nonsensicalsandwich-blog

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

He introduces a character named Lee to explain adverbs. I always encourage my students to figure out and keep in mind how they learn and all I can say is THIS IS HOW I LEARN. I love this. Kudos, dude.

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

How many of you had had near death experiences? How many of you have been in a taxi in a foreign country? I think about 50% of my most harrowing travel experiences were in taxi cabs. While trying to distract myself from imminent peril, I talked to many drivers and got tons of great recommendations and mad safety tips. Which means this activity is crying to be used in all my classes. It's current, easily applied and has a fun possibility for movement. I can just see my Air Force classes pretending to drive each other around and crash into people. Dave's ESL Cafe does it again.

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

The Atlantic's Netflix-Genre Generator

If you want some interesting writing prompt material, try out The Atlantic’s Netflix-Genre Generator. I had a lot of fun trying it out, and you should stay for the writing. Alexis Madrigal has a brilliant piece explaining the whole thing. Below are a few of the genre/prompt ideas I got while trying it out. Note: I definitely don’t recommend some of these, especially the last one…

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

When I’m thirty I’m going to look like I’m fifty. And I’m going to be fat, really fat like Nico, because I will be full of experiences!

I kind of loved this quote from Jessa on last week’s Girls.  (via rachelhills)

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations…If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won’t exist because you’ll have already shut it out … You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.”

Mae Jemison, first African American woman in space (via thatssoscience)

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Do you have a girlfriend? Does she like you? Let’s see how she likes you when you quote that with your question, just write the whole question as you stated it. Then tell me how it goes tonight.

"Girls" executive producer Judd Apatow • In response to a question from a journalist at a press panel for the show. Here’s the whole question, verbatim, directed to star Lena Dunham: “I don’t get the purpose of all the nudity on the show by you particularly. I feel like I’m walking into a trap where you go, ‘Nobody complains about the nudity on ‘Game of Thrones,’ but I get why they’re doing it. They are doing it to be salacious and, you know, to titillate people. And your character is often naked just at random times for no reason.” (via shortformblog)

More about the bizarre way Americans view nudity later...

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

I've been trying to brush up on recent Spanish cinema. So far I've watched:

1. Primos directed by Daniel Sanchez Arevalo

This is by far my favorite Spanish movie to date. In fact, I've watched it three times since I first saw it last month. A student recommended it to me and she really nailed my taste. I explain it as The Hangover in Spanish, only intelligent and funny. The premiss, a rather stupid one hence the Hangover comparison, is that a man (Quim Guitierrez) gets left at the alter and to gather himself he goes to his pueblo with his two cousins. One of his cousins is played by Raul Arevalo and does an outstanding job playing.... I'm not telling you, you have to go watch it NOW!

2. La venta del paraiso by Emilio Ruiz Barrachina

I don't know if I liked this movie so much because of the immigrant theme, or the cross-dressing theme, or the broke-but-generous theme. It can't hurt that it's set in Mardid. Possibly I enjoyed it because of Ana Claudia Talancon's eyes. It is your typical laugh while you cry dramadie, and while I had most of it figured out by the end there was more than one thing I remain confused about. Guess I'll have to watch it again.   

3. Los pasajeros amantes by Almodova

A 2013, Spanish take on Airplane! 

4. Solo para dos by Roberto Santiago

Cute movie about a married couple who run a hotel for couples... she wants a divorce and he wants things to be the same. Always. Forever. 

5. Las brujas de Zugarramurdi by Alex de la Iglesia

Think Dark Shadows meets a botched hold up with a kid involved. Then add a really strange computer animated goddess of fertility. Yeah. I have no idea either. 

6. Una pistola en cada mano by Cesc Gay

The eight main characters are men in the throws of mid life crises. Stir them up. Add a couple of sexy women with really small roles. Stir some more. Add a cocktail party where things should wrap up, but they don't. Simmer. I liked the beginning where the guy cries and admits that he sees a therapist. There's nothing wrong with a man crying. 

Photo from: http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film824758.html

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Step 1: notice that grinds my gears=rubs me the wrong way (yay new idioms) 

Step 2: think of all the books that have pictures from the movie on the book cover/dust jacket

via 9GAG 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Listening Practice 

Step 1. Listen to the video a few times and write down exactly what you hear.

Step 2. Listen to it with your eyes closed and see if you understand more than you did the first time.

Step 3. Watch the video with the subtitles and see if what you wrote down was correct.

Step 3. Count how many times it took to watch the video to understand everything and count how many times you cried while watching said video. 

Step 4. Do the assignment! Write a letter addresses to who you are grateful for and then call them and read them the letter. 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Is it strange that he reminds me of myself? He also rubs me the wrong way sometimes. I hope I don't imitate students! 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Did you know that scientists studying Global Warming have lavish boats and are paid to trick us into thinking that there is no such thing as climate change? How do we know?BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE! Also, we can shoot anyone as many times as we want because we are free. This is for you Advanced M/W class. 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

I miss men taking up too much space on the train. I even miss the upholstery. 

