Italians are always right, just as many other folks from the Mediterranean are. I came across this post about how to make pesto and giggled a whole much. The author has definite opinions he is unafraid to share, from the blasphemy of mixing different cheeses to using a blender.
Yet he doesn't toast his pine nuts. I question his credibility on this point alone... But I still want to eat some pesto now.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
English Episodes #12 - Who Would Win?
Yes, I've become mired in the mixed joy that is teaching CAE Cambridge exam course. We've just finished week 8 of 12 - whew! Some funny things for your Friday afternoon...
Today ended class playing the game Who Would Win? The idea is to come up with convincing arguments about what famous person would win in some shared activity, like Mick Jagger vs Martha Stewart in Hairdressing. I modified the original rules a bit so 2 students would argue for a minute, each one supporting the card they had drawn, and then the rest of the group votes on whose explanation is better. The person with most points wins; here are some examples of the pairs that occurred:
I know that I've been not updating as frequently as some of you would like; my freelance writing work has really picked up and is eating up most hours that I spend in front of the computer, for which I am sorry. Please bear with me! And think about what other ridiculous pairings you can come up with for your own version of Who Would Win?
Today ended class playing the game Who Would Win? The idea is to come up with convincing arguments about what famous person would win in some shared activity, like Mick Jagger vs Martha Stewart in Hairdressing. I modified the original rules a bit so 2 students would argue for a minute, each one supporting the card they had drawn, and then the rest of the group votes on whose explanation is better. The person with most points wins; here are some examples of the pairs that occurred:
- Britney Spears vs Cleopatra in video gaming
- Karl Marx vs Christopher Columbus in weightlifting
- Madonna vs Lance Armstrong in swordfighting
- Da Vinci vs Caesar in wargames
- King Kong vs Pope John Paul II in tennis
I know that I've been not updating as frequently as some of you would like; my freelance writing work has really picked up and is eating up most hours that I spend in front of the computer, for which I am sorry. Please bear with me! And think about what other ridiculous pairings you can come up with for your own version of Who Would Win?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
English Episodes #11 - A new chapter begins
I finished up with my pre-intermediate class late March so that I could start teaching a Cambridge Advanced Exam prep course (think a harder TOEFL test). I was so sad to see my group go; they've really made a great community (as well as a quite amusing one). That said, I had about a 1/3 of my class leave that last Friday as well, so it was a fitting time to close that chapter.
But the funny bits from the vault!
We learned that one of our cohort had to get reconstructive surgery on his nose twice after it was messed up in a fight with his friend. He'd called it plastic surgery, but we learned nuance of the two types (Note: These are folks that have a hard time talking about past events with nuance but they totally get the difference between elective and non-elective surgery). Anyway, it fit into our discussion of medical vocab, what to say at the doctor, etc. This guy explained that they had to take cartilage out of his ear to put into his nose and now the tip of his nose is hard, not squishy.
Imagine a classroom of folks all pushing on the tips of their noses at the same time.
It gets funnier.
As we're pondering these facts, another pipes up: "So, can you use your cellphone like this?" He puts his hand in front of his nose and mouth, the speaker being next to the nose. Laughter begins but escalates when our surgery recipient agrees and says: "Yes! And I put my earphones here" pointing to his nostrils.
We all lost it. It was a great ending class with lots of photos, a few tears. We also did a fun writing exercise that I post excerpts from later.
Last Friday I ran into one of my former students after class who started to cry on me and gave me a hug. She said that I was the best English teacher she'd ever had, that we'd learned so much more than just speaking. It moved me more than I can truly say - she's so sweet and was so obviously emotional in a way I'd not expected at all. We took photos together after she'd wiped her tears and promised to see each other soon "on the Internet."
I only friend my students on the book of face after they are my students. It's easier that way.
But the funny bits from the vault!
We learned that one of our cohort had to get reconstructive surgery on his nose twice after it was messed up in a fight with his friend. He'd called it plastic surgery, but we learned nuance of the two types (Note: These are folks that have a hard time talking about past events with nuance but they totally get the difference between elective and non-elective surgery). Anyway, it fit into our discussion of medical vocab, what to say at the doctor, etc. This guy explained that they had to take cartilage out of his ear to put into his nose and now the tip of his nose is hard, not squishy.
Imagine a classroom of folks all pushing on the tips of their noses at the same time.
It gets funnier.
As we're pondering these facts, another pipes up: "So, can you use your cellphone like this?" He puts his hand in front of his nose and mouth, the speaker being next to the nose. Laughter begins but escalates when our surgery recipient agrees and says: "Yes! And I put my earphones here" pointing to his nostrils.
We all lost it. It was a great ending class with lots of photos, a few tears. We also did a fun writing exercise that I post excerpts from later.
Last Friday I ran into one of my former students after class who started to cry on me and gave me a hug. She said that I was the best English teacher she'd ever had, that we'd learned so much more than just speaking. It moved me more than I can truly say - she's so sweet and was so obviously emotional in a way I'd not expected at all. We took photos together after she'd wiped her tears and promised to see each other soon "on the Internet."
I only friend my students on the book of face after they are my students. It's easier that way.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thoughts on pain & death
That's quite a downer of a title, isn't it?
But these are things that are circling in my head right now: I'm at a great cafe in my neighborhood getting ready to do some writing work. The barista I remember from a few visits ago - her friend had died and she was looking to go back home to Florida for the funeral that weekend. I gave her a hug before I left and wished her well. Then today I asked how it went - as with most funerals it sounds like a cathartic experience, one she said was really spiritual and moving. That there's a connection between that group of friends that wasn't there before - it makes me think of Billie and what happened when he died in such an untimely way in 2004. There's something about losing a friend (or hearing about the loss of a friend) that makes me think about mortality in a more tangible way.
I survived my first MRI today as well - the narrow tube was like a spaceship and I kept my eyes firmly shut on the advice of a friend who'd had one before. Deep breathing served me well and now I have a crazy CD of pictures of my spine... Perhaps now the doctor types can tell me why I want to cut off my right hip because the pain gets so bad. Here's hoping.
Next post will be more entertaining, I promise.
But these are things that are circling in my head right now: I'm at a great cafe in my neighborhood getting ready to do some writing work. The barista I remember from a few visits ago - her friend had died and she was looking to go back home to Florida for the funeral that weekend. I gave her a hug before I left and wished her well. Then today I asked how it went - as with most funerals it sounds like a cathartic experience, one she said was really spiritual and moving. That there's a connection between that group of friends that wasn't there before - it makes me think of Billie and what happened when he died in such an untimely way in 2004. There's something about losing a friend (or hearing about the loss of a friend) that makes me think about mortality in a more tangible way.
I survived my first MRI today as well - the narrow tube was like a spaceship and I kept my eyes firmly shut on the advice of a friend who'd had one before. Deep breathing served me well and now I have a crazy CD of pictures of my spine... Perhaps now the doctor types can tell me why I want to cut off my right hip because the pain gets so bad. Here's hoping.
Next post will be more entertaining, I promise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
