On "new" FEELINGS and emotions..

This unit started as simple practice of feelings vocabulary. I registered the students´feelings when learning a new language from frustration to fluency. Then I learned from Tiffany Watt Smith´s The book of human emotions that there were hundreds of different emotions in various cultures:
RINGXIETY:Anxiety caused by expecting a phone call
HAN:Collective acceptance of suffering combined with a silent wish for things to change
DEPAYSMENT: lack of orientation in foreign places
AWUMBUK: a feeling of emptiness left by guests when they have to leave
HEIMAT: Deep-rooted fondness towards a place to which one has a strong feeling of belonging(German)
TOSKA: Insatiable longing (Russian)
KAUKOKAIPUU: homesickness felt for a place one has never been(Finnish)
YAGÁN: a look between people that expresses unspoken but mutual desire
QUEESTING: to allow a lover access to one´s bed for chit-chat
DADIRRI: a deep spiritual act of reflective and respectful listening(Australian aboriginal)
FENG YUN:personal charm and graceful bearing (Mandarin Chinese)
ILUNGA: being ready to Forgive a first time, to Tolerate a second time, but never a third time.
MBUKI-MVUKI:to shed clothes to dance uninhibited (Bantu)
NGINYIWARRARRINGU: A sudden spasm of alarm that makes people leap to their feet and look about trying to see what caused it.
These examples  come from Tim Lomas´ Positive Lexicography Project and the International Positive Psychology Association, which shows us the cultural nuances and the different shades of meaning of different feelings. Compare the concept of nirvana in Sanskrit to the  joie de vivre or the bon vivant in French.

So let´s plunge into the different standardized feelings:

Thankful appreciative grateful gratified indebted obliged relieved

Thoughtful challenged curious illuminated informed interested pensive reflective deliberative 
meditative ruminative 
Unthinking, thoughtless, heedless, careless, disregardful

Angry aggravated annoyed brooding defiant disgusted enraged exasperated frustrated furious hateful hostile indignant infuriated mad obstinate outraged perturbed peeved pissed off rebellious seething spiteful surly upset vengeful cheesed off about sth

Ashamed apologetic embarrassed foolish guilty humble idiotic mortified regretful remorseful shameful worthless

Confident  hopeful inspired keen optimistic powerful productive strong sure trusting

 

 capable centered eager energetic focused grounded serene peaceful self-confident assured poised

Happy amused cheerful delighted ecstatic elated excited exuberant gleeful high gay merry blithe

joyful mischievous over the moon placid untroubled

Satisfied adequate content mellow peaceful pleased

Healthy, hearty, robust, vigorous, sound

 Friendly sociable, gregarious amicable, affable, chummy, congenial  neighbourly

Confused baffled befuddled bewitched bewildered disoriented flustered perplexed puzzled scattered troubled unfocused

Sad despondent depressed dismal low melancholy miserable unhappy weepy

Loving affectionate aroused caring devoted intimate tender warm lively, alive, vibrant, vivacious,energetic, spirited, feisty, spry, perky, effervescent, bubbly,pert

Hurt abandoned abused attacked belittled bitter cheated  disappointed dismayed disheartened

grieving gypped humiliated mournful sorrowful rejected resentful crestfallen crushed dejected

Scared afraid alarmed fearful frightened horrified hysterical insecure intimidated nervous panicky petrified terrified threatened vulnerable

Uncertain cynical doubtful dubious distrustful hesitant indecisive pessimistic skeptical suspicious

Uncomfortable unsure unsettled shy timid sheepish mousy reticent reluctant uneasy jittery nervous

irritable edgy, touchy,testy, tetchy. fractious

Uncaring ambivalent apathetic bored busy detached exhausted indifferent lethargic lazy

tired unmotivated nonchalant occupied selfish unconcerned

 Wanting empty envious homesick hungry ignored jealous lonely longing lustful

Weak inadequate burdened controlled despairing discouraged helpless hopeless impotent inhibited

lost passive powerless restricted suicidal

Worried agitated anxious bothered restless tense uneasy cross unsettled

Surprised aghast amazed astonished astounded incredulous shocked startled

A)

HOW DO YOU FEEL Today?

A feeling for every single day of the year

I feel sleepy/weepy...

B) Find the connection/interdependence between MIND & BODY and EMOTIONS & FEELINGS

C) Describe the basic feelings shown in emoticons or emojis

D) OVER & UN/UNDER . FUL/LESS Which adjectives can be modified by these particles to enhance or minimize the feelings?EX: overjoyed,undesired, underachiever, undervalued, joyful, affectless...

