martes, 22 de diciembre de 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS! JOYEUX NOËL!!! ¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Buenos días a todos. Hoy solo quiero desearos una MUY FELIZ NAVIDAD en compañía de vuestras familias y amigos y que el Año Nuevo os traiga solo cosas buenas.
Además, os doy las gracias por entrar y consultar el blog, ¡sois geniales!

¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PRÓSPERO AÑO  2016!!!


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Hi everybody.   Today, I only want to wish you a marvellous Christmas Time ,  sharing the best moments with your family and friends!  I hope the New Year will bring you only good things!
Thank you so much for entering this blog.   You are great!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!!!



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



Bonjour mes amis.  Aujourd'hui je voudrais vous souhaiter une bonne Fête de Noël avec vos familles et amis!   J'espère que la Nouvelle Année vous apporte seulement de bonnes choses!!!
Merci beaucoup de voir ce blog!   Vous êtes super!!!!


JOYEUX NOËL   ET BONNE ANNÉE 2016!!! 




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miércoles, 2 de diciembre de 2015

RECETAS DE COCINA SENCILLA Y RICA / TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA Y EMPANADILLAS DE BONITO EN ESCABECHE.

Buenos días mis queridos amigos y seguidores, hoy os voy a poner dos recetas de cocina muy típicas españolas que son sencillas de hacer y muy ricas a la hora de comer. ¡Que aproveche!

Good morning my dear friends, today I'm going to explain two typical Spanish recipes which are simple to cook but  that are  delicious to eat. Enjoy your meal!




TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA  /   SPANISH OMELETTE.

Ingredientes:

-6 patatas grandes.
-6 huevos.
-Aceite de oliva.
-Sal
-Cebolla (al que le guste)

**Se pelan las patatas, se lavan , se secan bien y se cortan en trozos no muy grandes.
En una sartén grande se pone abundante aceite de oliva a calentar. Cuando ya esté caliente, se echan las patatas, se echa sal y se baja un poco el fuego. Se tapan y se les va dando la vuelta para que no se quemen hasta que estén ya hechas, es decir, hasta que estén blanditas.  A mí me gusta que se doren un poco.

**En un bol grande ponemos los huevos y los batimos. Echamos un poco de sal y ponemos las patatas ya hechas.  Escurrimos bien el aceite para que no quede casi nada en nuestra mezcla.
Mezclamos bien las patatas con los huevos y los echamos en la sartén en la que habremos dejado un poquito de aceite.

**Cuajamos la tortilla.  Para que no quede ni muy seca ni muy cruda, la dejaremos un minuto por cada lado y repetiremos la operación varias veces hasta que esté a nuestro gusto.  Daremos la vuelta a la tortilla con un plato o fuente bien grande para que no se nos caiga la mezcla,

**Finalmente la ponemos en un plato o fuente y ya tenemos nuestra Tortilla Española lista para ser "devorada".




EMPANADILLAS DE BONITO EN ESCABECHE.

Ingredientes:

-1 paquete de masa de empanadillas.
-Dos latas de bonito en escabeche (si es posible de una buena marca)
-Tomate frito.
-Huevo cocido.
-Aceite de oliva.


**En un bol grande ponemos las dos latas de bonito bien escurridas.  Cocemos dos huevos y los echamos también. Agregamos  unas 10 cucharadas soperas  de tomate frito (para quitar el punto ácido del tomate, añadiremos una cucharadita pequeña de azúcar) Mezclamos todo muy bien hasta que quede como una pasta pero que se noten los trozos de bonito.

**Vamos sacando una a una nuestra masa de empanadillas y las vamos rellenando.  Hay que tener cuidado de no rellenarlas en exceso porque si no luego se sale el relleno en la sartén.  Las cerramos en forma de media luna y con un tenedor vamos sellándolas para que no se abran cuando las friamos.
Las vamos colocando en un plato o fuente en el que habremos puesto en el fondo harina para que no se peguen.

**Acto seguido, en una sartén no muy grande echamos abundante aceite de oliva y cuando esté caliente vamos echando de dos en dos nuestras empanadillas. Bajamos el fuego para que no se quemen y las vamos dorando hasta que estén a nuestro gusto.  Las sacamos a un plato en el que habremos puesto papel de cocina para que absorba el exceso de aceite y luego las colocamos en una fuente para su presentación en la mesa.

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

**YA SOLO ME QUEDA DECIROS QUE OS ANIMÉIS A HACER ESTAS DOS RECETAS Y QUE ME DIGÁIS SI OS HAN GUSTADO.  


**PLEASE, TRY THESE TWO RECIPES AND THEN, TELL ME!!!


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

SEE YOU SOON!!


¡QUE TENGÁIS TODOS UN DÍA ESTUPENDO!


lunes, 26 de octubre de 2015

LONDON - LIFE IN "THE CITY" / LONDRES - VIDA EN "LA CIUDAD".

Hi my dear friends, I'm here again. Today we're going to look at London and "The City". I'll tell you lots of interesting things about this financial district and we will see the difference between "Town and City". I hope you'll like it!


Saludos mis queridos amigos. Aquí estoy otra vez.  Hoy vamos a mirar a Londres y  a "la City". Os comentaré muchas cosas interesantes sobre este distrito financiero y  veremos la diferencia entre "town y city".  ¡Espero que os guste!



Information from Speak Up magazine.




LONDON  - LIFE IN THE CITY

London is one of the most important cities in the world, but, technically, it isn't really a city!  Most Londoners refer to it as a "town" because "City" only covers a small part of it.


THE SQUARE MILE

"The City" is also a term for London's financial district, the equivalent of New York's Wall Street.
It covers just 1.1 square miles or 2.9 square kilometres, whereas "Greater London" covers more than 600 square miles, or 1500 square kilometres.

Greater London consists of the City of Westminster, home of the Houses of Parliament and 11 other "Inner London" boroughs.  This is in addition to 20 "Outer London"  boroughs.  This vast conglometation of population has a population of over 8 million.


THE ROMANS

The City, or financial district, isn't technically part of this.  It is called The City because it corresponds to the old Roman city of Londinium, which was founded in 47 AD.  This was a walled city and remained so until the 18th century.

The Tower of London, the first parts of which were built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, was positioned at the wall's southeastern corner.

To enter the City you had to go through one of its gates, and their names live on in underground stations like Aldgate and Moorgate.


THE GREAT FIRE

The walled City of London was a crowded place and this could explain why royalty preferred to live in more peaceful surroundings to the west at Westminster and Whitehall.  As a result, government, parliament and other important institutions developed outside the City.  Its population density was also a problem.  One night in 1666 a fire broke out in a bakery in Pudding Lane.  It spread quickly and in less than three days and nights the entire City was destroyed.  The Fire was in fact quite good for London.  The rebuilding process produced such marvels as Sir Christopher Wren's St Paul's Cathedral.



