WHEN MEN SING ABOUT LOVE THAT’S MUSIC!!!

In order to improve my listening skills as well as my spelling, I decided to listen to one of my favourite groups COLDPLAY. While listening to the music, I tried to jot down the lyrics as precise as I can (of course with pauses here and there). One of the songs I listened to was GREEN EYES from the album A RUSH OF BLOOD. Since I haven’t jet tried to upload the lyrics directly on my blog , I tipped it down. Here they are:
Honey you are a rock
Upon which I stand
And I come here to talk
I hope you understand

The green eyes
Yeah the spotlight
Shines upon you

And how could
Anybody
Deny you

I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter
Now I met you

Honey you should know
That I could never go on
Without you

Green eyes

Honey you are the sea
Upon which I float
And I came here to talk
I think you should know

That green eyes
You're the one that I wanted to find
And anyone who tried to deny you,
Must be out of their mind

Because I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter since I met you

And honey you should know,
That I could never go on
Without you

Green eyes, green eyes, ohohoh...

Honey you are a rock
Upon which I stand.


I mean, when men sing about lover that’s music. They really know how to do it and that’s why it is an unadulterated pleasure to listen to them . Not like some (not all) of the women who screech: I love you but you don’t love me, I am beautiful but no one notices me, “I’m not a girl not yet a woman”. Let the men do what they really can!

Language as a national identity

IRELAND FRO THE POLISH PERSPECTIVE

While reading his entry I had another lesson about the Irish culture. This time about one of the Celtic language that was long ago spoken by the Irish, the Gaelic. We all know by now that what determines a culture is its language as well as history. Apropos history, Ireland seems to have had a turbulent one. Not only was Ireland invaded by the Vikings, Anglo-Normans, colonized by the English and Scottish but the population was also decimated because of famines and emigration to America. (It is important to mention that ever since the famine in 1840s emigration has been a significant feature of the Irish life.) As a result it was difficult to keep the Gaelic language that was under the constant threat of other language alive. It gradually petered out. So no wonder that the language that survived was a symbol of independence and as such became an official language in Ireland. In the 19th century many language, amongst whish was the Irish language, were brought alive and modernized. However, the question remains why the attempt to establish the Gaelic as the official Irish language failed.

This HE tries to find out. It seems that the excuse is the widely-spoken English language opposite to the Irish language that is not used. According to him, Irish behave reckless towards their language and you may draw a conclusion that they also behave irresponsible towards their nationality. If this is really so, I doubt. This topic reminds me of another question; can you learn a language without any knowledge of the related culture. Definitely not. Language is a part of culture. It is formed by the culture as the culture is formed by their anticipants. Take for example the saying IT’S NOT MY CUP OF TEA. I immediately associate it with the quaint custom of drinking tea at 5 o’clock.

Drug trafficking

In the entry I’ve just red Sean points out the connection between Australia and Asia. Although half of the kids he went to school with were of Asian descent, the ties to this continent (Asia) seemed for him to end at the airport. On the other hand, although Vancouver’s population seem to predominantly be Asian, Australia is by far more attached to Asia than Vancouver. Trading partners, defence partners and vacation spots. While for the people from Vancouver the popular escape is Mexico, Australians most favourite and besides cheap (“assuming you don’t enter or leave the country with bricks of heroin strapped to your chest”) getaway is Bali or Thailand.

The Bali Nine, Schapelle Corby, a 29-year-old former beauty student from Queensland, Australian model Michelle Leslie and finally Nguyen Tuong Van, a 26-year-old Vietnamese-Australian were all in possession of illegal drugs. The Bali nine is a group of nine young Australians whose barmy endeavour was to smuggle 8.3 kilos of heroin from Bali to Australia in April 2005. Not wanting to get their hands dirty, Australian government left the job up to Indonesian authorities, knowing well what the upshot of a conviction in Bali might be. They may face death penalty.

