Books rule !!!
Hello Xuan and everyone,
I am very, very relieved. There seem to be a lot of book supporters out there. Technology is all very well, but it cannot replace the physical sensation of holding a book or turning pages. It also seems like a lot of us feel more ‘comfortable’ with paper books than electronic books (these are Ernesto’s words here – thank you Ernesto, this is a good way to describe how many of us feel). I like the way Cris’s friend, Mary Ellen, has embraced technology by sending an email to say that a letter is on its ways – this is a nice touch.
I am trying to type, but the kids are making an absolute racket (i.e. they are making a lot of noise). I cannot blame them. Steve has decided that it is time to teach them both how to rugby tackle. So they are running up and down the corridor, jumping on Steve, screaming and yelling with joy, and Steve is encouraging them. I cannot shout at them, or Steve, as I have a very sore throat. My voice has gone (this means, I can't speak at all). My boss might say it’s because I talk too much, but in fact I have caught a bad cough and cold from Steve (you see, I am blaming him for this as well…) At least I can still talk through the computer, so technology is good for some things, ho ho.
Xuan, I really enjoyed your post. So, you have a handsome American teacher who speaks too fast and who has invited your whole class out for coffee. I really think you need to tell him to slow down. Perhaps he doesn’t know that he speaks too quickly. Where will your class take him for coffee? I remember that there are some great coffee shops in Hanoi. I have not heard of the organisation Language Link, so I will look it up on the web.
You asked me about bank holidays. I think (but I am not 100% certain) that originally, these were days when the banks in England were closed. Nowadays, these have become public holidays for all companies, not just bank employees. You also asked me about Vietnamese food, which I love. When I was in Vietnam I ate a lot of Pho - you have 2 days left to write a post and tell everyone what this is. In Bangkok, there is a Vietnamese restaurant called Thang Long that Steve and I go to a lot. Does the name mean anything? We always order spring rolls, deep fried crab rolls, fish with lemongrass and barbecued beef. We are creatures of habit (this means we always do the same thing, we always order the same food ever time we go there).
Ok everyone, since my last post some more comments to my previous blog have appeared, so here are some more replies to all of the bloggers. Please let me say how much I appreciate the time you spend replying to my posts and I am sorry if I don’t always manage to reply to everyone every time. I do read all of your comments, as do the other readers and teacher bloggers, so please do not think that what you write goes un-noticed.
Hello Concetta –I am glad that you have lost your shyness with us. Please do it again sometime! And how wonderful that you have been to Newcastle. I presume you mean Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK (and not Newcastle in Australia). This is my home town!!!!!!! I am going to send Steve out to buy The Caliph’s House for me. Thank you for your recommendation. Please blog again and tell us (1) how is your ankle now and how you broke it (2) more about your daughters and (3) what is your favourite meal of all time. Lovely to meet you and best wishes to you and your family.
If there is anyone else shy out there, please follow Concetta’s example and send us a comment. The more people we have blogging, the more conversations we can have and the better we can all get to know each other.
Hello Fatima – I was very concerned by your comment. Have I really ignored you? I have just been back through all the comments and have found a post by you on 17 May, but not later than this. Here you asked me what the expression ‘having a go’ means. This means to try something, or to attempt something. Look at the following 2 conversations
Judy: What are you doing?
Mark: I’m feeding the baby dog. Would you like to have a go?(this means, would you like to feed the puppy as well?)
Tim: Hey, this computer game is excellent!
John: Yeah, it looks great.
Tim: Would you like to have a go? (this means would you like to join in too?)
John: Great, thanks!
Hello Habooba – thanks for all of your good wishes. I have really enjoyed chatting with you in cyberspace. I have wanted to visit your country for a long time. When I first travelled to India (11 years ago) I met a French couple who had just been to Iran. They told me wonderful stories about beautiful mosques, great food and very very friendly people. I hope that one day I will be able to visit Iran with my family. Best Wishes to you.
Hello Danijel. Is it too nosey or impolite to ask why you are in Bosnia and your girlfriend is in Cape Town? Love letters must be the best letters of all to receive. And you have made me want to watch Farenheit 451! Best Wishes to you.