TOWN OR CITY?

In Britain the distinction between a town and a city doesn't depend on population size but on the presence of a cathedral.

The population of the City of London is only 7,000  but because it has a cathedral (St Paul's)  it is a city.

St David's, a small community in Wales, has a population of less than 2,000.  Normally, this would make it a large village or a small town but because it has a cathedral (St David's),  it is considered a city.

Greater London, on the other hand, has a population of over 8 million but, because it doesn't have a cathedral, it isn't technically a city!!!


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



VOCABULARY

-WHEREAS:  mientras que.
-SQUARE: cuadrado.
-INNER:  central.
-BOROUGH:  barrio.
-WALLED: amurallado.
-ROYALTY:  realeza.


**IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED LONDON YET, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

IT'S AN AMAZING "CITY" and it will like you very much!!!!


SEE YOU SOON!

HAVE A NICE DAY!!

lunes, 28 de septiembre de 2015

RUTA QUETZAL BBVA / Un viaje para jóvenes que buscan un futuro mejor / A unique experience for young people.

Buenos días mis queridos amigos, hoy quiero dedicar esta publicación íntegramente a un proyecto español maravilloso dirigido a nuestros jóvenes, la Ruta Quetzal BBVA, creada por el explorador y aventurero Miguel de la Quadra Salcedo en 1979 y que continúa hasta nuestros días.


Good morning my dear friends, today, I'd like to dedicate this post to a  marvellous Spanish project for young people, the Ruta Quetzal BBVA, created by the adventurous explorer Miguel de la Quadra Salcedo in 1979 and that goes on until nowadays!   



DEDICADO AL GRAN PERIODISTA Y AVENTURERO ESPAÑOL MIGUEL DE LA QUADRA SALCEDO  SIEMPRE AL FRENTE DE LA RUTA Y DESGRACIADAMENTE FALLECIDO EN 2016. "In Memoriam"




RUTA QUETZAL

Miguel de la Quadra Salcedo, periodista y aventurero español, creó en 1979 la que se llamó Ruta Quetzal por sugerencia de S.M.  el Rey de España Juan Carlos I.

Se trataba y se trata de un programa dirigido a los jóvenes para afianzar y consolidar el intercambio cultural entre todos los países de habla hispana, incluyendo a Brasil y Portugal.

Es a partir de 1993 cuando BBVA apoya dentro de su política de Responsabilidad Corporativa, este programa que tiene como principal objetivo, trabajar por un futuro mejor para las personas.

Pero sobre todo y como son jóvenes (a partir de los 16 años)  los que realizan la Ruta, al final se convierte en una experiencia social, educativa, antropológica y medioambiental, con objeto de que los expedicionarios reflexionen y aporten ideas a algunos de los retos más importantes con los que se enfrenta hoy la Humanidad como pueden ser, la exclusión social y  el medio ambiente así como la promoción personal de habilidades y actitudes emprendedoras.

La Ruta Quetzal BBVA es una experiencia formativa en la que los participantes desarrollan un espíritu de cooperación internacional con el fin de crear una escala de valores más real que va más allá de la pobreza y la riqueza.

A lo largo de la historia de la Ruta, el programa se ha dividido en dos etapas.  Una primera fase se inicia en 1979 y va hasta 1992 y las expediciones, conocidas como "Aventura 92", cumplen el objetivo de preparar la celebración del V Centenario del Descubrimiento de América.

A partir de 1992, los Proyectos de Emprendimiento Social se convierten en parte fundamental dentro del programa académico de la expedición, por lo que dicho  programa cultural es  declarado de "Interés Universal" por la UNESCO y los países participantes en las expediciones, lo han declarado de "Interés Nacional"en cada uno de ellos.

Además, otras de las actividades complementarias como el Aula de Música  o el programa deportivo, forman el conjunto de actividades a desarrollar.

RUTA QUETZAL BBVA 2015

Este año la Ruta comenzó el miércoles 25 de julio en Madrid y van más de 30, combinando una vez más, la educación en valores, el intercambio cultural y la aventura.

La Ruta ha llevado a los jóvenes a descubrir LA RUTA MÁGICA DE LAS PIEDRAS VERDES en Colombia, el país de las esmeraldas.

34 intensos días en los que los expedicionarios han vivido una experiencia única marcada por un decidido compromiso social y educativo.

Asimismo, los expedicionarios antes de partir, visitaron la ciudad de Ávila para celebrar el V Centenario del nacimiento de Santa Teresa de Jesús y se dirigieron hacia Galicia recorriendo parte del Camino de Santiago para después viajar a Colombia e iniciar su periplo americano desde Cartagena hasta Bogotá donde descubrieron el apasionante mundo de las piedras verdes, las esmeraldas, además de estudiar la obra del Premio Nobel Gabriel García Márquez.

Los expedicionarios conocieron también varios proyectos de contenido social y reflexionaron acerca de los grandes retos que encara hoy la sociedad para la inclusión de colectivos, etnias y segmentos sociales en un futuro más justo e igualitario.

A través de charlas, conferencias y coloquios, representantes del Mundo de la Cultura españoles e iberoamericanos han sido protagonistas del Programa Académico impartido durante esta expedición y todas las anteriores.

Y sobre todo, si se les pregunta a los jóvenes que han participado en cualquiera de estas  Rutas, seguro que lo que se llevan es el compañerismo, la colaboración y la relación entre las diferentes culturas que se dan cita cada año en la Ruta Quetzal BBVA .

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

¡Ya están preparando la próxima Ruta Quetzal BBVA!   ¿Te apuntas?

Si podeís,  no dejéis de participar en una experiencia única e irrepetible como esta.


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

¡Que tengáis un día estupendo!

Hasta pronto.




jueves, 17 de septiembre de 2015

SPANISH POETRY / POESÍA ESPAÑOLA ¡NI UN DÍA SIN POESÍA!

Saludos mis queridos amigos, como de vez en cuando hacemos, hoy dedicaré esta publicación a la POESÍA, así "con mayúsculas".  Tan difícil de entender dirán algunos y tan difícil de crear diría yo.
¡Disfrutemos de las palabras mágicas del autor que tanto tiene que decirnos a veces en tan pocos renglones!


Hi my dear friends, as we do from time to time, today I would like to dedicate this post to "POETRY", like that, in "capital letters".  So difficult to understand! some people will say and so difficult to create, I'll state.
Let's enjoy the magical words that the author is able to say with only a few lines! 




Autor: Angel Luis Romo
Ediciones Vitruvio
Del libro "Se diría que nadie"



BÓSFORO

Se muere la tarde de cobre
vencida en las aguas del Bósforo.
El sol dividido, marcado
por la línea curva, límpida
que en el horizonte se quema.

Se duerme el azul atenuado
tras de los agudos contornos
de los alminares, que forman
perfiles delgados, cuchillos
que hienden la pálida púrpura.