“These incidents only leave me filled with questions. Was the Australian government acting in the right by allowing nine citizens to be arrested in Bali to face the death penalty when they could have been arrested here and faced a more humane punishment? What possesses a young person to take such a risk?” These questions bother Sean. Some of them, for example the question of death penalty, upset me too. Who are we to decide over other people’s death? Is if death were a punishment. The death penalty is a complete nonsense, absolutely incongruous in these days. We should once and for all dispel the undercurrent idea that we are GODS. If we honestly want to swear vengeance, the best punishment for a convict would be to let them alive and make them suffer physically and psychically and not release them of pain. It all reminds me of Sad am Hussein. The medieval way to kill him was ludicrous. Not that I defend him. Not at all. But there must have been another way to castigate him. IT DOESN’T BEHOVES US TO DECIDE OVER OTHER PEOPLES LIFE/DEATH.

REPORT ABOUT OUR POSTER PRESENTATIONS (VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS)

For those who don’t know, our task was to report about the poster-presentation session on voluntary organisations around the globe. Even though I had two weeks to prepare the report (two weeks because we had Easter holidays), I did it like all “diligent” students the night before I was due to submit it. Maybe this accounts for the fact that it wasn’t quite well-written. Besides, I didn’t fulfil the task. Uuuuups!
What I did this time is that I didn’t write in plain English, but used long-winded and too complex sentences (real snakes). “A simple sentence is also fine and just as effective sometimes” says my lecturer. (Usually I use too basic grammar as well as vocabulary.) Want to have a look at one of this snakes? For example:
1) They lead you through all the steppes you have to go through I order to get there, and above all, you even get paid, so at the end you wont be in the red financially, let alone experience-wise. Oh goodness, where was I thinking? I don’t even understand the sentence now.
2) Candidate for MISS INAPPROPRIATE ENGLISH is also: However, many a time financial circumstances are that keep you getting to know all four walls of your precious room. Better is: ... financial circumstances keep you from leaving your precious room.
3) Here you can see English influenced by my mother tongue or so called CROANGLISH: ...get yourself checked at the doctor. Correct and only version: get yourself checked by a doctor.

These are some of my mistakes. After all, my homework isn’t that bad but in the future I shouldn’t write it the night before, let alone write such long-winded sentences.

WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE NO MISTAKES IN YOUR HOMEWORK?

I’m asking you again: WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT? We all might hold that it so. However, if you consider it more carefully, you will come to the conclusion that it is not at all like that. We have to be honest and admit once and for all that we learn from our mistakes (although, it is much more pleasing to learn from other people’s mistakes :)). It is the way we improve our skills, bring them up to date. And after all, is this no what we are longing for? It is not all doom and gloom, although, after having been given the “best” marks for a longer period of time, it seems so.

And suddenly the lights go on! You did quite a good piece of writing. “What’s wrong with ME?” you ask. Well, at least it is what I asked myself. I have serious problems with writing. I am just not a (let me say so) writing person. To have an idea, put it on paper and make it interesting, besides use your best vocab and grammar. Uuuh, an arduous task. I prefer giving presentations instead.

Be that as it may, let me get to the point. Some time ago our homework was to write an essay about Austrians/Croatians or any other nation we are familiar with. I wrote a piece about my fellow Croatians and depicted them as outgoing and stubborn. The examples given might be exaggerated, for they are given by an insider. However, they perfectly exemplify our everyday life and are additionally part of our identity.

Now to the mistakes:
1) Engaged in an energetic debate they get while working on a field. – this sentence is considered incomplete. It should be: They become engaged in an energetic debate while working on a field.
2) BEEEE CAREFUL – intent on is a verb, intent to do sth is a noun – They are intent on (v) putting the issue centre stage. It is my intent (n) to ...
3) CORRECT SENTENCE: In return, we hold out open arms to embrace our brothers and sisters.
4) AND MY FAVOURITE MISTAKE – it is not regardless but regardless OF: ..., regardless of the strenuous efforts to convey that both are on the wrong track.

I hopefully will remember these mistakes and get rid of them.

EAT LESS LIVE LONGER

Skinny or obese that’s the question here!

Interesting news crossed the world the other day. Scientists discovered that the intake of calories governs our life or to be precise our lifespan. How and why? Well, the fact that calorie restriction noticeably extends lifespan was discovered long time ago, in the 1930. What bothered them is what is at the root of this unusual effect. Now, in nematode worms a so called ph4 gene has been determined, which is the explanation for the longevity boosted by severe calorie restriction.