Boston

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

How do you learn languages? I like to listen to ridiculous/entertaining music and write down the lyrics word for word as I hear them. No shame about mistakes. I fix them when I'm done and I look at the lyrics online. Then I sing the song a million times and I learn words, phrases, and collocations without seeming to do a lick of work. Not only does this help with recognizing vocab and syntax, but it helps me produce language like no other method. I can look stuff up on Word Reference all day long, but I only say it if I've already sung it a million times. I haven't actually done that with this song, but I just went to Sevilla so I thought it would be fun. Also I'm going through a Miguel Bose phase. That's all I've listened to for 2 days. I might need help. 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Night #1 in Cordoba and I asked reception where I could get the best food in the city. He said Santos for a cheap pincho de tortilla. I answered with more than a bit of doubt in my voice "That's the best food in the entire city?" Obviously I did zero research before going to Andalusia. It was without a doubt the cheapest, most filling and utterly delicious meal I've ever had. In fact, I would go back to Cordoba tomorrow and eat nothing but that for a week if I could. There I also met some newlyweds. The husband, a Boston enthusiast from Dallas, was an older gentleman. The wife was a Madrilena with a beautiful accent. They met at an English exchange retreat in the Spanish countryside. After chatting them up, I wandered around the Mesquita for a bit before taking a turn down one of the smaller side streets.

I stumbled upon a restaurant offering a free Flamenco show. I figured free meant you pay for dinner, but as I waited for a table I got the usual "Solita?!" and the bartender said I could stay as long as I wanted. The musicians took a break shortly after I arrived so I ordered a cerveza and stood at the bar watching the waiters. First an old man in a coat began helping the waiters serve drinks and tapas to the people at the bar, then one of the guitar players started cutting jamon serrano for various tables. I was ready to jump in there at any moment. I was only called upon once to change some money, but I'm sure I would have been a great help if it came down to it. When things calmed down the musicians got their food and drink and hunkered down next to me. I got the unavoidable "Porque estas sola..." But they didn't wait for a response. Instead they started commenting to each other while staring at me. What they said I will never know. They proceeded to laugh hysterically to each other several times. I assume at my expense since they were still looking in my direction, but I couldn't understand a single word. What I did get was:

"When we try to go to the bank, they shut the doors." 

and

"What are you doing after this?"

and

"Do you want some croquetas? But don't ask what's in them."

I knew exactly what was in the croquetas and I was also fairly certain of what I would do after, but the other comment was a little harder for me to wrap my head around. They were gypsies sure, but to me they looked like everyone else. Also, to me it was completely out of context. Better than the incomprehensible conversation, I liked the fact that the one who wasn't serving ham to the guests was singing during his entire break. Granted it lasted an hour and half so he needed something to do. 

After the break they started singing and playing again. Almost all the restaurant patrons had left at this point so the old man, who I found out was the owner and an ex-matador, and I sat down at a table. As did a beautiful waitress who kept getting up with her friends to dance flamenco for two second intervals. The waitress and friends would cheers with me anytime they made a toast and all I had to do was look up and I would get more beer, bread, and ham. The helpful guitar player kept making moves to end the show, but the singer would start another song, with or without the help of his partner. When they really did wrap everything up we spilled out into the street, some still singing. Everyone exchanged kisses and went our separate ways. 

This picture has nothing to do with that night. This is the flamenco tableau I went to the following night with four national champion dancers. They were flawless. I guess perfect doesn't suit me. 

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

I got one of those links from my last post here. Thanks! After two years I'm still fuzzy on how exactly people give credit on tumblr.

Did you know I have a web comic? It’s about idioms.

Check out RANDOM! every Monday as we teach you a new idiom in every comic. Follow the crazy adventures of Joe B Gamble and friends as they use regular idioms in extraordinary ways. 

I also post it to my DeviantART a week later. Enjoy it there too!

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Helloooo winter break homework! I'm looking for sites that my students can use on their own to learn idioms. The first blog has some of the most common. 

This one is interactive and super clean, but only has a few: http://www.grammarmancomic.com/comics/idioms.html

The last one has a ton of cartoons, but I honestly haven't heard some of these idioms. I'm by no means the queen of idioms (that's my mother), but I definitely know a boatload: 

http://randomthecomic.smackjeeves.com/

[nonsensicalsandwich-blog]

Una cartita sobre mi vida

Una cartita sobre la vida de Julia

Yo nací de dos padres muy cariñosos. Vivíamos en una casa cerca del mar y del transporte publico. Yo tuve una infancia estable y poco traumática. Me gustaba jugar y tenía mucha imaginación. Siempre creaba historias largas con mis juguetes, cuentos de princesas, amor verdadero, familias idílicas etc. También escribía poesía, tal vez porque leía poesía con mi padre o sino porque tenía tanta imaginación que no podía seguir las reglas de la prosa. Ahora me hace falta porque quiero escribir pero no me salen las palabras. Solo de vez en cuando hay una raya de inspiración y me fuerza a escribir. Si yo escribo sin la inspiración de las musas, siempre termina fatal. A veces, cuando estoy pensando, yo imagino libros enteros, pero si en este momento me da pereza sacar un cuaderno para escribirlo, olvido todo en dos segundos.

Me hace gracía el hecho de que soy profesora de inglés. No aprendí a leer hasta que tenia 9 años. Luego no tenia problemas, podía leer libros mas grandes que todos mis compañeros de colegio. Por otro lado, yo sigo siendo muy tonta a la hora de escribir una palabra. Mis alumnos siempre me ayudan cuando tengo dudas en gramática también.

Es mi meta, o mejor dicho es la cosa mas importante de mi vida aprender siempre. Por eso yo bailo salsa, estudio idiomas y soy profesora. Mis alumnos siempre tienen algo que enseñarme. En el futuro yo quiero enseñar inglés y luego tal vez querría ensenar Español a niños en un colegio, pero solo cuando yo hable mejor. También voy a intentar ayudar a inmigrantes en mi barrio. Me han dicho que tengo una cara que inspira la confianza, querría utilizar esa y mi imaginación para el bueno.  

(P.S. I know this isn't the most interesting thing you've ever read, but it was homework and I figured I'd share my Spanish writing abilities, or lack thereof.)