lunes, 16 de febrero de 2009

WELCOME

WELCOME!!!!!

The idea of creating a blog and use the new technologies in order to learn and teach English makes me feel exciting. I love learning new things and share them with the people around me. When Ana Rivero, the French teacher in our EOI taught me how to do it and how good could be for the teaching-learning process, I said to myself “That’s great. Carolina, go for it!!!!!!” .And here I am. This blog is now a reality and I’d like you to collaborate and help me. I think it’s a nice and different way of learning English. I have found some links that can help you to improve your knowledge of this language.

In this blog you can be an active part as well. I’d like you to send me your writings about anything that interests you, any comments about any book you read, music you like, any news you hear, any suggestions, complaints, ideas to make our EOI a better place not only to study but also to meet new people, etc. I have also included THE WRITER’S CORNER. If you like writing short stories and poetry, why don’t you try to do it in English?

So, I’m waiting for you!!!!. Don’t be shy!!!!. I’m sure we’re going to have a good time together!!!!!.

Best wishes,

Carolina.

REMEMBER that this school year you have to read the book

THE BLACK CAT AND OTHER STORIES by Edgar Allan Poe.
IMPORTANT!!!!!!
Our EOI has got books, magazines and DVDs for you to borrow. You can have them for a week. Ask your teacher and don’t miss this opportunity to improve your English by reading or watching films.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

EOI Puerto del Rosario
63, Secundino Alonso
14th February 2009

Dear Students,

How are you?. I hope you’re fine. I’m writing to you because I‘d like to welcome you to my blog. I hope you like it and take an active part in it with your comments, suggestions, readings and writings and giving me ideas to make this blog a nice place to meet each other and where you can improve your English.

First of all I’d like you to know me better. As you already know my name is Carolina and I’m an English teacher. I love my job because I can learn everyday from each of my students. I’m from Gran Canaria. I have two elder sisters. Their names are Fabiola and María del Mar. My sister Fabiola lives in Tenerife and my sister María lives in Las Palmas where my mum, whose name is Asunción , but everybody calls her Chona also lives. My mother was born in La Oliva, Fuerteventura but she has lived in Gran Canaria for many years. My age is a secret but I have enjoyed every single day in my life.

I’m going to tell you about myself. As you can see from the photo, I have short dark hair and brown eyes. I have a round face and my nose is small. I think I have a bit wide mouth with thin lips. I don’t wear glasses in the photo but I need them to read and drive. I’m medium height and slim.

I think I’m a positive person. I’m extrovert and friendly. I’m quite talkative but I’m a good listener too. I like to think that I’m pretty and elegant but I’m just ordinary-looking.
In my free time I love travelling and reading. But I don’t have much free time, just on holidays, because at week ends I like sitting at home reading and preparing my lessons and thinking about how make this blog nice and exciting to you.

Please write to me soon and tell me about you and your life.

Best wishes,

Carolina.

I have got this email from Norah talking about the snow in London

Hi Carolina,

From LSSE the summer is coming but you would not believe it we had the worstsnow here in Central London for nearly 20 years, Steve the marketing managersaid he remembered this snow when the school first opened, but he is an oldguy!!!

Everyone who wrote in commenting on the last mail enjoyed the paragraph formKavita, she is our Director of Studies so it is a good idea to stay on hergood side as she marks your tests!!!

Kavita has written another paragraph bypopular demand, I am going to ask her, if she has time, to write one everyweek it is great to get an idea of what life is like in our school.

Kavita's diaryOn Monday 2nd February 2009

London was covered in a thick, white, blanket ofsnow. The bus and underground services had stopped due to health and safetyregulations. Even the trains were affected. We are not used to dealing withsnow!! Everyone had difficulty coming to school and when I arrived therewere only 4 Italian students. They felt very proud of themselves and so wejoked about this for a while. "Italians are the best students!!" they cheered, and we all laughed. Later the other students started to arrive. We had a fun lesson because theschool was so small and there were only 20 students. Then one studentsuggested a snowball fight. I agreed and joked "It is the only time you can hit me J and vice versa!" Everyone laughed but no one went out to play. It was too cold!!!!! J If you have any questions for Kavita, please email me first so I can get them answered for you. I am available on norah@lsse.ac.uk. Have a Good week and speak soon NorahMarketing Manager22 Leicester SquareLondon WC2H 7LEEngland Tel: +44 (0) 20 7839 7772Fax: +44 (0) 20 7839 2377Email: INFO@LSSE.AC.UKWeb: WWW.LSSE.AC.UKSkype: NORAHOCHANDA


THE WRITER'S CORNER

THE WOMAN WHO LOST HER HAPPINESS by Carolina Ramos

Once upon a time a woman woke up and she had the felling that something was different in her life. She got up, she went to the toilet and when she looked at herself at the mirror she said: “I have lost my happiness”. She took a shower and after breakfast she decided that she had to go and find it again. So she got dressed, took her handbag and, leaving her house locked because she didn’t know how long it could take to find her happiness, go out.

