The Universe

Last year, when I came back from maternity leave, I was a substitute for Magnus in 9ef while he was on paternity leave. The only problem was, he teaches science - I definately don't. So, I know some of my old students from that class read this blog, we have to admit we did watch a lot of films. Revelant films of course. I thought: "there is nothing I can explain to these students that the BBC does not explain better." I really wish that I had come across this little film, about distances in the universe. LOVE IT!

And for those in 9ef, do you remember this one? Girls, let me tell you, you are going to meet so many boys like this, doing everything to impress you while it all seem a bit silly...

Have a nice trip! (And the cutest song)

Today you are all leaving for the camp! I met some of you today and you seemed excited. As soon as I finish my exam I will join you, but until then: have LOVELY time. Trips like the one you are about to go on today, creates lasting memories. Make sure they are good ones for everybody.

I will still share something with you today, since there are more people following this blog than the students in 9cd! The song I share is the cutest I know. My oldest son was obsessed with it when he was a toddler. Hope you love it as much as I do.

See you Thursday!

Welcome to The White House!

The White House in Washington DC (which is NOT in Washington State) is where the president of the USA lives and has his office. Now, you can take an amazing tour of The White House! Take a look at the video posted here to see how they did it, and then grab something cold to drink and take the actual tour here.

Enjoy!

Olympic comeback?

I do not know if you have noticed, but I know nothing of sports. I even need you to tell me how my second cousin is doing with his skiing! Still, there is something about the Olympics and this year it's being held in my favorite city, London. The Olympics have evolved a lot, and I found this facintating article on 10 sports that are no longer a part of the Olympics, but once were. Maybe they are ripe for a comeback?

Read the article here!

Made by hand

It was very interesting to read all your term papers. In addition to discussing the distribution of wealth, many of you chose to write about materialism. You all seem to agree that your generation is far more materialistic than the previous one. I do in many way think you are right, but at the same time we see huge movements of people starting to appreciate the simpler things in life. A small well-cooked meal. A hand knitted sweater. Gardening. The man who chose to live without money. The two brothers making small quantities of perfect chocolate. We are somewhat tired of everything that can be bought in bulks.

Here is another example. A girl in Brooklyn, New York who has started bee keeping to make her own honey. I just love it.

(If you feel like making small, quality gifts, why not make someone a jar of home made jam or knit them something nice!)

What's for lunch?

Lately, we have been talking a lot about healthy and nutritious food. We have watched Supersize Me, and I have told you about visiting my niece and nephew's schools in New Jersey last month. I was really shocked to see what their classmates ate for lunch.

I just came across this funny blog I wanted to show you, it fits right in with what we have been talking about. A nine year old girl (I think it's a girl?) from the UK has started a blog where she takes pics of her school lunch every day! This is to make people aware of what children actually eat every day. I do suspect her parents help her a bit with the writing, she is incredibly snappish, but still, a very intersting blog!

Find the blog here!

The man who chose away money

I have now corrected almost 60 term papers, all dealing with money and money-related issues. You have made some really good points! Many of you argue that money creates more problems in the world than it does good. Well, here is a man who agrees with you and who has chosen to live without it. He left his savings (which was about $30) in a phone booth, and walked away. That was 12 years ago. Now, a book has been written about him. Look at this film, isn't it facinating?

Here is the book, I wonder if that will make its way to my reading-list for the summer... (That list is getting very long.) If it does, I will definatly tell you about it when we return to school!

Historical misconceptions

Do you remember we watched the video about the geography of the UK with the man who speaks really fast? Even faster than me! Well, this video must be by the same guy. He deals with 5 general historical misconceptions! Do you get them? Watch it a couple of times and see how much you get. It is such good knowledge to have. I knew about the vikings, but the rest were new to me!

By the way, someone in class asked me if the Romeo and Juliet-trailer I posted earlier is a real film, and of course it is! And we will watch it next year - can't wait!!

Be up to date!

BBC has some really good sites to teach you English. One I found is a game where you have to kick a ball into the square with the right answer (you will probably figure it out in no-time, you are much more computer-savy than me..). The point of the exersise is to learn common expressions in English. Try it! Have a look around the BBC Learning English web site, there are LOTS of good stuff!

You will find the explanations to the words here, and the game here.
This is good stuff for improving your grade!

World Englishes

Learning about the different types of English is an important part of our subject. Most of you strive to have a British or an American accent, and you do really well! However, I should mention that Indian-English is also an accepted English accent! Wouldn't it be fun if some of you wanted to talk Indian English? London is, like New York, a melting pot of different cultures, and particularly many people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Listen to this funny salesman at a market in London, singing to attract costumers like he was a part of a Bollywood movie! I will definately go to see him the next time I´m in London.

Talking about Bollywood, here is the song me and my husband did our wedding dance to. It is from one of the most famous love movies in India, and you probably do not understand a word!

Inventions from the past

Imagine how many things are invented or re-designed every day. From the smallest little nail, to trains and cars and space shuttles. Then you can imagine all the things that people invent that will never be put in production and sold on the market for us to buy. Sometimes, in your essays, you have som great ideas too! Here are some interesting inventions from the past. The one in the picture is a snowprotector!

What do you think will be the gratest invention of the next 50 years?
Here are some silly ideas already invented.

Is he right?

I found this article the other day, and it immediately caught my attention. This writer, Terry Deary, is saying that he prefers his books NOT to be read in schools! He says schools kill the joy of reading for children, and hopes that teachers does not recommend his books. Oh my.. He would have hated me, I try to spend every silent moment recommending you a book. But, for all I know he may be right! I remember having a teacher who made reading the most horrible task in the world. Luckily for me, the love of reading sits in my spine, but what about those of you who does not enjoy it? 

