ARMCHAIR TRAVELLING:"NEW" COUNTRIES OLD CAPITAL CITIES

Time was when students had to learn all the world capitals by heart. For instance, Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia and now it is the capital of Serbia. In fact, there have been so many social and political changes recently that we have to make a constant effort to update our knowledge.
Will you please join the"new" countries with their capital cities?

A)CROATIA                                MINSK

    BELARUS                               RIGA

    SLOVENIA                              SKOPJE

    SLOVAKIA                              ZAGREB

    MOLDOVA                              LJUBLJANA

    ESTONIA                                  BRATISLAVA

   ARMENIA                                 TALLIN

   LATVIA                                      CHISINAU

   LITHUANIA                               BAKU

   AZERBAIJAN                           SARAJEVO

   MONTENEGRO                       VILNIUS

   MACEDONIA                             YEREVAN

   BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA       PODGORICA

   GEORGIA                                   TBILISSI

B) RESEARCH PROJECT: Oral presentation in class. Fact file about each country and capital.

C)UNSCRAMBLE THESE ANAGRAM CITIES IN SPAIN:

 

REAL BACON

LOOTED

CALIENTA

ENVIALEC

SERENO

BASTAS NI SE NA

ALLI VES

NEJA

NOL CASTLE

LA GRISACE

D) WHAT IS THE PRESENT-DAY NAME OF THESE ANCIENT TOWNS:?

 

RAGUSA

CAESARAUGUSTA

CONSTANTINOPLE/ BYZANTIUM

PORTUS CALE

OLISIPO

ACCI

COMPLUTUM

LEGIO

SEXI

TULAYTULA

GADES

MAINAKE

E) Name TEN towns, villages or cities which have changed their names for political reasons:i.e. Stalingrad,El Ferrol del Caudillo,Leningrad,Leopoldville,etc..

 

AWFUL PLACE NAMES TO LIVE IN:

FUCKING (AUSTRIA)

HELL (MICHIGAN)

BORING (OREGON)

BASTARD(NORWAY)

BOLLOCK(PHILIPPINES)

CONDOM(FRANCE)

CRAP(ALBANIA)

CUNT (TURKEY)

HOOKER(ARKANSAS)

POO(INDIA)

SEMEN(BULGARIA)

SHIT(IRAN)

FLEATOWN(OHIO)

GUARROMÁN(SPAIN)

GRAVESEND (KENT, ENGLAND) HAPPY BOTTOM, UPPER THONG, WILLEY

KAGAR & REPENTE (GERMANY)(Thanks, Platero..)

......

F) WHAT´S THE PRESENT-DAY NAME FOR THE COUNTRY IN  AFRICA ONCE CALLED  ALTO VOLTA?

G) NAME THE TEN MOST POPULOUS CITIES IN THE WORLD

H) WHERE DO THE WORDS CITY AND STREET COME FROM?

I ) PROJECT: THE IMPACT OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ON TOWNS AND CITIES. ONGOING MIGRATIONS.

J) SICK CITIES: TOKYO, SEOUL, MEXICO CITY, SAO PAULO,....

K) PURPOSE-BUILT CITIES.i.e.: BRASILIA, ST. PETERSBURG,etc,...

L) FROM THE EARLY VILLAGES TO THE NEW MEGACITIES or MEGALOPOLIS: GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

M) which CITIES ARE HOME TO OVER 20 MILLION PEOPLE NOWADAYS?

N) which FAMOUS CITY WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE ONE MILLION INHABITANTS in 27 A.D.?

