tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39927979649776314142024-03-23T10:46:13.125-07:00the BlogJobCeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-50783385850949692082007-02-06T07:56:00.000-08:002007-02-06T08:08:32.531-08:00A Poem For My Blog Mates!I Believe <br /><br />I believe- <br />That we don't have to change <br />friends if we understand that friends change.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That no matter how good a friend is, <br />they're going to hurt you every once in a<br />while and, you must forgive them for that. <br /><br />I believe-<br />That true friendship continues <br />to grow, even over the longest distance. <br />Same goes for true love.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That you can do something in an instant <br />that will give you heartache for life.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That it's taking me a long time <br />to become the person I want to be.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That you should always leave loved ones with <br />loving words. It may be the last time you see them <br /><br />I believe- <br />That you can keep going long after you can't.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That we are responsible for <br />what we do, no matter how we feel.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That either you control your attitude <br />or it controls you. <br /><br />I believe-<br />That regardless of how hot and steamy a <br />relationship is at first, the passion fades and there<br />had better be something else to take its place.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That heroes are the people who do what<br />has to be done when it needs to be done, <br />regardless of the consequences. <br /><br />I believe- <br />That money is a lousy way of keeping score.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That my best friend and I can do anything <br />or nothing and have the best time! <br /><br />I believe- <br />That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when <br />you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up<br /><br />I believe- <br />That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to <br />be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want <br />them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences <br />you've had and what you've learned from them and less to <br />do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.<br />Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That no matter how bad your heart is<br />broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That our background and circumstances may have influenced <br />who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. <br /><br />I believe- <br />That just because two people argue, it <br />doesn't mean they don't love each other, And just<br />because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That you shouldn't be so eager to find<br />out a secret. It could change your life forever. <br /><br />I believe- <br />That two people can look at the exact<br />same thing and see something totally different.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That your life can be changed in a matter<br />of hours by people who don't even know you.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That even when you think you have no more to give, when a <br />friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That credentials on the wall do not make<br />you a decent human being.<br /><br />I believe- <br />That the people you care about most in<br />life are taken from you too soon.<br /><br />I believe-<br />That you should send this to <br />all of the people that you believe in.<br /><br />I believe-<br /><br />I just did.Ana Xavierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06633502433572673144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-11768174728842043302007-02-02T06:54:00.000-08:002007-02-02T07:02:39.705-08:00Blog feedbackSome creative work here, particularly photo imagery and creative writing.<br />Aim to work closer as a group (I know you do in the flesh, as it were, but more evident in the blogway).<br /><br />Very successful interviews. When you add film clips, say a bit more about them so people know what they are about to tune in to.<br /><br />All the best with building on this next semester.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-76843338593145149252007-01-31T02:07:00.000-08:002007-01-31T02:09:18.872-08:00Everyone must see this!<embed src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/277085/everyone_must_see_this.swf" width="400" height="345" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br/><font size="1"><br /> <a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/277085/everyone_must_see_this/">The Hole - video powered by Metacafe</a></font>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-11135788523754326532007-01-29T03:10:00.000-08:002007-01-29T03:11:43.362-08:00People just "Plug in" and enjoy it.<a href="<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_WmoCAD6KY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_WmoCAD6KY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>"></a>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-86947687412314698802007-01-29T02:59:00.000-08:002007-01-29T03:09:02.623-08:00Amazing!!!<a href="<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m4kFznK2lpQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m4kFznK2lpQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>"></a>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-54025271462364376182007-01-28T15:22:00.000-08:002007-01-28T15:23:16.789-08:00My LifeI was born in Angola, exactly in the same house as my mum. I find that particularly interesting, because my mum had left Angola at the age of 5. After 25 years she goes back married and a mother of 3 children, get’s pregnant and ends up having her 4th child at the same house she was born! Like my mum I left Angola with my parents and my brothers at the age of 5!<br />As a family we started life in Portugal, but when I was 19 years old, I went to England. I think I needed a new challenge in my life, just like now, enrolling in University at 37, full time job and 2 children!<br />In England I worked mainly in restaurants, starting just by cleaning cutlery to management jobs. During this time I did enjoy some of the best years at my life, I travelled a bit, got married and had my daughter Sophia and my son Tiago. When my children start to grow up without any family around and away from their roots, I and Paulo decided to return home for good. We now feel that our children are happier than ever before and that shows us we have made the right decision.<br />I now work as a secretary and enjoying life in its full, because not only I love my job but I also have the opportunity to do lots of things I wished all my life and never had the courage or support to accomplish them.<br />My favourite sentence is:<br />“This is the 1st day of the rest of my life.” and I really try to live upon this idea of regardless of anything else we just have to do what our heart tells us!Ana Xavierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06633502433572673144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-66949154253626062132007-01-28T15:19:00.000-08:002007-01-28T15:22:22.224-08:00Tea with the BirdsYou never find out what the loners of this world do at home, here you’ll get a better idea!<br /><br />A story with very sharp observations of life!<br /><br /><br />The story tells us about a foreigner woman who lives by herself in a bedsit of a crowded neighbourhood, but she feels as lonely as anyone can ever feel.<br />She lives in her solitarily world until a newcomer rents a next door bedsit. Mr. Tamaoki, a clean and neat Japanese man. They lived the encounters of estrange neighbouring life and due to his silent living style she wonders what would that man would do for his living? She’ll find out the day Mr. Tamaoki invites her for tea at his home!<br /><br />A short, wonderfully observed and skilfully written story that will have you glued to it until its last word!<br /><br />I as a foreigner and having lived in England for a few years can very much relate with the woman in this story. I’ve felt the odd one out for months, because unlike her I was the only foreigner living in the street, so most of my neighbours had, not just curiosity about my life, but a story about it too! I just started fitting in that community from the moment I requested driving lessons from one of my neighbours. This driving instructor was the link between the English community and me. After a couple of years they actually confessed that despite of al things, I wasn’t much different of them!<br /><br />I really enjoyed “Tea with the Birds”, as you probably already realise.<br />Reviewed by Ana Luisa XavierAna Xavierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06633502433572673144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-92155160713140661292007-01-17T06:06:00.000-08:002007-01-17T06:10:14.403-08:00<span style="color:#ff0000;"> <strong>Photo Post nº3</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39Kx3pDTXmH-1kxGnWLDVpGqgMm-tEFZCeIUurdENfTrSx_RHjgMJiAYtDgPlK4iegQQoHQ34s305yzgBfsFwwX2Uh-WuNa2aX8J1goJxEI5oBrylF5X_nO6Ab2fIC-qK5tWkBcMcIcXC/s1600-h/P3110237er.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021000946688570850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39Kx3pDTXmH-1kxGnWLDVpGqgMm-tEFZCeIUurdENfTrSx_RHjgMJiAYtDgPlK4iegQQoHQ34s305yzgBfsFwwX2Uh-WuNa2aX8J1goJxEI5oBrylF5X_nO6Ab2fIC-qK5tWkBcMcIcXC/s400/P3110237er.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> That's me, professional assassin look!!</div>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-67844977813213070852007-01-17T05:58:00.000-08:002007-01-17T06:06:24.000-08:00<strong> <span style="color:#ff0000;">Photo Post nº2</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020999198636881346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 450px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="161" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSY7ZR8GM_F8BDFnk6r1uuLntFzizAHJkHL3ay0IpRZSWhTUMa7DJwyk5XGFc8ir3ntmG6Jz-HFTVa-9HvQViF9yTMYdVZZd08DieB5VRb5BAjyB80-00Fsbyy9BCNsKFoBYKz6Z6QzrD/s400/15_10-06.jpg" width="478" border="0" /> <strong>Here's another photo, this one taken from my kitchen's window.</strong> (Could'nt find the way of posting it with the original, better resolution)</p><p align="center">To be continued...<br /></p>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-6072003686062927832007-01-17T05:56:00.000-08:002007-01-17T05:58:37.789-08:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">First Written Assignment</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em></span></span></b> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">The path to enlightenment or a twisted faith.