Wednesday, December 13, 2006

We have a Winner!


The other day I was browsing through the featured pictures section in Wikipedia when I saw this incredible picture of a match igniting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Streichholz.jpg
My first thought was that I could surely take a similar picture.

When I got home that evening I got out my camera, a tripod, a box of matches and a lighter and took everything into the kitchen. After inventing a system to hold each match, I set the timer on the camera and started taking pictures.

The idea was to light the match just before the camera took the picture. I figured it was going to be just a question of practice and luck. In the first 20 or so pictures you could see either an unlit match or a burning match, nothing to write home about. But eventually I managed to synchronize everything and after getting 4 or 5 “winners” I decided to call it a day.

When I compared my “winners” with the original Wikipedia picture I realized that I was doing something wrong. I had forgotten to use a flash and for that reason there was no visible smoke in my pictures.

The following day I made another attempt and this time, after adjusting the position of the external flash, I got the definitive pictures!


Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Winter

The winters in Madrid are nothing like the winters in Boston. I've been living here since 1980 and I still can't get over the fact that in the month of December I can enjoy the flowers on the outside window sills of my flat.






Friday, December 08, 2006

Mud & Stuff


The first thing I came across today were these mushrooms. They looked like they were covered with some kind of thick substance.



From there I headed straight for my favorite spot to see if I could get myself in the picture.



There were leaves everywhere. The tires of the bike don't make a sound when they roll over this bed of leaves.



There was a bright blue sky which contrasted nicely with the colors of this tree.



For the first time in my life I actually got stuck in the mud. The bike literally came to a halt and I couldn't move it at all. Finally I managed to lift it out of the mud and carry it to dry ground.



I had to use a stick to remove enough of the mud to be able to push the bike to the nearest puddle. I couldn't believe how thick and hard the mud was. Now I understand how they can build houses with it.

This picture was taken at 1.10 pm and I got home at 3 pm so I had to have spent a good hour there with the water and the stick before I could ride the bike again. On the way home I rode through every puddle I could find.

Friday, December 01, 2006

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep

To avoid the dangers of being a weekend athlete I always try to get in some physical exercise during the week. This year I’m lucky because four days a week I have a midday class which I can walk to, 30 minutes each way.



I managed to squeeze in another bike ride to the Casa de Campo yesterday morning. I took my camera with me but since I didn’t have much time nor was I particularly inspired by what I saw I only took a few pictures. I spent most of the time practicing taking pictures of myself. The camera has a semi-detachable display screen.








I was heading back when I heard the sounds of a flock of sheep that are allowed to graze in certain areas of the park and I decided to check it out. There were quite a few sheep but they wouldn’t let me get close enough for a good picture so I had to zoom in from a distance.







Then I noticed a lamb that was all alone and apparently oblivious to my presence. I approached to what I considered the minimum distance to obtain a decent picture. I then proceeded to take successive pictures getting closer and closer for each shot.





For the last couple of pictures I was now on my knees. Well, you guessed it. After all this effort not to disturb this little guy I was now an arm’s length away waiting for him to open his eyes, turn his head and pose for the picture. I started making noises until finally he reacted. The minute he realized I was there he jumped up and ran off.





Here’s a cropped area of the previous picture.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Unseen Beauty

There is so much around us that goes unseen, unnoticed; like the drops of water on these blades of grass.





On my way to the Casa de Campo on this cold, foggy, late November morning I decided that my goal would be to find a lonely tree with brightly colored leaves that nobody would otherwise have noticed and display it here for all to see.





I was taking pictures of this horse path when this rider appeared. It completes the picture and my entry for today.








Friday, November 24, 2006

Casa de Campo


A few kilometers from my house is the “Casa de Campo”, an enormous park just on the edge of the city. There you can find all kinds of people practicing sports or simply enjoying nature. There are people riding bikes, others walking or running. Sometimes I’ve even seen people in roller-blades. One day I happened to see a group of painters with their easels gathered out in a field. Another day I heard a musician playing the bagpipes. It was neat! There are also people on horseback. And what about me? I’m one of the cyclists.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Dictations - Audio - Forums

Listen to this post: http://www.myprofe.com/audio/blog.mp3

I’ve been busy with my webpage lately. For one thing, I’m adding audio and I plan to continue because I think that this is one of the things that was missing. It’s difficult to learn a language if you can’t hear it.