Hi Beatriz – let me teach you a new expression. It never rains, but it pours. Let you give you an example of what this means. You are waiting for a bus. The bus it late. It gets later and later. Then suddenly, 3 buses come at once. So there were no buses (it never rains…) and then there were 3 all at once (…but it pours). This is what is happening with our flat hunting. All of a sudden, we have found 3 flats that we like and we don’t know which one to choose. Best wishes to you.
Hello Kuldeep – you description of Steve as a ‘stout reader’ made me laugh. Stout means ‘large’ or 'fat'. I think you meant ‘avid reader’ i.e. someone who reads a lot. I can tell you, Steve is never without a book and generally has 3 books on the go (this means he is reading 3 books at the same time). Do you have any books on the go right now? I like your ideas about learning English – I might try Chinese whispers with my students next week. Best Wishes.
Hello Pary – you are back! And with a comprehensive listing of websites for Persian food. I love eggplant, so I think I would really enjoy Mirza Ghasemi. Fesenjon stew also sounds very intriguing – I can’t imagine what chicken, pomegranate and walnut taste like altogether but I bet it is amazing, a great combination of different tastes and textures. Thanks for taking the time to provide all of the links. Best Wishes to you.
Finally, here is a puzzle for you. I am intrigued, and I hope you are too, about who will be the next teacher and student bloggers? What do you think? Post your replies before Saturday. Will the next teacher and student blogger be a guy or a gal (i.e male or female) , and which countries do you think they are they from? (By the way, I really honestly truely don’t know…..) I’ll tell you what I think on Saturday (my last blog...) and then we can see if we are right next week.
OK, I am going to sign off and drink more green tea. I have been drinking green tea all day to help my throat. I have to thank Sam, my workmate, for this tip.
Night night all
Anne
xxxxx
Comments
Hi dear Anne and all loyal readers , I hope dear Anne , your voice has came back and your sore throat has got better . I ‘m happy that you like visiting Iran and I ‘m sure you will like it . And there are lots of historical places which are centuries older than our mosques . Like Perspolice in Shiraz city or Hamedan old historical hills or Kermanshah , Esfehan , Yazd ,Kashan cities to name a few , also . If you want to visit most of tourism areas of Iran you have to take at least one month journey . I will try to find some good web pages for you to be more familiar with Iran . Now I have to leave cyber . Best wishes and bye Xxxo
hi Anne Belle...i love to read your blog, it's interesting... i learn alot of expressions and phrases from you...really helps...i have a question for you...what's the different between 'take a bath' and 'take a shower'? why cant i say "take a bath" when i use a shower?hmmm...hope you can help me with this...thank you
Dear Anne, You raised a good question about new teacher as well as student blogger. In my opinion, it doesn’t affect our learning process either male or female teacher blogger but it absolutely important to be resourceful and should show great devotion to teaching language. For the student part he/she should be eager to learn and be able to devote enough time so that learning process goes on right path. It is necessary to find out how much time they can set aside for blogging everyday. At the month end certainly we are eager to know who will be next blogger.
Hello Anne. I like the way you’re blogging but I think there isn’t sense to forecast the gender of next blogger. You’ve set some kind of peace in blogging, that’s why I’ll be glad to meet any person who is not less hard worker and cheerful as you are. The month is coming to the end and I have the only one regret: you haven’t given any clue about the best season to visit Thai for Europeans. After all I’d like to say: That patience of yours Standing half the morning To watch the rose you planted bloom… (by Peter Dale) Thank you very mach for all you’ve done for us.
Hello Anne So you are ill. I'm so sorry about that. Let me give you a little advice. Next time you drink a cup of tea, put it one or two spoons of honey. It'll be good for your throat. Your question is very interesting. In my opinion, next teacher should be a man. Why? Just because I think it's fair to alternate male and female in this section. Nevertheless, the next student blogger, in my opinion, should be a gal from Africa. Which country? I don't know. A french speaking country sounds to me like a good idea. Bye and take care of your children. They could get a cold too.