Se adorna el muecín a lo lejos
con giros de extraño intervalo,
y todo se calma y reprime.
¡Qué cálida luz apagada
destella en el Cuerno de Oro!

Se viene Estambul a mis ojos
romántica, eterna, pretérita,
cuando este navío cansado
se acerca, recala en el Gálata,
y tú estás conmigo en un sueño.




LOS ASTROS

Me gustan,
me da por hacer polígonos
trazando rectas
para unir unos con otros
sobre el fondo azabache.
Los observo, finitos,
pero eternos, contemplados
desde nuestra efímera presencia,
con la evidencia
de que no pueden ser testigos
de tanto paso de vida.


La obra poética del escritor Angel Luis Romo, la podéis encontrar en LA CASA DEL LIBRO de Madrid. Ediciones Vitruvio.




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¡QUE TENGÁIS UN BUEN DÍA!

HAVE A NICE DAY!

¡NI UN DÍA SIN POESÍA!


sábado, 5 de septiembre de 2015

LECTURE EN FRANÇAIS - PEUR SUR LA VILLE/Lectura en Francés - MIEDO EN LA CIUDAD-

Salut mes chers amis, aujourd'hui on va continuer et terminer notre histoire d'horreur et mystère "Peur sur la Ville". 


Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a continuar y a terminar  nuestra historia de terror y misterio "Miedo en la Ciudad"



PEUR SUR LA VILLE    d'Adam Roy.
Hachette.


CHAPITRE NUMÉRO  5

L'ÂME  SOEUR


Le lendemain...
Sur le mur, la photo du Président.  Et une grande table.  Félix Milder est assis au milieu.  À sa droite, Stéphane Allard et à sa gauche, son fils Alex.  Devant eux,  la salle de la mairie est pleine de monde.

Milder explique aux journalistes ce qu'est une goule et quels sont ses pouvoirs.

-C'était un monstre, un monstre dangereux...
-Et ce monstre a tué tous ces gens?  demande un vieux monsieur.
-Oui, la goule avait besoin de sang pour se nourrir.
-Qu'est-ce qu'elle voulait?
-La goule cherchait son âme soeur...
-Et après?  demande une jeune femme.
-Après, le règne des vampires pouvait commencer.
-On a eu de la chance!  murmure une voix.

Milder regarde Alex.  Un garçon courageux.  Il a eu beaucoup de chance!

Stéphane Allard prend la parole.  Il explique que la goule est bien morte.  L'armée a tour nettoyé.  Il n'y a plus de vampire à Niedelbruck.

"Et si ça recommence, dans une autre ville?"  demande quelqu'un.
-Impossible.  On ne peut plus vendre ni acheter de la terre des Carpates.  Elle est interdite.  Il n'y a plus à avoir peur.
-Tant mieux!  soupire quelqu'un.

Alex a un peu peur.  Les micros se tendent vers lui, comme des serpents qui dressent la tête.  Il y a aussi les flashes des photographes.

-Et vous, Alex, comment avez-vous trouvé le monstre?  demande un journaliste de la télé.
-C'est à cause de Legacy of Kane, le jeu vidéo.
-Mais comment...
-La première fois que je suis allé au sous-sol, je n'ai rien vu, explique Alex.  Il y avait des vieilles choses et une caisse de terre, dans un coin.  Quand je suis rentré chez moi, j'ai allumé ma console de jeu.
-Et alors?
-Au troisième niveau de jeu, Kane trouve la goule, son ennemie de toujours, dans une cimetière des Carpates.  J'ai tout de suite pensé à la caisse de terre.  Alors, j'ai deviné qu'elle était là-bas, bien cachée.

Alex n'avouera pas qu'il n'a rien deviné, non, il l'a sentie.  Elle l'appelait, elle l'attirait... Il devait revenir au sous-sol.

-À quoi ressemblait-elle?
-Je n'ai vu que ses yeux, des yeux terribles.  Et sa bouche, si rouge.  Des dents longues, longues...

Il y a des choses qu'Alex ne dira jamais à personne.  Et surtout pas aux journalistes.  Il ne leur dira pas que la goule ressemblait à sa soeur.  Les mêmes cheveux noirs, le même visage... Il a cru que Marine avait trouvé un moyen d'entrer dans la ville.

"Marine, mais qu'est-ce que tu fais là?"

Elle l'a regardé.  Ses yeux de feu brillaient.  Une lumière surnaturelle.  Sa bouche, rouge, si rouge, s'est ouverte.  Alors, Alex a vu ses dents, si longues.  Ce n'était pas Marine, non, mais autre chose...  Il a eu peur, très peur.  Mais il ne pouvait plus bouger. Paralysé.

Les micros sont toujours tendus vers lui.

"Alex, racontez-nous ce qui s'est passé, au sous-sol... demande quelqu'un.
-Oui, racontez-nous tout!  dit un autre.
-Je veux une interview pour mon magazine!
-Non, c'est pour moi, je suis arivé le premier!"

Alex laisse les journalistes se disputer.  Il ne dira rien, non.  Il n'avouera jamais qu'il était attiré par les dents de la goule.  Avec une envie terrible de se laisser mordre.  Dans sa tête, la voix de sa soeur lui disait:  "Tu es mon âme soeur, laisse-moi faire, tu deviendras immortel toi aussi..."
Une simple morsure suffisait.  Une petite morsure...

Le temps passait.
Alex restait paralysé.
Il regardait la goule.
Il écoutait sa voix.
Il attendait.

"Et qu'est-ce qui s'est passé? demande quelqu'un.
-Eh bien, répond Alex.  J'ai soulevé le couvercle.  Un rayon de soleil est tombé sur la Chose.  Elle a poussé un cri terrible et elle a pris feu."

Mais ce n'est pas tout à fait vrai.  Quand Alex a réussi à bouger, le soleil se couchait et la goule souriait.  Bientôt la nuit, bientôt, elle pourrait le mordre.  Il deviendrait vampire... Il serait immortel...

Alex a entendu la voix de son père, qui l'appelait dehors.  Et la voix de Milder qui expliquait aux militaires que la goule craint la lumière.  Son père...Milder...Les habitants de Niedelbruck... Sa soeur Marine... Non, il ne voulait pas devenir un vampire, il ne voulait mordre personne, ni son père, ni sa soeur, non!  Pas question! Il a crié:
-Non, je ne veux pas, je ne veux pas!"

Et il a enfin réussi à bouger.

Alors, il a tiré et poussé la lourde caisse, devant une petite fenêtre.  Vers le dernier rayon de lumière. Il pleurait, quand elle s'est enflammée.

QUINZE JOURS PLUS TARD...

L'armée est partie et les journalistes aussi, Niedelbruck a retrouvé son calme.