Is this ph4 gene a real find? Of course, you will be able to live longer (as if this were nothing). Scientists hope that in the future “drugs that mimic the consequences of calorie restriction but negate the need for severe fasting regimes” could be produced. Moreover, the effect of dietary restriction could be beneficial in times of food shortage.

As mentioned, the study was carried out on nematode worms and it is not jet sure whether the longevity link can be applied on mammals, humans. In comparison to worms, human’s metabolism is far more complex. But one is for sure; if you overindulge, you will succumb to obesity and eventually die, and if you starve (reduce food too much), you will die too. We have to find the “sweet” middle. Honestly, we are all too often prone to eating when not hungry.

Will we become centenarians? As it seems, yes. Human lifespan has already doubled over the last century, and due to the advances in medicine and genetic science, prolonged existence is to be expected once geneticists unlock the key to the ageing gene. And I ask myself: will this elongated lifespan have an effect on the society, on our way of life? Not that it WILL, it has by now. The age of retirement is already 65 and this might be consigned to the history books. Instead, we may hang up our boots at the age 85. Modern economies will for sure not be able to support the increasingly numerous retirees.

Read the news under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6612411.stm

“It seems Australians aren’t as averse to ketchup as I thought”

Just to let you know. I’ve just read Sean’s blog where he pints out the main differences between Canada and Australia. Read his entry under: http://www.a-reminder.org/notes/?p=6.

THE WILD AUSTRALIA

The merits of being unemployed

Why the hell people relish the idea to go to Australia, the WILD Australia? The costs are colossal, the journey is endlessly long, prisoners were sent to Australia and after all it is treacherous and wild. (Yes, in the past prisoners were sent to Australia. In year 1787 the British began to colonize Australia. Since the unexplored land was harsh, much work was needed to turn this land into arable fields. Therefore, convicts were the first settlers of Australia, and a major number of those prisoners were Irish. The Irish became the first white minority in Australia. Read an interesting article about a famous escape from Australia under: http://www.irish-society.org/Hedgemaster%20Archives/australia.htm). This question seems to bother Sean.

Sean considers himself lucky since he landed safely, wasn’t kicked over by an animal he had hold for the most dangerous, the kangaroo. A visit to Australian museum changed his mind.

The main reason for visiting the Australian Museum was to get primed for the worse, to see what did he let himself in for and to get to know what he will have to become inured to. Why inured to? Australia is home to the world’s most lethal insects, snakes (jus the thought of them makes me feel queasy) and is awash with the most “resplendent” spiders. Snakes creep around in the bush in water or fields, crocodiles (not at all amenable) are gigantic and can grow up to 7m and the famous spider is the Sydney funnel-web spider. Australian beauty is just a veneer that cracks down the moment you get to know it better. Australia = island of terror, so he things.

VOCAB:

§ pose an immediate threat
§ bewildering mass
§ venomous snakes
§ slither over
§ unnerving
§ not averse to

CHAPTER 14

Monagan begins this chapter by describing Ireland in December or as he says a “season that is best spent in bed.” Not only does the countryside grow sullen but also their precious car. Besides, he points out that some crazy visitors to Ireland believe that it promotes health. Yeah, of course. It makes you want to sleep day in day out and as if this weren’t healthy :).

Another thing that can have an influence on your health is the gardaí and their perfunctory engagement with the problems of their fellow citizens. Amongst the tribulations the Monagan family has so far stumbled upon is now the smashed window of their car. On calling the gerdaí the incident still remains shrouded in mystery.

As if this shattered window weren’t enough. Monagan’s wife Janie has problems finding a job. I the Hi-B Monagan was given an offer- his wife should call in the morning. But what turned out is that promises made in a pub are not to be stuck to. Moreover, they find out that when looking for a job, it is not the question of what you can but whom you know – “or you will officially be regarded as nonexistent.” The problem of who-do-you-know is also at the root of the emigration of qualified people.

The adjustment to the new environment seems to be more unsettling for the parents than their children. Mercifully, it is Christmas time, so all the bad memories can be swept into a corner, if only for a day or two.