This is your chance to give me a reality check. By next Monday, people!

(You can also read this if you like more reflections on the matter.)

Adding color

Street art can be so inspiring. When done legally in the right places, or when they are removable, it adds something new and refreshing to our surroundings. I came across these pics of the work of Jan Vormann, who repairs destroyed buildings with Lego bricks! Isn't it wonderful? Wouldn't it make you happy to come across one of these installations if you were out walking?

I know May is a really rough month for you, with a lot of term tests and presentations. Try to look for the small colorful things in your days!

See more of his art here.
If you really are stressed, here are 50 ways to cope with it.

Weird library building

As the daughter of an architect, I consider myself more than average interested in buildings. I also love books, so it is probably not a surprise that I go to visit libraries whenever I go abroad. Large cities often put a lot of pride in having beautiful library buildings, just look at the new library in Alexandria, Egypt, designed by the Norwegian Snøhetta, who also designed the opera in Oslo.

Then some cities tend to take things a bit further. Like the one above, which is a library in Kansas City, Missouri. It is funny, and somewhat interesting, but in my opinion not very beautiful. The idea was to let the fasade of the building be covered with books that have been important to Kansas City. If we were to make a similar building in Oslo, which books do you think would cover the fasade?

Talking of Kansas, here is a famous song from a very famous film about a girl from Kansas, the state that is, not the city.

The invisible mother

In the old days they didn't have digital cameras. In fact, when I was little we didn't either, and I am not really that old. (No, really, I'm not..). When we took a picture at a party, you got one shot. If your uncle blinked, or your hair was a mess - tough luck. That was how you would be remembered from that night. And you did not get to see the pics until weeks later, when they had been developed in the photo shop. (Ok, this does make me sound really old.)

So, in the 19th century (remember that's the 1800s), we see the phenomenon of the hidden mother. The mothers were hidden under a blanket to keep the babies calm and steady for the photo. In many photos the mothers are cropped out, but in some they are not, as in the one showed here. It looks kind of creepy, do you agree? Pics like these are worth a lot these days, as the uncropped ones are rare.

See more here!

Monsoon Wedding

I would like to recommend this film to you. An important part of what we teach you in English is knowledge of the English speaking world. In India you can see many traces of colonial times. India was, as you all know, said to be the jewel of the British empire. We have also talked a lot about India when we studied Hinduism in RLE. It is such a diverse country, and the differences between the rich and the poor are enormous. This film gives you insight into several sides of Indian culture, as an upper-middle class familly plans the wedding of their daughter. It was difficult to find a trailer that does the film justice. Although it may seem like it, this is not just a romantic comedy. Trust me: this film is beautiful.

I would love to discuss this with you! I own it, and you are more than welcome to borrow it from me, just let me know! If you do decide to watch it, I'll plan a lunch break where we can discuss it- I promise I'll bring hot chocolate. This goes for all the students who read this blog, I know several from other classes read it as well. Feel free to join!

Since we are already in the romantic corner, this marriage proposal is very cute.

Obama pretending to be interested

I would make a terrible president. I am terrible at pretending something is interesting when it really is extremely boring. Some of you are quite bad at faking as well, I have noticed....
Imagine all the incredibly boring things you will have to listen to when you are president. Everyone wants to show you what they do for a living, and let's face it: some of it is very dull.

Here is a slideshow of Obama looking at things, pretending to be interested. Or maybe he really is?

Following your dream.

This video combines two of my favorite things in the world: chocolate and films on how things are made. It is about two brothers in Brooklyn (which is one of the 5 boroughs of New York City) who decided to start a small chocolate factory making esqusite little bars of chocolate. Suitable film for a Saturday!

You have your whole lives ahead of you, with endless possibilities. What is your dream?

I am sorry I did not see this video before I went to New York, I would definately have visited these two.

Have a lovely Saturday!

Express yourselves!

Today we start presenting your group work on Human Rights. When we brainstormed this subject in the D-class, I told you how surprising it is that almost no one talks about article 29-1, that in addition to all the rights you have you also have duties. I believe, as I told you, it should be an absolute (moral) duty to use the right to vote. I do not care what you vote, as long as you go and hand in your ballot (when you are old enough of course.)

When visiting the NYC library to see the exhibition on Percey and Mary Shelly (I will tell you about them later) I came across this card with a quote by Percy Shelly on it, and I immediatley thought of you. Your voices are so important and school is a wonderful arena to share them with others. To make sure you all remember this, I took a card for each and every one of you (they were free, I did not steal). You'll get them Monday. Pin it somewhere where you'll see it all the time!

The Scream!

One of the four paintings of The Scream by Edvard Munch (painted in 1985) is up for sale. This is the only chance a private person has to own this painting, as the three others are owned by galleries in Norway. The painting is to be sold at Sotheby's, and is expected to fetch at least $80 000 000 which equals 476 000 000 NOK. As I am writing this I have no idea of the outcome, but you probably will know when you read this in the morning!

Do you think Norway should buy this painting or is it fun that people in other parts of the world can enjoy it as well? This is probably one of the most famous paintings in the world! Listen to experts talking about it here!

For the early birds: Good luck on your term test today! Remember to read through your text thoroughly on paper before handing it in, and read the text backwards if you have a tendency to make spelling mistakes.

Making your language blossom!

We have spoken many times about how to make your language blossom- or to add spice to your texts as I say. I found an amazing site at BBC, where they explain common English expressions and give examples on how they are used! I challenge you all to learn a couple of these every week, and use them in conversations with your friends. I promise you it will pay off.
Find them here!

(Ok, so the pic had absolutely nothing to do with the post, but I thought of this artist as I wote blossom. If you liked it too, you can see more here.)