gap fill exercise to review vocab??? Try this !

Hallowe'en Resources

In previous years I've already posted here, here, here and here several suggestions and links to Hallowe'en activities as well as to its History / Background. Now I'm just updating (y)our list of resources, either for school or for (y)our own kids.
To start with, why not again some reading comprehension on this festival? http://www.5minuteenglish.com/oct29.htm has a vocabulary list, a short text and a True / False exercise to check understanding - it just takes sts about 5 minutes and it can be done online! Alternatively, you can copy/paste it and print to hand out to sts, or even use the link to Textivate and choose from 27 different activities! Check my resources here and here.
Both National Geographic (Quiz your Noodle) and British Council (Spelloween) have great vocab and spelling exercises though a bit difficult for beginners - Have a go and check them yourself - I'm sure you'll find them engaging and even addicting!

As usual, Lanternfish (formerly Boggles World) has a vast array of handouts that can be used with different levels / age groups of language learners.
My favourite though is this Interactive book: very complete and designed for our ESL learners. It starts with Hallowe'en vocabulary (and with audio), moves on to the use of English with prepositions of place, includes some traditions and ends with some poetry. The beauty of this is that we can use it in our own classes (if we have access to computers), in replacement classes or simply send the link to our sts for further practice.

For those who enjoy art and painting, check this interesting Guardian article with the best scary Hallowe'en paintings.
So... hopefully stuff for all tastes and ages!

Happy Hallowe'en, folks!!!

WFD with three simple actions

Four Seasons, G. Arcimboldo

We live in a world of contrasts...
developed nations / under developed or developing nations;
rich countries / poor countries
peaceful countries / countries ravaged by constant wars
high technological schools / school with no technology at all!
fast food nations with overweight people / starving people, struggling to have a single daily meal...

All that involves children disturbs me! It is really heartbreaking to see or even think about skinny, hungry children and that's why once again I'm taking action and invite you to do the same - not to donate money (though we are all welcome to do that), but to give some of (y)our time simply by watching a short video, taking a 3-question quiz and finally sharing it. Easy and not much time consuming, right???

Thanks for joining in.
And many thanks for still being there for me after 300 blogposts!!!

5th October - World Teachers' Day

World Teachers' Day 2012 - Take a Stand for Teachers    

5 October is designated annually by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a day to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in guiding children, youths & adults through the life-long learning process.

This year World Teachers’ Day will be devoted to appreciating, assessing, and improving the educators of the world. The real point is to provide a time to look at and address issues pertaining to teachers. Strangely one of the most central, vital professions to society does not receive the respect it deserves in some parts of the world.

Let's all make a stand for teachers everywhere!

Source -  http://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/nd/index.cfm/news-roundup/5th-october-is-world-teacherss-day/

If you wish to thank a teacher - or a colleague! - have a look at the video below and send an ecard!

http://www.facebook.com/LearnEnglish.BritishCouncilMENA?sk=app_424009260992005

EDL 2012

To mark this date (or simply to provide information on any issue), I decided to try out Textivate, a web tool that creates instant interactive text based activities.
I started by pasting a text into the Textivate window, clicked on "Textivate now" and it automatically gave e 27 different exercises / variations to choose from. By clicking on one of the squares, ranging from scrambled sentences to gap fill exercises, we instantly have an interactive activity. It's fast, useful and, above all, involves no prep time from the teacher; furthermore, these automatically generated activities, allow us to use the same text over and over again because each time we click for an exercise, it shows us a different text order, a different set of gaps, etc.
The problem with these online / interactive activities though, is that most of the time, I don't teach in computer rooms and when it does happen, some of them are not even running... In this case, well, yes, worksheets: copy and paste what you get, print and hand out.
What you have below are the ones I chose for my class but here I'm including the whole text so that you can have the original version. In what concerns the exercises, I chose one first example in which the text is disorganised and students have to put it in the right order by dragging and dropping the so-called "tiles" - beware that the columns are ordered horizontally!

Click below to access the activity. (Opens in a new window on touch devices.)

Click here to open the above activity in a new window.

In the second exercise, the text has no spaces and no punctuation; in the third one, all vowels are missing. As it so often happens and there are no computers available, we can copy, paste and print the different activities and work in groups to promote cooperation and some competition. With time, I would even copy these 6 (can be even more!) parts of the text, cut them into slips of paper for the students to order. In any case, there should be at least a follow-up with questions, either written or dictated by the teacher, and the answers written down by the students.

Click below to access the activity. (Opens in a new window on touch devices.)

This exercise may only be accessed via this site.

Some examples are posted here but all the documents and activities I referred to are here.

Back To School

http://venspired.com/?p=2293

Summer holidays are over and it’s school time again!

Many years have gone by since the first time I walked into a classroom. No doubt I have walked a long way, but still have a long way to go – in teaching as much as and in learning.

Despite all adversities including budgetary shortfalls, economic crisis, bureaucratic issues,… there we are, year after year, ready to teach more, larger and different classes and focus on student learning.  It’s not the students’ fault that so much is wrong in our schools, is it? Our job is to teach what is relevant (by giving students choices, connecting to their own life experiences, involving authentic materials and audiences) and with rigor, addressing all our students’ needs by allowing them to go beyond and start thinking critically. Building strong relationships is of utmost importance and students need to understand we do care about them and about their learning progress.