Ireland is without doubt not the only country in the world with the question “Who do you know.” Bribery, corruption and who-do-you-know – it all perfectly epitomizes Croatia. Recently I heard from my friend that her friend who was an excellent (more then an excellent student) had “surprisingly” “little” difficulties enrolling for the course she wanted. Why? Because people who know THE MAJOR PEOPLE (professors, doctors and so on and so forth) jump the invisible line. That makes me furious.

AUGUST

The holiday season

In August the serene Provance is invaded by tourists, who can even be recognized miles away; new shopping baskets, spotless cars, immaculately dressed women. Although the natives find here or there something to grumble at the tourists, “… it was generally agreed that they were a funny bunch…” Fun could also be made of them: “ What is it that changes from the colour of a dead rat to the colour of a dead lobster in three hours? Les Anglais en vacances.”
It is important to emphasize that English are not the only who undergo a transformation. French people too change from dead boring (or better to say formal) to riotously amusing. On a party where Peter and his wife were the only English speaking, the sound of Vivaldi was replaced by “… a few seconds of electronic hissing, followed by the shriek of a man undergoing heart surgery without anesthetic…” What an affect will this music have on other members of such an elegant gathering?

If this party isn’t enough to bring you in good mood or to make you laugh your head off, you could visit a traditional goat race. Putting a bet on the sheep is common, but if you are not familiar with it, it is recommended to seek advice since this goat racing is a highly sophisticated discipline. Not only you should calculate for the sheep (the sheep who make the most droppings before the race are likely to be faster), but also for the drivers, for the strongest driver.

VOCAB
§ solemn - Her face grew solemn.
§ Consternation – SYN: DISMAY - Her mouth fell open in consternation.
§ Inducement to sb/sth – SYN: INCENTIVE - Government officials have been accused of accepting inducements.
§ sartorial - He is known for his sartorial elegance.

JUNE

“The local advertising industry was in bloom.” As another summer season began the pace of live in Provence accelerated a bit. Adverts filled the windscreens of cars, amongst which was one inviting to donate blood. Peter and his wife took the plunge. At the time they got to the village hall in Gordes, the rooms were already crowded with as well sober volunteers as with some men in inebriated condition. What amazed them was that contrary to England where you usually get a cup of tea and cookies, the food and drinks were in surfeit, prepared to wine and dine those who suffered the depredation of an injection. “Hundreds of liters had been collected that morning in Gordes, but the other statistic that interested me- the number of liters that had been drunk- was nowhere to be found, a tribute to medical discretion.”

Another interesting thing we find out in this chapter is the ingrained social behavior of the Provencal people. You have to go to great lengths to get used to the quaint daily rituals and become one of THEM (the Provencal people). Why go to great lengths? The rules for social behavior are deeply enshrined in the heads or Provencal men and women. Shaking hands is not just a simple handshake. While men are known to be “prone” to a whole palette of handshakes and are at the risk to suffer bodily damage, women have to be good in maths. Kiss once, twice or three times – who knows? Mayle says: “It is hardly surprising that aerobics never became popular in Provance.” A trip to Aix, a university town, reveals another set of rules one should apply to while going to a café.

One topic is covered through the whole book, namely the renovation of their 200-year-old farmhouse. This made me think about their financial situation. They must be filthy rich, or am I mistaken? I mean, not only did they move to France and bought a house (I suppose it wasn’t that cheap) but also were embellishing it to perfection. Besides, trips to the neighboring villages and diners in unique and venerable restaurants couldn’t be that inexpensive either.

VOCAB
§ excitable - a class of excitable ten-year-olds
§ perilous - a perilous adventure / journey
§ perfunctory - They only made a perfunctory effort.
§ furtive - She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder.
§ Convalesce - She is convalescing at home after her operation.

THE MOBILEPHONEMANIA

http://averyinrome.blogspot.com/

Since my intention is to learn Italian next year, it would be of a benefit to learn something about Italy in beforehand. After having searched the Internet for some special blogs, I found nothing that grabbed my attention. For this reason, I looked into the blogs of my fellow friends and finally found what I was looking for. The girl, whose name I have to find out, landed in a unique corner of the world, Italy, due to love.

