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.