Enfin, presque.  Dans une vieille maison, vers la sortie de la ville, un chauffeur charge un camion.

Le fils de René Schuwert vide la maison de son père.  Les meubles, les vieux souvenirs, les orchidées disparaissent dans le camion noir.  Maintenant, on vide le sous-sol.

"Monsieur Schuwert!  Venez voir!  Qu'es-ce qu'on fait de ça?"

Au fond, dans le coin le plus sombre, trois caisses oubliées attendent.

-"Qu'est-ce que  c'est?
-De la terre des Carpates, je crois.
-C'est interdit, maintenant!  dit un homme.
-Oui, mais c'est cher, très cher, répond le fils.  Allez, on les prend!"

Les hommes sortent les caisses, ils les chargent sur le camion et grognent.  Elles sont lourdes!  Très, très lourdes!

Ça y est, c'est fini, le camion peut partir.  Pour Arles, une petite ville tranquille du Sud de la France.

                                                                     F  I  N

À bientôt mes chers amis!!!

BONNE JOURNÉÉ!!!



jueves, 3 de septiembre de 2015

WALK TO TALK / FUTURE SHOCK/ -Andar para hablar / Futuro chocante.

Hi my dear friends, from time to time it's "curious" to see schoking news  cause some of them seem unreal and in many occasions we can't believe them  but the ones we're going to see now, are absolutely real, for sure!


Hola mis queridos amigos, de vez en cuando es "curioso" ver noticias chocantes porque algunas de ellas parecen irreales y en muchas ocasiones no podemos creerlas  pero las que vamos a ver ahora, son absolutamente reales, os lo aseguro.


From:  Speak Up magazine.



**WALK TO TALK

Recharge your batteries and keep fit at the same time!
SolePower, invented by Hahna Alexander and Matt Stanton of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, USA, converts the energy of heel strikes into electricity.
Walk 7 km and your iPhone should be fully recharged!





**MATERIAL PROGRESS

Our scratched cars, old bridges or chipped nail polish could fix their defects  on their own one day.
Scott White (University of Illinois)  is working on "polymers", materials that can actually renew themselves.



**VIRTUAL PLAYROOM

The latest in technololy can turn an entire room into an interactive video game.
RoomAlive by Microsoft , uses cameras and projectors to create the illusion of insects crawling on your walls or that your rug is a river.



**SECRET TO A LONG LIFE?

Research into how to live longer also attracts great interest.
One controversial theory claims that eating less calories helps you live longer.
In a long-term test performed on 80 monkeys, those that could eat what they liked lived half as long as those "on a diet".
How conlusive these findings are in terms of humans, however, is up for debate!!!




**THE FUTURE IS OLDER.

We read many reports concerning the negative effects of an aging society, with rising costs for health and pensions, and a lower labour force providing less income tax.
Now, finally, scientists are clocking on to the positive effects of an older population!

As kids become adults and start working, their carbon footprint shoots up.  Yet after they retire,  it plummets, with older folk travelling less and preferring healthier ways of getting around.

An extensive study conducted in Germany has predicted that CO2  emissions may sink as low as 1950 standards by 2100,  as its population ages.

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


VOCABULARY

-TO AGE:  envejecer.
-RISING:  creciente.
-INCOME TAX:  impuesto sobre la renta.
-TO CLOCK ON TO:  darse cuenta.
-CARBON FOOTPRINT:  impacto ambiental.
-TO SHOOT UP:  dispararse.
-TO PLUMMET:  desplomarse.
-TO CRAWL:  trepar.
-RUG: alfombra.
-SCRATCHED:  rayado.
-CHIPPED:  descascarillado.
-HEEL STRIKE:  apoyar el talón.


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

SEE YOU!!!


miércoles, 19 de agosto de 2015

LIVING ON A BOAT IN LONDON / VIVIR EN UN BARCO EN LONDRES.

Hi my friends, would you live on a boat?  This is the question today. As rentings are more and more expensive in London, a lot of people are chosing this other option, "living on a boat".
We'll see  why and which kind of people choose such special houses! 

Hola amigos, ¿viviríais en un barco? Esta es la pregunta de hoy.  Como los alquileres son cada vez más caros en Londres, mucha gente está eligiendo esta otra opción: "vivir en un barco".
Veremos por qué y qué clase de gente elige ¡estas casas tan especiales!


Añadir leyenda
LIVING ON A BOAT IN LONDON

Info from Speak Up Magazine.



Up to 10,000 people live on boats in London.  Some have luxury houseboats in expensive marinas but others follow a simpler way of living on refurbished old boats.  Many are permanently moored while others wander the canals and waterways.


THE THAMES

People have lived and worked on the River Thames for hundreds of years.  Many people have come to understand the Thames, with its tides and moods.
"Being on the water, where you move up and down with the tide, you have a different view all the time, you're not always in the same place. You have that feeling of connection with the way the world is turning."


COMMUNITY

Today, more than half the world's population live in urban areas and this can distance us from nature.

Some people living on boats think that they have the best of both worlds:  "All the things London has to offer and living on the Thames in the middle of London, you can enjoy a  place in nature, too.

Nine Elms Pier has a community of about 100-120 boat-dwellers.  Some have creative jobs, such as film-makers and artists, but there are also nurses, government workers and an air stewardness.  It is one of the few places in London where everyone knows their neighbours.


THE MODERN WORLD

On the pier, you can find a vegetable garden, picnic tables and a little swimming-pool.

People help each other with the boats repairs, building or planting.  It's more like a rural village so this contrast between the old world and the new can be a problem.

At Nine Elms, a modern development threatens the colourful assortments of houseboats.

People who are now living there hope that this alternative way of London living will survive for future generations.


WORD ON THE WATER

This picturesque second-hand bookshop, also known as the London book barge, is based at Paddington and travels the Grand Junction Canal with its eclectic selection of books.

There are also floating cafés, a vintage clothes boat and a sandwich barge on the waterways of London.


DID YOU KNOW...

That the Thames is a tidal river?  In London, the water level of the river rises and falls up to 7 metres with the tide.


THAMES BOATING COMMUNITIES

**Downing Roads Moorings, near Tower Bridge.  This is one of the London's oldest remaining river moorings and houseboat communities.  The walkways between the moorings have been turned into floating gardens.

**Hermitage Community Mooring.  This cooperative built its own mooring on the Thames at Wapping as a home for 20 historic vessels, many of which are inhabited.

**Cadogan Pier.  An example of the uncertainty of boat living, nearly all the residents of this houseboat community in Chelsea have recently been evicted by Russian property developers.


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


VOCABULARY

-TO REFURBISH:  restaurar.
-TO MOOR:  atracar, amarrar.
-TO WANDER: ir de un lado a otro.
-WATERWAY:  canal, río navegable.
-LOCK-KEEPER:  encargado de esclusas.
-MOOD:  estado de ánimo, humor.
-MOORING:  amarre.
-TO EVICT:  desalojar.
-BOAT-DWELLER;  residente en un barco.
-PIER:  muelle.
-TO THREATEN:  amenazar.
-BARGE:  barcaza.