It this entry she reports about the peculiar attraction for the most ubiquitous device in this day and age, THE MOBILE PHONE. As if this “machine” were handy for showing of. Of course it is, so they (Italian people) hold. While she was on a party with her friend, the thing she found odd was JUST how the Italians are enamored with this modern apparatus, how they pay homage to their pats. Barely can ONE mobile phone ring that a cacophonous symphony by thousands of other mobile phones fills a room. A venerable ritual follows! Showing photos of relatives, friends, friends of the friends and so on and so forth. Not to forget to listen to the ringtones. They all feel compelled to do it.

That nowadays people have more than one mobile phone is nothing unusual. I myself have two, one in Croatia and one her in Austria. But not that I am obsessed with them, no! This mobilephonemaina remembers me of a friend of mine who could hardly await a lesson to be over to write a few sms. Whit I find absurd is that children who even cannot utter words properly or are illiterate are in possession of this “machines”. I won’t go into details now but I hold that mobile phones should be banned in primary schools.

Mysteries Squared

Yuppie!
After some looong time of procrastination I finally started reading the other blogs. Honestly, I was torn between two of them and finally alea iacta est. Since I’m an avid but peculiar Australia fan (peculiar in the way that I don’t know much about it), I found a blog about a Canadian guy (Sean) living in Australia http://www.a-reminder.org/notes/. In this for me rather opaque entry he remarks on the Australian PM, John Howard and the shadow government.
To start with, we find out that Australia, one of the well-known and most exotic “islands” of the world, is nothing short of invisible in the North America media world, a tame affair. News about Australia seldom reach the other side of the world, Vancouver. Apropos news, when watching it on TV, the thing that astounds him (Sean) is the “incompetence” to understand it. This is an unadulterated testimony to the fact that knowing a language is just a drop in the ocean. Cultural background is what we need! General knowledge is what we should long for!

Now to the political part or better to say to John Howard, the ostensibly disreputable PM. Sean’s opinion of the Pm is no that positive. I’ll now sidestep this unsettling issue since I might be in jeopardy of misinterpreting his standpoint. You rally have to read his entry yourself, http://www.a-reminder.org/notes/?p=7. However, what I’ll do is to find something about the Australian political system to at least have a clue about it. Politic is not my thing, though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Australia
Having read two or three more entries of him (I’ll report about it some other time), I am of the opinion that they are a real page-turner or should I say mouse-clicker!? I am glad that I have finally found something attention-grabbing and I’m really looking forward to reading it.
VOCAB:
spine-tingling bore
sth is afoot
alcohol-invigorated men

ELOQUENT SILENCE

ELOQUENT SILENCE, Sandra Brown

The other day I started reading a book, the dust jacket of which was (or still is) quite an alluring one. Not exactly knowing that it is as a heart-wrenching novel as all the classic love stories, I got my hands dirty. From the aforementioned you can slightly draw a conclusion that I am NOT AT ALL an enthusiastic reader of this love stories. I like to watch love stories, though. However, so far I have read 50 pages and I am unfortunately of the opinion that I will not continue reading it.
What it is about?
The story is about a famous soap opera star Drake Rivington, who has a hearing-impaired daughter, Jennifer. As he is quite often busy or better to say all the time busy, there is actually no tame for him to personally take care of his daughter, which is why he hires a private tutor, Lauri Parrish. Lauri is a dedicated young teacher for the deaf. The very moment she espies Drake, deep in her heart she relishes the idea to work for him. However, at the beginning it is just an instantaneous infatuation. As soon as she is scrutinized and disparaged by this FAMOUS DRAKE, transfixed with shock she changes her mind, but not for long. (I this scene Drake’s behavior, redolent not even of a wild animal, renders me speechless. (I abhor him.) And this is where/how it all begins.
What I have to stress about this book is that, as long as the life of Jennifer is concerned, it is somewhat a page-turner. In an interesting way it is depicted how a life of a deaf person looks like, how they “hear” and they learn to speak: “She’ll learn sign for a basic communication, but at the same time she’ll learn the alphabet just as every child does. And she’ll learn the sound a particular letter makes… Eventually she’ll be able to speak I want you to understand, Drake, that she’ll never hear things like we do. Her hearing aid isn’t a corrective device, it’s an amplifier.”
If you like reading love stories go one and read this one. If not, don’t even try it!:)
One more thing, on the cover it says A CLASSIC LOVE STORY and I didn’t even notice it. Don’t laugh at me. I wear glasses :).