E) Contrast people´s values. Which country am I referring to when I quote?:

 In the South people are fiery, indolent,passionate, unsteady, independent,zealous, generous, candid.

.In the North they are cool, sober, laborious, persevering,interested, hypocritical in their religion.

(From Thomas Jefferson´s biography Restlessness and Torment)

F) Feel as much as you can; live life to the full .You´ll be a long, long time dead. On a single day you can run the whole gamut of human feelings from indignation to rejection, from being playful and funny to being sulky or brooding..

G ) State 3 situations which make you feel sad/happy/disgusted/angry/surprised/frightened

H) Subjectively give a colour to any emotion: Is Sadness black, blue or grey?

    Happiness is.............   Anger is.............  Fear is............... Surprise is.....................

I)  Seasons;ages and emotions: Which is the season of innocence/maturity/decay?

J) Find out about the urban tribe called "emos" What are their characteristics?

K) Check lexicalized metaphors and poetic language to describe feelings:  Ex: a heart of stone/glass/gold

Give two more examples

L) FEEL TERRIBLE versus FEEL TERRIFIC Beware of false friends and try to find the opposite of the following feelings:

 indignant, exhausted, curious, lonely, hysterical, special. combative, indecisive, guilty,hateful,withdrawn, grumpy,generous,.....

M) Educating your emotions: How many different types of tears/blush do you know? Ex: Tears of joy/pain/anger/frustration/ crocodile/clown/ combotears......

N) In the famous song "Feelings" by Morris Albert give a name to the different feelings expressed in it.

    Do the same with The Bee Gee´s Emotion and Maria Carey´s Emotions

Ñ) Draw a funny face to see if the others agree with the feeling you tried to convey. 

O) I feel v. I feel like   Verbs followed by bare infinitive or-ing form:

 I felt the car stop; I felt the car losing speed

I feel that they will be happy living together; I feel that Barça should win.
 Give other examples using both feel and feel like:

P) Read about Daniel Goleman´s seminal book Emotional Intelligence and  Peter Salovey. Rafael Bisquerra and Oliver Sacks have written on the neurology of emotions. Find some other psychologists who have written about this topic.

Q) Food and emotions. There is a close connection between your daily intake and your feelings about food and even life itself

Finish off sentences like :  Lentils make me feel..............

                                          Steak and kidney pie makes me feel..............
                                          Pork makes me feel.....................
                                          French cuisine makes me................
                                          Deer meat/Venison makes me

R) Road Rage is very common: Could you explain why people change their personalities when they are at the wheel?

S) Combat negative emotions and NEGATIVE people: Avoid anxiety, stressors, weariness, loneliness, tension, hatred, envy, fear, grief, dejection,depression, despair, the vanity of egos and emptiness...

T)  In the Middle Ages people believed in the strong connection between MOODS and the natural elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Air...Study the different Humours of long ago. Check how the different natural phenomena may affect our moods: WIND, PERSISTENT DROUGHT/ RAIN, HURRICANES/TYPHOONS, .....

U) Music and emotions

Traditionally music has been regarded as the food of love, it has charms to soothe a savage breast, it brings people together and sets us free. It is a platitude to state that music makes us smarter, happier and more productive. This romantic idealization of music persists as it holds incredible power to move us; it is the doorway to the infinitude of the human soul and expresses humanity´s collectve longing for freedom and brotherhoood. The therapeutic use of music has been widely researched but the opposite may be true. THERE IS MUSICAL TORTURE NOWADAYS Yelling, loud music and light control creates FEAR; Disorientation,Violence....Indeed , there are strong links between music and violence: Remember Hitler´s cultural triumphalism after listemning to Wagner´s music, the musical torture the P.O.W.´s suffered at Guantanamo or Irak.

Mention some songs/groups/type of music which can trigger violent instincts. For example: AC/DC; Metallica,Eminem,Extremoduro,Siniestro Total, Molotov, Grupo Marrano,etc... Hard rock,heavy metal, rap, punk, hip hop or bachata can be toxic for your emotional well-being.

V) ANIMALS and EMOTIONS 

  Which emotional qualities would you associate with a bat, a dolphin, a horse, a parrot, a spider, a whale, an elephant, a turtle,  a toad, a frog, a worm, a wasp, a panda, etc..?

Which emotion is symbolised by  these animals?:

ELEPHANTS= Emotional Intelligence
MULES=
GORILLAS=
SWANS=
CHIMPANZEES=
KOALAS=
PANDAS=
...........

