Ticket- with traces of history?

I got this ticket on my way to the airport. Take a close look at the last part. This really surprised me! Why do you think they feel the need to write this on the back of their tickets?

Invisible man

Hopefully I have been able to post some pics from NYC by now, but just in case I haven't, I want to show you this. Can you spot the man in this photo? The artist Liu Bolin paints himself to disappear into his surroundings. One photo may take 10 hours to prepare! What do you think is his motivation for this? Do you like it, or is it just silly?

Photos from HonestlyWTF

A famous head

Isn't this photo fab? It is taken in Paris, and shows the head of the Statue of Liberty on display there, before it was shipped to the USA. The statue was given to the USA in 1886 from the French as a reminder of the friendship established during the Revolutionary War.  They agreed that France was to make the actual statue, and the USA the pedistal (the base).

The skeletal framework was designed by Gustav Eiffel (who also designed the Eiffel tower) and it was shipped in 350 pieces to the USA, where it was rebuild.

Good morning from New York!

VS. On New York

VS.

I am leaving you today, to go to New York! I have scheduled posts for the days I'm gone, so you don't have to worry. If I manage, maybe I'll post you some pics from NYC as well. New York is, in my opinion, an absolutely fantastic city. Many people feel the same way, and countless songs have been written about it. Here are two, one old and one newer.

Which do you prefer? Do you hear that Jay-Z is making a reference to the Sinatra song in the beginning of the song? I told you it's a good idea to read and listen to old stuff!

Do you know other famous songs about New York, or other American cities?

(Here is one about Chicago by Kanye West feat. Chis Martin. Isn't it cool? I love it. It sounds like a love-song to a girl, but it is really about Chicago. Do you see any references to the city?)

Grammar goofs!

Today was our last English lesson before your term test, so just to make sure you are well prepared I'm posting these grammar goofs that can easily be avoided if you just take time to read through.

Not the most entertaining post, but sometimes things are easier remembered when visualized, and I really want you to do well. Read the last 14 here!

Say something nice!

This video is lovely. It shows how saying nice things to someone can bring smiles to everybody around as well. Saying nice things to people makes you just as happy as the person you are saying it to. This video is from New York City, and was a project created for an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. Read more about the fantastic project here.

Let's make this week a "Say Something Nice-week". Make an effort to give compliments to those around you, and I will start right now:

I have the best job in the world, and it is all thanks to you!

(Maybe you even want to make someone a friendship bracelet? HonestlyWTF has made two tutorials. One here and one here.)

Thank you for the dream.

As you all know, I am a huge fan of Roald Dahl. I think his children's books are fantastic, and can't wait until my sons are a little bit older and I can read his books to them. I have always imagined that he was a wonderful man who took children as seriously as adults. And this story proved me right.

Is it not wonderful? What is your favorite Roald Dahl novel? I find it difficult to make up my mind..

I recommend: Once

I have recommended this novel to many students, and I have yet to find one who doesn't like this book. Here is a cut-and-paste description from Amazon:

"For three years and eight months Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns' books, Felix is terrified that his Jewish, bookseller parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland, befriending a little orphan girl called Zelda and a kindly dentist, Barney, who hides and cares for Jewish children. But when the Nazis discover them, Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice for the children."


This is easy to read, and the wonderful thing is that there are three more books in the same series: Then, Now, and After. I think Derya is my alibi this time, didn´t you like it? Anyone else who has read it?

Amazing biking in Scotland

I got the idea of posting this when I met Oliver with a fancy bike the other day.

This is one of my favorite videos on You Tube, and I am not really into bikes at all. This is a clip of Danny MacAskill (remember we talked about Scottish names?) who rides from the capital Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye. He uses the cities as a playground with his bike, it is simply amazing.

Isn't Scotland beautiful?

The music is by Loch Lomond "Wax and Wire" and The Jezabels "A Little Piece", both Scottish bands. 