Ñ) RESEARCH PROJECT: FIND OUT THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING PLACE NAMES:

MONTEVIDEO

GUADALAJARA

DUBLIN

ACAPULCO

ADDIS ABABA

BANGKOK

BEIJING

COPENHAGEN

JAKARTA(formerly known as Batavia)

BRUSSELS

 

A little bit of magic. Telepathy. Think of a capital city.Write its name on a piece of paper Put it in an envelope  and I will guess the name of the city 100% sure....A capital prediction: Effect: A capital city is chosen. Inside an envelope that has been in full view, is a paper naming the city selected. The secret for this trick to work you will need some paper and some envelopes...(an idea from MARVIN´S MINDBLOWING MAGIC)

                   

O)CAN YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN  THE FOLLOWING PLACE-NAMES?:

                                   LUANDA    & RUANDA

                                 LEON            &   LYON

                                UBRIQUE      &    JUBRIQUE

                                ARCHITE       &     PARCHITE

P) THINK about the places in America(North, South and Central) which bear names exactly the same as in Europe; for instance: Córdoba, Granada, Alburquerque,York,...

Name at least TEN

Q) NAME ten car makes which bear the name of some famous places, towns or cities;i.e.: SEAT IBIZA,MARBELLA,CÓRDOBA,TOLEDO,ALHAMBRA, FORD GRANADA...

R) Name TEN BOYS´NAMES AND TEN GIRLS´NAMES WHICH REFER TO PLACES.i.e.: WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, SHERWOOD.....

                         PETRA, PALMIRA DAKOTA,VIRGINIA,...

S) Why do you think many Spanish SURNAMES are place names: MADRID, BARCELONA, MURCIA, VALENCIA, CÁDIZ, ÚBEDA, BAEZA, JAÉN,etc..?

  T) English SURNAMES  behave  similarly: LONDON, LINCOLN,HAMILTON, CARLISLE, KIMBERLEY,LENNOX,DERBY,etc..WHY?Where on a map would you situate each one of these places?

U) PLACE NAMES AFTER FAMOUS  PEOPLE: BOLIVIA after SIMÓN BOLÍVAR;COLOMBIA or COLUMBIA after COLÓN...NAME TEN OTHERS ....

V) DRAW  a comparison between between HO CHI MINH CITY (Saigón)& VATICAN CITY

W) Which TEN famous cities whose names contain the word "city" do you know? For instance: Panama city,NYC...

X)Name TEN famous songs which refer to a place,town or city, for example:Blue Bayou, San Francisco, California, Massachusetts,Sevilla,... 

Y)Name TEN GHOST TOWNS; i.e.: Belchite, Peñarrubia,etc..

 

FACES & PLACES PROJECTS: 

Z) WHICH FAMOUS PERSONALITY -(IES)WOULD YOU ASSOCIATE WITH EACH ONE OF THE TOWNS or CITIES ABOVE? i.e.: Granada= Lorca; Sevilla=A. Machado;Barcelona= Gaudí;etc...

`^)In which country are we ? We´ve visited :Timisoara,Dobruja,Maramures,Iasi,Constanza,Galati,Botosani,Bisirita, Deva,Petrosani, Alexandria ( I won´t tell you the capital city)

&)Final Tasks: Write a composition about the places you visited on your end of term school trip.Give as many facts and details as possible or

Advantages and disadvantages of city life versus country life .

Make up your own advertising slogan for your town or city as in the examples below:

So Special, so Attractive, So Soul stirring, So Sotogrande

Magic, Marvellous, Magnificent, Málaga

Near, Exciting, Romantic, Joyful, Amorous= Nerja 

 

NAME  at least five countries which end with  -STAN, such as  Afghanistan,.. 

 

To sum up, kindly find the present-day name for these Roman towns in Britain:

 

VINDOLANDA

LONDINIUM

GARRIANONUM

CLAUSENTUM

MAMUCIUM

DEVA

DUROLIPONS

DUBRIS

VERULAMIUM

VINOVIA 

 

GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES derived from NAMES of PLACES: (where are they situated?)

a jersey

an ulster

DENIM

TWEED

CALICO

BALACLAVA

JODHPUR

MANILA SHAWL

CASHMERE

NYLON  

WRITE 10 PLACE NAMES RELATED TO CHEESE:

 

ex.: PARMA..........PARMESAN

 

 

MIND YOUR P´S AND Q´S(Please & Thank you)

