WRITING DESCRIPTIONS

The Isle of Man is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, so we are always near by the breathtaking coastlines. For the adventurous or romantic characters, the outdoor pursuits offer unforgettable souvenirs. Here you can dive, admire the birds or the marine animals, you can fish (Manx seafaris and IB Boat Charter)…or maybe you want to experience great emotions discovering the Sea Kayaking, surfing or visiting secret places.

Imagine that you are just a walker; a narrow street can take you on the pebbles and desert beach or on the bold and rugged shores. Stunning views wake hidings fillings and you become a part of this nature. The coastlines are so queit that you hear melodious sound of waves, the birds' songs and even the blustery wind. You take a deep breath and smell the salty sea.

Stopping from walking, you focus on the dazzling display of colours stretched at your legs: the green grass, the wild yellows and violets flowers, the deep blue sea, and the gentle blue sky. Melancholic or romantic, you want this moment to last forever, so you stretch out on the grass. The restless waves are trying to tell you secrets about the history of these places, about the people who have come here before you. Witness from the beginning, they have so much to tell and you’re listening and forgetting the time. The blue become reds...sunset.

GRAMMAR: ADJECTIVE ORDER

Opinion Size Age Shape Colour Origin Material Purpose

Which is the correct order?
1
a small thin Canadian lady
2
a new steel carving knife
3
a beautiful blue sailing boat
4
an old square wooden table
5
an exciting new French band
6
a big red plastic hat
7
a small Japanese serving bowl
8
a dirty old cotton tie

HOMEWORK 29/09 - collocation

http://www.visitisleofman.com/attractions

• gently meandering sand dunes


• the thrashing waves


• breathtaking coastline


• medieval castles

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/travel/picturegallery

• stunning views

BBC - h2g2 - The Isle of Man.mht

• picturesque village


• the world-famous motorbike race

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/tourism/pcards/val128/s15.htm

• bold and rugged shores


• restless waves


• picturesque national glens

http://www.synergise.com/tales/tale1062-uk-isle-of-man-guide.php

• steep wooded valleys


• beautiful crystal clear river


• pebbles and deserte beach


• narrow winding streets

http://www.iomguide.com/peel.php

• stunning sunset

http://www.travellers-world.info/countries/c4b.html

• deep waters


• high sandy headlands

http://www.gov.im/tourism/intro/en/

• depicting endangered environments


• the rarest wetland wildlife


• enchanting island

HOMEWORK 26/09

Zen story: It will pass

My story talk about a student who couldn’t concentrate while practicing meditation because all the noises around him had been disturbing him. The student was thinking that maybe the Master can help him with some goods advices. He went to see his Master and the only answer he got was “It will pass”.

Our character didn’t believe the words and turned back disappointed. He had been trying and trying to practice meditation without succeeding. After that, having no choice, he returned to his Master but this time also the answer was “It will pass”.

The meditation student had turned back with no hope, but he didn’t stop practicing. One day, he realised that nothing couldn’t disturb him anymore; so he went to his Master announcing that good news.
…and the Master told him: “It will pass”

Discussion questions:

You have to be patient and persevering if you want to succeed. This could be the message of our story. Like the title shows us, from the beginning at the end, the Master repeat the message “it will pass”. We can remark the notion of time, so perhaps the story try to tell us that everything is temporary, that nothing lasts forever.

This image reflects the message of our story. After a good period, another difficult is coming…and the history is repeating

The method used by the Master asks wisdom. His students can’t understand from the beginning the meaning of his teaching. It could be an effective way to teach because students discover by them self what is this meaning and that make them remember this experience all their life. In the end, students feel maybe embarrassed by their simple minded attitude, but wiser than before

REVIEW - GRAMMAR

ASPECT.........SIMPLE......CONTINUOUS...........PERFECT......................PERFECT
CONTINUOUS

PRESENT......I buy...........I am buying.............I have bough........I have been buying

PAST...........I bough........I was buying............I had bough...........I had been buying

Time axe

PAST PERFECT // PAST SIMPLE // PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT // PRESENT=NOW

...Romania.......................Senegal.............................................France............................................UK.................