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">by Rui Freitas<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">I</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">t was a bright sunny day, not a single cloud in the sky, not even the slightest breeze in the air, it was one of those summer days were the only place your body allows you to be is in the beach, or somewhere near the water. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Well that’s what Jackie and her girlfriends were thinking of doing that afternoon, yes, they weren’t that kind of girls who get up at dawn to seize the day, in fact they couldn’t care less what time they woke up, specially when the past night had been quiet tough, they certainly wouldn’t be out of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>bed before 2 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">So as I was saying, the sun was shining, it was desert hot, they were awake, it was time to go to the beach and heal the hangover under the blazing sun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">On their way to beach they stopped to buy a couple of bottles of water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Behind the shop’s balcony there was a greasy old man, brown teeth, rotten breath, lascivious looks in his eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">They got out as fast as they could, living the man to his dirty thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Finally they got to the beach. It was so crowded that not a single grain of sand had been left unoccupied, still, it was an evenly sight compared to their close encounter with that greasy bastard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In the precise moment Jackie was stepping into the last square cm available on the beach, her phone rang.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">-<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Hi mom…Kay mom…bye mom</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">… -<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">What her mom said and what made her go back home, remains unknown, what is known though, is what happened along the way…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It all happened so fast that she thought it was a hallucination, one of those you get from having the sun hitting your head for too long, like a mirage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">As she was walking down the street, a car appeared out of the blue, something was wrong, the car was out of control and before she could have noticed, the car crashed, twisting and turning, ending up in an unrecognizable mass of metal, oil and blood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Has she approached the car she was literally swept of her feet, it was an image that would be carved in every bit of her for the rest of her life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Looking down to the mutilated body of what she reckoned to be a young woman, probably not much older than her, she didn’t scream nor cried, she kept her eyes wide open, almost as if absorbing every sordid detail of that grotesque scene, and right before she fainted, overwhelmed with a feeling unknown to her until now, she mumbled three words to herself, “Now<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> I understand</i>”…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-26161320804359223012007-01-17T05:50:00.000-08:002007-01-17T05:56:42.349-08:00<div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Photo Post</strong></span></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020997055448200610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-7JbSOA_6U7kk0e639Jj-Y4B8to3gVxuDu7No2N7BXzYxTil7HZgJs2b_RlFpQLQ8YOmZeG7qmnm7UhFyprvoGKd0jNeEKHGXVAWj7BeiIgP0qgb65Kea7HzGIILQBOhvKQZD5aYbt58/s400/PC310123j.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Here's a photo I took back in December (new year's eve), in my granfather's home village, Óbidos.</span></p>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-56374608373990987992007-01-17T05:41:00.000-08:002007-01-17T05:50:16.096-08:00<div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">ASSESSMENT TASK 1 TELLING LIVES</span> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><br /></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Stage 1</span>. RESEARCH</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;font-size:14;color:#333333;" ><br style="mso-special-character: line-break"></p></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">1. </span></u></b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The digital story I chose is: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">“Colours” by Eve Green</b> in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Challenge </b>section.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >Why did you choose this particular story?<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >I chose this particular story because I’ve always been interested in the conflicts, doubts and assumptions that grow up inside people’s minds, in this case an “innocent child” with absolutely no idea about what it means to have mixed racial backgrounds, having one of the parents of a different colour. And just out of curiosity, back in April when I had to write a small story for my application to the school of cinema, I focused on a character’s intern conflict very much like this, one finding his own identity, when his parents don’t share the same skin colour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >What did you find interesting?<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >What I found most interesting was the fact that Eve’s son; whom represents children line of thought in general; instantly connects colour to religion, brown people, his mum Eve, are Muslims and white people, himself and his father, are Christians. I think it illustrates beautifully how young, innocent children think, however it leaves us thinking that maybe they think like that because of the racist, xenophobic mentality of the society we live in today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">What did you find out about the life/community of this person?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I found that she comes from Yorkshire, has an East London accent and at the time being is living in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>. She’s also passionate about creative writing and communication between people. About her community, I found that the stigma of racism and depreciative thinking towards different people are still very deeply rooted in our minds, whether it’s <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>, in this case, or any other country. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >What did you find out of cultural interest?<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >Of cultural interest, I believe that everything I said before is valid, the way of children thinking, their instant connecting between colour and religion, their assumptions and doubts that reveal “our” narrow minded society, on a global scale of course. All that little nuances that said by little children reflect just the way everyone thinks in this world of ours, were colour and religion are the most used arguments for starting wars. The difference is that the kids don’t know what they’re saying. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Are there any similarities between you and this person?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The similarities I found between me and Eve are for the most part in the fact that we are both keen on creative writing. Well, she’s passionate about it, I’m just starting to devote myself to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >What do you know about <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>? The Welsh language?<br /></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >I found that the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s culture is strongly influenced by the Celts. Celtic tribes came to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Britain</st1:country-region></st1:place> and settled there long before the Romans could even think about conquering it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>But after the roman conquest, there were the Saxons,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>who pushed the Britons further west to their Celtic stronghold of Wales,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>which explain were the name of the country comes from, “waleas”, Anglo-Saxon word for foreigner. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I also found that the Roman influence is hugely marked in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Wales</st1:country-region></st1:place>, with their</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;font-family:Verdana;font-size:8;color:black;" > </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" >roads, forts, luxurious bath houses, military and domestic artefacts, etc.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" >Wales are also known for being the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" >“<st1:placetype st="on">Land</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Castles</st1:placename>”, unveiling other influence, the <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Normans</st1:city></st1:place>, who were the first ones to build castles there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This small country squeezed into the west shore of the Isle of Great Britain is well known for it’s world class writers, Dylan Thomas and Roald Dahl ( Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as well as their Myths and Legends; their said to be excellent storytellers; in which we find the tales of King Arthur and Merlin the Magician, of kingdoms lost beneath the sea and battles between dragons, of haunted castles and knightly deeds; whose origin doesn’t come only from the fertile Celtic imagination, but also by the inspiration given by Wales beautiful landscapes and seascapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">About the Welsh language, what can I say? It’s the most distinguishing feature of the country, seen and heard every where, this language, (which</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;font-family:Verdana;font-size:8;color:black;" > </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">has ancient roots and is related to the Breton tongue of northern France as well as the Irish and Scottish Gaelic)</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> one of the oldest in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>, is the foundation of its unique identity and culture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:black;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ugXoV6x74VItJK2z9ufMmATnaCSYYxvt_uFPTYNytU4vv9pjRV0xBzPvlTPYac6mrg5meHiHFu2rxkqBGAxF37l_4RE59_-IWKrdPfIOi5DTEcojapf8QWQRGU8t0efMdOBlIdm31o-H/s1600-h/df.