Hi,Ann I have to say goodbye to you a bit early because my son's school half term will last until next Monday.This means we have to go in and out somewhere or do something all day long with my son which we have done for 5 days.I feel it very difficult for me to write letters or study English when my son is with me.I do admire your way of juggling your job with kids and housework and bloggings.Thanks you for nudging me into Thai cultures, food and so on.It's been absolutely pleasure to have you in this cyberclass and you will always be in my good books. I sincerely wish you and your family excellent health and happiness.I also wish you to finish your study successfully.My son wants to say goodbye to Josh and Rachel and blow them a kiss. The time has come to bid you farewell.Hyoshilxx
Hello Ann Thank you very much for your supportive explanations. You encouraged us, the most needed thing is for the learner, at least for me.From your writings, not only I've learnt many things witouth realization how I learnt and but also love them. I feel that you are the one of my family member in a short time. Don't ask this "how" It is your success.I am addicted this website maybe a bit early but I feel that and also I am excited to know for other bloggers. It does'nt matter what genders they are. The most important thing, their writing should make me read and wonder. You are my first teacher on the website. I switched on the computer every morning wondering What about you write. I wish It goes on.I have a hope to see here again BEST WÝSHES to you, Steve and lovely children. I hope you recover soon. with love
hi Anne i'm writing to tell you that i'm sorry not to be able to talk to you and to read about Thailand and your family.It has been a pleasure for me.I hope the new teacher will be as interesting.and as ironical as you.byebye
Thank you Anne for your time. Teaching English could be dificult but to share experiences and fillings, keeping us waiting for your news could be imposible. And you did it. I havent written often but I read your blog nearly every time. You are so close to us that I think you are an old friend. Thank you again and write sometimes
I think The comment without name is mine. I think I've forgotten writing my name. If you add my name to my comment I will be happy. Sorry for that. Thank you!
Hi Anne, sorry that's your first week blogging with us. All of your blogs are very useful and funny. I'm learning a lot of expressions which I'd like to take advantage of in my future English conversations. Night night
Hello Anne, as you guessed, last year I've been in your home town. Although the very demanding course, it was very amusing for me to stay there. The teachers were fantastic, my colleagues were very friendly and I felt like a young, free and cheerful student. A month later I went on holiday to Brittany in France with my family and some friends.The second day, while I was walking on a uneven path along the ocean, I fell down and broke my left ankle. That was the end of the holidays. Luckily I've recovered and now I'm fine. My daughters are students, Giulia, the eldest, is going to get a degree in Languages. Her job focuses on translate film dialogues from English or French to Italian. Paola attends the third year at High School. She is fond of theatre and she takes part in the theatre school company which perform in June every year. This year the play is "Le Malade Immaginaire " by Molière, last year was "Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare.It was really wonderful. When I celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary,( four years ago), I had a great dinner in Alghero, in Sardinia. My husband and I sat outside the restaurant,in front of the sea, at sunset. The atmosphere was romantic and the food (fish) delicious. That is my favourite meal of all time. Best wishes to you and your family.
Hi Anne, Only 1 day to go before your last blog :-( I will miss you immensely and I know that you'll miss all of us a lot too. Can you leave a post from time to time in order that we know how you are? I thank God for having met such a wonderful person and an excelent teacher who helped me not only in improving my English but to look at life from a different angle and pace as well.You have time for everything! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I really enjoyed your blogs and I also got to know your family and friends. Hope one day I can meet you again (perhaps in Argentina :-) ) Who will be the next student and teacher blogger? I guess that it might be a guy in the teacher blogger and he must be from an European country. On the other hand in the student blogger I think that it might be a guy too from an Asia country. Hope your throat is better and you are soon recovered. Don't blame Steve, you must have had your defenses low perhaps. I'll close for now. Take care. Bye my dear one. xxx Cris
Hi Anne! Oh I didn´t know that green tea is good for sore throat. I´m going to have some because I also have a sore throat. I hope you get well soon. Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hi Anne, I never have had books on go but sometimes I do like to read classical / best seller books only. I like those who read books. I know, literature solves many problems, frame your opinion on different topics and makes life smooth, happy and good.Any how, perhaps these are last days with you. Two months with you have been a wonderful days. It is very difficult to digest departure of a brilliant & wonderful teacher like you. Bloggers got advantage of your experience in English teaching. During this period, you kept Cris, Xuan and bloggers on tenterhooks (mean you kept them to write blogs by stimulating & exercising a different techniques, Is this expression right?) by giving a lot of assignments. You ensured proper interaction, touched the diverse topics. Mixed the fun and teaching together. In this way you enthralled bloggers. This was the main reason that you were successful in getting a lot of response. You were good enough to reply almost all the comments. This way you appreciated them, encouraged them and ensure their participation. Your way teaching has been excellent. Blessed are those to whom (your organization’s colleagues) you teach in person. It was a good opportunity to be your student. You did your job fabulously and honestly. You will be remaining in our hearts for a long time. It appears that Steve do physical exercise very much and is successful in keeping his body fit otherwise it would have been very difficult to remain slim inspite of his being fan of eating heavy food especially chicken & meat daily. But Anne, I noted your advice on eating habit. While being in India, you must have read some of India’s Newspapers, Magazines etc. My question is what the major difference between British English and Indian English (other than phonetic). I wish you & Steve a very meaningful and successful life. No doubt, Rachel and Josh will get great heights of success under your parentage and guidance. Take care. Thank you, Bye-Bye
Hello Anne! There are no other words to describe your style of writing as lively. Thanks for that and the help you give us. Many of us don't have a chance to talk to native English speakers, so it's very important to see at least how they write :) It's no joke, your rather colloquial way of writing helps us much indeed! All those textbooks and manuals are helpful without doubt but sometimes limited in what we usually call living modern language. Well, back to books. Everyone understands that they are more than a part of interior but a powerful source of knowledge and entertainment and so forth. It's a pure pleasure to hold a just bought book in hands and think about all the adventures or wisdom it contains within. It's always interesting to follow an author's thought because this one, as it is supposed, leads to something important and instructive. Many years ago I was impressed by the laconic style of A.Tolstoy (not L.Tolstoy, although he is my favourite as well). After reading any of his books the only thing to say is there are no unnecessary words there, that is, each word carries out its own function absolutely. Finally, read more, everybody!
It is important for us to communicate with learning English with the blog.I like yuor blog that can help me learning English well.Well,I have a question,rhat is, what is the different between "yet" and "but"? Thank you for your answer.
I am sad that your period is running out. Being a late comer in this forum, I have many hesitation within myself. Though this is my third comment to you Anne however you notice or not, or wasn’t I up to the mark. I don’t want to appreciate your writing which should be more beautiful than I can fully realize. At the edge of you departure from this forum what a late comer anticipate you think Anne, Have always nice time Xxxx
Dear Anne, I am pleased that I have one more opportunity to greet you and your family before you bid us farewell. The past two months with you have been very useful for our language learning. I think that maybe I am not the only one who visits this site mainly for learning purposes. On a personal note, your days Anne appear to be very busy at this particular time of your life, or would it be better to say, your days are always full of activity. My days are also so full of things to accomplish that I feel totally worn out at times. Never the less, I feel that taking in consideration the demands of my work, busy life style and my helpful nature, for a lady of 58 I am not doing too badly. As far as your question about the next student and teacher I say that it really doesn´t matter. But maybe it would be good to have some male company for a change. Thank you Anne!
Hello Anne. I'm sorry that you have gota sore throat. If I suffer from it I always drink hot milk with some honey and butter. It helps me so you can try if you want. Thank you for your blogs. I write down new words and phrases, learn them and I'm going to use them in the future. Who will be the next bloggers? Maybe it's time for guys? We have had only gals since a few months. Bye, bye.
Hello Anne :-) Thanks so much for you blogs. I wasn’t the one to write a lot of comments, but I was the one to read all of them. In the last paragraph you ask who the next teacher and student blogger will be a guy or a gal? There were a few teachers living or staying in Asia lately so I thing the next one is going to be from Africa. Because the last few teachers were female, so the next one is going to be a male. Yes, I’m nearly sure: a male from Africa. As for the student I haven't the vaguest idea who they may be, maybe someone from Africa as well?
Dear Anne first of all i'd like to tell you what a pleasure i had reading this blog. You are a very interesting woman and i loved to know a "litlle" about Tai and your life. I don't know if the next blogger must have to be a man or woman...the only thing i believe is that if he/she is so competent like you we'll be in good hands but I'm sure i'll miss your way to write. So i whish all the best for you forever and ever. xxxx
Hello Anne: It's not a surprise because now we know who is the new teacher's blogger, Sophie. I want to say you that it has been a great pleasure to know you and your family. You have give me very good English lessons but (and the most important) a new view of life because I have learnt more and more about you being an optimistic person. I'll remember you forever and I hope you'll leave your comments and excellent opinions in the blog. Milions of kisses to you and your family. Mercè Be happy!!!!!!!
Hi Anne, I have literally enjoyed reading your blog and your style of English Teaching, way of life, etc. Thank you very much. Best wishes and see you around. James
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