W)
No truly democratic society can exist without the cultivation of certain emotions that teach  people to enter empathetically into other people´s lives.
 We have to analyse the structure of emotions: how we may even harbour aggressiveness towards the people we are supposed to love.(Inspired by The New YorkerJuly 25th 2016  Martha Nussbaum´s philosophy of emotions)

Comment and debate the following topics:

ANGER CONTROL. Is there justified anger?
Towards emotional refinement and aesthetic education
Creative guilt
Admission of our essential vulnerability and the ability to accept our own fragility and needs
Anti Disgust attitudes
Preparation for the surprises of life
Foster more emotional expressiveness in emotionally barren environments

X) Learn about bipolar and OC disorders and how the emotions disease may affect your overall health.
 Is there an epidemic of anger, intolerance, xenophobia, hatred,  gluttony, desperation...nowadays?

Y)Can we ever really know what anyone is truly feeling?

Z) How do you evolve from HATRED to REMORSE; from ANGER to KINDNESS; from REVENGE to SELF-CONTROL or from RESENTFULNESS to THANKFULNESS?

Re Collections

(This is first and foremost a unit to review and practise vocabulary)
People enjoy collecting objects of all sorts. It is a primeval instinct to hoard, to accumulate as many items as possible; perhaps never considering that these objects will outlive the owners, who may use them as substitutes of the “self”. Certain patterns of collection are common among people who have lived through difficult times, poverty or war. These attitudes have a lot in common with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorders). See the Diogenes´ syndrome.

Many things are designed to give us anxiety in our consumer society: whenever you think your collection is complete you will discover some crucial items missing.

Think about your  own immaterial collections:

 My immaterial COLLECTIONS : I´ve been a collector of fears: fear of darkness, fear of my father, fear of freedom, fear of flying, fear of getting pregnant, fear of nakedness, fear of physical violence, fear of smiling without any teeth, fear of being mugged, fear of aches and pains,of death and fear of fear itself.

I´VE ALSO COLLECTED DREAMS, experiences, compliments, insults, illnesses, mistakes and sadness… Speak about the above. Fear /experiences/mistakes SWAP SHOP.

If Numismatics is coin collection, what are Philately, Phillumeny or Deltiology?

MATCH BOXES

POST CARDS

 MOVIE MEMORABILIA

 HISTORICAL MEMORABILIA 

 ANTIQUE TOYS/ DOLLS/CHINA

 METEORITES

ART DECO/NOUVEAU

 EPHEMERA

 SUGAR SACHETS / COFFEE SACHETS 

AIRLINE/METRO/ TUBE/TRAIN/BUS TICKETS 

CONCERT TICKETS  

BANK NOTES 

BIBLES

 PENCILS/BIROS/PENS 

 CALENDARS 

WOODEN MASKS 

CACTUS PLANTS 

POTS 

TEDDY BEARS 

BOOKS

MINIATURES

 FILMS 

VINYL RECORDS L.P.´S 

 VHS/CASSETTE TAPES

VIDEO GAMES 

FLAGS  

MAPS

 SOUVENIRS

VINTAGE APRONS/ CARS

 FOSSILS 

ROCKS& MINERALS

 COMIC BOOKS 

BASEBALL CAPS 

STICKERS 

AWARDS 

 PERFUME 

TRADING CARDS 

CLOCKS / WATCHES 

PINS AND BADGES  

STICKERS 

ANIMALS 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS :Guitars;Violins,.. 

WW2 MEMORABILIA 

MAGAZINES (National Geographic, NEW YORKER...) 

ARCHEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS 

MOBILE PHONE CASES

 BEER/ SOFT DRINKS CANS

 BIKES

 CHAMPAGNE TOPS 

LEGOS

 PLAYMOBIL 

GEMSTONES & CRYSTALS 

JEWELS

 KEYCHAINS /KEYRINGS

SUNGLASSES 

SHOES 

STATUES 

MARBLES 

HELLO KITTY / DISNEY MERCHANDISE

 POKEMON CARDS 

HARRY POTTER MEMORABILIA 

GUNS

 FRIDGE MAGNETS 

 CAR PLATES

BRAS & PANTIES

DILDOS 

BEER BOTTLE CAPS 

CHEWED GUMS

 TV´S 

SILVER/GOLD/ PLATINUM 

SEASHELLS 

HARMONICAS 

FEATHERS

 GLASS (Murano) 