She started to walk and when she saw a man with a dog she went towards him and asked:

- “Excuse me Sir, can you tell me the way to my happiness?”
- “I’m so sorry”, the man answered, “I’m a visitor here”.

She thanked him and the woman continued her walk. Later she found a young couple and she asked them:

- “Excuse me, how do I get to my happiness?”
- “Oh...” said the young girl. “It’s a bit far away from here”.
- “You should take the bus number 16”, said the young boy.
- “Do you know where the bus stop is?” she asked them.
- “Yes. It’s quite near. Cross the road and take the first street. Go along this street until the end and then turn right. The bus stop is just opposite the chemist’s”, said the boy.
- “Oh, thank you. You have been really kind”, told the woman.

She followed the way and soon she found the bus stop. She waited for a while and she saw the bus. She asked the driver and he told her that she had to get off at the last stop and from there she had to ask someone again.

She didn’t know how long the bus took to get there but as soon as the driver told her that they had just arrived, she got off and went to the Tourist Information Office.

- “Hello”, she said. “I’m looking for my happiness. Can you help me to find it?”.
- “Yes, of course. Many people have lost their happiness lately. Because of that we have printed this nice map that can help you to find it. I’ll show you the way in a minute”, the lady from the Tourist Office said.
- “So, here we are”, said again the lady with the map in her hands. “We’re here. So, go out from here and turn left. Go along until the first traffic light. Then cross the road and go ahead until the end of the Main Road. There you will find a nice bookshop. This street is called Crying Street. So go down until the roundabout. Cross again the road and go straight on until you find a park. The park is called Forget the Past. Go through it and when you leave the park turn left. On the corner you’ll see a museum. Cross the road and go up. Then take the third street on the right and go straight on until you get to some traffic lights and a really big road. Cross the road, go along, past the gym and then turn right and then left. Your happiness is on your right. You can’t miss it!!!!!”
- “Oh my God!. It seems to be quite far away from here”, the woman said.
- “That depends on you”, said the lady with a big smile on her face. “I don’t know how quick you would like to find your happiness”.
- “Anyway”, said the woman. “Thank you very much, indeed. I’ll try my best”.

So the woman went out from the Tourist Office and she started to follow the map. The sun was shinning and it was warm. There were many people walking with maps in their hands and the woman felt strange because she thought she was the only one who had lost her happiness that day. She found the bookshop after the first traffic light. She crossed the road after the roundabout and walk across the park. She left behind the museum and the traffic lights. She past the gym and when she turned left after turning right she saw her happiness on her right. It was so small that at the beginning she didn’t recognise it. She looked at it and said:

- “I’m so sorry. I’ll start from today to be really, really happy. I don’t want to lose you again. I want to have the biggest happiness in the world”.

The woman took her happiness, kissed it and put it carefully into her handbag. And with the most wonderful smile on her face, she went back home.


THE STORY BEHIND A PHOTO



This is one of my favourite photos. There isn’t a big story behind it but I can say that from that moment there was a change in my life. A positive one, of course!!!!!!

This photo was taken in the summer of 2007 when I was in Limerick, Ireland. I went there to do an English course and I met wonderful people there.

Although it was summer, it was raining a lot and it was cold. These friends and I decided to go for a walk around Limerick but while we were walking a strong storm started and we decided that it was better to go to a pub and wait there until the storm finished.

It was in the afternoon. That morning we went to the market. It was Saturday. The market was quite nice because there were typical products of the area. After that we went on shopping and after lunch we decided to go around the town. As soon as it started to rain some other friends decided to take the bus and go back to the Student Residence but the rest of us decided to continue with our plans.

While we were walking, a strong wind started and the rain became harder and harder. Then, suddenly the sky darkened and we started to hear thunders. The rain was then even stronger and we had the feeling that the thunders were nearer and nearer so we decided to go to the pub when some of our umbrellas flew away and others were broken.

Once in the pub we ordered hot chocolates. We were all wet. So while we were waiting for the chocolates and our bodies started to warm we decided to take a photo. Thanks to the high-tech we set the automatic mode in the digital camera and after a second the photo was taken.

I didn’t remember this photo but while I was looking for material for this blog I saw it and suddenly I realise how my life had changed and how happy I was and I have been since that day.

Carolina Ramos.