Christmas memories

Despite the crowded shopping centres and all the stress to buy the presents on time, I love Christmas!

I have wonderful memories of past Christmas and I hope you have some too. Tell us one of your best Christmas memories. Here is mine.

I was 8 or 9 and I had decided that Santa Claus wasn't real. My older cousins were always making fun of me because I wanted to keep believing, so I decided "I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus. It will be different this year..." I used to write a letter with a wish, but I didn't do it that year. However, I told my parents I wanted a bike. Unfortunately, they told me they couldn't afford it (a bicycle was something very expensive 20 years ago). On Christmas eve, I arrived home from my aunt's house, where we had dinner, and I looked for a bike all over the house, but there was no bike... The house wasn't very big, it was impossible to hide it... I remember that I was very sad, but only for some seconds, because a shiny white bicycle appeared in my bedroom as if by magic. I had been there a few seconds before and it wasn't there, how was it possible? At that moment I was sure that Santa was real... He made a bike appear in my room! Later I found out that my dad pulled it out from under the bed in just seconds while I was searching the other rooms. I couldn't see it because there were some boxes hiding it. I was very happy: I had my bike and Santa Claus was real, at least for one year more...
I can hardly wait to read about your memories...

Isn't Christmas fun? Watch the video and see how fun it can be...

How famous people mistreat the English language

When I drive to school in the morning, I usually listen to a radio programme on Antena 3 called Serginho na Farmville. Some time ago, the subject was how famous Portuguese personalities mistreat the English language: Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sócrates... It's very funny, specially their pronunciation!

Have fun!

http://mp3.rtp.pt/mp3/wavrss/at3/827197_66025-1005131928.mp3

7th Challenge

She lived in 10 Downing Street for 11 years. She was so tough that iron was part of her nickname. Who was she?

Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and her tough-talking rhetoric gained her the nickname the "Iron Lady".

6th Challenge

I was a giant and a dwarf. My life was full of adventures.
My "father's" name was Swift.
Who am I?

Chatroom for students of English

Dear students,
here is the link to one of the many chat rooms where you can communicate with other students of English as a foreign language. Don't forget that you need to have a Java support in your computer to enter the chat. I hope you are more successful than I was... If you manage to speak with someone interesting, tell us all about it.
http://www.englishclub.com/esl-chat/chatroom-2.htm

5th Challenge

What are people celebrating in the United Kingdom this evening?

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. A warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
Some of the English wonder, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honouring his attempt to do away with the government.

Lost in Translation

Dear students,

next lesson we are going to watch some parts of the fabulous film Lost in Translation. I'm sure that some of you have already seen it. It's an interesting film to discuss some ideas related to the topic we have been dealing with. Here you can read about it or watch the trailer. Have fun!

Bob Harris is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte, the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable travelling companions. Charlotte is looking for "her place in life," and Bob is tolerating a mediocre stateside marriage. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end.

4th Challenge

This one is easy...

What was the name of the famous band where my wife used to sing?

Good luck and hurry up!

3rd Challenge

As usual, you will be the winner of this challenge if you are the first to comment with the correct answer for the following question:

Who created the famous novel and later film character in the picture?



Will this challenge be more difficult than the previous ones? Let's see how fast you are... Good luck!