Would you dare the "Walk of Faith"?

Ok, so not directly connected to English, but the mountain has a 500- year- old Buddhist temple nestled within it - so it is slightly connected to RLE. I found this very facinating. This is from the Tianmen Mountain in China, where they have build a 60 m long glass pavement around the edge.  It is 1430 meters to the ground! I get dizzy just by looking at the pictures.

What do you say? Would you go on the Walk of Faith?

And what about The Devil's Swimming pool?

(Read more about the national park here. Pics from here and here.)

New Zealand fun!

These boys call themselves Flight of the Conchords, and they are (in my opinion) incredibly funny. They come from New Zealand, you will probably notice by their accent. Listen to this song, it is hilarious! (It may be a bit difficult to follow at times, so you can read the lyrics here.) They had their own sit-com which aired on NRK2. Did anyone watch it? So funny! 

Do you notice anything particular about their accent compared to British and American English? 

10th grade teaser

If you think the Christmas prom is the highlight of 10th grade, you are so wrong. We are learning about Shakepeare! I have, as you know, not been able to wait and you have already been introduced to some of his work. As I know you are just as excited as I am about this, I am giving you this trailer as a "teaser" for next year! I bet you can't wait to get back from summer vacation. Isn't it fab??? 

Where are your manners?

In some of the groups we talked about manners when it comes to British culture. It is really important to remember to say "please" and "thank you". I consider you all exceptionally well-behaved, but there may be some formal rules that you are not aware of. These would not be very important if you are having pizza at a friend's house, but as you grow up and become fabulous men and women, you will most definately be invited to formal dinners.

Check this out.

Were any of these surprising to you? 

The real Springfield!

Do you like The Simpsons? I love that show. Finally the creator, Matt Groening, has revealed his inspiration for Springfield! Read this article, it's fun!

I really recommend this.

This is such a beautiful book about a special boy. Cristopher (the narrator of this story) does not see the world the way we do. That makes things difficult for him. This book is funny, sad and it makes you think. It is also very easy to read, as the chapters are really short. I know some of you have read this one, did you like it as much as me? Why/ why not?

London style

As we are talking about the UK, I thought it would be fun to share this with you. London has, for a long time, been one of the fashion capitals of the world. This video shows the development in fashion from the 1920s till today, and also the style of dancing! Isn't it cool? Why do you think the man disappears for a couple of seconds in the middle of the video?


<3 Siri

Friday the 13th

Oh, do I have a treat for you!! It is Friday 13th after all, and I should introduce you to something at least a bit scary... Do you remember I gave you a short story by Roald Dahl, called "The Man From the South"? You really liked it!  Well guess what, I just found the film. And it is made by Alfred Hitchcok, one of the most famous scary movie makers of all times.

Not only that, one of my other favorite short stories by Roald Dahl, "Lamb to the Slaughter" can be read here.

And the film can be seen here.

Remember, these are not films with a lot of blood and killings. These are stories with an almost unbearable tension.... They are old, but good. So, what do you think? Do you like the film, or do you prefer the short story?

<3 Siri

I told you..

I told you it is extremely important to learn English properly. Here is proof it is actually a matter of life or death. Enjoy! (This makes me laugh my head off..)

Where Have All the Boys Gone?

I showed this to Rakel the other day, because it really puzzled me. It shows the evolution of cheerleaders from the 1920s and till today. It looks like mainly boys were cheerleaders in the earlier days, how come this have changed so radically? Is it absolutely unthinkable for you boys to join a crew, and if so, why?

It is also quite funny to see how the girl's clothes have gotten smaller, too... See the evolution here!

It´s On!

After talking to you today, I have decided it is worth a shot. I have now made this blog- just for you! There are often times I come across things on the web I would like to share with you, but we do not always have time in class. So, this will be my extended classroom. Hopefully you´ll find some interesting stuff here, and leave a comment! So, what do you think? (Pic from Retronaut)