This means "behave well and with etiquette suitable to a particular situation".
The origin of this expression  is controversial. One theory holds that in the reign
of Louis XIV when big wigs were worn and bows were made with great formality, two things
were specially required, a step with the feet-pieds- and a low bend with the body or tails
of the wigs -queues-.
P´s and Q´s have also been linked to the practice of publicans who kept an account of
how much beer their customers drank by marking pints ander "p" and quarts(two pints)
under"q". Customers were well advised to keep a check on their"p´s" and "q´s" to avoid
being overcharged when it came to the final reckoning.
Whatever its origin, good manners make a gentleman, so they say; and being polite and respecting
each other is paramount in human relationships

PLEASE, THANK YOU, EXCUSE ME, SORRY...Little words but how much

they mean, like saying HAVE A NICE DAY; HAVE A GREAT DAY; HAVE A

REALLY GREAT DAY; THAT´S VERY KIND OF YOU;....

 

Let´s see the different uses of PLEASE:

  For requests

Polite questions Can,Could, May..?

Orders with imperatives: pass the salt, please

Giving instructions: Please, sit down

For confirming help: Yes, please

In which other contexts  or situations would you use PLEASE?

THANK YOU

TO ACCEPT: WOULD YOU LIKE A DRINK? THANK YOU

TO REFUSE OFFERS: Would you like some more? No,Thank you

5 WAYS OF SAYING THANK YOU & 5 WAYS Of REPLYING

THANKS..........YOU´RE WELCOME

THANK YOU.....NO PROBLEM

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.......NOT AT ALL

THANKS A LOT...........DON´T MENTION IT

THANKS VERY MUCH.........MY PLEASURE

 

In which other contexts  or situations would you use THANK YOU?

 

EXCUSE ME

YOU SAY EXCUSE ME:

BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING TO GET SOMEBODY´S ATTENTION

TO SHOW THAT YOU´RE SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING SOMEBODY

TO ASK SOMEBODY TO MOVE SO THAT YOU CAN GET PAST THEM

TO POLITELY TELL SOMEBODY THAT YOU´RE LEAVING

In which other contexts  or situations would you use EXCUSE ME?

 

SORRY

YOU SAY SORRY AFTERWARDS

TO EMPHASISE HOW BAD, STUPID or EMBARRASING SOMETHING IS

TO SHOW THAT YOU FEEL SADNESS, SYMPATHY BECAUSE SOMETHING

BAD HAS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE.

TO SHOW DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT A SITUATION

In which other contexts  or situations would you use SORRY?

 

Think about the recent rise of verbal aggression...

Courtesy costs nothing and opens up many doors, which expressions would you

eliminate from your vocabulary (eff-off) and which polite expressions would you use more often(do/would you mind)?

Would you give up your seat to a pregnant woman on a crowded bus/the MÁLAGA metro?

In which other situations could you show you are an educated,polite individual?

Remember the senior citizen´s view of education as all about manners, which are being lost

in the face of new technology.. 

Final task: Make up a situation in which you use Excuse me, Please, Thank you & Sorry...

Ideas from Brewer´s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable; Lock ,stock and barrel, Past times;

and Lynne Truss´s talk to the hand

 

 

100 QUESTIONS ON DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS

          Human relationships are very complex issues and teenagers in particular can be contradictory and difficcult to deal.(LIFE JUST AIN´T THAT SIMPLE). Sociology, Social Anthropology, Psychology and a host of other disciplines may shed light on our personal behaviour. The questions below have been gleaned from my students´ questionnaires, from What the hell is he thinking? by Zoe Strimpel, and from John Gray´s famous book Men are from Mars Women are from Venus:

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES YOU LOOK FOR IN A PARTNER?

ARE YOU A MISOGYNIST/ A FEMINIST /HAPPY WITH YOURSELF/A MASOCHIST/ A SADIST?

ARE YOU A PATHOLOGICAL ROMANTIC/JEALOUS/POSSESSIVE/LIAR?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT/BITE/FAIRY TALES?

WHAT´S THE BIGGEST THING A PARTNER CAN DO TO SCARE YOU OFF?