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020995586569385362" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ugXoV6x74VItJK2z9ufMmATnaCSYYxvt_uFPTYNytU4vv9pjRV0xBzPvlTPYac6mrg5meHiHFu2rxkqBGAxF37l_4RE59_-IWKrdPfIOi5DTEcojapf8QWQRGU8t0efMdOBlIdm31o-H/s320/df.png" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" extrusionok="f" connecttype="rect"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" title="'" style="MARGIN-TOP: 7.8pt; Z-INDEX: -1; MARGIN-LEFT: 225pt; WIDTH: 225.2pt; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 226.9pt" wrapcoords="-72 0 -72 21529 21600 21529 21600 0 -72 0" alt="An Euler diagram clarifying the terminology. ██ Geographical locations.██ Political entities." type="#_x0000_t75" button="t"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\ANA~1.XAV\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.png" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/British_Isles_Venn_Diagram.png/300px-British_Isles_Venn_Diagram.png"></v:imagedata><?xml:namespace prefix = w ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" /><w:wrap type="tight"></w:wrap></span></v:shape><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">2.</span></u></b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <st1:country-region st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Great Britain</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Britain</st1:country-region>, and The <st1:place st="on">British Isles</st1:place>:</span></u></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">United Kingdom</span></u></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"> <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The <b><a title="United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Northern_Ireland"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland</span></a></b>, usually shortened to the <st1:country-region st="on"><b>United Kingdom</b></st1:country-region> (abbreviation <st1:country-region st="on"><b>UK</b></st1:country-region>) is <st1:country-region st="on">Great Britain</st1:country-region> plus <st1:country-region st="on"><b>Northern Ireland</b></st1:country-region> since 1927.It is a </span><a title="Sovereign state" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_state"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">sovereign state</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> occupying much of the <st1:place st="on">British Isles</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The </span><a title="Constituent countries" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituent_countries"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">constituent countries</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="England" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >England</span></a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Scotland" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Scotland</span></a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Wales" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Wales</span></a></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Northern Ireland" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Northern Ireland</span></a></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Great Britain</span></u></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;color:#333333;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><a title="Great Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Great Britain</span></span></a></span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> (abbreviation: <b>GB</b>) is the </span><a title="List of islands by size" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_by_size"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">largest</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> of the British Isles and the </span><a title="Political union" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_union"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">political<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>union</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> of three nations, these being: <st1:country-region st="on">England</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Wales</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><a title="Great Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >It</span></a> is the largest island <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>of the <a title="Archipelago" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >archipelago</span></a> (sometimes informally referred to as <a title="Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Britain</span></a>).</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><br /><p style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The word "Great" simply means "larger" (no connection with "greatness" in other senses is intended).<b> </b><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Great Britain</span></st1:country-region> may well be a translation of the </span><a title="French language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">French</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> term <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Grande <st1:state st="on">Bretagne</st1:state></span>, which is used in </span><a title="France" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">France</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> to distinguish <st1:country-region st="on">Britain</st1:country-region> from </span><a title="Brittany" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Brittany</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> (in French <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on"><i>Bretagne</i></st1:state></st1:place><i>).</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><a title="Albion" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Albion</span></span></a></span></b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"> is the most ancient name of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Great Britain</st1:country-region></st1:place>. It sometimes is used to refer to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place> specifically. Occasionally, it refers to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Scotland</st1:country-region></st1:place>, or Alba in Gaelic, Albain in Irish, and Yr Alban in Welsh. The origin of the name <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> may be connected with the Brythonic 'Prydyn' (Goidelic: Cruithne), a name used to describe some northern inhabitants of the island by Britons or pre-Roman Celts in the south.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p><br /><p style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p><br /><p style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Britain</span></u></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-ansi-language: EN"><a title="Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Britain</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> is a shortened form of </span><a title="Great Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Great Britain</span></span></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The <st1:place st="on">British Isles</st1:place>:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The <b><a title="British Isles" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >British Isles</span></a></b> is the traditional term used to mean the island of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Great Britain</b> plus the island of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Ireland</b> and many smaller surrounding islands, including the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Isle of Man" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Isle of Man</span></a></b> and, in some contexts, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Channel Islands" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Islands"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Channel Islands</span></a></b> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Jersey" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Jersey</span></a> and <a title="Guernsey" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernsey"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Guernsey</span></a>,</b> which in turn includes the smaller islands of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Alderney" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alderney"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Alderney</span></a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Herm" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herm"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Herm</span></a></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><a title="Sark" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sark"><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: nonecolor:windowtext;" >Sark</span></a></b>). However, the Channel Islands are often not included in this designation, as they are located approximately <st1:metricconverter st="on" productid="12 miles">12 miles</st1:metricconverter> off the coast of northwestern <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region> and are geologically related to mainland <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: #f8fcff; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Due to the changes in the common usage of the word "British" (to mean "of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region></st1:place>") it is a controversial term. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Stage 2</span> WRITING<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I would risk to say that our lives are made of passions, passions that move us, passions that compel us to lose our minds, blinding passions, passions that become the reason of our existence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I’m no different, and from all the passions I have, for the most diverse things, be it a girl, a great book, something given by our grandfather, etc., I’d say that Cinema is one of the most significant, or at least it is at this precise moment the one that has the biggest impact on me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">I’ve always loved movies since I was a little boy, of course I didn’t know that it would play such an important role back then, it was a latent passion, still asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">But it grew on me and soon I would no longer be the boy that was just fascinated by that world of make-believe, where our most amazing and wildest dreams can come to life, no, I would now be that same boy with the will to bring to life those same dreams himself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Because that’s what Cinema is to me, the ability to illustrate dreams, to take you on a journey on that couple of hours where in that dark room it’s just you and the movie, just you and those images that come pouring into your eyes, you sort of become one with it, everything else shuts down, disappears, when the lights are out and the opening credits begin. And it already happened, before you could know it, there you are, immersed in that visual poetry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">That’s what Cinema is to me, a journey, the gift to touch someone’s life at some point, an inspiration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">That’s what I want to do, to touch someone, make them cry, laugh, think, wonder, travel, etc. I want to fascinate and amaze the little boy I once was. I want to make someone passionate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Because what is life if not one passion after another?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">What are we if not passionate beings?...<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;font-size:14;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:14;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p></div>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-87617544856361603762007-01-17T05:12:00.000-08:002007-01-30T10:24:32.619-08:00<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">INCONCEIVABLE – Ben Elton</span></strong> </span></span></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W1l_HvuJ6NE_rpC3zo8dvey03esiL8JcZLoZo4B6eUuwSVnZr0fNfEpxN1HJ-sKLPlqbeIbORdhQde4VBMujGvTGaGjcnHp-a0NQ1JAhrIKHzluGNXaf_ddztIEoKIHUpTMN6KXSTvzh/s1600-h/Ben+Elton.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020989300900894914" style="WIDTH: 66px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 94px" height="88" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W1l_HvuJ6NE_rpC3zo8dvey03esiL8JcZLoZo4B6eUuwSVnZr0fNfEpxN1HJ-sKLPlqbeIbORdhQde4VBMujGvTGaGjcnHp-a0NQ1JAhrIKHzluGNXaf_ddztIEoKIHUpTMN6KXSTvzh/s200/Ben+Elton.png" width="75" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span style="color:#000000;">A Skilfully Constructed and Eloquently Delivered Book!<br /></span><br /></span><br />An intelligent and minutely plotted book! It deals with an infertile couple and the ups and downs of married life. It shows the opposite thinking of men and women. It shows that men can be insensitive and very basic and that women often see the negative side too much... Added to this is a superb humour, which will have you laughing for hours after you read the book, just like only Elton can do it!The book deals with the couple that stars in the novel. Sam and Lucy are desperate to have a baby, and their hilarious, yet fruitless attempts to conceive are often graphically described by Elton. Sam is a BBC executive, yet his career turns for the worst when he is moved to radio broadcasting. He dreams of becoming a writer, but when is chance arrives, he has to deceive and disobey his wife, in order to achieve his dream.Lucy works in an office dealing with celebrities, including actor Carl Phipps, who Lucy almost has an affair with but stops at the last moment. She sees Sam as quite insensitive towards her feelings and not very understanding. However, deep down Sam does care, but like most men, can't show it very well.The plot twists and turns, dealing with the often sad and distressing subject of infertility and its various ways of treatment. It deals with marriage and it's problems. It is one of the very few fiction books that deal with a taboo subject as infertility. Do you want to know more?? Just read the book!<br /><br />Given to me by an infertile couple, “Inconceivable” is the funniest book I’ve ever read. Inconceivable is definitely the next book you should be reading.<br /><br />Reviewed by Ana Xavier<br />English at 10 class<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />End Credits<br />Writer: Ben Elton<br />Genre: Comedy<br />Publisher: Black Swan Books<br />Publishing year: 1999<br />Country: UK<br /><br /><br />Other reviews’ headlines<br /><br />“Extremely funny, clever, well-written, sharp and unexpectedly moving…this is brilliant, chaotic satire merits rereading several times.”<br />Mail on Sunday<br /><br /><br />“This is Elton at his best-mature, humane, and still a laugh a minute. At least!”<br />Daily Telegraph<br /><br /><br />“A very funny book about a sensitive subject… Ben Elton the writer night be even funnier than Ben Elton the comic.”<br />Daily Mail<br /><br /><br />“A tender beautifully balanced romantic comedy.”<br />Spectator<br /><br /><br />“Moving and thoroughly entertaining.”<br />Daily Express<br /><br /><br />Reflections<br /><br />1. How did the reviews help you with writing your own review?<br /><br />All the reviews I’ve read helped me develop new vocabulary, especially in this type of text. There were quite a lot of new words unknown to me.<br /><br /><br />2. What did you learn about the subject you were researching?<br /><br />I’ve learnt that like me there are many people that loved the book and wanted to mention it. Also the film based in the book wasn’t properly directed and didn’t make justice to such good book. Some people that seen the film before reading the book, weren’t interested at all to actually start reading the book! Those people were obviously well impressed with the book.<br /><br /><br />3. How did this help you with your writing?<br />I can actually say, without the reviews I’ve read and the ones the teacher gave us, this assignment would me the most difficult one! The wording is very specific and one that I don’t use in “every day” speech/writing. I now can guaranty that my vocabulary enriched a good few words…. (I know you are expecting that my vocabulary enriched more than a good few words!). I’m trying my best!</div></div></div>Ana Xavierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06633502433572673144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-57937265502883160052007-01-17T05:09:00.000-08:002007-01-17T05:12:49.872-08:00<div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span lang="PT" style="font-size:16;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Carlos Paredes<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;font-size:14;" ><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020986539236923538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FcvXI90k6BtBBg-Mz0dCE8mf1KIu58q7mWzRFTU6boLxR8zyZTrMAOZOEJ0yRFb5JhR0nQd0RA1zA3wtRYNK3lYEXDaECadlaVXD7t4Z6ak9XN7IuvGyXTfHAmkPzAy2KIpHqHY_yDGR/s320/paredes_guitarra5.gif" border="0" /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Carlos Paredes was born February the 16th of 1925, in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Coimbra</st1:place></st1:city>. He was known as<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">: The Master of the Portuguese Guitar </b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> The Man of the Thousand Fingers</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Carlos Paredes was one of the main guitarist and composer to show the world the beauty of Portuguese guitar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Admin" datetime="2007-01-06T22:53"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: none; mso-list-ins: Admin 20070106T2253"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Was the typical <st1:city st="on">Coimbra</st1:city>’s guitarist the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">guitar</i> is from <st1:city st="on">Coimbra</st1:city>, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">tuning</i> is <st1:city st="on">Coimbra</st1:city>’s and even the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style</i> is from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Coimbra</st1:city></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">He started his guitar studies at the age of four with his father, also a famous guitarist, but his main cultural influences were his teachers of piano and violin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: none; mso-list-ins: Admin 20070106T2256"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Admin" datetime="2007-01-06T22:56"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></ins></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In 1934 he moved to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lisbon</st1:place></st1:city> where he developed a very specific type of music, different from all the ones known by the Portuguese public. In 1939 he started to collaborate with a program on national radio. In 1957 he recorded his first single called “Carlos Paredes”.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Admin" datetime="2007-01-06T22:56"> </ins></span>In 1958 he was jailed by the PIDE, due to his opposition to polices of the regime and was known as a member of the Portuguese Communist Party. He was freed by the end of that year, but never could return to serve in the public sector. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In 1962 was invited by the producer Paulo Rocha to compose the music from the film “Os verdes anos”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In 1967 he recorded his first album “Guitarra Portuguesa”, and played with many artists, including Charlie Haden, Carlos do Carmo and Adriano Correia de Oliveira.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">When the regime’s prisoners were freed and seen as heroes by the Portuguese people, Carlos Paredes refused that status and when referred to his time in imprisonment always said: “There were many people that suffered much more than I did”. At this time he returned to his job in public services filing x–rays in one of Lisbon’s main hospitals), performing at the same time in cultural and political demonstrations, but always taking a very low profile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Various works of Carlos Paredes are recorded and we can find them in a collection of 8 CDs published in 2003.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">His passion for his guitar was such that he confessed to a friend that one day during a trip his guitar got lost and he thought of committing suicide! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In the last eleven years of life didn’t play due to a nervous system disease. He died on June 23<sup>rd</sup> 2004, in a rest home and a national mourning day was declared. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Some of his works include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><ul style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type="disc"><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1957 – “Carlos Paredes”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1962 –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Verdes Anos” <o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1967 – “Guitarra Portuguesa”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1971 – “Movimento perétuo”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1980 – “O oiro e o trigo”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1983 – “Concerto em Frankfurt” (recorded live in <st1:place st="on">Frankfurt</st1:place>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1988 – “Espelhos de sons”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1992 – “Asas sobre o mundo”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">1996 – “Na corrente” <o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2000 – “Canção para Titi”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2003 – “O mundo Segundo Carlos Paredes” (complete career)<o:p></o:p></span></span></li></ul><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5"></span>Ana Luisa Esteves Pereira Xavier - 20444<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div>Ana Xavierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06633502433572673144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-91377265083487535572007-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:002007-01-16T17:05:57.148-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWuidYHSOlMz6Y8oh_wXWIm1Bp5V4Q_YnBVaIjod0lps0nFytjwOjyAAkms68MwrHccnH-8X2_xm4GfSO7L8L7ckK2RQB1meoevY3vRpiJjZtoyYDiuThQcZAocVU7cVcne64XSqzqBE/s1600-h/imagesCAAW0RE0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020799254593778002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 151px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="112" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWuidYHSOlMz6Y8oh_wXWIm1Bp5V4Q_YnBVaIjod0lps0nFytjwOjyAAkms68MwrHccnH-8X2_xm4GfSO7L8L7ckK2RQB1meoevY3vRpiJjZtoyYDiuThQcZAocVU7cVcne64XSqzqBE/s320/imagesCAAW0RE0.jpg" width="101" border="0" /></a><br /><div> CARAPACE<br /><br />Two years after speaking with Vijay for the last time, I was married with Anura Perera. After his visit he invited me to go along with him, I regret accepting that invitation every single day of my life. At the beginning he turned out to be quite less interesting than I imagine, still, I was having the life I never had before.<br />I never really understood Anura’s business here in Australia I just noticed he worked mostly at night, and slept during the day.<br />One day he took me out for lunch, he went to “Shells and Spines”, the famous seafood restaurant downtown. The waiter came to our table and asked if we had already chosen, I wasn’t really interested in the food- I just like to go out so I can see new people, and most important of all, so new people can see me- so I asked Anura to order for me, it was then I heard a word long forgotten but suddenly familiar again. “We will have Loku Isso, what do you think darling?” “I don’t know Anura, I guess it sounds fine… yes, yes let me just go to the ladies room and ill be right back ok honey?” I spent the next half hour crying like a baby sitting on toilet!<br />We moved out to a larger house during summer, it had a wonderful garden and was worthy of being called “Palace”. Again I was happy and home didn’t seem so good.<br />Two months after Christmas, on a dark cold night I heard Anura screaming at the gates, it was awful, and you could feel the pain spreading across the air along with the long, loud and sharp sound of Anura’s scream. I wouldn’t dare going out to check on Anura, so I called the police and waited on my steel-marbled kitchen holding a knife. When the police finally came I stepped outside and I found Anura’s cold body lying on the ground with blood all around. “We think some thugs might have tried to rob your husband and he fought back, so he was stabbed to death. I am sorry madam.” Said a detective to me, but stabbed thirteen times? What kind of a beast would do that?<br />A few days later our lawyer Mick Phelps came to my house so we could discuss how my fortune would be spent. “I am sorry madam but all I have from Anura are debts.” I responded “debts? How much? What kind of<br /><br /><br />debts?” I answered, to which he replied<br />“The kind no one wants to have, the kind that cost your husband’s life! He owed the local gambling mob around five hundred thousand dollars!”- I was astonished I fell on me just like a bomb- “What? What about his business?” I asked.” It has been a long time since Anura gave away his business, he was living on bets and thefts.” Mick Answered.<br />I fled in panic and I left Australia never to come again. I went home but I didn’t find anyone so I called my friend Lakshmi to know what happened wile I was away- “Don’t you know? I am so sorry but there was a terrible tsunami a few years ago and you entire family disappeared” told Lakshmi voice on the phone- “I am sorry” it seemed all I heard was “I am sorry”!- “what about Vijay” I asked. “He went after you to Australia, didn’t he meet you there?” replied Lakshmi. I hung up the phone, I just couldn’t listen to anything else.<br />My life was over, so I might as well leave this world.<br />I took a ride to the beach where the hut on which Vijay used to work used to stand, and I just sat on the golden sand waiting for some angel to come and say to me- “I am sorry but you have to come with me!”<br />A voice came from behind me and it said “I am sorry…” – “you have got to be kidding” I interrupted. – “… may I sit by your side?”<br />I turned back and there it was, that simple smile so powerful it was able to make the entire world go away making you feel all it maters is that very special moment in which you are caught, and which you don’t want to end.<br />I was speechless and finally, after sitting and holding me like no one else but he ever had, Vijay said “You didn’t answer my question. Do you want to go to the pictures tonight?” </div>Andre Fachadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002835700734334683noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-36294986587184293642007-01-11T07:41:00.000-08:002007-01-11T07:47:38.465-08:00"Do it Doggy-Style"<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDmegSiDyWxQsWFdPMRLwEAhBF1_QMoRLpM-Xw4JG4cHIG3jUUgA6MSgJSKKuZMvA-QrWYdfynqrfz0A3dcj2-PFO2EMZyQKkSPVEW1NlP3mOwT3hqLRI7XmHK_YL8MmnwDzCuNwycNU/s1600-h/IMG_0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018798985244815682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDmegSiDyWxQsWFdPMRLwEAhBF1_QMoRLpM-Xw4JG4cHIG3jUUgA6MSgJSKKuZMvA-QrWYdfynqrfz0A3dcj2-PFO2EMZyQKkSPVEW1NlP3mOwT3hqLRI7XmHK_YL8MmnwDzCuNwycNU/s320/IMG_0010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div> Meet Goa(on my right) and Jau(on my left), the two coolest dogs in the entire world!!<br /><div></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Andre Fachadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002835700734334683noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-55753674119603358462007-01-11T07:39:00.000-08:002007-01-11T07:41:07.573-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlIjC2nkK8pfDifoOD7Iig8_Kz-qOx2_HCQDhzrb_TLsTeQlkHGMFlTCo6I6-6iYoOwIgLH-nP0inufTmU5cAeWwFh9vzbPMkMuMc4ZQCz3nZZE2yBpoOU0BXoTXwZLdUNiMuK_WQyXI/s1600-h/thumb_big-fishcarro.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018798366769525042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlIjC2nkK8pfDifoOD7Iig8_Kz-qOx2_HCQDhzrb_TLsTeQlkHGMFlTCo6I6-6iYoOwIgLH-nP0inufTmU5cAeWwFh9vzbPMkMuMc4ZQCz3nZZE2yBpoOU0BXoTXwZLdUNiMuK_WQyXI/s320/thumb_big-fishcarro.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Assessment Task 2<br />Reflections<br /><br />I based my review on all the ones I researched. My research was only based on the internet, I used the addresses provided in class as well as in google and wikipedia.<br />I didn’t find any negative review on “Big Fish”, the closest I found where some comments of site visitors whose opinion wasn’t the best. I would have liked to find a professional bad review on the film so I could compare it to all the other ones and then draw my own conclusions from it, since that didn’t happened, my own review has only positive influences (including myself).<br />During my research I found details that I wasn’t aware of, some of them I chose to left out of my review, although they are indeed important. I chose not to mention the producer John August because I considered Tim Burton influence far more significant than the producer himself. I tried to imagine myself reading a review on “Big Fish”, and I would sure like to see a film by Tim Burton, but I think I would pass on the John august production. I also based my opinion on the reviews I saw, the name John August rarely appears; the film was nominated for several awards, including 4 golden globes and 1 Oscar. I left this fact out of my review because one usually writes a review before the nominations; the soundtrack is very good, it granted the film a nomination for an Oscar. I decided not to talk about the musical work of Danny Elfman and Eddie Veder because I consider the contend of the plot to have a bigger impact than the soundtrack. I also based my decision on the fact that the majority of the reviews didn’t mention it; I was surprised by discovering the original novel in which the film was based on, I will surely read it soon. I decided to leave out this information because I was reviewing the movie, and since I don’t know the original novel “Big Fish- a tale of epic proportions” by Daniel Wallace, I considered that mentioning any relation between both would be misleading; I found numerous reviews that related “Big Fish” to another film that I really admire – “Forrest Gump”. After thinking for a while I am forced to agree with the proximity between these movies. I also didn’t mention this fact because I considered to be reviewing “Big Fish”, and not “Forrest Gump”.<br />During assessment task 2 I was able to develop my writing skills. The reason I say this is that I read numerous different writing styles and I had to transfer them all into my own, so I guess I had to create my own style, and to do so I was required to acquire a more profound knowledge in the English language. I have to say that one thing I developed for sure was my ability to use adjectives, it may not show in my review, but in order to use those on the text I had to search for the one which suited the most.All and all I consider that the 3 stages of my work were positive to my knowledge in English.