La bella Italia

          In my humble opinion BBC makes the best documentaries of all TV stations. Recently I stumbled upon a documentary in three parts presenting the pleasures of Italy. As Italia is my beloved country because of its rich culture, delicious, varied food, astounding fashion taste and breathtaking landscapes, I thought I had to watch the movie to please my eyes. It wasn’t disappointing. In each part viewers  could get an idea of one of the three northern Italian regions: Emilia-Romania, Lombardy and Piedmont. There were two hosts of the film: one was a British art historian and the second one was an Italian chef. They traversed those regions in a luxurious car, visited the most delightful monuments, frescos, churches, vineyards teaching us some history of that region of the world. The atmosphere was witty and there was no shortage of amusing situations. The exquisite local cuisine also got its share of the documentary film. At times I could hardly refrain myself from drooling. Moreover, watching gentle Italian sun beams falling on pastel buildings and peaceful, idyllic hills will help you to overcome low spirits caused by autumnal weather.        

 

Thriller

            Once upon a time, there was a coupe driving through the wood. Unfortunately, they ran out of gasoline so they got out of the car and started walking. Suddenly, the boy stopped and asked the girl if she wanted to be his girlfriend. She eagerly accepted. Then, the boy transformed into a werewolf. The girl was terrified and run away through the dim forest. Finally, it turned out to be just a movie which was watched by another (?) couple. They walked out of the cinema because the plot was too drastic for the girl. While they were walking back home, Michael- the boy, started singing about monsters creeping behind their back to scare the girl. All of a sudden, zombies started getting out of tombs. Michael transformed into a zombie too and performed his famous dance with a group of equally well dancing dead bodies. The girl ran away petrified and entered an old, haunted house. The zombies were chasing her. She cowered on the sofa and saw Michael and zombies moving closer. When they were just in front of her face she was waken up by Michael. Fortunately, it turned out to be just a bad dream. 

"Up Yours Caesar"

           I found an interesting animation on the history of English which shows in a humoristic, witty way the lexical enrichment of that language.

Words which originated from the Anglo-Saxon dialects outlasted Roman terms because they related to things used on a daily basis. The conquest of England by Vikings also left some traces on English mostly connected to war and death. During the Middle Ages Latin was used vastly in religious circumstances and in science. In 11^thc, the English elite started speaking French as the Norman king William the Conqueror took the crown. It is estimated that 10 000 English words originate from French which are mostly connected to  jurisdiction, law but also cuisine (beef, mutton, pork). In 16^thc. William Shakespeare invented 2000 (!) new words and phrases and proved that English is a rich and poetic language. Then came Isaac Newton and other physicist who abandoned Latin in favour of their native language to discuss science, anatomy. Later we witnessed the rise of the British Empire, many exotic terms of the colonies found their place in the language of conquerors. For instance the “barbecue” word came out of the Caribbean , “yoga” originate from India, “zombie” from Africa. I would never have thought that the word “nugget” originally appeared in Australia.  Subsequently dr. Johnson’s dictionary of the English language attempted to unify spelling and clarify the meaning of some difficult words for those who were literate at that time. If u want to know the continuation, you should watch that short animation. 

Trip to Brazil- expressions with go

          I was quite bored with my regular office job, so one day, after watching a documentary on Rio de Janeiro Festival, I decided that I wanted a bit more adventure in my life. I went to great lengths to prepare a trip to Brazil. It took a lot of effort to book a flight and a hotel because I didn't speak Portuguese at the time. I had promised my friend to take her with me so I couldn't get back on my world. When the day of our departure came, I went down with flu. My friend called me and asked what was going on, why I hadn't come to the airport. I explained everything to her, fortunately she turned out to be compassionate. Finally we went away 2 days later.

The remarkable life of...

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."