ANIMAL SKULLS

 BATH ITEMS

 FOOTBALL CARDS 

FISHING LURES

  CONDOMS 

COKE CAN RINGS 

VASES  

MICHAEL JACKSON´S /BEATLES´/ QUEEN´S/...MEMORABILIA 

TAXIDERMY : STUFFED ANIMALS

 BUTTONS /CUFFLINKS 

BOARD GAMES 

MODEL AIRPLANES 

FLOWERS

 CHOCOLATE/ CANDY WRAPPERS

 PILLOWS 

CIGARS

 LIGHTERS 

BIRDS / BIRDS´EGGS

  CHEESE 

COAT HANGERS

 MAKE UP 

TROLLS AND LEPRECHAUNS

 PIGGY BANKS 

CONDIMENT PACKETS

 CLOTHES 

WINE BOTTLES 

SWORDS

 HOLY ITEMS

 PAPER FIGURES (Papiroflexy)

 DRY FLOWERS

 MUGS

 LIPSTICK  / LIP BALMS

TOOTHPASTE 

MODEL HORSES

 REMOTE CONTROL TOYS 

TEAS 

BOOKMARKS

 NUTS

 CRUCIFIED INSECTS 

MODEL MILITARY SHIPS

HATS

 MEDALS 

RINGS 

 DRAWINGS 

DICE 

PAPER CLIPS

 TOWELS

 POSTERS 

PEZ DISPENSERS

 EARTH/ WATER FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES 

THIMBLES 

PAPER/ NEWSPAPERS

 PHOTOGRAPHS

ADD TWO MORE TO THE LIST ABOVE

INSANE or IMPOSSIBLE COLLECTIONS:

HUMAN HAIR (FAMOUS STARS´HAIR FROM THEIR EYEBROWS/LEGS..)

POOP

SEX TOYS/ PORN

DIRT

FINGERNAILS

SWEATY SOCKS/ UNDERWEAR

NAZI PARAPHERNALIA

PIZZA BOXES

PROTECTED BIRDS´EGGS
GARBAGE

GIRLFRIENDS/BOYFRIENDS

ADD TWO MORE;

BEHIND AND BEYOND NAMES

What´s behind your name and surname?

Decades ago there were hardly any foreign students in our schools. Nowadays about a quarter of the school population was born in a foreign country. We´ve witnessed some crucial demographic changes and have welcomed many students from nearly all countries. This unit is a tribute to those children and teenagers who had to leave their home countries and found something a bit better under the andalusian sun.

You probably know that the most common Spanish surnames are:

GARCÍA

GONZÁLEZ

RODRÍGUEZ

FERNÁNDEZ

LÓPEZ

MARTÍNEZ

SANCHEZ

PÉREZ

GÓMEZ

MARTIN.

The most common Christian names for men are:

ANTONIO

JOSÉ

MANUEL

FRANCISCO

JUAN

DAVID

And for Spanish women:

María

Carmen

Josefa

Isabel

Ana María

Mª Pilar

Mª Teresa

Ana

Mª Dolores/ Loli

In both English and Spanish there are names which can be used either for a boy or a girl:

BORJA

REYES

FRAN

CHRIS

PAU

SAM

JORDAN

ALEX

DANNI

LES

PAT

BOBBY

MADISON

MORGAN

JAMIE

1. FIND OUT THE COUNTRY THESE SURNAMES ORIGINATED FROM:

ARIDI DADDUK

KHAMAL BATTIKI

PFLIPSEN

MOZZI

TANAKA

O´HANLON

MAC LAREN

DUVIGNAC

IQBAL

VAN DER HEIDE.

2. Christian names which ARE also SURNAMES:

PALOMA

ESTEBAN

MARCELO

MODESTO

OLIVA

LORENZO

JAIME

FELIX

BAUTISTA

BENITO

AMADOR

DOMINGO

PAZ

VENTURA

LEÓN

ORIOL

Etc…Find two more.

3. Some English surnames have A DIRECT EQUIVALENT IN SPANISH.

ABBOT……….

BARBER……….

CURTIS……….

WOLF………..

HILL……………

JEROME……..

KING……….

QUEEN……….

PAGE………..

PORTER………

COOK.............(We´ll miss you John)

4. Upper-class families have long used English double-barreled or even triple barreled surnames. Try to find some Spanish ones:

VANE-TEMPEST-STEWART

LANE-FOX-PITT-RIVERS

ELLIOT-MURRAY-KYNYNMUND

ANDERSON-CARTER-JAMES

EX: ALVAREZ DE CIENFUEGOS……

5. There are seven types of surnames:

OCCUPATIONAL: Smith, Carpenter, Silversmith, Porter,..

DESCRIBING A PERSONAL CHARACTERISTIC: FAIR, BROWN, SHORT,..

FROM AN ENGLISH or SPANISH PLACE NAME :KIPLING,MASLOW

FROM THE NAME OF AN ESTATE:NORTON, MURCIA,..

