Why I'm Studying....................................

Today I'd like you to write about why you decided to study the subject you chose to study. I studied modern languages at university. I didn't give in much thought actually. I studied as a mature student and I took the course because it was related to my área of work at the time - teaching English.
I had been living in Spain teaching English and I went back to Britain to do a TEFL qualification. Once I'd finished I started to notice that most good Jobs required a university degree. Anyway, a friend of mine taught on a modern languages course and he suggest that I apply.
I enjoyed studying. I made some good friends and one of the attractive things about the course was that I had to live in a foreign country for 12 months during my 3 year. This is how I first came to Chile. What I didn't like about the subject was that it was very business oriented. I chose courses related to literature and culture but I still had to do some courses on economics which I found very boring.
I think being a mature student made a big difference on how I approached studying. I didn't go out as much as my classmates and I spent more time in the library than the majority. Coming to Chile was obviously the best part of my student life. I spent a year as a Language Assistant in Universidad Metropolitain de Las Ciencias de La Educación (UMCE) and had a wonderful time. I think living abroad as part of my study programme was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to learn. In my case, it was the beginning of a new period of my life that is still going on today.

Write about why you decided to study the subject you chose.
Say:
What factors influenced your decisión.
What you like about the subject
What you dislike about the subject,
What you intend to do once you graduate.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Something You Are Proud Of

Hi Blogheads.
Today I’d like to talk about something I am proud of. I know pride is one of the seven deadly sins but it isn’t always bad. Bad pride is bragging about something or – to use a common English saying - ‘blowing your own trumpet’. In another context, the feeling of satisfaction you get from having achieved something difficult or complicated could also be described as pride but it’s a very personal sensation. It could be from running a marathon, winning a prize at school, learning to drive or play a musical instrument, or simply from making someone else feel good. Well, one time I had this feeling was when I got my MA result. I foolishly did my MA by Distance Learning but because it was my only option. I couldn’t afford to take a year off to dedicate to studying. Additionally, I wanted to study in an English speaking university. Working full time and studying was a problem and took me 4-and-a-half years to finish a 3-year course. I took a 6-month break after the first module because I was overwhelmed. I also have to take a yearlong break after module 3 because of a stress related virus. Writing my dissertation was a nightmare but it was the part I was most proud of and was actually my highest mark. I often had to read and write all night and go to work without having slept. I cross-referenced a huge amount of sources but, despite the sleepless nights and days, I really enjoyed the experience. I wouldn’t like to do it again but I guess I’m proud I did a good job.

Write about something you are proud of.
Say:
What it is,
Why you are proud of it,
How difficult or easy it was,
Whether you would like to relive the experience.

Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

This is England - Review

Dont't forget!

A Movie I'd Like to Watch Again

Hi Blogheads.

Today I’m going to talk about a film I’ve seen that I’d like to watch again. I love watching films and there are a number of films I’ve seen more than once. Actually, there are some films that I’ve seen on numerous occasions: Mad Max 2 – 8 times in a weekend, Rumblefish – at least a dozen times, Brazil – a handful of times, and the list goes on. The last film I re-watched was Cloud Atlas. I saw it at the cinema when it came out (a friend gave me free tickets), and I saw it again on DVD about 2 weeks ago.

At the moment, I think the film I’d most like to see again is Fish Tank, a film about a young teenage girl growing up in a poor, working-class district of London. It’s a drama that really demonstrates some of the difficulties teenagers face growing up in modern society. My sister recommended the film to me and I went to see it in either Cine Arte Alameda or El Biogrofo in 2009. The film is a modern British social drama.  There are great performances from Katie Javis  - as Mia the dance-crazy teenager – and Michael Fassbender – as Connor, who is Mia’s mother’s boyfriend.  Child actor Rebecca Griffiths is also brilliant as Tyler – Mia’s foul-mouthed younger sister. I’d like to see this movie again because I really enjoyed the wonderful performances, because it reminded me of life in Britain, and because it was weirdly wonderful. The film is from 2009 and was directed by Andrea Arnold who also wrote and produced the excellent Red Road in 2006. Actually, that’s another film I’ve like to watch again:)

 

Write about a film you’d like to watch again.

Say:

When and where you say it for the first time,

What it’s about,

Who starred in the film,

Why you’d like to see it again. 