</div><br /><div>André Fachada</div><br /><div></div>Andre Fachadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002835700734334683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-6036831797404049982007-01-11T07:38:00.000-08:002007-01-11T07:39:45.499-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv2WvkNFhUKnF79zatxN5EFr_pm9WyoIcTuu1XZ16La490PhHo_8zLkWvK7xZDKvmn9_I1HaXOl95eQ299da-h1Y8vd9aebjKlQRMp4h5hxvjeWSHhszgrpCcnZPJ7Js1CM9b51PDp3c/s1600-h/thumb_big-fish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018798031762075938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv2WvkNFhUKnF79zatxN5EFr_pm9WyoIcTuu1XZ16La490PhHo_8zLkWvK7xZDKvmn9_I1HaXOl95eQ299da-h1Y8vd9aebjKlQRMp4h5hxvjeWSHhszgrpCcnZPJ7Js1CM9b51PDp3c/s320/thumb_big-fish.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Assessment Task 2<br />Review“Big Fish”<br />The movie tells the tale, in flashback, of a man’s life of discovery on the road in the south of the United States, exploring the relationship between father and son. Edward Bloom (Albert Finney/ Ewan McGregor) is a great story teller who is very sick and about to die. His son (Billy Crudup) visits him and doesn’t have a clue that his sceptic view of his father’s adventures is about to completely change in a touching ending capable to shake even the bravest souls. Throughout the wonderful life of Edward Bloom we can find it all, from giants and witches to bank robbers and naturally… a big fish. The director Tim Burton has in “Big Fish” his greatest work ever; he has created the ultimate fairy tale.<br />Not only Ewan McGregor has a impeccable performance, but also the supporting cast is fantastic, with Helena Bonham Carter, Danny Devitto and Steve Buscemi (among others) playing their roles in a such seducing way that makes you wish the movie never ends.<br />The plot is very intelligent; one can never distinguish reality from fantasy, in what is and always was Tim Burton’s unique style (even though in this film Burton’s usual dark side is replaced by a genius positive way of looking at life.).<br />The characters are found in any fairy-tale, nevertheless Burton managed to create originality in what we know since childhood and made his characters unique.<br />“Big Fish” is an adventure as big as life itself, it is a masterpiece and everyone in any age should see it.<br />I have no negative comments and I only regret not to be able to always face life as Edward Bloom.<br /><br />André Fachada </div>Andre Fachadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002835700734334683noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-7986669897098166302007-01-11T07:29:00.000-08:002007-01-11T07:34:48.542-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXIKvLYqoaoDX83u-wg3S9dJeA_62g9-EyhMfor_cAM9MzyjRa6sVkGwY3T9ORy0wop-CjXDIaKouaTE2CvRY0ie9YUR-ZsR7W7s4i2fJAF4Fo-ivScG_ln209sop18zjnMJc7BDrApI/s1600-h/garrafaperikita.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018796580063129842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 111px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px" height="110" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXIKvLYqoaoDX83u-wg3S9dJeA_62g9-EyhMfor_cAM9MzyjRa6sVkGwY3T9ORy0wop-CjXDIaKouaTE2CvRY0ie9YUR-ZsR7W7s4i2fJAF4Fo-ivScG_ln209sop18zjnMJc7BDrApI/s320/garrafaperikita.jpg" width="346" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Collaborative Research Task<br /><br /><br />Vinho da Península de Setúbal<br /><br /><br /><br />Within the Setúbal peninsula we can find three different kinds of denominations that ensure the quality of the wines produced in the region, the D.O.C. (Controlled Denomination of Origin) Palmela, the D.O.C. Setúbal and the regional Terras do Sado.<br />These wines have always been appreciated, first by the Romans, later on by the English and nowadays the rest of the European and American continents are also surrendering to such magnificent qualities making the production and exports to grow in the last decades.<br />The climate in which the production takes place is typically mediterranian originating red, white, rosé, generous, licorous and sparkling wines of supreme quality with a unique “bouquet” (nose, taste and colour).<br />The main varietals used are the “Castelão”, “Aragonês” and “Periquita” for the reds and the “Fernão Pires” and “Arinto” for the whites.<br />Located south to the Tagus River, the Setúbal peninsula produces some excellent prize winner wines, among the reds we can find the “Periquita”, “Special Reserve Domingos Soares Franco”, “Terras do Pó” and “José de Sousa Mayor”, in the white wines the “JP”, “BSE” and “Albis” and finally dominating the rosés and sparkling wines we have “Lancer’s”.<br />The skill and craft of this region wine producers is unquestionable as well as the superb quality of the wines. Each glass of wine is a wonderful journey that takes you through centuries of experience in wine production, and the variety of unique wines is an invitation to this region.</div>Andre Fachadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002835700734334683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-69341718234292240322006-12-13T11:55:00.000-08:002006-12-13T15:38:12.731-08:00The Last SamuraiMovie review:<br />by Carlos Moreira<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">The Last Samurai: Bushidou</span></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008105353632888434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtTawo9X6NIm3Cv-OvFrrPf5LmEN5gNaKFq8bRivNqLc-w04IF8uL8B3-Q-CnrMyGQmAYG538EIjkTsvzLGoS2pgSagD0F6WAWls5xsUTgu1MB-rE1OE93U1f99jgmdDmW6MlVIMM2dZD/s320/last_samurai_theater_banner%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" />By: EDWARD ZWICK</span><br />“The director of "Legends of the fall" and "Glory”<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">*Here you got the trailer</span> <div><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X5ChsuLjN_8" width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed> <div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Stage 1:</span> Research<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Websites Explored<br />I made some research in some websites and there are some of them:<br /><br />Internet Movie Data Base = </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325710/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325710/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br />Rotten Tomatoes = </span><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.rottentomatoes.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br />Joblo’s Movie Emporium = </span><a href="http://www.joblo.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.joblo.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br />Wikipedia = </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Ken_Watanabe"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Ken_Watanabe</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Sanada"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Sanada</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakamura_Shichinosuke_II"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakamura_Shichinosuke_II</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br />Google = </span><a href="http://www.google.pt/search?hl=pt-PT&q=last+samurai&meta"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.google.pt/search?hl=pt-PT&q=last+samurai&meta</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008145292533774114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="265" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ybn1Fu7qpVGo2_uYrQjr0anFGv-pdnpF3NmWeiz353E1k69TZUwR3Dg1D6_mHpJu8QswgJ5hindH5E3lFOJR0MSOj_6HBl52ncvy0dfnYuY5Ymdy0BG2ZrrnbsdQGskyGJ2s7sYmFPmM/s320/stage+1.JPG" width="369" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">Stage 2</span>: Write a Review </div><br /><div><span style="font-size:78%;">The story begins with a guy named Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruse), has a good rifleman and an expert in training. In the movie Algren is called to Japan to train an army to fight a battle against a group of samurai rebels led by the samurai general Katsumoto (I can say that is brilliantly played by Ken Watanabe).So he arrived in Japan and he met the Japanese Emperor (Shichinosuke Nakamura). The emperor facing the progression of is nation asked Algren to train his army to teach them the new methods of war. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">So Algren start to train them and begins his studies concerning the samurais, almost immediately that he knew what is army was capable of, he was forced to enter in a fight. In the battle, the samurais win and Algren was captured after killing one of the samurai leaders himself, is taken as a prisoner to an isolated village, where he gradually recovers from his wounds. Without knowing he is taken on a strange world that will at first find strange but that he will fall in love, eventually.He lives with the family of the samurai he killed, namely his widow Taka (played by Koyuky, her two sons (Higen and Magojiro) and Katsumoto son Nobutada (Shin Koyomada). </span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">So with a lot of pain Algren gets better and begins to live with this strange people with their strange habits and language so he starts to learn swordplay from a skilled sword master named Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada) and converses with the local residents of the village to be able to learn more and more from them. With the arrival of spring, Nathan begin to like his peaceful way of life but he’s taken back to Tokyo, where he learns that the army is now better organized and outfitted with cannons. So like he fell in love with the samurai’s way he declines the Japanese government's job offer. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:78%;">He also witnesses the brutality of the Japanese soldiers who enforce the new laws. Forbidding samurai to carry swords and have long hair in public, on one of his friends the samurai leader Katsumoto is arrested, but Algren rescues him. During the rescue mission, a very important character (I’ll not say who) is killed. So they return, Algren and katsumoto create a force of swordsmen and warriors to fight against the emperor army and Algren receives a samurai sword of his own. He is also given, by Taka, the armor of the samurai he killed. The samurai plan, with the assistance of Algren, is to make their final stand and to try to “open all Japanese eyes”. When the Japanese army confronts the samurai's forces to put down the rebellion, the samurai start to fight better than the Japanese, and kill many of them. After a savage battle that leaves many samurai and infantrymen dead, the surviving samurai resolve to make a final charge. They charge through the infantry, but it was a suicide attack and it killed almost all samurais. Katsumoto, obeying “bushido” in order to keep his honor, commits suicide, ending his life. The Emperor's soldiers, many of whose comrades have also been killed, show their respect by bowing to the fallen samurai. So Algren, after surviving, went running to the emperor to convince to decline the American ambassadors' offer and the emperor rejected it and like that continued Katsumoto dream to have a unified Japan. Algren then supposedly returns to the samurai village where he was imprisoned earlier and to Taka that he fell in love with.