SO, I ASK YOU THE QUESTION AGAIN:   WOULD YOU LIVE ON A BOAT?

HAVE A NICE DAY MY FRIENDS!!!

SEE YOU!!!


jueves, 16 de julio de 2015

DOODLES AND GOOGLE / Los Doodles y Google / EASY ENGLISH / Inglés Fácil.

Hi my friends, I'm here again.  Today we're going to speak about DOODLES, these funny letters or drawings that appear when we open our computer. They  commemorate an event or special date and  Google invented them  some years ago.  We will know how the Doodles were invented and why!  Let's go!


Hola amigos, aquí estoy otra vez.  Hoy vamos a hablar de los DOODLES, estas divertidas letras o dibujos que aparecen cuando abrimos nuestro ordenador. Hacen  mención de  un acontecimiento o una fecha especial y  Google los  inventó hace algunos años.  Conoceremos cómo fueron inventados los Doodles y porqué. ¡Allá vamos!



From Speak Up magazine.





GOOGLE  DOODLES
Corporate Fun


For many of us the working day begins when we go onto Google and enjoy the latest drawing or doodle on its home page.



THE MAGIC LETTERS

These doodles are the changes to Google logo, and they mark cultural events, such as holidays, anniversaries or the lives of famous people.  There was a London Underground map to celebrate its 150th birthday;  during the London Olympics there was a new sport-related doodle every day and there was a similar football motif during the  World Cup.
If you look carefully, Google's six-letter name always appears somewhere in the illustration.



OUT OF THE OFFICE.

The idea started in 1998 when Google was still a very young company.  The company's founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, invented an "out-of-the-office"  message to show that they had gone to the Burning Man Festival.  That was the first doodle.

On Thanksgiving Day in 1998 they added a turkey and for Halloween in 1999 two pumpkins replaced the o's in Google.  They discovered that users liked  changes to the clean Google logo.  Soon afterwards  Brin and Page asked a webmaster to create more doodles.  You may remember doodles for Monet, Picasso and Michelangelo in the early 2000s.



INTERACTIVE

Doodles quickly became a regular event on the search  engine's home page.

The variety of subjects increased and the doodles became more intricate.  At first they were quite basic;  now they are frequently elaborate and beautiful.  In recent years some doodles have even become interactive.  For example, a giant zip to mark the 132nd  anniversary of the invention of the zip can be unzipped.
A Rubik's Cube can be solved  (or not)  online. 40 years after its invention, the Cube is still really difficult.



THE DOODLERS

Google now has a full-time team of people inventing new doodles.  They are called "Doodlers".  Over 2,000 doodles have appeared since 1998.

Some people may argue that the doodles help to soften the internet giant's corporate image.
Others would say that they are artistic and provide a welcome start to the day.



FAMOUS DOODLES

**Gustav Klimt's famous "The Kiss"  painting to honour his 150th birthday (2012).

**Google in braille to mark Louis Braille's birthday (2006).

**A knitted doodle in Google's bright colours to mark the winter solstice.  The logo looks as if it has been made from wool  (2013).



ANY IDEAS?

Do you want to see all the Google doodles ever made?  If so, visit  www.google.com/doodles

Do you have an idea for a new doodle?  The team is open to new ideas!!!



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


VOCABULARY

DOODLE:  garabato.
TURKEY:  pavo.
PUMPKIN:  calabaza.
SOON AFTERWARDS:  poco tiempo despué.
SEARCH ENGINE:  buscador.
ZIP:  cremallera.
TO UNZIP:  abrir la cremallera.
TO ARGUE:  sostener.
TO SOFTEN:  suavizar, hacer más cercano.
WELCOME START:  inicio agradable.
TO  KNIT: hacer punto.


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

SEE YOU!!

martes, 14 de julio de 2015

FICTION - "THE HAUNTED HOTEL" - Lectura - Ficción - El Hotel Encantando.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to read a fiction story, "The Haunted Hotel"  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a leer una historia de ficción, "El Hotel Encantado", espero que os guste.


From Speak Up magazine.



THE HAUNTED HOTEL  by Rachel Roberts.

"I'm not sure I believe in ghosts", but I try to keep an open mind, and when the travel magazine I write for asked me to do a tour of the Haunted Hotels of Britain, I agreed.  I was curious, and prepared to be surprised.

I soon realized that the more a hotel and its staff publicized their ghosts, the less likely you were to have a scary experience.  At a luxurious hotel in a Scottish castle, the staff had all been dressed in period costume.  One man had even been wearing a headless horseman outfit, with very obvious eyeholes in the chest!  It was too theatrical to be frightening.

On the other hand, I had left far more nervous at an old inn in Cornwall, where the staff had been unwilling to talk to me about their legendary "grey lady".
They said the stories were just local nonsense and refused to look me in the eye;  but I felt they were hiding something I can't say I noticed any strange "cold"  areas in any part of the inn -a typical sign of paranormal activity-  or any creaking noises that weren't normal for a centuries-old building.
Nevertheless, I had trouble sleeping.  I could have been my imagination but I felt there was something strange about that old Cronish pub.



My experience at Flitton Manor Hotel was very different.  An acquaintance of mine had stayed there for a business conference and had had an "unpleasant experience".  My friend, a very practical, down-to-earth person I'd known for years, had said categorically that he would "never go there again".  That, of course, put the hotel at the top of my list, and I had saved it till last.

I discovered on the Internet that Flitton Manor had a history of paranormal activity, which had suddenly worsened after builders had discovered a walled-up room during renovation work.  The owners had converted this new space into another bedroom, but after a series of almost poltergeist -like attacks, with objects flying round the room and guests screaming in the middle of the night, they had been forced to close it again, and things had calmed down.

The receptionist was a smart young man in his early twenties.  When I introduced myself and told him I was the journalist writing about haunted hotels, he looked down, smiled to himself and then looked back at me intently.

"I'd love an eye witness account," I said cheerfully.  "Have you ever seen any ghosts here?"

Like the staff of the Cornish inn, he seemed reluctant to talk, but eventually said, "I've never seen an actual ghost, but I'm sure someone moves my things around I keep my pens in this old mug.  Several times a day I find someone has put them in the drawer.  I put them back in the mug and a minute later they're back in the drawer".

"Some colleague playing a trick?"  I asked.

Maybe.  They all say no.  He shrugged.  "The cleaning staff say the same thing happens to them with their cleaning equipment;  or they tidy a room and five minutes later they find an imprint on the sofa, as though someone had sat down on it, even though no one has entered the room".

"Any idea who the ghost might be?"

He shook his head.  "Some say an old housekeeper -maybe that's why she keeps tidying things up!"