DO YOU THINK A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP MEANS THE END OF FREEDOM or GIVING UP YOUR INDEPENDENCE?

DO YOU HAVE COMMITMENT PHOBIA?

DO YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AND BE HAPPY?

WHY AND WHEN WOULD YOU CUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP OFF?

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP BEFORE  HAVING SEX?

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE BEHAVE WEIRDLY?

HAVE YOU MADE MISTAKES IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

DO YOU FEEL GUILTY/ANGRY/SAD/WORRIED/MYSTIFIED/FRUSTRATED/ EMBARRASSED/HURT/ASHAMED/MOODY/WANTED/SCARED/BORED/MISERABLE/SORRY about LOVE?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST DATES STOPS?

WHY CAN BREAKING UP BE SO DIFFICULT/ SCARY?

DO YOU LIVE IN YOUR OWN DREAM WORLD WITHOUT FACING REALITY?

ARE YOU THRILLED BY A NEW CONQUEST?

ARE YOU SELF-DISCIPLINED? IS YOUR CONSCIENCE IMPORTANT?

CAN YOUR CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AFFECT YOUR LOVE LIFE?

DO YOU AVOID ARGUMENTS?

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR PARTNER BEING TOO ATTACHED?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION AT SCHOOL?

 

HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN A FRIEND TELLS YOU THAT YOUR PARTNER HAS CHEATED ON YOU?

WHAT DO YOU DO, IF AFTER SOME  SERIOUS DIFFERENCES/ IF YOU STILL LOVE YOUR PARTNER AND/ YOU STILL WANT TO MAKE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WORK?  

DO YOU WANT TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION IN A RELATIONSHIP? ARE YOU MANIPULATIVE?

WHAT,IN YOUR OPINION, IS A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP?

WHAT´S SO SCARY ABOUT MOVING IN WITH SOMEONE?

DO YOU SLEEP BETTER SHARING YOUR BED WITH YOUR PARTNER?

HOW IMPORTANT IS CLEANLINESS/NEATNESS TO YOU?WOULD AN UNTIDY LIVING PARTNER TURN YOU RIGHT OFF?physical appearance?

DO YOU FACEBOOK/TEXT SOMEONE INTO A DATE?

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND or DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER? WHICH OF THESE PROVERBS DO YOU AGREE WITH THE MOST?

WHY DO SOME PARTNERS SAY THEY DON´T WANT ANYTHING, THEN KEEP RINGING/ CONTACTING YOU?

DO YOU  PLAY HARD TO GET? HAVE YOU EVER?..

CAN YOU CONTROL YOUR DESIRES?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR FEELINGS TOWARDS SB?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE STUCK IN A RELATIONSHIP?

HOW DO YOU KNOW A RELATIONSHIP IS GOING TO BE SERIOUS?

DO YOU FIND IT HARD TO BE ALONE?

WHY DOES SOMEBODY GO OFF HIS/HER PARTNER?

WOULD YOU ACCEPT YOUR PARTNER´S SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE EASILY?

DO YOU ENJOY FLIRTING/PLAYING WITH FIRE?

WOULD YOU ACCEPT A ONE-NIGHT STAND?

DO YOU THINK IT´S FEASIBLE TO GO FROM FRIENDS TO LOVERS ?

ARE YOU UNDER PRESSURE?

DO YOU TEND TO NURTURE HOPES BASED ON VERY LITTLE/ ENJOY BREAKING PEOPLE´S HEARTS?

CAN YOU BE BEST FRIENDS WITH A PARTNER WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ATTRACTION AT ALL?

WHY CAN´T SOME PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR MUMS/DADS OUT OF THEIR REATIONSHIP?

WOULD YOU CHOOSE SOMEONE INFERIOR AS A PARTNER?

WOULD YOU EVER DATE YOUR PARTNER´S BROTHER/SISTER?

DO YOU EVER FANCY YOUR PARTNER´S FRIENDS?

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT MEETING A PARTNER´S FAMILY?

