Here is some narrative for you advanced learners to read and gossip!

 

Before last Christmas had started I decided it was time I visited that amazing city again. Many of you may have been there and spent a hectic week trying to see as much of it as possible. Others have stayed there long enough to make friends and enjoy the city. Not all agree that it's that amazing or interesting, but we all know that the ideas we form about the places we've been to, are often related to the experiences and people we've encountered there. Well, of all the places I've visited, London is always the one I never get enough of. But that doesn't mean that it's the most beautiful or the one that offers the most interesting cultural expressions, it only means that it's the place from which I bring and hold the dearest memories. It's difficult to explain why these experiences are so important, but I'm not trying to express my feelings here, I can only make a summary of what I did and who I met.

 

I arrived on Friday afternoon. The flight was on time, the trains adjusted to schedules, everything was fine, which is always a good beginning, isn't it? I was staying with a friend, Alastair, and I have to say that he has been a lovely host (in spite of the coffee he makes) and a wonderful guide in the places we've visited. That evening I had a typical English dish for dinner, shepherd's pie, and we just stayed having an interesting conversation about the English language. You may find this totally absurd, but discussing how a language works with a native speaker that uses it in the best ways (he's a songwriter), is the most exciting conversation an English teacher can have…We even used the dictionary!!

 

On Saturday morning we visited the British museum. We took it easy and knew that we wouldn't have time for everything. So I chose Greece, Egypt and Japan, and their great treasure, of course, the Rosetta Stone. It's an amazing museum. The building is in itself a nice place to wander into and the exhibitions are great, not only because of the valuable objects you can see, but also because they are arranged in a most comfortable and appropriate way, which is not always the case in other museums. I loved it and I guess I'll go there again if I have the chance.

 

We went back home and soon we were getting ready for the big event of the weekend: The triple gig! Alastair, Edwina Hayes and Rich Barnard had arranged a gig in a Nashville style. Edwina has lived there and apparently it's common to have concerts in which songwriters take turns on stage. I love the three artists' music, so this can be defined as my 'dream gig'.

When we arrived at the venue I met Annabel and Sal, two lovely women I had the pleasure to meet last year at my first Alastair's gig. We had been told that the best fish and chip restaurant in the city was at the end of that street, so while the artists were preparing the sound, I went with the girls to have dinner and verify that it was a great restaurant.

When we arrived at the venue, there was a table in front of Alastair's microphone with the following sign:

http://i9.tinypic.com/4g5djki.jpg

 

The lovely Edwina was giving out tickets for a draw with mini prizes (biscuits, cava (Spanish champagne) and chocolates). I don't know why in the end I got five or six tickets! More strangely, I didn't get any prize!

Well, the show was absolutely fantastic! The three of them sang beautifully. I was specially amazed at Edwina's voice and talent. That was also the first time I had seen Rich singing his songs live and I have to say that he's just as talented as he sounds in his CD (STFU). Alastair counted on the lovely voice of Delagh, who was sitting in the audience, for 'Barefoot on Glass'. Later, Edwina, Delagh and Astrid Brook (another songwriter, also sitting in the audience) helped him with 'Not for the Faint Hearted'. Beautiful! At the end of the show the three of them (Alastair, Edwina and Rich) sang a cover of some 60s song, I think, whose title I can't remember. I know I'm repetitive, but really, it a great show.

http://i7.tinypic.com/2w56qle.jpg

 

So, the lovely music together with the pleasure to see Annabel, Sal and Nicky and meet lots of lovely people (Edwina, Delagh, Astrid, Bo …) made that evening become one of those details that makes London my favourite city in the world, after the one I live in.

 

On Sunday morning we visited the National Gallery. I've said that Alastair was a great guide, though 'guide' is not the best word, as we got a little lost, because some of the paintings had been put in other places since his last visit to the gallery. However, I was glad that I could be with a person who can be moved by art and understands the artists and paintings much better than I could. I definitely recommend everybody to visit that gallery.

 

We got home and my host prepared a typical English dinner that we ate with his flatmates, Jody and Bruno. It was another lovely evening with funny and interesting conversations and some giggles. I really enjoyed the food and the company.

On Monday morning I had to leave very early to get my flight back home. It was sad to leave, but I was also extremely happy because I had that great feeling of having had an amazingly good time.

 

So, that was it: My weekend away, full of highlights, interesting places and lovely people.

 

 

 

I wish you all a Happy Christmas Holiday and the best for 2007.