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Concert or Exhibition

Hi Blogheads: Today I'd like you to write about a concert or exhibition you went to. I'm going to tell you about the last gig (concert) I went to. So, on October 9th, I went to see Damon Albarn in Teatro Caupolican. It was a really great show. I was never really a fan of Blur, the group Albarn became famous with, but I liked the Gorilaz stuff and loved The Good, The Bad & The Queen. This concert featured songs from all of these sources plus tracks from Albarn's latest solo album - Everyday Robots. The musicians were top quality and they put on a fine show. The band were joined by special guests including a rapper, an 8-piece Gospel choir, and a Norwegian trumpet player. I liked the fact that the concert was varied. Damon had a really good connection with the audience and it was a great atmosphere - lots of sing-a-longs and friendly banter. Teatro Caupolican is a great place to see live acts, especially if you are in the standing area. It's a very intimate venue and this helped make Damon Albarn's gig something special. The only bad thing was that the crowd didn't encourage the band to do a second encore. This is a major flaw in nearly all the concerts I've been to here.

Write about a concert or exhibition you went to.
Say:
What (who) it was,
When and where it was,
Why you went,
What you liked about it,

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

Something you are reading

Hi Thursday Blogger,

Today I'd like you write about something you are reading at the moment. I often tend to read various things at the same time. I read the Guardian, a British newspaper, online everyday and novels, academic papers, mangas and comics (when I have time). I also have to read things students have written, essays, blog posts and that sort of think. Currently, I'm reading a novel called "The Bone Clocks" by my favorite (living) British autor David Mitchell. It's a sort of modern day fantasy/drama/thriller thing and although I've only read the first 50 pages or so, I'm really enjoying it. I'm reading it because I'm a big fan of Mitchell - I've read all six of his novels. It's a bit difficult to tell you what it's about at the moment because I'm still trying to get the gist of the story. It's Split into six different sections and I've just started the second one. The first was set in the 1970's and is about a 15-year old girl who runs away from home. She keeps having strange "day-mares" - like nightmares but that happen when you are awake. And in the last one a stange spirit is after her. She witnesses him killing some people she has met but is saved when another spirit enters her body. The second part, which I've just started, is about a 22-year old student at Cambridge University. He's quite well off and is a bit of a casanova. I think Mitchell's most weel-known novel is Cloud Atlas (El Atlas de Las Nubes) which was made into a film recently. That was also a great novel. Here's the tráiler:)
Write about something you are reading at the moment.
Say:
What it's called,
What genre it is (novel, academic, manga, newspaper, etc)
Why you are reading it,
Whether you are enjoying it,
What it is about.

Mention anything else that is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on your teacher's blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

A special talent

Hi Blogheads,

Today we're going to write about a special skill or talent. It could be playing a musical instrument, doing magic tricks or standing on your head (a yoga asna!). Anyway, I'd like to tell you about my wonderful sense of direction. For some reason, I rarely get lost. My wife says that I'm a human GPS, and I do seem to have some sort of sixth sense when it comes to finding my way around. I've travelled to different places and managed to get from one place to another with relative ease. Additionally, if I go back to a place for a second time, I have no problem in recalling routes I'd taken on my first visit. I've no idea how I developed this talent but I think it's quite useful. One or two other people have commented on this ability but often because it's something they don't do well. I guess your average person my not think it is anything special so I can't really make any comparisons.  I guess it’s been most useful when I’ve been visiting other Citys and Countrys but it’s also good for locating cars in crowded car parks:) Actually, I don't know anybody else with such a good sense of direction although I'm sure there must be others out there.
Maybe I should have been a taxi driver!!

Write about a special talent you have.

Say:
What it is,
Why it is useful,
What other people thing of your talent,
How you acquire this talent.

Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

A Group Activity

Hi Blogheads,

Today I'm going to tell you about a group activity I like to do. Actually, there are lots of group activities I've done on a regular basis all my life. When I was younger my I would go on long walks with my family. Then I joined the scouts as a young boy. I've also made music in lots of different groups (and places) as well. However, today I'm going to talk about playing football. I got into football and I've played that in a group for over 40 years (phew!). I played in my school team from the age of 10 or 11 until I left school. Then, we a group of friends, we joined a local Sunday league and after that I've played more or less non-stop since. In Chile I play with a team on Wednesday evenings at Zamorano's in Bilbao with Padre Hurtado. I meet these people though a friend of a friend at a party and they invited me to play. That was about 8 years ago. Actually, I've only played a few times this year because had an injury and then didn't have enough time.
The last time I played footbal was about two weeks ago in Perth (Australia). I was on holiday and Pedro, a Chilean friend, invited me to play with his work mates. I enjoy doing this group activity for a number of reasons. Firstly, it helps me relax by getting rid of built up stress and tension. When you're playing you forget everything. It also helps me keep a fairly good level of fitness although it's easy to injury yourself if you're not careful. It's very easy to organise. You only need 2 or more people, a ball and a couple of jumpers for goalposts and then you can have hours of fun. Finally, it's a great way of sharing and working with other people in a fun environment.