<br />So now I can say that The Last Samurai is a great movie that as Honor as principal subject because the small resume I wrote is only the story that Edward Zwick shown to you in this movie. But the real aspect of the movie is about a man who have seen it all and that is disturbed by dreams he thought he would never get reed of, finds his own paradise in a foreigner land with strange people that live by a code that he started to criticize but that in the end he totally understood and adopted the samurai way instead of the occidental culture and his new inventions. In this movie the director show the spectator not only image but also feelings like honor, duty, compassion, courtesy and others.<br />Concerning the actors Tom Cruise, for me, gets here his best role-play since the beginning of his career, and we have a fantastic role of Ken Watanabe and also I liked the graciousness of Hioryuki Sanada. And for those who are interested to learn more from the Japanese culture, this is a great movie either way I strongly recommend it to everyone...<br /></span><br /></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008106624943208098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1MmcS78sElkFSRCSLMFL-s_ojFM7NZ6JnoS_Hb3hMJcflOOr4B5L4d0pzULTdTM6L-WHgEABLLQF367PIlMXPOZI7faG-nTHD6JNP6yp3fFQ7WLQERno488j_UF0g0Yc9KOjn4ISUX9i/s320/last-samurai-7%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:#000099;">Stage 3</span>. Reflections1. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:#009900;">How did the reviews help you with writing your own review?</span><br />They help me a lot because I was able to see different types of reviews, some of them as more a critic side, other are more like my own review they prefer start to explain the story and show an appellative side. This helped me a lot because I didn’t know who to put the plot, the actors and the other characteristics in a text and so I went research and I discovered that in many movies the reviewers prefer to resume the story and after give an opinion of it.<br />But this method has a catch if it’s a new movie it’s not appropriated because it will spoil the surprise to the viewer but if its movie that already went to sail and already as been shown in TV, I think it’s the best method to make a review.<br /><br />2. </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:#009900;">What did you learn about the subject you were researching?<br /></span>I found that it’s an interesting area that is given a low attention, because most of the people don’t take time reading the reviews (speaking with personal experience), and I found out many things not only about the movies, but also about the director’s and there work, and I was presented with a lot of new actors not to much known that will be in the future the next Brad Pitt or Samuel L Jackson.<br /><br />3. </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:#009900;">How did this help you with your writing?<br /></span>I taught me to express my opinion about something and also, it help me showing me a new type of resume that we have to transcribe a short resume not from a already written story but from images that appear in the movie, in that way we can do a resume according with what we reacted, like or dislike from the story. </span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008107187583923890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9mnTOgPIFkbGRwAmek8eI770HCSZ-noYD6pZ2-8BwnjTD7xYTH5SIcObbHBVG2PfabtLHj55TCpyGtmZhiDJ1Wnch0vcM6qDtiaKB_AyweF3pJtXzq2Y123Ex86WOkxa6zgO0QW6wXNh/s320/537-F-Last-samurai%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Cast:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuXirLNvpAgLZfV2IaQHpITbmvtwAXzAVFDLnESmdf82sYcOag8aFXI5MxGnQn7LKC1-Ae8SgE99KzhDcIdh6pYMf6swVTHuWnKTTBWI4kLXrmQyzoC2pwFOeOK6wgU3H6Q8QpqR0JPgS/s1600-h/The-Last-Samurai-0004[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008108119591827138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="240" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuXirLNvpAgLZfV2IaQHpITbmvtwAXzAVFDLnESmdf82sYcOag8aFXI5MxGnQn7LKC1-Ae8SgE99KzhDcIdh6pYMf6swVTHuWnKTTBWI4kLXrmQyzoC2pwFOeOK6wgU3H6Q8QpqR0JPgS/s320/The-Last-Samurai-0004%5B1%5D.jpg" width="310" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff0000;">Tom Cruise As Nathan Algren</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzmvcRWSEx3imOge3w_9EYrBrq31a-hZSZwSe8Z0lG1PetAjNFtSypS42Zy8w6jWWHVTLEiBFxQP5NJM58ViO-rU0BqF78zoi7dmLiUED_cKBTJLcTguDKAf1tyMQ3f0SnFcNbmaL-uYr/s1600-h/katsumoto+.+ken+watanabe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008109438146787026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="290" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzmvcRWSEx3imOge3w_9EYrBrq31a-hZSZwSe8Z0lG1PetAjNFtSypS42Zy8w6jWWHVTLEiBFxQP5NJM58ViO-rU0BqF78zoi7dmLiUED_cKBTJLcTguDKAf1tyMQ3f0SnFcNbmaL-uYr/s320/katsumoto+.+ken+watanabe.jpg" width="216" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Ken Watanabe<br />As General Katsumoto</span><br />(Winner of prize<br />Best supporting actor)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNBdW8DQxkybrrCnSkRnzu0qiwm64XHw67W5zjnS_sA95QXKmpqNi3SqZtimTExrbmR6OXX4drIgPnYM5kA-SbrK_uiSCTfzsFE_P8ArqiiMvf5-ewUyrfv1ZTODKvuJl8d1yoPvg9fDz/s1600-h/003TLS_Shichinosuke_Nakamura_005[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008117791858177762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNBdW8DQxkybrrCnSkRnzu0qiwm64XHw67W5zjnS_sA95QXKmpqNi3SqZtimTExrbmR6OXX4drIgPnYM5kA-SbrK_uiSCTfzsFE_P8ArqiiMvf5-ewUyrfv1ZTODKvuJl8d1yoPvg9fDz/s200/003TLS_Shichinosuke_Nakamura_005%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNBdW8DQxkybrrCnSkRnzu0qiwm64XHw67W5zjnS_sA95QXKmpqNi3SqZtimTExrbmR6OXX4drIgPnYM5kA-SbrK_uiSCTfzsFE_P8ArqiiMvf5-ewUyrfv1ZTODKvuJl8d1yoPvg9fDz/s1600-h/003TLS_Shichinosuke_Nakamura_005[1].jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff0000;">Shichinosuke Nakamura<br />As the Meji Emperor</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKB73N-QhyphenhyphenadKb6oyBKxnmtp_dB8u8b4tMMYgrTLX5rgOjIeSb87OmyicXbz6dIo-mNZcHpkxEpwbswjIkxbo7nl18JfjaC3L7h3Wo8N39yZyPBudRcjdfqJ11Un3qOaIjAFNFjJ4wD5T/s1600-h/hiroyuki+sanada+.+ujio.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008147663355721538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKB73N-QhyphenhyphenadKb6oyBKxnmtp_dB8u8b4tMMYgrTLX5rgOjIeSb87OmyicXbz6dIo-mNZcHpkxEpwbswjIkxbo7nl18JfjaC3L7h3Wo8N39yZyPBudRcjdfqJ11Un3qOaIjAFNFjJ4wD5T/s320/hiroyuki+sanada+.+ujio.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Hiroyuki Sanada<br />As Ujio</span>, Leader<br />Of Katsumoto Army and<br />The Sword master.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Rw5mGHTtkJey1mIk5UQUrvvqZ-aLl8MmBQ248OOLRAsF-p7NtOE_Jg5dZDKZps4oMgJAzhPPKBs371u2rEEPrfiSRpb7j-VYjCdM0J7eSQ2HZI3XJiOr_hZHtIzstY5GIks6J_mo7FU/s1600-h/Koyuki.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008122812674946818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Rw5mGHTtkJey1mIk5UQUrvvqZ-aLl8MmBQ248OOLRAsF-p7NtOE_Jg5dZDKZps4oMgJAzhPPKBs371u2rEEPrfiSRpb7j-VYjCdM0J7eSQ2HZI3XJiOr_hZHtIzstY5GIks6J_mo7FU/s320/Koyuki.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Koyuky<br />As Taka</span><br />The mysterious widow</span><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J_DJRnO7RwrmRxBIdaMafskLZ8dnq-peuZEK5XM-BBukiR-6xOcxcVzspvpBFUh2TPotarg5OUsxapXtb0y4fDqqpQgHb8GVysm4FeF0efdX0bxH7tzuCnUrhe-AJufloO729sY6UY2b/s1600-h/masato+harada_badguy+omura.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008144394885609234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J_DJRnO7RwrmRxBIdaMafskLZ8dnq-peuZEK5XM-BBukiR-6xOcxcVzspvpBFUh2TPotarg5OUsxapXtb0y4fDqqpQgHb8GVysm4FeF0efdX0bxH7tzuCnUrhe-AJufloO729sY6UY2b/s320/masato+harada_badguy+omura.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Masato Harada </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br />As Omura</span> the emperor<br />Instructor.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /></p><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK1LwUSaAPPRZRWB7GhcDYR7vJXZ3kJ5yz2vrL-MEHLdtRc-53i8tcZnV3-xFD4ePwoh6Ercb6Mq8I48m7K9yiu_tcKZzeCbdY966m1rdMs1W43-mb0XkjSNYSObfmEifnoH19rDBX7if/s1600-h/nobutada++.+Shin+Koyomada.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008152074287134594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="309" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK1LwUSaAPPRZRWB7GhcDYR7vJXZ3kJ5yz2vrL-MEHLdtRc-53i8tcZnV3-xFD4ePwoh6Ercb6Mq8I48m7K9yiu_tcKZzeCbdY966m1rdMs1W43-mb0XkjSNYSObfmEifnoH19rDBX7if/s320/nobutada++.+Shin+Koyomada.jpg" width="168" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Shin Koyomada<br />As Nobutada</span> the son of Katsumoto<br />And friend of Algren<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks9dt96aJf922qNWCmbfXAgL7DhdM35JWD3VSdf0l0ianxbhQY_xetpJPkfCaN579wRVDFQONX9a0ZDmvO4v8SCg-ekgqzY_ws40swoRKQMR03lUvjCTbhhIWI30PhJeSwZRVRuJMUXyi/s1600-h/sosuke+ilkematsu+.+higen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008150321940477810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 245px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 131px" height="131" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks9dt96aJf922qNWCmbfXAgL7DhdM35JWD3VSdf0l0ianxbhQY_xetpJPkfCaN579wRVDFQONX9a0ZDmvO4v8SCg-ekgqzY_ws40swoRKQMR03lUvjCTbhhIWI30PhJeSwZRVRuJMUXyi/s320/sosuke+ilkematsu+.+higen.jpg" width="266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Sosuke Ilkematsu. As Higen</span>, Taka older son and nephew of katsumoto</span>.Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-82936276491934394452006-11-25T10:21:00.000-08:002006-11-25T11:07:58.741-08:00<div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/1600/961451/National%20Geographic%20Wallpapers%20060.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/320/720823/National%20Geographic%20Wallpapers%20060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>On the road<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">For my “on the road" essay I’ll write about an inner journey, instead of a physical voyage.