A New Challenge

Learning English is exciting and it’s fun, but not as much as lying in the sun.
(Yes, I know this first line doesn’t make much sense, but it does rhyme).
Steve Jobs taught us "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."
We learnt about travelling with Sir Richard Francis Burton and E.M. Forster.
And we learn about Indian culture watching the film A Passage to India.
Both Leonard Cohen and Sting sang for us; and then, Christmas carols we sang.
We first described a picture, The Fall of Icarus, in the intimacy of our classroom.
And later there we were, one by one, describing a picture at an exhibition of art.
Robert Kennedy and Malcolm Gladwell; corporations…..global issues are the best.
At this moment, it is Noam Chomsky’s turn to give all of us a magnificent lesson.
And Nelson Mandela and Richard Stengel will be spending next Christmas with us.
“Regular, consistent practice and work are the key.”
Those were Emilio’s words at the beginning of this trip.
I’m sure he’s right, and I hope all of us
will be finishing this great adventure together.
If you like trees, have a look at these Xmas trees.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

CONCLUSIONS OF THE DRAFT

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR TOURISTS

PURPOSE
The purpose of this proposal is to present a package of measures, which can give solution to the needs and problems of tourists in our area.
The measures included below are mainly related to several subjects such as culture shock, transport, accommodation, eating out and interesting places to visit.
CULTURE GAP
When travelling abroad, people sometimes have problems with what is called the ‘culture shock’ and they feel shocked and disorientated due to a different and an unfamiliar culture.
This will be solved by giving them e free brochure, where they will be explained our customs and beliefs so they will be able to understand and to learn all the differences between both cultures.
ACCOMODATION
There is a wide range of places to stay and they are really easy to find. Nevertheless, finding the appropriate place is not always such an easy task as different people have different preferences.
In order to help tourists, they should be offered an official list of the different kinds of accommodation, indicating both their location and their price. As supply outstrips demand, it should be advisable to offer them special offers and discounts.
EATING OUT
As it occurs with accommodation, there is always an elevated supply of premises of different types. However, tourists very frequently have quite a lot of problems in finding the right place for them.
It is our purpose to offer the information as effectively as possible. Therefore, apart from showing them the exact location of the restaurants in a street map there will be an official classification system for the restaurants which reflects the range and the prices of the dishes served and the kind of menu .
TRANSPORT
It is essential for tourists that they are offered a good system of public transport. They need to use trains, buses, the underground, taxis, etc. Nevertheless, they sometimes feel frustrated due to the time they waste when waiting for them.
It is high time we offered a suitable, practical and easy to use guide with all the information related to all these means of transport. There will be included their exact location, the timetables and the prices. Tourists will be also offered special cards or tickets or even special discounts.
SIGHTSEEING AND ENTERTAINMENT
When visiting a city, there are always lots of interesting places to visit. For instance, historic buildings, museums, galleries and so on. In addition, one can also do a large amount of things, such as going to the cinema or the theatre, and going to a musical or to a sport event.
In order to facilitate tourists their stay, they will be informed about all the sights worth seeing. They will also receive information about the opening hours of all these places and about all the performances that will be taking place during their stay.
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
In order that tourists will be able to benefit from their visit, they will be offered different and various resources to get the information they need. Some of them are the following:
• Multilingual panels will be located in key places all around the city.
• Free guides both written and audio will be offered for their visits.
• Maps with different itineraries will be also available.
• A magazine for tourists will be at their disposal in several places: for example, tourists’ information offices, hotels, restaurants, and so on.
• Digital information will be offered to them through their mobiles: they can get SMS messages or they can have access to the information by Internet.
• All this information will be also available on a webpage, so it will be easier and faster for them to obtain it.
CONCLUSION
Tourists will be appealed to visit our area as soon as they have knowledge of all the different and varied measures that are to be taken.
To sum up, these measures are in relation to their understanding of our culture, as well as enjoying their stay with all our cultural activities. They are also related to accommodation, eating out and transport.
This packet of measures includes not only information brochures and leaflets but also special discounts and offers for travelling, eating out and cultural activities. What is more, it is important that the use of technological devices should help them have the information they need easily and within a very short time.

HUGGING TREES

The other day Emilio mentioned the topic of hugging trees in class. It really caught my attention so I decided to search the web for some information on this unusual topic. Here you have a webpage where you can find a hug a tree exercise. It doesn't seem to be very difficult and what is more, it doesn't take a lot of time.

The Hug a Tree Project is anoter interesting webpage. If you love trees and nature, this is really the page for you.The Hug a Tree Project was started due to the realisation of the need to promote love, affection, and interaction between humans and nature - especially trees. Hugging a tree is both beneficial for the treehugger and the tree being hugged. The healing power for both of the parties should not be underestimated.

Did you know that hugging trees can improve your health? Should you think that this is not true, I would suggest that you to visit this webpage to learn more about what benefits we can make from trees. Maybe you change your mind. Who knows...?

However, this love for trees and the tree hugging movement is not new. If you dare to discover its origins, go to this link. It's worth visiting.

In addition, if you're passionate about trees, hugging trees and everything related to this topic you can't miss these other pages.

LOVECRAFT

LOVECRAFTH.P. Lovecraft was the forefather of modern horror fiction having inspired such writers as Stephen King, Robert Bloch and Neil Gaiman.
Here you can read a lot of his works; some of them include a spoken version. There is another interesting webpage that collects a lot of his stories.

And if you are really into Lovecraft I recommend you watching this film.
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown Synopsis
H.P. Lovecraft was the forefather of modern horror fiction having inspired such writers as Stephen King, Robert Bloch and Neil Gaiman. The influence of his Cthulhu mythos can be seen in film (Re-Animator, Hellboy, and Alien), games (The Call of Cthulhu role playing enterprise), music (Metallica, Iron Maiden) and pop culture in general.

But what led an Old World, xenophobic gentleman to create one of literature's most far-reaching mythologies? What attracts even the minds of the 21st century to these stories of unspeakable abominations and cosmic gods?

LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN is a chronicle of the life, work and mind that created these weird tales as told by many of today's luminaries of dark fantasy including John Carpenter, Guillermo Del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Stuart Gordon , Caitlin Kiernan, and Peter Straub.

However, if you are running out of time this very short movie is very recommendable. It is based on the real H.P.Lovecraft character and his nightmares.

Interview with Richard Stengel

When TIME editor Richard Stengel collaborated with Nelson Mandela on his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," he spent nearly three years traveling with the South African president, tying his shoes, straightening his tie, collecting hours and hours of conversation. Mandela let him inside his life, his thoughts and a little bit of his heart. 

  
Stengel talks about what he learned from Mandela, and his new book, Mandela's Way. In this link not only you can read an interview to Richard Stengel but you can also listen to the interview. Hope you enjoy it.