DO YOU TREAT YOUR PARTNER LIKE AN OBJECT?

WOULD YOU LIKE A SYMBIOTIC,DO-EVERYTHING TOGETHER-STYLE OF RELATIONSHIP?

ARE YOU, IN ANY WAY, INTIMIDATED BY YOUR PARTNER?

WOULD YOU MIND DATING A PARTNER WHO WAS STUPID IF he/she WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL?

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU THAT YOUR FRIENDS THINK THE PERSON YOU´RE DATING IS ATTRACTIVE?

ARE YOU RESILIENT?

DO YOU FEEL OBSESSIVE ABOUT ANYONE? ARE YOU OBSESSED WITH AN IDEALIZED VERSION OF THE EX, AND NOT FACING UP TO REALITY?

ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY REPRESSED?HAVE YOU GOT STIFLED EMOTIONS?

WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE POSSESSIVE LONG AFTER THEIR RELATIONSHIP ENDED?

DO YOU RESPECT YOUR PARTNER´S FEELINGS?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN INTENSE BATTLE WITH YOUR OWN BASIC INSTINCTS? HAVE YOU MADE PEACE WITH THEM?

HOW SOON AFTER ONE RELATIONSHIP ENDS DO YOU CONSIDER IT O.K. TO ENTER ANOTHER ONE?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A PARTNER WHO HAS or(NOT) GOT MUCH EXPERIENCE?IS INEXPERIENCE (UN)ATTRACTIVE?

WHAT´S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF EXs A PARTNER CAN HAVE SLEPT WITH FOR YOU TO FEEL COMFORTABLE?

DO YOU PREFER QUANTITY OVER QUALITY?

DOES IT MATTER TO YOU HOW RICH OR POOR A PERSON IS? ARE YOU A GOLD DIGGER?

DO YOU FANCY YOUNGER PARTNERS? ARE YOU A CRADLE SNATCHER?

DO YOU GENUINELY WANT TO GET MARRIED IN WHITE?

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOUR PARTNER HAS SIMILAR INTERESTS TO YOU?

DO YOU LIKE PARTNERS ON A DATE TO BE TALKATIVE or QUIET AND MYSTERIOUS?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING SHOPPING WITH YOUR PARTNER?

ARE YOU SENSITIVE/SENSIBLE?

WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE SINGLE AND HOPEFUL THAN MARRIED AND HOPELESS?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT I MISS MOST..........

Many of my students come from abroad: their parents have left their homes for more prosperous, more tolerant countries. They bring their own cultural background with them and try to integrate by becoming a member of the new community they are in. Their human experience has both a dual and a contradictory nature. Like poets they sing about their loss..as they miss the things they do not have.
This powerful homing instinct is deeply rooted in all languages:"morriña"," saudade", "hiraeth"(Welsh).
homesickness, nostalgia,...
SO, what do we miss?

I MISS MY CHILDHOOD/YOUTH

             THE STONES OF HOME

             THE SMELL OF THE WOOD SMOKE/ FIRE

              THE SOUND OF THE RIVER

              MY CAT/ MY DOG

              THE SMELL OF RAIN/ FRESHLY BAKED        BREAD/    EARLY MORNING COFFEE/

               THE SOUND OF A DOWNPOUR

               MY MUM´S/ GRANNY´S COOKING

                THE SONG OF FROGS AT NIGHT

                THE NIGHT BARKING OF DISTANT DOGS

                THE SIRENS BLARING

                THE GENTLE GREETINGS OF COUNTRY FOLK

                THE FREEDOM OF WALKING     BAREFOOT/NAKED

                THE CAREFREE LIFE I ONCE LED

  (above all) THE PEOPLE I LOVE  BEST,particularly those who are no longer with me and whose memories accompany me at all times.

(the British miss) MARMITE,BOVRIL,HOVIS,CHEDDAR,OXO,

                               WEETABIX,etc..

What do you miss? Write at least five items:

Inspired by Jan Morris´ Home thoughts from Abroad & Errol Trzebinski´s Barefoot at Shanzu