SEX AND THE CITY

Are you familiar with the American TV series called « Sex and the City »? Most of the people don’t watch at this kind of movie…anyway, no man does. One Friday, I was tied and I watched this film…and then every Friday I was in front of my television. There is no suspense or anything special; it is all about relationship without teaching you something you don’t already know. How this TV series become popular?

I don’t have the answer and I can’t explain exactly why I was watching it? So maybe I didn’t choose the best title for this blog message.

When I decided to write in my blog this evening, I have been thinking at my two friends. We used to talk about everything and have a lot of fun when we were together in Strasbourg, like Carrie’s friends in “Sex and the city”. I miss them a lot. I thought I forgot laughing because since I’m in London I'm feeling a little bit isolated….not alone, just isolated. I’m not really complaining; all the starts are difficult, for me or for my classmates.

Being isolated temporary it’s not such a bad thing. You realise how important are yours relationships with people you know and you’ll appreciate that. But we all need to communicate, that’s why we’ll never be alone.

Communicate in English it might be hard for me and my classmates, but surely is funny.
So today I laughed and they laughed with me. Maybe the fact we are all strangers and we want the same thing (learning English) makes that we are on the same wavelength.

LONGS AND DIFFICULTS PHRASES

Imagine that you loosed a not so distant family member and you heared about on the grapevine. It’s supposed to affect you lees than if someone close to you would told you the same event? I wonder if we are an insensible and egocentric individual, because a fact like this doesn’t awake any emotion in us. Despite this cold appearance that you are showing to your self and to other people, I know you could not stop thinking about it. I don’t judge you for yours feelings, because I feel the same as you.

(for her memory)

ABOUT CULTURE

" Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster." Prof. Geert Hofstede

The Anglo-Saxon culture is known been a highly individualistic one. In my society the group is most important unit; we call that “collectivism”. These cultural dimensions defines the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups.

Arrived in London 4 days ago, I still can't verify the Hofstede’s theory. If I’m not already integrated in the British society from here, maybe it’s because

• 
  
  in London, there are more than 270 nationalities.




• 
  
  in the quarter were I’m living I have seen just Arabian and Indian people




• 
  
  in my flat I'm speaking with no one




• 
  
  in my classes just the teachers are British

The economic globalization infuence in one way the culture? Can we speak about an harmonisation of differents cultures?

LEARN ABOUT ME BY MY TRAVELS: HOMEWORK °2

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger I never imagined that one day I would cross the borders of my country.

Day by day, I realised that many simples people travel all over the world…so it’s not impossible for us, but maybe difficult. Day by day, a little dream was sneaking into my minds….why not France…Paris seems so romantic in all French movies…21 years old, and I’m in Strasbourg, just me and two big suitcase for one year.

I don’t say it was easy; I cried about two months thinking of my country, my culture, my friends and my family. Am I trying to sell my life’s story? I just wanted to explain you that once we leave our home and we spend much time in other corners of the world, that corner becomes, in one way, part of us.

I have tasted of something that is unknown for the most part of people like me, and I couldn’t stop it. Today I can say that I have lived 4 years in France, lived and worked 4 months in Senegal, I have visited Madrid and Alcala in Spain, Frankfurt in Germany …Am I in London now? Maybe in January I’ll be in Florida? Or maybe I’ll find a good job and travel just during the holiday…., but it will not be the same thing. In one sort, travelling alone and fitting to succeed will miss me.

Am I an adventurous traveller? Perhaps, but sometime a cashier student job in France doesn't make miracles, especially when you take your holidays for studying English in London without being paid. Please, let me be a traveller of the imagination this time and discover the Isle of Man in a different and original way.