By now you are thinking – easy talk… yep, ideally, yes, but as the old saying goes “No one rises to low expectations”. Clear goals have to be established for ourselves and for our students to promote as ambitious as effective teaching / learning.

teachinginthecouv.blogspot.com

School is more and more often associated with testing and grading; students are just test-takers as teachers are forced to sprint to cover the curriculum, forced to adopt a shallow approach which, in the long run, sacrifices real learning. We are asked to cover X units and the issue here is: am I supposed to teach the book or the students??? I’ve always chosen to teach my students; I can cover all units without going through all course book pages… I choose one exercise here, another one there and always introduce something of my own that I believe is more appropriate for a particular group – more challenging, more updated, more achievable. This brings me to two professional dilemmas:  1. I admit that, though time consuming, I enjoy researching multiple sources and don't like to work with the same course book day after day – I have nothing against them, I do use them and parents wouldn’t be pleased if they bought a book that wasn’t used, especially now… I still plan my classes the way I learned in my first year as a student teacher but keep readjusting my practice, strategies, lesson plans and my materials to cater to students’ needs;  2. I have often worked with colleagues at school and online, and do find such experiences enriching. I have absolutely no problem in sharing my materials and my views, and the proof is this blog and all that I’ve already posted here.  However, as I keep changing stuff, I feel I have some problems as a teacher… is it wrong not to follow every line of our plan? Is it wrong to change stuff before and often even during classes? Am I the only one facing these dilemmas with course book usage (more lack of it) and colleagues?  In what concerns extra activities, I’ve always advocated learning opportunities outside of school… is it pretentious? Is it too much?  It does involve loads of (extra) work … in the beginning of another difficult school year, maybe it’s time to start prioritizing differently and just follow general guidelines... I don't know... Right now only Marva Collins' saying comes to my mind: "You can pay people to teach, but you can't pay them to care."

Anyway, hope you do have a position and are ready to start - at least I belong to this group.
A great school year!

INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY - 8th September

Book Image; Credit: © Shutterstock

"I know you're still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now, he (the girl's father) said.  Marriage can wait, education cannot. You're a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducted, Laila. No chance."

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

For previous postings and info, please click here, here, here and finally here.

Meet the super (s)heroes

Paralympic Flag

The eyes of the world will again be on London for the next days for the upcoming Paralympic Games. This 14th editon gathers 4200 athletes from 166 countries and Portugal will be represented by 30 Paralympians competing in 5 sports: athletics, boccia, equestrian, swimming and rowing.
Sorry everyone, but I can't share here a fantastic 90-secong long film, Meet the Superhumans. "Set to the track, Harder Than You Think by hip hop legends, Public Enemy, the film showcases the abilities of some of the leading UK Paralympians, represents some of the unique stories behind the elite athletes, and shows the herculean efforts that have gone into their preparation for the Games." Channel4
Here is the link though - do watch it!!

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

Have a look now at this video with American  (s)heroes!

All the best for the Portuguese athletes!

CAMBRIDGE, day 12

Now posting from home!!!

Trinity College

I'm back, but couldn't skip posting about my last day in Cambridge, could I?
After a busy morning with classes, activities as well as the emotional farewell ceremony, I headed into town for my last visits and shots:

Trinity College

Trinity College








Pembroke College

Pembroke College

Pembroke College

King's College

King's College

And here is my last dinner at Homerton:

»»Roasted Cod Fillets with leeks and pancetta cream sauce+ sides: chips, peas and courgette. As usual, salad and fresh fruit.



Well, this was it...a fabulous 2-week experience which included colleagues from 16 different nationalities in a gorgeous place with a rich and intense programme with classes, afternoon workshops, sports activities, cultural programme... plenty to choose from and noone can complain of boredom! Even the staff and weather contributed for such a positive and stimulating environment, both professionally and individually. Not everything was perfect, but much certainly depends on each one of us...I prefer to stick to what was really great: the tutor, the group, the place, the visits, the food...
I wouldn't like to finish though without posting one last picture of Homerton as well as a poem by Jim Scrivener that so well reflect life at the campus and the way, I guess, we all felt and feel:

Might you remember this?

Might you remember this?

The old stone colleges? Damp dawns?

The word-full classrooms that you met in?

Comparing notes on wide green lawns?

The grand half-chapeled hall that we ate in?

Did you find how English flowed in you

With just a little more ease?

And unexpected learnings grew

Soaked in the Cambridge breeze?

The buses, river, ancient walls.

The bread. The fish. The chips. The peas.

Showers with sunny intervals

Spanish, Czech, Polish, Japanese.

The pull of ancient histories.

The climbing flowers and the bees.

Quaint medieval sanctuaries.

One slice of ham. One slice of cheese.

And those three, tall, gorgeous trees.

Memory’s an edit.

Whole frames go rotten.

I’ve been around a while;

Trust me, much gets forgotten.

Who knows if these days will stay with you.

Framed. Embossed.

Or if it’s just another something

Soon enough lost.

Back in that other place, your land,

You’ll re-find routines soon enough

And this, no longer close at hand,

Just photo-album story stuff.

Some memories are made of feather.

Some are made of stone.

A hundred ways to get here.

And one hundred ways home.

So…will you remember this?

The old stone colleges? Damp dawns?

The word-full classrooms that you met in?

Comparing notes on wide green lawns?

The grand half-chapeled hall that we ate in?

Did you find how English flowed in you

With just a little more ease?

And unexpected learnings grew

Soaked in the Cambridge breeze?

The buses, river, ancient walls.

The bread. The fish. The chips. The peas.

Showers with sunny intervals

Russian, Italian, Portuguese.

The pull of ancient histories.

The climbing flowers and the bees.

Quaint medieval sanctuaries.

One slice of ham. One slice of cheese.

And the trees.

Jim Scrivener

(With Mr. Scrivener’s kind permission)

I'm sure I will remember all this. Who won't? Who wouldn't?

Thank you all at the campus and again and again to APPI and PROALV for this unique experience.