My bedroom was a large bright room with a good view of the grounds, and old fashioned furniture.  I put my bad down beside a plump velvet armchair and had a shower before going down to dinner. During the meal I quizzed some of the waiters but,  like the receptionist, they were vague.

I had trouble  sleeping that night, I tried to relax but my ears kept searching the darkness for ghostly noises.  I think I fell asleep about 3 a.m.

Not surprisingly, I woke up late the next morning.  I had to vacate the room by 10 o'clock and I still didn't  have any new interesting information about this hotel, the last of the series, the one I'd been convinced would provide me with a real ghost story.  I washed and dressed quickly, determined to force the morning staff to give me a story before I left.

It was when I went to pick up my bag that I saw it, and my blood froze!

It was  such a small, insignificant thing, but the implications made my legs go weak and I literally fell onto the edge of the bed.  The plump, velvet armchair was no longer as it had been the evening before!  There was the deep imprint of a heavy body on its fat cushions where someone, not me, had sat during the night!!!

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



VOCABULARY

-HAUNTED:  encantado.
-LESS LIKELY:  menos probable.
-SCARY: espeluznante.
-HEADLESS:  sin cabeza.
-OUTFIT: traje, atuendo.
-UNWILLING:  reticente.
-ACQUAINTANCE:  conocido.
-DOWN-TO.EARTH: con los pies en la tierra.
-TO WORSEN:  empeorar.
-WALLED-UP ROOM:  habitación acorazada.
-POLTERGEIST:  espíritu.
-EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT:  relato de primera mano.
-EVENTUALLY:  finalmente.
-MUG:  taza.
-TO SHRUG:  encogerse de hombros.
-IMPRINT:  huella.
-HOUSEKEEPER:  ama de llaves.
-GROUNDS:  jardines.
-VELVET:  terciopelo.
-TO QUIZ:  interrogar.
-CUSHION:  cojín.

HAVE A  NICE DAY MY FRIENDS!!!

SEE YOU!!!


viernes, 12 de junio de 2015

POETRY / POESÍA.

Buenos días mis queridos lectores, hoy un poco más de poesía porque  es preciosa y además enriquece el alma y el espíritu. 

Del poeta Angel Luis Romo, del libro "Se diría que nadie" , Ediciones Vitruvio.





SAN RAFAEL

Me das San Rafael esa sonrisa
que el sol, cuando amanece, nos reclama.
Me das la renovada, eterna brisa
que mece de tus árboles las ramas.
Tus cumbres son abrigo y centinela.
pulmón enorme de aire que mantiene
continuamente fresca, en duermevela,
la flora que te cubre y te contiene.
Su verde manto es germen de la vida
de un pueblo recogido en sus laderas,
con gentes entregadas y orgullosas,
que saben de bellezas escondidas,
de paz, de olor a savia y a madera,
de tu naturaleza prodigiosa.





¡TAN CHICO!

El mar de fondo, las olas
rumoreando,
la luz, reflejos.
Han traído los chopitos
en una fuente,
y ese tinto de verano
fresquito.
La playa, que ahora quema
la sombra bajo el cañizo,
la paz, el suave murmullo.
Así percibo la calma
de sobremesa,
como un arrullo.
¡Qué pena de pescaíto
tan chico!
¡Qué pena; pero qué rico!

Las horas así no pasan,
el tiempo muerto,
y el sol, mirando.
Ha gritado el camarero:
¡la cuenta, siete!
ya les invita la casa
chupito...
La playa, que reverbera
con los efectos del tinto.
Pocas ganas de moverse.
La sobremesa
¡qué dulce arrullo!
¡Lástima de pescaíto
tan chico!
¡Lástima;  pero qué rico!


EN EL PARQUE

El ecuador de la tarde es pisado
por zapatos diminutos, cordones
desabrochados.  La nube de polvo
filtra los rayos de un sol que se apaga.
Los pequeños, en un coro de gritos
atiplados, corretean -abierta
la boca y ancha sonrisa de dientes
al descubierto-, entre las formas plásticas
de colores estridentes.  La vida
los lleva en un vuelo dulce y frenético.


¡NI UN DÍA SIN POESÍA!

¡QUE SEÁIS FELICES!




miércoles, 13 de mayo de 2015

ENGLISH / GRAMMAR EXERCISES / EJERCICIOS DE GRAMÁTICA.

Hi everybody, today we're going to see a mix of grammar exercises.

Hola a todo el mundo, hoy vamos a ver una mezcla de ejercicios de gramática.




1.- MATCH EACH WORD WITH EACH ANTONYM.

Long            wide
narrow         sad
Wet              hard
soft               thin
fat                dry
happy           short


2.- WRITE THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE OF THESE ADJECTIVES.

BRAVE >
HOT >
BIG >
THIN >
DIFFICULT >
BORING >
GOOD >
BAD >

3.- COMPLETE WITH THE COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE OF THE ADJECTIVE IN BRACKETS.

a) He is ___________(good-looking) than his father.
b) She is _______(pretty)  than me.
c) Spain is _______(large)  than England.
d) The ________(bad)  student in the class is Paul.
e) That was the ________(funny)  film of the festival.
f) My football team is the _______(good)
g) This book is _____(boring)  than that one.
h) Rocío is ______(short)  than David.

4.- WRITE IN ENGLISH.

a) El pelo de Lizzie no es tan corto como el de Dan.
b) ¿Va bien si salgo mañana por la noche?
c) Los dos son bastante delgados.
d) ¿Qué vais a hacer este fin de semana?
e) Las dos tienen el pelo rubio.
f) Sí, por supuesto que puedes.
g) No, lo siento, me temo que no puedes.
h) No creo que eso sea correcto.
i) Estaba estudiando cuando el teléfono sonó.
j) Mientras (yo) estaba viendo la tele, entró mi hermana.
k) El niño rompió el cristal así que su madre le castigó.
l) Asegúrate de que el periquito siempre tenga suficiente agua.


5.- A JOKE. (ENGLISH HUMOUR)    AT THE RESTAURANT.

A man and a woman were having a romantic dinner in a fine restaurant.  They were smiling at each other and holding hands.  Their waitress then noticed the man slides slowly down in his chair and disappears under the table.  His partner didn't react and she carried on eating calmly.  After a few moments the waitress began to think that the lady hadn't noticed.  So she went over to the table and said:  "Excuse me, madam, but I think your husband just slid under the table."  The woman calmly looked up at her and said:  "No, he didn't.  He just walked in the door!"

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

THE SOLUTIONS

1.- MATCH EACH WORD WITH EACH ANTONYM.

Long >  short
Narrow >  wide
Wet > dry
Soft > hard
Fat > thin
Happy > sad

2.- WRITE THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE.

