The Scale of the Universe

Puts things in perspective:
http://primaxstudio.com/stuff/scale_of_universe/index.php

Downsizing

Today Pau talked to us about the concept of "downsizing" or Dé Craissance as it is known in French. Thanks for a very interesting presentation, Pau.

We have two more classes to go--next week we'll continue with presentations.

Catalan expression to translate into English: Tirar pedres sobre la meva teulado?
I've listed some words and expressions to review:

politics, politicians
consumption
living on less money
spend money on something
agree with
way of life, lifestyle
give advice
buy something from someone
you know what you're buying
it's not as expensive as you might think

barter system
barter:  cambiar, trocar(conj.⇒)hacer(conj.⇒) trueques

avoid taking out loans
avoid borrowing money
avoid buying things on credit
Nobel Prize winner in economics
waste, wasteful
light pollution
questioning the status quo
questioning our assumptions
I'm becoming aware
catch up to the consumption of the first world countries
overnight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downshifting

Nobe Prize Winner Elinor Ostrom:

Short Effective Teaching Tips and Strategies for LaSalle Professors

Today we talked about algorithms, advertising (Andreu--what is the process you mentioned with the word recommend? You used the example of facebook and talking about comuters), factory farming, community supported agriculture, giving students feedback on their exams, adjectives with positive and negative connotations, and finally, Americans and Manifest Destiny.
See video and link at bottom of the page for more.
Ruben--we missed you today!

Homework: If at all possible, prepare your presentations.  Perhaps we'll do two next week, and then two more the following week...

Book recommended by Ester: What the Best Teachers Do (American teachers!)

Vocabulary:
ludicrous ridículo
poorly paid mal pagados
meticulous meticuloso
trusting confianza
trustworthy digno de confianza
confident seguro
cautious cauteloso
gullible crédulo
reckless temerario
finicky melindroso
picky exigente
gullible crédulo
naive ingenuo
stubborn obstinado
obstinate obstinado
feel ashamed sentir vergüenza
timid tímido
shy tímido
scare someone asustar a alguien
sneaky furtivo
sneak up on someone acercarse sigilosamente a alguien

Nuestro pan de cada día - Unser täglich Brot (Our Daily Bread)

Do you work to live, or live to work?

Are you a "Native Texan"?
Today we worked on 5C (p.56) in the book, and talked about cultural differences related to work and some work-related social issues.
Homework:  Short for and against essay based on 2)b topics on p.56 (a,b,c,d or one of your own) & Real World Conversational Strategies 5)a,b page 57.

Vocabulary:
creche guardería
daycare guardería
underdog desvalido
black sheep ovejas negro
maverick disidente
loose cannon bala perdida
perks beneficios
benefits beneficios
janitor conserje
custodian custodio
jack of all trades hombre orquesta
ulterior motive segunda intención
cream of the crop lo más granado
every man for himself sálvese quien pueda


show somebody the ropes
to explain to someone how to do a job or activity The new secretary started today so I spent most of the morning showing her the ropes.

Found Pau's favourite place in London

Hi guys!

This is Xavi, reporting from London. I agreed with Lewis that I would post in the blog from time to time, especially when I had some English-related issues to talk about.

Last Saturday, I was wandering around in the Brick Lane area, which is a zone full of restaurants and vintage clothing shops. And then, I saw it. There it was, standing proudly right in front of me: Pau's favourite place in London:


As you can see, it's a bar/restaurant (whatever), and it's called "Verge".

Literally, the neighbours living upstairs are "on the Verge". Hahahaha! Sorry, I just couldn't help taking that picture and posting it.

By the way, TV programs here are permanently subtitled. Or at least, I don't know how to switch the subtitles off in my TV set, I admit it. What an engineer.

Anyway, thanks to that, I have learnt that there is another expression equivalent to the famous "to be on the verge of (...)". It is "to be on the brink of (...)". Am I right, Lewis?

Well, my best regards to all of you. Keep in touch!

The Love Story of Jeanette and Tom

Today we took a look at some verbs like regret, mean, forget followed by either -ing or infinitive in the context of making up a story (in a cafeteria-very romantic!).

Homework:
Look at vocabulary on page 56 (ex.1)
Think about doing another presentation in the next week or two, and giving me a writing sample of something you're working on at the moment, or any kind of writing of all.

Vocabulary

cufflinks gemelos
canteen cantina
cafeteria cafetería
standoffish distante
I fell into it Caí en ella
nerves get frayed nervios se deshilachados
snowed under Nevó en
up to my eyeballs in work hasta mis ojos en el trabajo
convoluted complicado

Vocabulary

Asparagus hunting video link
Sorry but I only got some of our vocabulary today...
fate suerte
my troubles fall away mis problemas desaparecen
everyman hombre de la calle
role model modelo a seguir
mirror of society espejo de la sociedad
pay the price pagar el precio
living in sin que viven en el pecado
choose your clother elige tu clother
choose what to wear elegir qué ponerse
pillar of salt estatua de sal

Amazing Experts

Lot and His Daughters, from the Prado

Thanks to everyone for their presentations today!
Pau talked about the Old Testament, specifically Eden and Lot.
Andeu explained his asparagus hunting philosophy
Ruben broadened our minds with his presentation on quantum chromodynamics
And...Ester anthropological significance of Belen Esteban's popularity.