Henry Ford                      

Love him or hate him- Henry Ford is one of the most intriguing people that ever lived.  His life is yet another proof that life writes the best stories. He was born in 1863 in Dearborn, Detroit in a farmer family. His passion for machinery soon developed and he moved to Michigan to study at the University of Michigan. His family was very supportive. He met his wife when he was 21 and they soon had their first and the only child- Edsel. When he was in his 30s he started working on his own, resistant car. Later he won car races multiple times which made him famous and helped attract investors. He fixed himself a goal to provide ordinary American people with cheap, sustainable car and he stuck to it. He considered himself a self-made man, he disdained the wealthy elite and investors whom he liked comparing to parasites. He praised virtues of hard work, responsibility, he condemned alcohol and cigarettes. He used to rise on dawn and exercise every day. His dream came true when he and his team elaborated the T model which turned out to be a huge success, changing forever the way we move. The car was not a luxurious object, reserved for the rich any more. Afterwards, he burst productivity by establishing the first assembly line that revolutionized industry and allowed Ford and his employees to provide cheap goods. Subsequently he introduced the 5 $ per day wages in order to increase demand among ordinary people like his workers. However, he had some very tough periods during his life i. e. when the investors wanted to take over his company, when his was ridiculed during a libel trial when he showed his ignorance. Ford treated his son with disdain, he humiliated him on every occasion. When Edsel suffered from ulcers, his father criticized him for drinking and socializing with the wealthy Detroit elite. Edsel collapsed one day and died because he suffered from a terminal stomach cancer. He didn’t want to show his weakness to his father. Ford was shattered, he strolled alone at night in his big, XIX century mansion.  I’ve chosen Henry Ford because he had such an extraordinary life, bitter-sweet combination of events. He was a fighter, perfectionist, he had never doubted in his capacities and ideas. He was aware of the impact of media so he created carefully and consciously his image. Ordinary people loved him and they instinctively knew that he was one of them. There are many facts that I haven’t mentioned so I recommend watching this documentary on Ford’s life. It features original footages, historian’s opinions and inspiring quotes. 

Some useful vocabulary:

social engineering

amend his ways

exert control

swoop down on Sb

virtuous producer

be part of the social elite

self discipline was critical to his success

endeavor- to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt., (v. i.) To exert one's self; to work for a certain end

injunction-A court order by which an individual is required to perform, or is restrained from performing, a particular act

strip down to essentials

rumors swirl

grow frantic- raving, furious

relieve overcrowding

over the course of x months

take the stand

to disprove the allegations

be under oath

the trial concluded

receive the pass

ideal of a self made man

gush- explosion, run up rapidly

every-man image

the manipulator of the media

reverence

destitute

company funds

backers

not paying dividends

retain the minority control

stockholder

grandiosity

A short reflection on mobile phone

            Like every other device, mobile phone is not good or bad in itself, it's just a technological tool in hands of human beings. I've never heard of a gun going crazy and blowing dozens of people. There always must be someone to pull the trigger. I have never had some major, unpleasant accident when it comes to using mobile phones, most of the time a phone goes off in the middle of a movie and a person rushes to switch it off causing even more noise. However, under some circumstances the use of mobile phone by irresponsible people can lead to car accidents (if we use only one hand to drive), addictions (although there are thousands of potentially addictive substances, activities), hearing deterioration (if we use headphones for hours), cheating using Internet-enabled mobile phones during exams and probably many others that don't come to my mind right now. Nevertheless, we shouldn't forget that this device has many advantages. What would have happened if Kevin had had a mobile phone? Maybe he wouldn't have stayed alone at home...

Through the Looking-Glass

       I read "Through the Looking-Glass" by Lewis Carroll several times when I was a child, so I thought it would be nice to revive its opening scene using a lot of phrasal verbs.

      On a cold, windy and snowy night Alice was resting up in a comfortable, leather armchair and tried knitting. It was quite boring occupation for a young girl so she was spending that evening dreaming away and watching her two kittens play. Because she was slowly falling asleep, she dropped a ball of wool on a carpet. Alice saw the white kitten curl up on her knees. Meanwhile the black kitten tangled all the wool up.  As the evening gradually was drawing on, Alice was thinking about the world on the other side of the mirror which was hanging above a fireplace. All of a sudden, she came up with an idea of checking up if there really was some parallel universe on the other side. She fought down her fears and headed for the fireplace. She climbed up a bit and poked at the mirror...

Autumn Stroll

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Five Card Story: Autumn stroll

a Five Card Flickr story created by Monika

flickr photo by bionicteaching

flickr photo by Serenae

flickr photo by Intrepid Flame

flickr photo by bionicteaching

flickr photo by Serenae

One rainy autumn day three brothers decided to take a walk in a near wood. They had fun jumping over puddles. They picked up some creeping plant to feed their hamster. All of a sudden it started raining and they could see a huge, variegated rainbow above their heads. When they were going back home they picked up some crimson leaves as a gift for their parents. When they returned home their parents were relieved and joyful because they had had no idea where the tree brothers were at the time they were missing. If only they had told their parents about their plans, their parents wouldn't have had to be stressed.