FROM A GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE: BRIDGE, LAKE,forest; HILL…

PATRONYMIC or ANCESTRAL:JOHNSON,HOWELLS,ANDERSEN,..

SIGNIFYING PATRONAGE: HICKMAN, KILPATRICK,..

6. Find five English or American surnames which are in common everyday use in Spanish.

Ex: Osborne,…….

7. What´s behind these names, which became nouns or adjectives?:

WEAPONS:

MAUSER

COLT

KALASHNIKOV

GATLING

DERRINGER

LUGER

REMINGTON

WINCHESTER

SHRAPNEL

STEN GUN

TOMMY GUN

UZI GUN

OBJECTS:

BIRO

BLOOMERS

CONDOM

GUILLOTINE

LEOTARD

TARMAC

PRALINE

TEDDY BEAR

WELLIES

TUPPERWARE

WRITERS & FICTIONAL CHARACTERS:

ORWELLIAN

KAFKAESQUE

CLERIHEW

QUIXOTIC

ROMEO

SPOONERISM

FAGIN

MICAWBER

ROBINSON CRUSOE

ROBIN HOOD

SCIENCE EPONYMS:

AMPERE

CURIE

DIESEL

FAHRENHEIT

FERMIUM

GALVANISE

GAUSS

GEIGER

JOULE

NEWTON

BECQUEREL

OHM

CELSIUS

COULOMB

ANGSTROM

AVOGADRO

WATT

VOLT

MAXWELL

CHEMICAL ELEMENTS NAMED AFTER SCIENTISTS; (See if you can guess who they are after):
CURIUM
EINSTENIUM
FERMIUM
GADOLINIUM
HAHNIUM
LAWRENCIUM
MENDELEVIUM
RUTHERFORDIUM

PLANTS:

BEGONIA

BOUGANVILLEA

CAMELIA

FREESIA

FRANGIPANI

FUCHSIA

GARDENIA

LOBELIA

MACADAMIA

MAGNOLIA

MARIGOLD

SEQUOIA

WISTERIA

DISEASES & SYNDROMES:

DOWN´S

ALZHEIMER

PAGET´S

CREUTZFELD-JAKOB

PRADER-WILLI

KAPOSI´S SARCOMA

PARKINSON

HODGKIN

ASPERGER

TURNER

8. Find out ABOUT the original people who gave their names to the following:

BOYCOTT

BRAILLE

CYRILLIC

DERRICK

GUY

HOOVER

JACUZZI

LYNCH

MACKINTOSH

SADISM

MASOCHISM

RAMBO

MATA HARI

GUINNESS

i)What follows is just a list of some of our students´ surnames. Try to classify them according to their original countries (This task is more difficult as in the USA Spanish surnames such as Rodríguez or Lopez are becoming part of American culture):

OSLIKOVA
HEIMER
BAUER
KENIRY
SIEGEL
PEARSON
BOUAZZOUNI
CHAKOUBI
MGUAMGUAM
CHEN
LIN
QIANG
NIELSEN
PORTO
JANEIRO
MIZOUARI
COLLICK
YEO
LOCK
BECKER
KRAMPITZ
ROBICHAUD
BADMAEVA
LANGE
ECKERSLEY
WARREN
ALBRECHT
SCHULTE
BAMOHAMED
FUILLERAT
ABONNEAU
BARNWELL

j) Fashions in naming boys and girls have changed.People tend to give their children unisex names,or after famous actors and actresses: Ex: Quincy, Remi,Winter, Ellis, Briar, Indigo,Sage, Sasha, Ray

Find the etymological origin of the following:

AINARA

ADONAIS/ADONIS 
GASTÓN
ARIEL
DENNIS
ABRAHAM
TAMARA
GAEL
AYMEN
ZOUHEIR
JADE
ABRIL/AVRIL
YERAY
SARAY
CIRO
THALIA
MELISSA
ABIGAIL
YAIZA
MIRELLA
JAIRO
GIOVANNI
SHANIA
MARVIN
SABINE
DAWN
VIOLANTE/YOLANDA
YVON
HECTOR
CÉSAR
SABRINA
YASMINA
ARACELI
SHEILA
SHELLEY

k) Find the Spanish equivalent of the following expressions:

ACHILLES´ HEEL
ADAM´S APPLE
CAESAR SALAD
CASSANDRA
SWORD of DAMOCLES
DOW-JONES INDEX
GORDIAN KNOT
LOGANBERRY
LORELEI
MESMERIZE
OCKAM´S RAZOR
PANDORA´S BOX
PAVLOVA
SANDWICH
VENN DIAGRAM

l) See which products are advertised behind these trade marks:

ROBERTSON´S
AVON
BOVRIL
HEINZ
HORLICKS
HP
LEA&PERRINS
WORCESTER
SCHOLL
VICKS
WALLS
WRIGLEY´S
YALE

m) Some Christian names characterize the person or even mark their characters deeply NOMEN OMEN as the Romans used to say:

PRUDENCE
LIBERTY
PEACE/ PAZ
DOLORES
ANGUSTIAS
MODEST
HORACE
VICTORIA
MAXIMILIAN
HOPE/ ESPERANZA
CARIDAD
FE/ FAITH
JULIO CÉSAR.
EVARISTO
INOCENCIO

n) Traditionally feminine Christian names end in -a and masculines in -o. However, this is not always the case as we have some feminine names ending in -o:

ROCÍO
AMPARO
MARTIRIO
SOCORRO
SAGRARIO
PRADOS
LORETO

Add two more

Masculine names ending in -a(s)

WAMBA
DIMAS
WALIA
ELIA
EGICA
LUCA(S)
GORKA
IRA
MATÍAS

Add two more

Ñ) Christian names have featured geographical marks or shrines.See where in Spain you can find the following;

GÁDOR
VALVANERA
CABEZA
FUENSANTA
COVADONGA
ALMUDENA
IRATI
VALLE
GUADALUPE
CASTELLAR
AITANA

o) Name your pet in an original way:

p)ROUND THE WORLD NAMES: Which culture or countries would you associate with the names below?;
ABRAHAM       VLADIMIR     ENZO           RAJIV                        KEIKO
ISAAC                 IVAN              MARCO       RABINDRANATH  ATSUKO
MOSES                FJODOR       STEFANO     PRAKASH              MASANORI

COLIN               ABDELMAJIK  TERJE        HELMUT         MONTSERRAT
GEORGE            DRISS               INA             DIETER            OLIVER
JOHN                 SALIH                BIRGIT       HANS              JORDI

DILMA             GORKA          SOFÍA              COLETTE          SEAMUS
DEVANIZIO    ARÁNZAZU  ARISTOTELES  FRANCOISE    KEENAN
EDSON            UNAI             APOSTOLOS      PIERRE             KELLY

ZSA ZSA                 ISWEL          LAM
LADISLAV(laszlo)  EVAN           CHUN
JANOS                      LLOYD      QUONG

q) Create an anagram from your name and surnames. For instance: GEORGE BEST becomes GO GET BEERS

r) A fashionable name in 2016 can quickly become outdated tomorrow.
    Reflect on the recent changes in naming boys and girls: From Kevin, Oscar,
    Ezekiel,...to Joaquina, Ofelia,Gwendoline, Jennifer, etc..
    The most popular and strangest baby names in 2016 are:
    SANSA, AUDI, TOKYO, BROOKLYN; APPLE, XZAYVIAN, AITANA;etc..

s) Make up your funny combinations of christian names and surnames.Exs:
     Luz Cuesta Mogollón
     Dolores Fuertes Barriga
     Crystal Ball
     April Weeks
     Anita Job
     Barb Dwyer
     Gladys Friday

t) A bit of geography related to Christian saints´ names: Where in the  world would you find...:?

SANTIAGO  (Chile, Cuba,Spain,..)
SAN FRANCISCO
SANTO DOMINGO
SAN JUAN
SAN JOSE
SAN FERNANDO
SAN QUENTIN
SAN JOAQUÍN
SANTAFE
SAN JUAN DE CAPISTRANO
SAN JACINTO
SAN ANTONIO
SAN DIEGO

u) Find the etymology and original meaning of your own name and surnames: Exs:

VIVIAN: Full of life
VALERIE:Strong
SAMANTHA:She who listens
NATALIA:Born at Christmas
CAITLIN:Pure
ALISON:Light of the sun
ABIGAIL:Father´s joy
EILEEN:Light of the sun
NICHOLAS: Victory of the people
EDWARD:Happy guardian

v)Write an acrostic of your name or surnames.Ex: Eve
Every
Vital
Experience

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July -

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,...(Lewis Carroll  Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland)


Regions of Nothingness turn fast with hope,
Ascend to the being as he touches them
Freely and happily like a rock
Asteroid zooming down a slope
Ever the slow avalanche, axis of his orb,
Love´s thief of dusks chocolate and strawberry.....