Write about a group activity you do now (or did in the past)
Say:
What it is,
How often you do (did) it,
Who you do it with,
How long you've been doing it,
What it involves,
Why you enjoy it.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blog of at least 3 classmates.

Fiestas Patrias

Hi Blogheads!

Today I'd like you to write about Fiestas Patrias:)

Tell me:
How you normally celebrate,
What you did last year,}
What was the best Fiestas Patrias you remember,
Why it was so good,
What you think of the typical activities like rayuela,
What you think of the Chilean rodeo.

Mention anything else you think is important.

Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at leasr 3 classmates.

Free Post

Hi Blogheads:

This week you have a free post.

Please write at least 200 words on a subject that you find interesting.

Please leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Special Place in Santiago

Hi Blogheads,
Today I'll you to write about a special place in Santiago. Actually, there are a number of places I could choose but I'm going to write about La Vega.
For many years I stupidly thought that La Vega Chica was La Vega. Then one day about 5 years ago my wife and I were stolling around the city and we wandered into "the real thing". I was amazed that I'd managed to live 10 years in the city without having been before. I enjoy visiting La Vega because it's colourful and full of life. Additionally, it's cheap and you can find fruit and vegetables that you don't find in the supermarkets or smaller street markets. I only go once every couple of months now because it's a popular place and it often takes time to find a parking space. I guess I could go on foot but then you have to limited how much you buy (you can only buy as much as you can carry!).
I usually go with my wife but it's quicker if I go on my own. I like the fact that you can buy other groceries like dairy products and glazed fruits. Recently, a lot of Peruvian stores have appeared and many of them sell deserts and cakes. I think the best time to go is any long weekend, there are always less people then. Also, it's better to go at 9 am than 11am as the earlier you go the less people there are.

Write about a special place in Santiago that you like to visit.

Say:

Where it is,
hen you went there the first time,
Who you go with,
What you do there,
Why you like it.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Family Meal

Hi Blogheads:

Today I'm going to tell you about a family meal I remember. It was in the 1980's but I don't remember what year. I think we were celebrating my youngest brother's birthday which is on December 23rd. The most important thing is that it was the first family meal after my mother's death. All the family were there. My Dad, my sisters - Terri, Clare, Moe, Lizzie and Fran, and my brothers - Ady, Colin and Ged (the birthday boy). My nephew Dan was also there.
The meal was memorable because it turned into a big food fight. My dad had always been very strict at meal times but on this occasion he just sat there laughing at his crazy children.
I think it was Ady who started the fight by putting a plate of birthday cake in Moe's face. Ged thought this was fun and threw cake at Lizzie, then all hell broke loose. The fight lasted about 5 minutes but it took us about an hour to clean up afterwards. There was cake everywhere! The floor, the ceiling, the walls, the curtains, and of course, al over me, my brothers and sisters. My dad was the only one who escaped food free.
A wonderful memory:)

Write about a family meal you remember.
Say:
When it was,
Who was there,
What you were celebrating,
What things you remember.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Higginson Tribe 2010

Winter Break

 Hi Blogheads,

Welcome to English 4

 

I had a rather busy Winter break. I actually only managed to get a couple of half days to relax. I spent some time making music but mainly I did things with my wife: cooking, watching movies and getting together with friends. I had lots of work to do and I still feel a bit stressed. Nevertheless, I still found time to have some fun. I think the most interesting think I did was to take photographs in the General Cemetery in Recoleta at night. I went with a group of 15 other people plus a photographer and a guide. The photographer gave us tips on how to take good photos at night and the guide told us about the history of the cemetery and the people buried there.
Here are some of the photos I took.

Write about one interesting thing you did during the Winter break.
Say
What it was,
Where you did it,
Who you did it with,
Why you enjoyed it.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of a least 3 classmates.