BRAVE  >    braver ... than     /   the bravest.
HOT >   hotter...than   /   the hottest.
BIG >   bigger... than   /   the biggest.
THIN >   thinner ... than   /   the thinnest.
DIFFICULT>  more difficult... than    /   the most difficult.
BORING >  more boring ... than   /   the most boring.
GOOD >  better... than   /   the best.
BAD >  worse... than  /  the worst.

3.- COMPLETE WITH THE COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE.

a) more good looking
b) prettier
c) larger
d) worst
e) funniest
f) best
g) more boring
h) shorter

4.- WRITE IN ENGLISH.

a) Lizzie's hair isn't as short as Dan's.
b) Is it OK if I go out tomorrow evening?
c) They're both thin.
d) What are you going to do this weekend?
e) They have both got fair hair.
f) Yes, of course, you can.
g) No, I'm sorry, I'm afraid you can't.
h) No, I don't think that's right.
i) I was studying when the phone rang.
j) While I was watching TV, my sister entered.
k) The boy broke the glass so his mother punished him.
l) Make sure the budgie always has  enough water.



HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

SEE YOU!!!

miércoles, 6 de mayo de 2015

"HOY POESÍA"

Buenos días queridos amigos y seguidores, hoy haremos un guiño a la poesía. ¡Tan bonita, tan dulce y tan difícil de hacer!

Los poemas que vamos a leer a continuación son del autor Angel Luis Romo, de su libro "Se diría que nadie" de ediciones Vitruvio.

¡Espero que os gusten!



CREAR HOY ESTOS VERSOS

Crear hoy estos versos de la nada.
¿De dónde me vendrán inspiraciones?
¿De sonidos de voces, de oraciones,
de murmullos...?  Serán agua pasada
si no son más que notas disgregadas,
el átomo imposible de electrones
que no pueden unirse, huecos sones
de palabras si acaso bien rimadas.
Sentado en la terraza de este bar,
soledad entre mesas y entre sillas,
¿a quién debo el poema dedicar?
¿A un plato y a una taza que hacen juego,
al mendigo de verso en octavilla,
o a la mujer que fuma y pide fuego?

Podría dedicarlo al camarero
que maneja el platel con artificio,
o quizás al espléndido edificio
de la esquina.  Escribir de lo primero
que me venga a la mente.  Nada, cero
será lo que así surja, simple oficio
del que junta vocablos con el vicio
de mesurar las sílabas certero.
Crear hoy estos versos de la nada.
¿De dónde me vendrán inspiraciones?
¿De ver irse las horas de pasada
jugando con la pluma entre los dedos?
Expresar de la nada sensaciones
vacías  es lo único que puedo.


¿QUÉ ES POESÍA?

                     Adorno: "... es la magia liberada de la grande mentira de ser cierto"

Poesía es la magia del espíritu,
el único refugio que le queda
a la esencia en esta vida de ferias
donde solo se venden objetivos.
Es la voz que se agita desde dentro.
Poeta es condición, estado de ánimo,
observar más allá de realidades,
dejar que el sentimiento, inevitable,
fluya sin rémora.  La poesía
revela los secretos del que escribe
desde su adentro:  mundos, mecanismos,
naturalezas, síntesis de imágenes,
se narran con extraña sutileza.
Poesía es jugar con la palabra,
hacer que se transforme, liberarla,
dejar que la mentira sea cierta.


MUSGO Y PIEDRA

En la piedra busqué serenidades,
y en el musgo las risas de los rostros.
Y crecieron las risas de los rostros
en las serenidades.


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

¡NI UN DÍA SIN POESÍA!




miércoles, 22 de abril de 2015

THE GRAMMAR CORNER -STILL, YET, ALREADY

Good morning everybody, first of all I'd like to send  my best wishes to Lorca's people because of the yesterday earthquake. 

Buenos días a todo el mundo, lo primero me gustaría enviar mis mejores deseos para la gente de Lorca por el terremoto de ayer.



As you can see and as we have read on the pages of this blog  about natural disasters, we never know when it's going to happen a thing like that.

Como podeis ver y   hemos leído en las páginas de este blog sobre desastres naturals, nunca sabemos cuándo va a suceder algo así.



Today our Grammar Corner is dedicated to the words STILL, YET AND ALREADY.

Hoy nuestra Esquina de la Gramática está dedicada a las palabas STILL, YET y ALREADY.



The most  important thing about this is to know the translation and the way of using these words.

Lo más importante sobre esto es saber la traducción y la forma de utilizar estas palabras.



**STILL: todavía (se usa en frases afirmativas).

**YET : todavía  (se usa en frases negativas e interrogativas) Va siempre el último.

**ALREADY:  ya (se usa indistintamente en afirmativas e interrogativas).



SIEMPRE DEBEMOS UTILIZAR ESTAS PALABRAS CON ESTOS SIGNIFICADOS Y "NO" CON OTROS.



Examples:

- John is still in bed:  John está todavía en la cama.

- The baby hasn't woken up yet:  el bebé no se ha despertado todavía.

- The train has already arrived:  el tren ha llegado ya.

- Is Susan already dressed?:  ¿Está Susan vestida ya?



WRITE IN ENGLISH / PHRASES.

- Lucas está todavía estudiando.

- ¿Has fregado ya los platos?.

- No he terminado todavía los deberes.

- Mis amigos todavía no han comido.

- ¿Ha venido ya Esther?.

- Mi hija todavía no se ha levantado.

- Mi perro está todavía enfermo.



AND NOW, A FUNNY LITTLE STORY

Y AHORA UNA PEQUEÑA Y DIVERTIDA HISTORIA.



A FORTUNE TELLER  (una adivina)

Hundreds of years ago a king went to see a fortune teller to know what she could predict about his future.

The fortune teller told the king that one of his wives would die (moriría)  that year but the king didn't believe (creer)  her and left laughing ( riéndose).

Unfortunately, that year one of his wives died and he remembered the fortune teller's words and at that very moment, he thought that she had caused the death of his wife. So, he decided that the woman had to die too.



He ordered to call the woman and when she was before him he asked:  "Some months ago you told me that one of my wives would die this year and that has happened so you are a fortune teller, tell me right now : when will you die? 

At once ( en seguida) , the fortune teller realised (se dio cuenta)  that the king was planning to kill (matar)  her and answer him:  "I will die three days before you do, your majesty".


SOLUTIONS  /WRITE IN ENGLISH

-Lucas is still studying.
-Have you already done the washing up?
-I haven't finished my homework yet.
-My friends haven't had lunch yet.
-Has Esther already come?
-My daughter hasn't got up yet.
-My dog is still ill.




HAVE A NICE DAY!

martes, 7 de abril de 2015

A FICTION STORY / DREAMDATE.COM / Una historia de ficción.

Hi my dear friends, today here you can read a fiction story.  I hope you'll like it!!!

Hola mis queridos amigos,  aquí os dejo para leer una historia de ficción.  Espero que os guste.