I’ve added a job interview practice section with typical interview questions that you can listen to and practice answering. http://www.myprofe.com/job.htm

I’ve added a dictation section where you can hear and do the same dictations I do in class with my students. http://www.myprofe.com/dictation.htm

And whenever possible I’m linking the topics in the forum to related sections in the webpage, all of which should make the visit more complete and instructive. http://www.myprofe.com/tandem/viewtopic.php?t=110&highlight

I’ve also started participating in a number of other language forums, answering questions and correcting mistakes. This has been both rewarding and frustrating. It’s a question of finding a place where you are welcome. http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/student/viewtopic.php?p=84110&highlight=#84110

One thing that really bothers me is that the majority of these forums allow anonymous posts. Now that’s fine if you’re just going to read what others have written but if you’re going to post a message and request help the least you can do is identify yourself. I don’t even know the first language of the person I’m correcting.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

The Concert

I love my new digital camera. I took this picture of Carlos Jean at an outdoor concert last night. Even though I used a monopod to help keep the camera still I had to take most of the pictures at iso-800 because the performers were moving constantly. My only complaint with the camera is the processing time between exposures even in manual mode.
















exposure: 1/200s
iso: 800
f/4.8
focal length: 71.5 mm
original image dimensions: 3888 x 2592

Monday, August 14, 2006

How not to Translate



You should never use a translating program or a bilingual dictionary to convert a text from one language to another. One reason why this doesn’t work, especially when translating into your first language, is that words often have many different meanings. Your back is a part of your body. You are back means that you have returned. If you back the proposal then you support it. And a back is a large container used in making beer. If you don’t know which of the definitions of back is being used then you can’t translate it.

When translating to a second language you have to deal with synonyms which are not interchangeable. You drink whole milk. There was a total eclipse of the sun. And you have a complete set of dishes. Unless you are fluent in the second language it is unlikely that you will know which word to use.

A translation is a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language.

A translator is a person who speaks two or more languages and can easily convert from one to the other.

An interpreter is someone who mediates between speakers of different languages. Without the help of an interpreter simple, basic communication can be achieved with the help of foreign language phrase books and dictionaries.

Machines have long been used to convert weights and measurements where one kilogram is always 2.205 pounds, one mile is 1.609 kilometres and 100 degrees Celsius is 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The language we use to communicate with each other is not an exact science and that is why it is impossible to build a machine capable of extracting meaning from our words.

Translating programs, a misnomer, are inherently bad because they are incapable of understanding.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Rediscovering Photography


I consider myself a decent photographer. But even though I’ve had some pictures published and I spent a year doing weddings I’m not a professional photographer.

Four years ago this month I bought a very nice compact digital camera which I was very happy with. Instead of taking a couple hundred pictures that summer I took several thousand. However, after the novelty of the digital format wore off I began to miss the creative part of taking pictures that I had with my old SLR cameras.

Now, four years later and a little poorer, I’m about to go on vacation with my new professional digital camera that combines the best of both worlds. I’ve rediscovered photography and it’s even better than I remember!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Spanish Democracy

Yesterday I participated in a demonstration in Madrid in support of the victims of terrorism. They demand to know the whole story behind the March 11th terrorist attacks and they reject the government’s rendition to ETA.

Killing may be justified in a war or if you are living under a repressive dictatorship but it is my understanding that Spain is a democracy. In a democracy you elect your political representatives and you express your opinion at the voting booth.

The easiest way to resolve an important decision like going to war, getting out of a war or allowing a section of the country to become independent is to hold a referendum.

