May 26th
You know I'm a huge basketball fanatic. That's why when yesterday I saw famed TNT broadcaster Marvin Albert (mind you, what a ridiculous wig he sports!) interview President Obama, I thought to myself I had to embed the feature on this blog, even if you're not that fond of the game, just for the sake of English. I've always believed basketball is a smart sport for smart people, and Mr President is a good proof, is he not?
Anyway, in this 11-minute prime time interview Obama deals with different issues. A decent ball player himself in his college years, nicknamed "Barry", with "a deadly jump shot, quick feet and a pretty good drive", the US chief recalls the glory days of the legendary Michael Jordan in his native Chicago, but is unwilling to tamper with the Bulls now that NBA superstar LeBron James approaches his free agency, though "you can see him fit in pretty well". Later he regrets the pricey cost of NBA tickets and hates to think that only someone from "corporate camp" can afford them.
Can politics and sports go hand in hand? Well, Mr Obama comments on the Phoenix Suns team, who recently hit the headlines by wearing the "LOS Suns" jerseys to take a stand opposing the controversial emigration law in Arizona, which he personally thinks is a "bad idea" (too soft, is he?)
The presidential pick for the season? The impressive Boston Celtics perhaps? Not quite, he's got to go with the formidable L.A. Lakers, who, apart from the likes of Kobe Bryant and legendary coach Phil Jackson, boast "the best big man", our own Pau Gasol, with his incredible footwork, speed, savvy ... You know the President is always right, so is the Catalan heading for his second NBA ring?
Well, I don't want to bore with so much basketball stuff, I just felt I needed to help you a little bit in case you dare watch the interview!
I used to be a greater NBA fan back in the 80s and early 90s, but considering Gasol is making history I like watching a game or two. As the slogan reads: "NBA. Where amazing happens".
May 25th
Antonio says:
Digital Terrestrial Television (TDT in Spanish) started to pave its way some years ago but only when the Government made us pay in order to enjoy it (either by acquiring a decoder or purchasing a new TV) did we realise how advantageous it could be.
Firstly, I reckon DTT has to do with globalisation to a great extent, because from our beloved “old lemon” television sets, which broadcast an average of about 9 channels, we are now spoiled for choice as we have 24 plus several radio stations, so we have access to a greater amount of information (news, films, documentaries, etc). There was “a before and an after” with DTT.
I remember trying to “tune in” a film directly broadcast in English (without subtitles) but it was (almost) impossible; now I have discovered some things:
There are several TV series which can be watched in original version (which I thank profoundly) and I will tell you which sitcoms and cartoons are the ones that I follow without too much effort or difficulty as regards English:
1) My “dear” American sitcom “Family Matters”: Most of the language is widely comprehensible and I imagine ourselves writing many bits of textual dialogues as it is a rather clear accent (does it have to do with the Chicago accent? Was it Chicago where the series was shot or am I wrong?).
2) Also, our unforgettable American semi-adult cartoon “The Simpsons”. It isn’t so difficult to pick up things as I believed!
Some years ago, to be precise when I was at 2nd level at the Language School I got almost nothing; it was the chapter about Lisa and her staunch fight for vegetarianism.
3) “The saddle club”, though at first I didn’t know about it, because one day, by chance, I came across with it. A precious Canadian-Australian accent, I thought it was British accent!!
Well, I don’t want to bore you to tears, so I’d like to end up saying that making a foreign language more accessible and understandable partly depends on our attitude towards the programme (whether we like it or not).
Here I embed a YouTube Video of my appreciated, accident-prone Steve Urkel (from Family Matters):
Thanks Antonio. I just hope many of your classmates are of the same opinion, I mean, how invaluable a tool for improving your language skills DTTV can be. To be honest with you guys, if I had my way I would go one step further and just broadcast foreign films (at least on state-run channels) in their original language, with subtitles in Spanish, of course. But I guess that sounds too ambitious for a country with such a defective background as regards foreign language teaching, or does it?
May 23rd
Happy Sunday!
Today I feel like blogging because I'm in a New York state of mind. Just joking, you know. The thing is that, I don't remember if Ana (Garcia) has ever mentioned this in class - I think she has -, on Wednesday she's leaving for the Big Apple, the city of lights, the city of cities, NEW YORK precisely. I'm so delighted for her. You see, even if she's been there before, she really deserves this trip.
So I thought we could unwind a little on Tuesday and spend some time after we do the usual class activities visiting - virtually of course - this mega city which never sleeps. You know, I've got this great Pilot Guide about NY (you may have already seen it on La 2 sometime) and as kind of an appetizer I am embedding on our blog this short YouTube excerpt of a 60-minute DVD guide. The voiceover is crystal clear so I'm sure you will follow the narration without any trouble. It will give you, yet roughly, an idea of what the city is like and its main landmarks, especially the most famed borough, Manhattan.
Then, I just remembered one of my favourite songs about the Big Apple. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York"? perhaps? Nope! Something much better, Billy Joel's - one of my most idolized contemporary American singer songwriters - New York State of Mind (you understand my initial comment now?)