A friend has just sent this to me and I thought you would enjoy it. Thanks LOR!

 

(**Cell Phone American English for British mobile phone)

 

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2006 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list

AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Go on, forward this to your friends. You know you want to !

 

 

New campus, new students. I hope you all find this site entertaining and useful. I also hope the students of the previous years continue visiting me here.

 

I've just added a link to the official website of Alisson Krauss, the woman who's singing "When You Say Nothing At All".

 

I intend to change the song soon, and find new things for you to practice, but the beginning of the academic year is being a little harder than I expected. So please be patient and have a look at other entries in this blog.

 

See you in class,

 

Isabel xx

The marks are already on the board. There will be an 'exam revision' on Wednesday, 13th from 10.30 to 12.30 in the morning. You can email me if you can't make it for wednesday.

 

 

Here I am, back to "normal" life.

 

I've seen great plays, I've visited beautiful places, I've met wonderful people and I have enjoyed much more than I expected, but enough is enough. I am exhausted and I need to rest.

 

I can't tell everything I've done or seen, but I would highlight a couple of events. The first one is Alastair Artingstall's gig.  I had a wonderful time with him and all the people who came to that show. The second would be Romeo and Juliet, played by young actors in the middle of the Botanic Gardens.

 

I have to thank Gina for her hospitality and her company. I would also like to thank my lovely flatmates (Marta, María, Mariona, Alexandra and Melitta) and neighbour (Maya) because these days would have been really boring without them. I also had lovely classmates and I am really glad I met them all.

 

And now back to the exams and meetings...Oh well.

So this place is full of people coming and going trying to make the best of their time here.

 

There is, as you know, an international festival. The most important event (and therefore the most expensive..and by now impossible to attend if you didn't buy the tickets a century ago) is the Tattoo, which is a kind of exhibition of military marches (The truth is that I am not the best person to explain it, since I have never seen it.)

 

There is also a ... let's call it secondary festival that surrounds the official one. It's called the Fringe Festival. There are theatre plays, music, films and all kinds of art expressions from new or unknown artists. Apart from what I've seen in the streets (street performers and short bits of what you can see in theatres) I've seen a couple of plays: Lady Chatterley's Lover and Have a Nice Life. The fisrt one is an adaptation of one of D.H. Lawrence's novel, set in the 80s (the play, not the novel). The second is a musical comedy. I enjoyed both and, as I discovered the half price ticket office and that you can get free tickets if you are patient, I think I'll see many more.

 

You can't imagine what a great time I'm having here!!!!

Hello!!!!!!

 

Here I am in foggy Edinburgh. This city is so beautiful! And with all the festival celebrations, street performances and the entertainment offers everywhere it's imposible to get bored.

 

For next year your homework will be: Come to Edinburgh (If the teacher says, you have to do it)

 

By the way, the weather has been quite nice until today...But even when it's foggy or rainy I don't miss Spain's weather much, really. It only makes the city look more charming.

 

 

As I told you, by mid August I am travelling to Edinburgh and I had the intention to use this as a real blog, telling you about the things I see, the people I meet there, etc. OK the adventure has begun and I haven't even taken off.

 

Last Thursday when I heard about London airports being in a mess I thought 'oh well, never mind, by Sunday everything will be allright'. And I was right, because all flights from Spain to London are already working. But...

 

MY FLIGHT FROM LONDON TO EDINBURGH HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Right now I don't know what to do: Look for accomodation in London and try to go there by other means; try to find the other means right now (buses take ages and trains are just as expensive as flights).

 

So, now is time to panic: AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

UPDATE:

 It seems that my flight hasn't been cancelled. The Spanish website wasn't updated and they said there wouldn't be flights. But the British one says that they will be back to normal tomorrow...Hurrray!!!!!

 

However, the panic was controlled as a friend from London offered accomodation and another from Edinburgh helped me with the info about other means of transport. Haven't I got lovely friends out there!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Words like violence
Break the silence
they come crashing in
Into my little world


Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl


All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm

Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable


All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm


Enjoy the silence

tFor lazy students:

 

Thought it was time to change the song. So I've decided to upload this beautiful song by Alastair Artingstall. I think it is easy for you all, with its slow rythm and simple vocabulary (but deep meaning). I'm not going to post the lyrics (yet). Make an effort and try to understand.

Alastair is not a famous singer, so it's not strange that you have never heard about him. But you can listen to more songs and learn about him in the links I've left.

Hope you like it.