Thanks (for) giving that movie

Great movie from a gorgeous actor indeed. A pretty sad theme, brilliant performed by Chaplin, and with almost no single word – I love such English tasks – Have you got more?
highly topical in the current (w)holesale money market and the anticipated economy crisis. And last but not least actually referring to the nineteen-thirties, when people hardly suffered under the depression.
I've got a movie too. It's about English learning, not as far as good as the Chaplin's is, but pretty nice as well. Have a look!




Oh, by the way, as regards the use of the metaphor "parasitic", I can only say, have a closer look at the bankers and traders which greatly succeeded in driving the whole world economy at the edge of its ruin, or maybe not only at the edge, but beyond the edge, who knows that yet.

Hoping my sad perspectives may not be worth the paper, where they are written on. O.k. there isn't any paper actually, but splitting hairs won't help make things better.

Greetings

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Animal metaphors

Since we are just finishing the topic of animals with a metaphor, I thought I'd share two with you in the form of a video.

Listen closely as you will hear some very interesting terms and vocabulary. Can you use the word 'parasitic'???

Can you think of any other animal metaphors? As you have noticed, we are moving into the philosophic zone.

Pets
Dear Barack Obama

I know, all little girls dream about having a pet - beginning with a cat, then a dog and in the end they all must have a horse. It somehow amuses me, that such a family-matter takes even place in your family and this makes you even more simpathetic to me.

At my doughters age of 5 years we first had a cat. It's name is "Streiffeli" and she loves to sit on my newspaper, when I'm reading. Streiffeli hat four kittens, Nero, Luna, Chiara and Zipfeli. We spent a great time with them, they replaces many bedtime story reading and filled our house with live and love. The kittens grew very quickly and the snuggle-effect didn't last as long as I hoped.

Soon after they had to leave our house, my girl talked me into to buing her a hamster. Mummy was always the one to clean the terrarium and to give some fresh food to this poor little animal called Nora. Nora just loved to sit on one's shoulder and was a sort of tickling machine. Unfortunately the poor hamster died after only 8 months because of a genetical illness. One more hard-breaking experience.

Of course we had to replace it, so strong was the craving for snuggle. We decided to buy mice. The shop-seller promised that they were much more interesting then such a sleepy hamster would be and assured us, that mice would love to play. So now Trixi and Traxi, two boy-mice, live in our house and give us a hard time. These boys didn't understand at all, that they were supposed to give us a lucky playing time. Instead they go for a run and attacke by biting your hand, as soon as you touch theyr living area. So we had to buy very thick garden-gloves to protect ourselves from this little monsters but even then we couldn't help ourselves and felled in love with them.

After all these emotional, funny and real experiences with animals we learned that a pet is and will always be a family-member no matter how big it is and it will take you a quite bit of your free time to care and to educate it.

So we wish you all the best and a great lovestory with your soon arriving new family member.

Mary

black or white

Sorry I've choosen the wrong color...
Next time in black... I promise you

Sämi

Sämis drama

Dear Barack O.

Thank You so much for your nice sms you wrote me last night when I wasn't able to fall asleep...

You know, at the moment I'm suffering, too here in Switzerland. May be you heard about the little desaster my surprising resignation has enrolled.
I tried to fight aganist my own mother-party the Swiss People Party, tried to be strong like you gave me the advice...but...
In the end my health problems forced me to make a painful decision...to resign...

I hope here in Switzerland there would be a Barack Obama like you as well. Then I'm sure Chris Blochers would fall in into oblivion.

Thank you for your great help. Now I like to do give you an advice, too.

I heard about your familie's plan to buy a puppy. If you are unsure which one's the best for you all so listen to me:
Here in Switzerland we have fantastic dog races called Berner dairy man dog.
If you prefere a mixture between two races: A mutt between a Berner dairy man dog and a Bernhardiner would be the perfect new family member of the Obamas!

I wish you know a powerful time and looking forward to hearing from you!

Greetings to Michelle and the kids

Sämi

Obama

Dear Mr Obama,

First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on your great victory. The whole nation is now resting on your shoulders. All wishes, hopes, dreams and aspirations should become true. Fortunately I am not in your position. You have to prove yourself. A long way and hard work lies ahead of you.

I would advice you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing and you are not alone responsible for bringing the world back in balance. But you have to make peace in domestic affairs as well as externals affairs. Actually you got the chance to show a direction towards better communication, into an environmentally friendly generation of energy, into a righteous welfare and responsible world power.

Good luck to you and your nation.

Yours sincerely,

Stefanie

YES WE CAN!

Hi dear classmates

Here's Bob the builder's website. Try it in English ...

See you next week

Fredy

Addition on sidebar / book choice

As you can see, I've ditched the voci since I wasn't using it and it was bogging down the blog. However, thanks to this blog's first follower (!), there's a new addition. This is for those of you in my class, and any other readers out there (Hi Gisela!). This might even be a way for you to connect.

Earlier I asked about which book you want to read first. Only Analise has answered up to now. She wants to go for humour (Lucky Jim). What about the rest of you?

All is fair in love and war, but defeated can still come out big!

I hope you enjoyed the lesson yesterday. It was, however, a bit one-sided. Actually, John McCain has been a very successful senator and would also have had the means to join the two parties, but not with his chosen vice-presidential candidate.

