June 2010

18th June

Morning guys!

On D- day, your drowsy teacher wishes to uplift you before the exam with the example set by the Lord of the (NBA) RingS, Sir Pau Gasol. Yes, the Lakers have just beaten their eternal rivals, the Boston Celtics in a thrilling, nail-biting defensive game 7, and Pau keeps making history. This is the official NBA summary of the game:

Now, Kobe Bryant (who else) won the MVP - Most Valuable Player, for those who are unfamiliar with the sport's jargon - Award, but don't let yourselves be deceived by NBA's media hype: The key player in this final game, if not in the whole series, was Pau, and believe me, I'm not driven by absurdly fanatical patriotism. I'm just so proud of our fellow countryman, such a talented player but, most of all, an intelligent, charismatic young man. Listen to his articulate speech in perfect English during the post-game conference:

I believe we shouldn't overestimate the importance of sports stars, but in this case, whether we like it or not, Pau (like Nadal) provides, on and off the court, our youth with invaluable inspiration.

See you in a bit, folks! And the best of luck for the exam ...

16th June

Hi folks! A day like today, 50 years ago, my favourite film of all time was premiered, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. I'm not exaggerating the slightest bit if I say that I've seen this gem so many times - both in English and in Spanish - that I've lost count, but to this day it still makes my hair stand on end.

One of the most recognizable movies in cinema history, to me it is the ultimate psychological thriller, with a perfect well-rounded plot, a blood-curdling music score, convincing performances, especially by a young Anthony Perkins as the mentally unstable motel-owner Norman Bates, but, first and foremost, Psycho's highlight is the extraordinary directing by the master of suspense. Shot in black and white, the effective use of dramatic close-ups and imaginative camera angles fills the spectator's soul with a mixture of angst and horror.

Whether you have or not seen the film, I needn't tell you the storyline. This short one-and-a-half minute trailer says it all. A must-see masterpiece!

The movie's iconic scene, and undoubtedly one of the most famous in cinema history, is the so-called "shower scene", which immaculately depicts the cold-blooded murder of Marion. As an image is worth a thousand words, this is the clip of the complete scene: 3 minutes of sheer cinematic genius (while legend has it that it took nearly a week to shoot!), punctuated by the screeching, chilling sound of violins. S-C-A-R-Y!

Finally, I couldn't help embedding another YouTube excerpt. You see, many people still believe that good old Alfred was American, as most of his illustrious career was pursued in the US. But actually, though he had adopted American citizenship only a few years before Psycho was shot, he remained a British subject all his life and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth shortly before his death in 1980. He was a Brit through and through and I've always loved his Victorian accent (notice how he pronounces the word "poor" when he utters the sentence "Here we have a poor little motel, tucked away off the main highway, and as you see perfectly harmless-looking ...") but, above all, his dry sense of humour, as can be seen in this very personal, absolutely hilarious trailer of the film. Enjoy!

I should end up saying that The Bates paranoia, as I call the film, was a revelation to my young eyes when I firstly saw it in the late 70s, as it indeed had a huge impact on me. It never won an Oscar (though I reckon it was nominated) but when someone asks me what my favourite film of all time is, I'll barely hesitate a second before I answer, with a somewhat morbid smile on my face: "Psycho, no doubt!"

June 6th

Hi folks! How's life?
Well, come June it's time to say goodbye ... or is it? Surely lessons are over and done with, so we won't be meeting in our cosy classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or emailing one another that often, but that doesn't mean we should lose contact, does it? So rather than a "goodbye" this must be a "see you soon". Even if I don't happen to be your teacher next year (hopefully in C1!), can't we still keep in touch?
The thing is that we've come a long way since we met and started a new term last October. We've spent 30 plus weeks as a bunch of people sharing - I hope - our passion for English but also, more importantly, getting to know each other. You know, we've been sort of a big " family", working together, laughing together, sometimes even getting away from the four walls to go for a drink. I can only say I've grown fond of each and every one of you, because for me getting to know my students and trying to build up a "class chemistry" is my top priority, and has always been. Of course teaching is my job, but surely we can all make the best and the most of a language class if we can feel comfortable with whoever is around us, either the teacher or the classmates, don't you think?
Gosh, I'm delivering yet another of my "tear-jerking" speeches, awfully sorry! Just let me say thank you for being a great group and I only hope you will remember this year, your classmates, even your teacher FONDLY.
Maybe what I'm going to do is kind of tacky, but will you let me embed one final song. You know, I couldn't help thinking of this classic hymn to friendship by Queen called Friends will be Friends.

Hey, enough passages verging on sentimentality! Let me tell you that I don't intend to close this blog throughout the summer. After all, you're officially "my" students, unless all of you without exception will sit the exam and pass it in June - which unfortunately has never happened in my 23 long years as a teacher - until the end of September. Of course how alive this blog will be in the forthcoming season depends on you as much as on myself, right?
So, I want to publish something to encourage you guys, related again to basketball. The last entry was Obama's interview, remember? He was saying that our Pau Gasol is the best big man in the league. Well, you may have heard that Gasol's L.A. Lakers started on Thursday their quest for a second NBA ring against their archenemies, the Boston Celtics, one of the greatest rivalries in professional sport. You see, Pau had a great game, with 23 points and 14 rebounds, and the next morning on the official website of the NBA I came across this interesting interview that you can find down below. It's a one-on-one, up-close and personal, with famed sports broadcaster and former American football superstar Ahmad Rashad.
This time the Catalan player talks about other aspects of his life. He's deemed by AR a national sports hero in our country, "the Michael Jordan of Spain". Among other things, Pau remembers how he could have been a doctor and admits to being an ambitious guy ("There's nothing impossible", he says). Also he refers to the bond he's developed with teammate Kobe Bryant and his "hunger" for a 2nd NBA Championship in a row. Interestingly enough, he claims he doesn't fit into one of those "one-dimensional stereorypes" professional sportmen are often associated with and, as an example, acknowledges his passion for opera. AR even reminds us of his recent cameo role in CSI. All in all, Pau Gasol is a tremedously talented basketball player, but above all a very intelligent person. And how about his fluent, articulate English? A model to imitate, don't you think? Hope you enjoy the feature! Keep blogging mates!