(Homage to Rafael Pérez Estrada by Jesús Aguado)

w) Historical Dynasties and Dyniceties:

Why are these  families famous?
The Medici
The Borgias
The Windsors
The Kennedys
The Caesars
The Bourbons
The Napoleons
The Ming
The Ptolemaic

x) Tell us about your family nickname or your school nickname.

y) Choose an original name for your future baby, for example,

BOYS: Craig, Florian, Ken, Rudolf, Godric, Quentin, Lucifer,Akhenaton, Tutankhamen, etc..

GIRLS: Asia, Mia, Moon, Niamh, Saffron, Saskia,Delilah, Artemis, Dolly, Nefertiti,Hipatia, etc..

z) names often confused: Madonna-Maradona; Schlegel- Scheler_Schiller; etc..

ç) What would you call jokes....
 What would you call an irishman hanging from a ceiling?
 Sean D´Ólier
 What would you call a bullet that came back?
 Rick O´Shea
 What would you call the children of the corn´s father?
 POP corn
 What would you call an alligator in a vest?
 An investigator
 What would you call a group of unorganised cats?
 A cat-astrophe.

ç+) Some nouns sound better in one language than in another, for instance
Matthew sounds better than Mateo; Does Aurora sound better than Dawn?
Reflect on this and give us some examples and explain why you think it sounds
better in one language than in another...

* +) Some famous writers changed their names to become more appealing.
        Who´s behind these names and surnames?:
        Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
        G.A. Domínguez Bastida
        J. Ramón J. Mantecón
       Mary Anne Evans
       Félix R. García Sarmiento

      Give three other examples:

**+ The school with strange staff names:
RECAREDO
RESTITUTO
ERUNDINO
REMIGIO
MACARIO
FULGENCIO
IRENEO
SECUNDINO
BALBINO
TIBURCIO
EUSTAQUIO
EUFRASIO
SATURIO
PETRONILA
HENAR
ERÉNDIRA
LEOVIGILDO
ALMENDRA

Make up your own list of strange(no longer fashionable) names

**++
Untranslatable proper names from oine language to another:
ANGUSTIAS
DOLORES
AMPARO
COLLEEN / COLLIN
BATHSHEBA

Give two more examples

¡+Ç
Short forms of Christian names:
INA-TINA-MARTINA
FINA-ADOLFINA-JOSEFINA-SERAFINA
ISA-LISA-ELISA-FELISA
ANA_ELIANA-MARIANA
ELODY-MELODY
Give three more examples if you can

?¿ *+ Some suffixes indicate origin,son of: sen/son/mc/mac/ EZ in Spanish.
Guess who the following surnames originate from:


FERNÁNDEZ
PÉREZ
RAMÍREZ
NÚÑEZ
JIMÉNEZ
SÁNCHEZ
ÁLVAREZ
DOMÍNGUEZ
MARTÍNEZ
RODRÍGUEZ

The Unnamable : In Germany very few people are named Adolf, after the tragic memory of the Nazi leader. Which names would you never give your child? As a clue, the following were fashionable names a hundred years ago: Gregoria, Ezequiela, Gabriela, Serafina, etc..

       

            Full Stop.Period The controversy over naming your baby LOBO.
            In the summer of    2016  the Spanish court finally agreed to let a couple name
                                        their new born baby WOLF. What special name would you choose for your
                                        new born baby? Remember ATAULFO means WOLF.
                                        If you can call your child LEÓN or PALOMA, why not LOBO?

 Final After thought project
ALL GREAT NAMES IN HISTORY are CALLED:
JOSEPH,or ROBERTor JOHN or FERDINAND  or ELIZABETH  or MARY  or SOPHIA  or JULIA
EXs: Joseph of Nazareth, Joseph Conrad, Joseph Priestley, José Martí, José Saramago, José Rizal,
         José Zorrilla, José de San Martín, José R. Copacabana, Josep Carreras, Chief Joseph,
           J.Merrick, J.Stalin, J. McCarthy, J. Goebbels, J. Fiennes, J, Brodsky.....
           Find out who they were and why they are important in our history.

Truth is...STRANGER & more SINISTER....than Fiction

 Every day headlines prove that reality is infinitely stranger than fiction because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities and  Truth is not. Life can be full of both pleasant and unpleasant surprises.
The longer you live the more surprises you´ll get as regards to people, ideas  and objects. Literature is full of incredible stories of survival, faith, hope, success, forgiveness,kindness and shocking cruelty all over the world.
Let´s look at some of  these news stories:

FIREFIGHTERS MISTAKENLY PUMP JET FUEL ON FIRE INSTEAD OF WATER

MISSING WOMAN UNWITTINGLY JOINS SEARCH PARTY LOOKING FOR HERSELF

WOMAN,46, BECOMES A MOTHER AND A GRANDMOTHER IN THE SAME WEEK

SCREENING OF NOAH CANCELLED AFTER THEATRE FLOODS

FEMALE-NAMED HURRICANES KILL MORE THAN MALE HURRICANES AS PEOPLE DON´T RESPECT THEM

DISABLED BOY RECORDS BULLIES TORMENTING HIM. POLICE CHARGE HIM WITH ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING

CHINESE ZOO UNDER FIRE FOR DISGUISING HAIRY DOG AS LION

MAN GOOGLES HIMSELF.FINDS HE IS MOST WANTED AND SURRENDERS.

