Tuesday, August 28, 2012

English Tea - Paul McCartney


a cup of tea inspired Paul Mc cartney to write this song!

English Tea - Paul McCartney

Would you care to sit with me
For a cup of English tea
Very twee, very me
Any sunny morning

What a pleasure it would be
Chatting so delightfully
Nanny bakes fairy cakes
Every Sunday morning

Miles of miles of English garden, stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses, listen most attentively

Do you know the game croquet
Peradventure we might play
Very gay, hip hooray
Any sunny morning

Miles of miles of English garden, stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses, listen most attentively

As a rule the church bells chime
When it's almost supper time
Nanny bakes fairy cakes
On a Sunday morning

Saturday, August 25, 2012

A Guide to the UK in 212 Words

What do people visiting the UK for the Olympics need to know about the nation's quirks, habits and rules? The British obsession with talking about the weather is much discussed, but there are a host of other oddities and complexities that visitors might do well to acquaint themselves with.

This was a project launched by the BBC and here are the links to the two sections. Remember you have to choose one 'quirk' and talk about it in class. You are welcome to do more research on that. (Don't forget to post here which topic you have chosen, so that nobody else chooses the same one.)

First Part

Second Part

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Reply

Yes, Filipides could be considered the first marathonist according to the legend. I don't know the reason why you are not allowed to enter the Olympic Stadium. The statue of Filipides is in the middle of an avenue, in front of a goverment department. It is the way that it is made that creates the illusion of movemnt. I have never seen something like that!

Monday, August 20, 2012

An article relating to the mascots

I found something interesting. Why Wenlock was designed like this? It's head shape represents the medals, the eye is a camera that let Wenlock record everything, the friendship bands have the colours of the olimpic rings and a taxi light on it's head inspired by London's black taxis. I suppose you think that's terrible witty

I also found an article, taken from the original one, as en excercise, I did it, it's interesting.






http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/fill-in-olympic-mascots-and-mash-ups/

Saturday, August 18, 2012

UNLIMITED

Watch this inspirational video. I think it's a good introduction to the Paralympic Games.

London 2012 Festival / Cultural Olympiad - Unlimited from British Council on Vimeo.

How the Olympic Park was built

Very interesting informative video on how the Olympic Park was built.

ARCELOR MITTAL ORBIT TOWER

Here's the video of what has beocome Britain's largest public art work, a symbol for the 21st Century.

A BIT MORE OF HISTORY

This animation from guardian.co.uk is a perfect potted history of the Olympic Games. From Ancient Greece's nude athletes – mercifully free of corporate stooges – to the present day's economy-bustingly expensive extravaganza of London 2012. Just watch it, learn a bit more and have fun. A short animated history

Thursday, August 16, 2012

A bit of history!

As you know, the history of Olympics Games began in Greece. The KALIMARMARO STADIUM also known as PANATHINAIKO STADIUM is a huge marble stadium, built by Lycourgos in 330-229 b.C. for the athletic competitions of "Panathinea" - the greatest festivities in ancient Athens - and had been rebuilt three times since then. The site of the Panathenaic Stadium was originally a small natural valley, between the two hills of Agra and Ardettos, over Ilissos river. It was first reconstructed by Hadrian in 76-138 a.d. to hold Gladiators competitions. The second time was restored by Herodes Atticus between 140 and 144 a.C., who gave it the form how it was found at the 1870 excavation “a horseshoe construction” out of white marble. Over the next 1800 years the stadium was mined for marble and left in despair. The third and present construction was in 1895 when Georgios Aerof restored it for the first modern Olympic Games which began in Athens – Greece on the 5th April 1895. It has a seating capacity of 60.000 people. When I was there in 2006 you were not allowed to get inside.
FILIPIDES was a Greek soldier, who had the task of going from Marathon – Greece to Sparta, a 240 km distance, to request Spartans aid, when the Persian army came to destroy Athens in 492 a.C. He ran 240 km in two days to receive a “no” answer from the Spartans so he had to return Athens with the bad news. In 490 a.C. he ran 42 km between Marathon – Athens to announce that Greece had won the battle. When he got to Athens shouting “We have won”, he died not from exhaustion, but from battle wounds. It is a modern Filipides Statue which seems to be in movement. It was taken from a poem written by Robert Browning “Filípides” in 1879, which inspired Pierre de Coubertin who founded the modern Olympics Games to the foot race called marathon: “Then, when Persia was dust, all shouted: "To the Acropolis! It runs, Filípides, a race more! You will have your reward! Athens has been saved thanks to Bread. It sees and grítalo! " It threw his shield, saeta ran again like one; and all the extension between the field of hinojo (battlefield) and Athens was left-overs, a field again that crossed one saeta, until it announced: " Regocijaos, we have won! " As wine that filters in clay, the happiness that flowed by its blood exploded to him the heart: the ecstasy! LOOK SIDEWAYS.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

It's me again. We'll go on with the topic of the Olympics on Wednesday, when we'll go to Room 6 again.
Remember to find out information about the mascots and upload it in the blog.
You could also do some research on the themes in the Opening Ceremony so that we can all appreciate it more fully.
Here's the link to the photo gallery of the Opening Ceremony.
After looking at the photos, watch the newsy video again. And this is the link to the transcript which is under the video.

INDIA'S SURROGATE MOTHERS

Hi everyone,
On Monday we'll go on discussing the issue of surrogacy, so here's the link to the article I told you about last week. Some of the comments at the bottom are also worth reading.

In "Made in India," filmmakers Rebecca Haimowitz and Vaishali Sinha follow the journey of an infertile Texas couple and the Indian surrogate who gives birth to their children. This excerpt is part of The Economist Film Project series of independently produced films aired in partnership between The Economist and the NewsHour.
This video cannot be embedded, that's why I'm giving you the link: Made in India.
Watch it, it's a bit difficult because it's authentic English, but I'm sure you will understand quite a lot.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

It's high time I published something about the games. Well, let's start with the video which introduced the mascots.
Watch it and share with us all the information you can find about them, e.g why they are called Wenlock and Mandeville. Do you like them?