From Speak Up magazine.




DREAMDATE.COM  by Charlotte Booth.


Antonella was unlucky with men.  She hoped Simon would be different.  She met him on dreamdate.com  six months ago and she was about to meet him for the first time.  She was very nervous as she had heard internet horror stories about people not being what they seem, giving false information, 20-year-old photographs, being generally creepy, or even dangerous.  She was hoping he would be as charming as he came across online, but she was expecting a creepy, solitary weirdo.  If he was not, then that would be a bonus.

She arrived at the agreed tube station early so, she could see him arrive and decide whether to go through with the date.

When she saw him, exactly on time, she took her breath away.  He was beautiful.  He was tall, over 6 feet, with jet-black hair that curled slightly over his ears.  His skin was paler than it appeared in this dreamdate  profile picture, but it had an almost ethereal glow.  She knew he was the same age as her, but somehow he looked ageless.  She couldn't stop looking at him, and she watched, trance-like, as he approached.  She could feel the blush rise to her face, as Simon leant forward to kiss her cheek.  She felt an electric charge as his lips touched her cheek.  Her hand involuntarily went to the spot where his lips had touched.  She gave herself a mental telling-off : "Yes, he's attractive, but that doesn't mean he isn't an axe-murdering weirdo!"

They walked to the local pub, where Antonella ordered a bottle of Chianti with two glasses.  The barman gave her a strange look, and she assumed he was an old-fashioned type who believed the man should buy the drinks on a date.  She gave him the money and a nasty look before returning to their table.

Conversation flowed easily and Simon was exactly the same in person as he was online:  funny, intelligent, and he listened to her, a big change for Antonella, who always ended up on dates with guys that dominated the conversation.

They were getting to the bottom of their bottle of wine, so they ordered another, and a barbecue platter for two.  The barman totally ignored Simon, and spoke only to Antonella.  Maybe she looked hotter than she thought.

The pub was going to close soon and they had to leave.  At the station they were reluctant to say goodbye and they kissed.  It was unlike any other kiss Antonella had ever experienced.  His lips and breath were cool against hers, but the kiss was so powerful it lasted for both a minute and eternity.  It was literally breathtaking.  She walked through the ticket barriers, turning to wave a final goodbye but Simon was gone.

For the next few days Antonella was extraordinarily happy.  Simon was handsome, funny, intelligent, realiable and sensible.

However, after five days, she still hadn't heard from him.  She wondered what she had done to put him off.  Did she drink too much?  Did he find her boring?  With hindsight she didn't remember seeing Simon drink or eat very much at all.  That must be it!  She drank all the wine and ate all the food.  She kicked herself for being so stupid!

She logged onto the dreamdate.com  website, hoping he had sent a message.  Her heart leapt.  She saw the most beautiful words in the English language:  SIMON  SENT  YOU A MESSAGE.

She opened the message with anticipation, nerves and excitement, but she wasn't ready for the news it held:

"I'm Simon's brother, and I have some sad news about Simon.  Last Thursday he was in a car accident and died from his injuries on Friday morning.  He told me he had planned to meet you.  He would have hated for you to be kept waiting, as he was always so reliable.  He was looking forward to meeting you".

Antonella read the message again, but the information did not register.  There was something wrong with the timing.

"If he died on Friday morning, we couldn't have met on Friday evening," she reasoned.
Slowly, things started to fall into place.  The ethereal appearance, the strange looks all night, the strange physical sensations.  To everyone else she had sat talking to herself, eating and drinking for two.
The only conclusion was that, despite dying, Simon had kept their date.  Now, that was a reliable guy!

While she was growing up, Antonella's mother had always said to her: "The only reliable man is a dead one!"  She hadn't wanted to believe it, but it seemed she was right!!!!


                                                                 THE  END
Did you like the story?
What do you think about?




VOCABULARY

-ABOUT TO:  a punto de.
-CREEPY:  inquietante.
-TO COME ACROSS:  dar la impresión.
-WEIRDO:  bicho raro.
-TO GO THROUGH WITH:  seguir adelante.
-6  FEET:  1,82 m.
-GLOW:  resplandor.
-TRACE-LIKE:  como en trance.
-BLUSH:  rubor.
-TO LEAN FORWARD:  inclinarse hacia delante.
-TELLING-OFF:  bronca.
-REALIABLE:  de confianza.
-TO PUT OFF:  desanimar.
-WITH HINDSIGHT:  en retrospectiva.
-TO LOG ONTO:  entrar, acceder.
-TO LEAP:  brincar.


HAVE A NICE DAY !!!!


viernes, 27 de marzo de 2015

NEWS / FUTURE SHOCK / Noticias chocantes.

Hi my dear friends, once again I'm here to show you today some "special news" that can be considered as a future schock or not, you will tell me after, I hope.

Hola mis queridos amigos, una vez más estoy aquí para enseñaros hoy algunas "noticias especiales" que pueden considerarse como chocantes y del futuro o no, ya me contaréis, ¡o eso espero!



From Speak Up magazine.




A HISTORY OF SOUND

These days everybody seems to have their own website or blog, many of which seem to be pointless. Yet,  there are some that while appearing to be useless are actually very interesting and important!
The Museum of Endangered Sounds  www.savethesounds.info  is a website dedicated to saving those sounds from your youth that are now about to become obsolete:  sounds such as a typewriter, a fax machine, or the hiss between songs on a cassette tape, that you may have once hated but that you now feel nostalgic for.

Marina di Pisa - Pisa (Italia)

A SAFETY NET FOR FISH

The fishing industry has often come under attack for cathing smaller fish in deep-sea fishing nets when they are only after much bigger ones.

Now, a new award-winning UK invention called "The Safety Net"  offers an escape route for small unmarketable fish by using LED  lights to light up a pathway to small rings in the net, and to sea freedom for "small fry"


3D  LEAP FORWARD

Silicon Valley based company LEAP MOTION  has just launched a 3D-gesture-sensor device that could mean that the days of the computer mouse are numbered.  The "Leap"  creates a 3D interaction space in front of the computer screen,  in which the tiniest gesture can be sensed.



RECYCLING SHOWER

If you have problems getting out of the shower, here's an invention that will make you feel better about the wasted water and energy!
Briton, Peter Brewin has invented a shower that recycles water while it purifies it.  The shower is set for use in drought prone zones.


VOCABULARY

-POINTLESS:  sin sentido.
-USELESS:  inútil.
-ENDANGERED:  en peligro.
-TO COME UNDER ATTACK:  ser el blanco de las críticas.
-SMALL FRY:  pececitos.
-LEAP  FORWARD:  un salto más allá.
-DEVICE:  dispositivo, aparato.
-DROUGHT:  sequía.
-PRONE: propenso.
-HISS: silbido.


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!

AND BE HAPPY!!!