WOMAN INADVERTENTLY BECOMES 87TH BEST GLASGOW ATTRACTION AFTER TRIP ADVISOR MISTAKE,

DETROIT GOES"MURDER FREE" FOR 36 HOURS

DISGUSTED CENTRAL PARK MUGGER REJECTS VICTIM´S FLIP PHONE.

TRUCK CRASHES, SPILLS PENGUINS

MISTAKENLY BELIEVING ONE OF THEM TO BE GAY, TWO HOMOPHOBES ATTACK EACH OTHER.

BEFORE MATING, THE FEMALE GIRAFFE WILL FIRST URINATE IN THE MALE´S MOUTH.

"I MARRIED MY CAT AND IT´S PURR-FECT"

A TIGER BEFRIENDS A GOAT

A TAPEWORM IS FOUND INSIDE A WOMAN´S BRAIN

SHE FOUND HER HUSBAND´S INFIDELITY THROUGH FACEBOOK

MY FAVOURITE PAINTERS ARE ALBERTO BURRI AND EDWARD BURRA

MY FAVOURITE AUTHORS ARE JOAN MIRÓ AND GABRIEL MIRÓ or

                                                           JUAN GRIS AND A. JEAN GROSS

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE: A BANDAGE/A pair of scissors WAS LEFT INSIDE A GIRL´S WOMB AFTER DELIVERY. (Check ten horrible cases of medical malpractice)

There is enough misery in the world, isn´t there? Reality is more sickening, much more shocking .There is plenty of literature on  misery memoirs. Just to recall a few:

 DAVE PELZER´S A CHILD CALLED IT HAS SOMEONE BEING FORCED NAKED ONTO A HOT STOVE

CONSTANCE BRISCOE´S UGLY  HAS THE MAIN CHARACTER BLEACH-SWALLOWING

ARTHUR´S KOESTLER´S DARKNESS AT NOON REFLECTS THE DYNAMICS OF TORTURE AND PRISONER ABUSE.

Just to finish off on a bitter note I´m going to reflect in words the cruelty and brutality of war, the shocking effects of war, any war which opens up a catalogue of human depravation. The end justifies the means and All is fair in love and war so there we are..any type of behaviour can be acceptable to get what you want and demoralise the enemy.....

Horrifying scenes of violence can be seen in many modern films from Stanley Kubrick to Quentin Tarantino, M. Haneke, Gaspar Noe... The following have not been gleaned from a CIA torture manual or from the Inquisition but from a history book depicting the emotional devastation of the Spanish peninsular war fought between 1808-1814, The peninsular war by Charles Esdaile The repetition of  mistakes is the essential characteristic of any war. They are too dreadful to relate in more detail, which would render this as pornographic.

CIVILIAN BOMBING 

Intentionally wounding instead of killing

Backstabbing

Men stoned to death

  "     starved to death

  "     burned to death

 "      boiled in oil

  "     sawn in half

  "    buried up to their necks in the ground and left to die of thirst

  "    had their testicles cut off  and put into their mouths  

  "   used the coffins as wood to warm themselves up, throwing away the skeletons

  "   saw their wives and daughters raped by the enemy

  "   were fed rotten food.
  "   were hacked to pieces alive starting with fingers and toes

Emaciated dogs were eating the corpses of the entire population which had been massacred

Girls had their earrings plucked.

At Fontaneira a woman caught in the streets had her breasts cut off and a heavily pregnant woman was torn open to have her unborn child killed and she herself died bleeding in agony.
Prisoners were forced to dig the hole in which they were to be buried themselves.

 These chapters of the utmost horror and horrid excesses of humankind  are 
unspeakable acts committed by ordinary people...

How are we ever going to redeem ourselves? 
Where are our survival skills and resilience?
Are these our universal wounds or our original sins?
Is it better forgetfulness or the clear remembrance of horrors?
Remember animals are never half as cruel as human beings.
As human beings do we accept defeat and assume other people´s pains?

I simply wanted to awaken  your sleepy conscience.