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La Scala- Milan's pride

        I found an interesting video which gives us an insight into a famous Milan opera house- La Scala. According to Gino Vezzini, a member of an association “Amici del Loggione del Teatro alla Scala”, La Scala remains a center of social life and it represents Milan’s artistic and historic essence. He added that it’s not common for a city to be represented by a theatre. A popular saying states that what happens in this opera house is important for the city. Renato Garavaglia, the director of La Scala Theatre Museum explained that La Scala is singular due to its history: Mozart performed his early works there, a group of notorious Italian musicians like Piccini, Verdi were familiar with this opera house. He assumed that every actor feels the history of this place while performing on stage. Stefania Cavallin, a stage designer explained that she and her team were giving the finishing touches to the sets of "Lohengrin". She showed around the theatre's workshops- the place where things needed to decorate the stage are produced. She confessed that she had been working there for 20 years and that was her first premiere as a head set designer. She said that it was an exciting but stressful experience for her.  She started working there by accident and she fell in love with that occupation because it combines a high level of handicraft with her artistic background. Ginno Vezzini let us know that La Scala had been bombarded and severely damaged during the Second World War and it had been the first building to be reconstructed immediately after the war in 1946 which had marked the beginning of a new era. Roberto Nigro, a violinist, avowed that he loves performing with La Scala's orchestra which gives him a sensation of being connected with the director and fellow musicians. He informed viewers that the opera season would be inaugurated on the 7th of December, which is the day of the city's patron saint. That day the elite of Milan gathers and La Scala becomes the center of the music world.

Here's the video: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2013/feb/19/scala-opening-night-peroni-italy-video

200 years of Pride and Prejudice

          Unfortunately I haven't read the book yet but I love that kind of novels, usually I read French ones.  I recently read "Bel Ami" by Guy de Maupassant which was published circa half a century after the publication of Pride and Prejudice. I suppose that book was also made into a movie. I recommend it.

During a class trip to France I had an opportunity to watch the latest screen version of Pride and Prejudice thanks to my friend- a big fan of this book and Keira Knigthley. Unluckily I fell asleep in the middle of the movie probably because I was really tired.

I've seen the two versions of the opening scene and I prefer the second one. The second house is awesome, very warm, beautifully decorated, it's a pleasure to watch the movie due to the loveliness of this residence. It creates a warm ambiance. The girls are so vivid, full of life and charming. Keira Knightley is the perfect choice for this role. She looks so innocent and intelligent at the same time. Donald Sutherland is a very experienced, brilliant actor who incarnated Mr. Bennet.perfectly. Mrs. Bennet seems hysterical and peevish which is a good thing. Maybe I should try to watch again this movie.

Saint Valentine's Story

       St. Valentine's Day is a perfect occasion to propagate the astounding story of this Saint. He was a bishop and martyr who lived in the Roman Empire during the III th century. He was a doctor but his spiritual needs pushed him to become a priest. The Emperor forbade his soldiers at the age from 18 to 37 to get married because he was persuaded that soldiers without families are more devoted to their mission. St. Valentine broke that prohibition and blessed marriages of these young legionaries. As a consequence he was imprisoned, treated with disdain, humiliated. Nevertheless he fell in love with a blind daughter of a warder. According to the legend the girl regained her sight under the influence of St. Valentine's love. Unfortunately the Emperor found it out and sentenced him to death. Before the execution he wrote a letter to his beloved one, in which he wrote: "From your Valentine". He was killed on the 14th of February 269. 

His attributes are birds, roses, goblet, sword. 

He is represented as a bishop holding a goblet in his left hand and a sword in his right hand while he is curing a crippled boy. 

Not many people know actually that he's a patron of patients suffering from epilepsy or mental diseases.

If I were...

If I were an extraterrestrial I would observe humans from my spaceship and laugh out loud. I would have soft blue skin, svelte silhouette, big dark eyes and twelve fingers. If I were far more advanced technologically and spiritually I would choose a few dozens of the most intelligent men and pass on them my knowledge. If I had good intentions I would help humanity by providing new technologies and my advice. I wouldn’t certainly show up openly because it would lead to panic on a global scale.  If my civilization were still in need of energy resources, I would take with me hard coal, petroleum and charcoal. I would also choose some interesting species which couldn’t be found on my planet. However I wouldn't perform a forensic examination of cows or humans.  If I got bored or explored all the planet I would set off on a journey to find new inhabited planets.