Billy is every inch of a New Yorker as he grew up in Long Island. Legend has it that he penned this 1976 song about his love for New York, which really missed after a 4-year stint in L.A. Apparently he was travelling home on a Greyhound bus (hence the line "I'm taking the Greyhound ...", read the scroller down below) when he had the idea for this song and, the minute he got into his house, he went straight to the piano and wrote the lyrics and music in just one hour. To me the tune sounds heavily influenced by the great Ray Charles, who, like Billy, was a singer, songwriter and piano player. Boy, do I love the piano intro and Joel's intimate voice! By the way, instead of the audio clip I've inserted this fantastic videoclip with some evocative images of the city.
I just want to end this entry by saying: Ana, this is for you, I hope the song drives your soul into a NY state of mind and you have a whale of a time there!
OK guys, that's all. Fancy blogging yourselves sometime soon?
May 9th
Ana Navarro opens a new month with these reflections on Sue Pennington's talk (from Life Lines) in class this week:
SUE TOLD US ABOUT DEATH ROW AND I WAS DUMBFOUNDED:
Last Thursday I was surprised to know about this organisation called Life Lines and I think that Sue was the most suitable person in the world to tell us about it.
As the death penalty is a controversial issue, Sue did not dare talk about it. Only when she was asked about her opinion that President Obama may bring about a change in relation to this issue, did she say that maybe he won’t do anything because of his fear to lose votes in the next presidential elections. I would say that her goal was simply telling us about the organisation she belongs to rather than her opinion about death penalty. Without any kind of doubt she was really tactful.
As I have already said, Sue’s goal when coming to meet us was just to let us know about “Life Lines”. So she told us about the nature of it, how she first heard of it and her experiences while writing letters to different prisoners.
As regards the nature of the organisation, she told us that it is a religious one whose main aim is to help prisoners on death row overcome as well as possible the time they remain in this spooky situation.
She got to know about it in the church she usually goes to. She did not start corresponding with Harry right from the moment she knew about the organisation. Only after she helped Harry type a book he had written, did she decide to start corresponding with him. By the way, Harry, as you may have deduced, was the first prisoner Sue corresponded with.
In relation to her experiences, she told us about the people she has been or is still corresponding with, an example being the above-mentioned Harry.
Before ending, I would like to say that the way Sue told us about something as sinister as death row was as if she were telling us a tale before going to sleep, thanks to her soft, melodic voice. In addition, it was not difficult at all to understand her talk as she speaks English without an accent, what is known as BBC English.
Thanks a lot, Ana. I'm delighted you liked Sue's talk so much that it encouraged you to even write these comments. Indeed Sue's commitment to death row prisoners is an act of selfless devotion and deserves all the praise we can think of. She looks like a warm-hearted person, doesn't she, and her words sounded so sweet.
Well, I guess I must embed Bruce Springsteen's Dead Man Walking to put the icing on the cake, so to speak. Such an inspirational song, don't you think?
And the lyrics fit the film's plot completely, word by word ...
Ana Navarro opens a new month with these reflections on Sue Pennington's talk (from Life Lines) in class this week:
SUE TOLD US ABOUT DEATH ROW AND I WAS DUMBFOUNDED:
Last Thursday I was surprised to know about this organisation called Life Lines and I think that Sue was the most suitable person in the world to tell us about it.
As the death penalty is a controversial issue, Sue did not dare talk about it. Only when she was asked about her opinion that President Obama may bring about a change in relation to this issue, did she say that maybe he won’t do anything because of his fear to lose votes in the next presidential elections. I would say that her goal was simply telling us about the organisation she belongs to rather than her opinion about death penalty. Without any kind of doubt she was really tactful.
As I have already said, Sue’s goal when coming to meet us was just to let us know about “Life Lines”. So she told us about the nature of it, how she first heard of it and her experiences while writing letters to different prisoners.
As regards the nature of the organisation, she told us that it is a religious one whose main aim is to help prisoners on death row overcome as well as possible the time they remain in this spooky situation.
She got to know about it in the church she usually goes to. She did not start corresponding with Harry right from the moment she knew about the organisation. Only after she helped Harry type a book he had written, did she decide to start corresponding with him. By the way, Harry, as you may have deduced, was the first prisoner Sue corresponded with.
In relation to her experiences, she told us about the people she has been or is still corresponding with, an example being the above-mentioned Harry.
Before ending, I would like to say that the way Sue told us about something as sinister as death row was as if she were telling us a tale before going to sleep, thanks to her soft, melodic voice. In addition, it was not difficult at all to understand her talk as she speaks English without an accent, what is known as BBC English.
Thanks a lot, Ana. I'm delighted you liked Sue's talk so much that it encouraged you to even write these comments. Indeed Sue's commitment to death row prisoners is an act of selfless devotion and deserves all the praise we can think of. She looks like a warm-hearted person, doesn't she, and her words sounded so sweet.
Well, I guess I must embed Bruce Springsteen's Dead Man Walking to put the icing on the cake, so to speak. Such an inspirational song, don't you think?
And the lyrics fit the film's plot completely, word by word ...