<br />There are many places that we can go many things that we can achieve, but the most important voyage can’t be bought with money or physical effort, the greatest journey that man can do is a spiritual journey.<br />I believe that if a man can be “complete” spiritually he can do everything so for me this is the most important thing; you can connect with the subject “on the road”. Because everyone can do it, you don’t need to have money or to be young; you can do it at any time of your life and without material things like the money in your way.<br />So to all the persons that will someday read this I recommend to make this trip and to feel the “road” instead of walk the road and you will unquestionably learn something.<br />So to finish my “On the road” essay I will put a little piece of a song that in my opinion is badly interpreted, but that I like and for me is related with the essay subject.</span><br /></span><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/320/181506/502_300%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">"Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,<br />My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,<br />My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels<br />To be wanderin'.<br />I'm ready to go anywhere, i'm ready for to fade<br />Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,<br />I promise to go under it."</span></div></div>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-37121877216306861132006-11-15T02:01:00.000-08:002006-11-15T02:06:30.886-08:00"On the Road Essay"<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/1600/Scream-port.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/400/Scream-port.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">“</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Road</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> to </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Oblivion</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Rui Freitas<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The whole idea of “On the Road” can be a very abstract, subjective and ambiguous concept without an ultimate definition, so, based on this premise, of one finding several definitions to it, I’ll take the liberty of telling you a petite tale about a different kind of “on the road”, journey, trip, path, etc., hoping you haven’t thought of it yet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">So here’s <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:city st="on">Alice</st1:City>’s journey, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Alice</st1:City></st1:place>’s own little trip…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 297.0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">A</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">lice</span></st1:City></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> knew it was going to be a very special day the moment she woke up from what seemed to her a ten year coma.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">B</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">ut don’t you think she thought it would be a special day, at least not in the sense of special we always think of when wondering about special things, events, people or , in this case, days. No, her special had a different meaning that day, it carried along huge implications, it was a “special” special.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">S</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">o, how does a girl – Alice or is it Anna, Amy perhaps?- having just woken up one day; an absolutely uncharacteristic day, a day like every other day stuck in our boring routines; suddenly realizes that the day yet to begin is going to be a “special” special day?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">W</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">ell, allow me to bring some light to your clouded thoughts and speculations and explain to you how this special girl’s “special” special day was going to change her life in a very special way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">I</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">t has a quite simple explanation I might say, because that’s the “special” special day when everything to her began to look grey, because that’s the “special” special day her memory got away…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></p><br /><div></div>Rui Freitashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334451804780604053noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-82740231153390173672006-11-15T00:31:00.001-08:002006-11-15T01:03:54.598-08:00Road to Heaven // By Andre Fachada<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/1600/Sem%20t?tulo.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/200/Sem%20t%3Ftulo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Road to Heaven<br /><br />I guess we all are in some kind of a trip some where… I guess we are all on the road towards our own fate.<br />We spend all our lives searching for something, no one really knows what, some say they search for their soul-mate, some try to success, others live for money and there are those who, of course are lost. Nevertheless I think what we really search is for our own private heaven, maybe we have different places to find it – in a woman, in a man, in a job, in “blue bayou”, within ourselves.<br />I always thought I would find it in my success, but life gets turns around pretty fast - one day you are on the top of the hill, the next you are deep down in the mud – and I realized that my life isn’t that simple, or hollow if you prefer, I found out that I don’t depend on myself to be happy, to be in heaven.<br />I think I am one of the lost ones who really doesn’t know exactly what to do in this world, I think I am just on the road to somewhere, still don’t know for sure where, I hope it turns out to be my heaven, I hope that in the end I find myself at the end of a beautiful road like the one on the picture, I hope to find my own personal “blue bayou”! </div>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-69181248618597929332006-11-13T15:32:00.000-08:002006-11-13T15:41:17.268-08:00My road is a river // By Ana Xavier<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/1600/Imagem%20em%20My%20road%20is%20a%20river.doc.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4278/487402095334183/320/Imagem%20em%20My%20road%20is%20a%20river.doc.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>MY ROAD IS A RIVER<br /><br />Here I came with my road theme. The road where I live!My road runs from the riverhead to the outfall (and vice versa). Today is weekend and changes it’s looks, it’s movement and it’s life!My road is just a small village’s road!This morning it was a silent road, but a lovely type of silence. Full of birds and cats on gardens’ walls, they seemed to whisper great thoughts… At it’s margins we see sleeping cars, strangely the road’s magic silence can’t even be disturbed by the empty cars left behind.<br />Normally there is something frightening about a road full of parked cars, without people inside or out, even more when we wait for a while and don’t see any movement. Today was just like that: an empty road, where just empty cars ruled… but nothing frightening! In the shy light where band of small, almost invisible insects appear to dance, gave it an enchanted touch. We could feel the magic!<br />The cars, with no utility lay on the sun. Odd, inert and silent car “bodies”, talking of other moments and waiting for they riders.<br />The sun light when rises swipes the road like wind and for hours continues in a fatal way, leaving the margins without a shade! Yes, the margins, because that what is all about: my road is a river of sun, light, heat, that runs where we can navigate.<br />That is what I do every morning, having a refreshing light bath, following right in the middle of this river that I live with a smile on my lips and warmth in my heart. </div>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3992797964977631414.post-34503937638020487972006-11-07T15:48:00.000-08:002006-11-23T14:02:59.657-08:00Interview with Andre Fachada by Ana Xavier<ol><li><strong>What is your greatest fear?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">To become dependable, i mean, if i loose my fisical or mental abilities i dont think i would be strong enough to move on! </span></li><li><strong>If you could help an institution, wich one would it be?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">the zoo i think, i am one of those who think animals deserve more than humans- they are not evil or preverse as we are by nature. </span></li><li><strong>What is your greatest addiction?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">WAS, i stopped smoking in september, but as they say "a smoker is always a smoker!" </span></li><li><strong>What do you despise the most?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">people who aim to hurt other people and those who do anything at any cost, regardless of those arround them! </span></li><li><strong>What makes you happy?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">my friends, my familly, Bob Marley, Sublime and Xutos&Pont</span>apés.</li><li><strong>If you could live in a different time, what year would you choose?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">the 60's, flower power is a bit used up, but to think that people actually believed that "love is all you need".... i would like to be there to help them not to ever forget!</span></li><li><strong>While abroad, what did you miss the most about Portugal?</strong> <span style="color:#3366ff;">my home town, whenever i remembered Sesimbra, it made me think about everything that was related- friends, familly and who i used to be!</span></li><li><strong>Did you regret your experience (living abroad)?</strong><span style="color:#3366ff;"> in a way i did, i should never have left behind who i did for money, i really do regret it every day. in another way i became much more aware of reallity, i met very special people, some really good friends, and for the first time in my life, some really evil people who eventually became my enemies- this forced me to grow up and stand up against what i think is wrong.</span></li><li><strong>If you were to kill an artist, who would it be? </strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">keannu reeves (personal reasons)......</span></li><li><strong>If you could see an historical event 1st time, what would it be?</strong><span style="color:#3366ff;"> the arrival of Christopher Colombus to America, i would try to tell those poor indian souls who met them to run far away, never never trust any european and to fight them with no mercy! </span></li></ol>Ceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713795367902865581noreply@blogger.com0