I was particularly impressed by McCain's Concession Speech, in which I think he showed his true value. If he had made more speeches like this rather than attacking his opponent, he might now be the President-elect.

If you are interested in his speech, here it is.

You can also see his speech on Youtube:


And now here is Obamas speech:

Obama Lessons

If you don't feel excited about the homework I've given you and would rather do more on our President-elect, here are a few sites for you to work on:

You can listen to/ read this text in US English. Perhaps only listen and take notes using the wh- questions. Make a gap fill or write questions and send it to someone else from the class to complete.
Pick out interesting vocabulary, analyse the use of tenses in the text. Maybe you also have good ideas. Leave them as comment if you do.

This is an interactive activity testing your ability to predict what comes next in a sentence and to help you with your syntax.

I really like this one: Five lessons Barack Obama can teach you

Finally, here are the two videos I'm planning to show you in class if all goes well. And if it doesn't, well, you can watch them here.

What my picture means to me

These are the blossoms of the japanese cherry tree in front of my living room window. I wait for them every spring in suspense. When they are in blosom, spring has truly arrived for me, and they brighten up my days.

First, I only see the buds, but they grow fatter and fatter, until each day I think the next day they will surely blossom. But this tree keeps me in suspense because it often takes a week or longer from this point for the buds to actually open. In the meanwhile, I share my expereince with another US citizen living in Japan. As you know, they celebrate the time of blossom. It's funny to see how I've become closer to the Japanese customs and culture all because of a little tree in my garden.

But now, the leaves are golden with shades of pink, reflecting a golden light through my window as I write. Soon the tree will be bare again and the long winter wait begins.

What does it mean to me?

Now and then I take one or some more picture of the Mount Pilatus directly from our balcony. I find it utterly interesting to catch these varied moods of light and weather. There are endless altered atmospheres of colors and plays of shadows, once you'll see the crisp air and nearly every blade of grass, then the whole mountain is covered of clouds and another time he blazes in red as he would actually be burning. Although I change neither my position nor the subject, there's no tedious photo to complain. So, I'll carry on taking photographs, because this Mountain deserves that attention and once I might print a photo-book, but just for me, not for sale.

Whenever I gaze at this mountain I'm getting aware of my grandmothers grave, for her ashes is strewn up on the summit of the “donky”. It has been her favorite mountain as she was living whole her live-time in the shadow of that giant rock. And she was actually the first woman who played Alphorn upon the top of Mount Pilatus and I guess the first woman playing Alphorn in Kriens after all.

But apart from this family tie the Mount Pilatus gradually has attracted my attention more and more, I'm not quite sure why, but may be it relies on the moment, when I first got aware of the really beautiful backdrop he's giving to Luzern and the lake before. When I realized the extraordinary shape as well as his special solitary location in front of all the Alps.

But perhaps It's quite my own laziness, that I fell in love with him, because I don't have to leave the flat to admire him - who knows.

What lies in my future?

As wintertime is getting closer, I hope to do some excursions on the skis to the mountains. In the time between Christmas and New Year, we are going to a hut in the mountains in the area of Entlebuch, close to Flühli, on an alp called "Engenlauenen".

Tomorrow, I am teaching after a break of one week, because I was on the PEP-Course in the "Sentimatt" last week.

In May, a friend of California, USA, will visit us. I am looking forward to meeting her, because we haven't seen her since 16 years.

Next summer, I will take the CAE-exam and I will go for a month to England. If I don't pass the CAE-exam in summer, I will do it a second time in december 2009. So, the time in England will either help me to pass the exam for a second time or help me to improve my oral English.

My husband and I are planning to put our daughter in summer 2010 to a family in California who are friends of us. At the end of her stay, in summer 2011, my husband, our son and I would like to go and visit our friends and then come back to Switzerland with our daughter.

Sunday, 9 November 2008, Gabi Kuhn, Kriens

The coulorful rainbow of Funchal

The picture was taken last week during our holidays in Madeira. It shows the view from our hotel to the port and the city of Funchal. Funchal is a large busy city - the main capital of Madeira, which attracts of many green places and beautiful blooming gardens between the buildings. As there was a lot of rain and sunshine, every morning we saw that spectacular and impressing rainbow with its magnificient coulors. To sum up, this picture shows the beauty of its island, with its luxuriant vegetation, its ocean blue and a part of its evergreen hills.

Awards and other news

I see this poor blog has been neglected during the past 2 weeks. It's been very hectic and there's another busy week ahead, but I hope that afterwards things will cool down and I can enjoy the wintery weather with a relaxing cup of tea and a good book.

As for last Tuesday, no speech was needed. However, I did have the beginning ready:

I'd like to thank my English class for letting me be here tonight. ... ;-)

It was all very exciting, and I thank you for letting me go! There were several photographers, with lights flashing left and right, so I'm sure there's a picture of me somewhere. I'll show you when (and if) I get one.

In the meanwhile you can click on the Award ball to see the link to the Awards.



Now I have something for you to add. Your job is to add a picture to the blog (use the picture icon and follow the instructions) and then write about the meaning this picture has for you.
I'm looking forward to your pictures!