But if you kill someone in a democracy, for whatever reason, you will be captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to pay for your crime.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

On The Radio

I’m enjoying my moment of fame. On Tuesday and again on Saturday I heard someone mention my name on the radio. Yesterday I was at home and managed to record it. You can listen to it at: http://www.myprofe.com/los40.m3u

Monday, May 22, 2006

Good English

I don't know about you but I am fed up with those who claim to know English but then are incapable of carrying on a conversation with a native speaker. Just the day before yesterday I asked a man who supposedly knows a great deal of English what his wife was like and he answered that she enjoyed going to the cinema. In no way was I going to correct him in front of his peers. Had we been alone, I would most likely have said something. It's no wonder so many job applicants are turned down because of poor language skills. Hardly anybody is truly fluent in English nowadays. It seems the more we invest in language studies the less we learn. Could it be that the business of learning has actually turned into a business? If that were the case then learning would indeed be bad for business.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Authentic English

In the past it was only those privileged few who could afford to study abroad or at elite bilingual schools in their home countries that had access to authentic spoken English. Nowadays, thanks to the internet and communications technologies, even the non native English teachers con provide their students with authentic English audiovisual materials to better prepare them for the real world of English speakers.

Such things as regional accents, word stress, pronunciation and the rhythm of the language in addition to phrasal verbs, idioms and common expressions which were next to impossible and boring to teach in a traditional language class have suddenly become easier and more interesting. Having access to material by famous people all but guarantees, with a minimum of preparation, that you will have a successful class.

It is safe to say that the days when students only understood the English spoken by their teachers are long gone.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Foreigner in Madrid

I’ve been hearing my song on the radio more and more lately and it finally dawned on me what this fleeting moment of fame means to me. When you move to a new neighbourhood, or city, or country it takes time to be or to feel accepted. But it’s not only a factor of time. It’s also necessary to take steps to become integrated into the society.

So I’ve come to realize that this song is another one of those events or moments, like when my first child was born or when I became self employed, that makes me feel that I’m really a part of this society and not just another foreigner living away from home.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Carlos Jean


One day a few years ago I got a call on my cell phone from this guy named Carlos Jean. He wanted to know if I could help him with his English. We arranged to meet the next day and we’ve been in contact off and on ever since. I had no idea who this guy was until I mentioned his name to my son who filled me in on the extensive music career of Mr. Jean.

Working with Carlos gave me the opportunity to take my family to his performances, concerts and film premiers. The year that Jean had a weekly radio program on Maxima FM in Madrid my son, under the name of Zeon, was a regular participant.

The English classes with Carlos were almost as varied as his professional career. The last classes we had were dedicated to writing lyrics to some of the songs of his new CD Mr Miracle, which will be released tomorrow, 24th April.

There’s one “class” that I will never forget. We were working in his recording studio on the lyrics to a song called “Have a Nice Day”. There was one spoken part that corresponded to a radio DJ. At one point he asked me to read this section and then, without any explanation, stuck the microphone in my face and told me to read it again. After recording it twice he turned to me and said he would use it in the song. Frankly I thought he was pulling my leg. That was a year and a half ago.

I had all but forgotten about my 30 second recording session when, a month ago, my daughter came running into my room and turned on the radio. She told me they were playing the new single from Carlos Jean’s new CD. I recognised the music immediately but didn’t realise what it was. Just then we heard the “spoken part” and I turned to her and said, “That’s me!”
http://www.carlosjean.com
http://www.los40.com

Sunday, April 09, 2006

You can't TEACH a language!

The education system in Spain has gotten worse and worse over the years with the biggest failure by far being in the area of second languages. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with the fact that most of the teachers are native Spanish speakers. A good teacher, which I will define in a future post, will always be a good teacher!

The problem is the method, how the class is conducted. If, as children, we all learned our native language years before being taught to read and write then why do Spanish students spend the majority of their class time reading and writing? From the moment they enter the language classroom they should be interacting orally in that second language.

A language is something you do, not something you study. Memorizing a vocabulary list is useless if you can't function in a language. You can't learn to swim, ride a bike, play a sport or a musical instrument from a book.

It's no surprise that the biggest impediment for the Spanish university graduate applying for his/her first job is their lack of proficiency in English.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Why Blog?

I've spent the last couple of days wondering why I've started a blog and what I should be writing here. Having had a webpage and forum for years I've ample opportunity to express my opinions. So, why blog? ...

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Getting Started

Victor suggested that I start a blog. We will soon see if he was right or not.