Hello from Helen
Hi Olfa, hi to all the other bloggers out there too!
I have anticipated this moment for a long time. I applied to be a teacher blogger earlier this year and was planning to start in August but I had to delay due to a little matter of changing jobs, moving country and all that that kind of upheaval entails. A lot of people have mentioned in their first blogs that they are new to blogging and I am no exception!
So, in the good old fashioned way people do, let me introduce myself. I wish I could see you, which would make it easier somehow. I know, let’s start with a virtual handshake, shall we? That’s better. I was born in a big city in the north west of England – Manchester. I haven’t lived there for a long time though as we moved around a lot when I was a kid and as an adult I took myself off to foreign parts just as soon as I could. I’ve lived and worked in a few places including Czech Republic, Greece, Vietnam and India. I am currently living in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka – otherwise known as the teardrop island. Actually, I didn’t know that till my friend referred to it as such when I told her we were going to move here. Quite a charming yet poignant name at the same time, don’t you think?
I moved here very recently with my husband, Pankaj and our 17-month old daughter, Isabel Riya. I’m quite looking forward to her being two so when people ask her age, I don’t have to count the months and I can just say “she’s two”. Have you noticed that – how parents never say their child is one – unless they have just had their first birthday, they always feel the need to state exactly which month after one they are? Is that the case in all cultures I wonder? Anyway, I’m diverting.
What do I do? Well, I have always been involved in teaching or training of some description and now I am doing a combination of teaching and academic management. When I’m not at work, I relax with my family by going for walks on the beach near our house (this is a recent luxury you understand – before this I lived in landlocked Delhi which was miles from any recreational water body) or I read and listen to music. I used to do yoga but since moving I have not established an exercise routine and that is something I really must do – and soon!
At the moment I am in the process of sorting out all our photographs so we can look through them with ease and decide which ones to print. We’ve moved over to digital for the most part but I still miss my manual camera and the anticipation of waiting for a film to be processed. Do you prefer to use digital? Do tell me about your hobbies and interests.
I’m also learning Sinhala and going to classes two mornings a week. It’s an interesting language and there are some similarities with Hindi as they are both Sanskrit based so it feels a little less daunting than when I first started. Are any of you learning a language other than English? If you are let us know and maybe we can all share tips. I’ll talk to you more in another post about how I learn languages and we can share views on how best to make the most of the resources we have at our disposal.
I am at that exciting stage of being in a country I have previously never visited, have read little about and feel as if I am on the precipice of something quite exhilarating. (Not entirely unlike writing a blog for BBC LE!)
I can’t wait to explore more – your country, your life and strengths and weaknesses as a language learner and Sri Lanka. I hope we can make this journey together and tantalize our readers with the tastes of our respective countries. Before I get carried away and wax lyrical any further, here are today’s challenges:
1. Which literary device did I use in the sentence: I hope we can make this journey together and tantalize our readers with the tastes of our respective countries? Simon – the last teacher blogger - talked about the use of metaphor. Well, there’s another device at play here as well. Here’s a clue – I have used the same device in the title of this post, Hello from Helen.
2. How many examples can you identify of chatty expressions or linkers in my post? What is their function?
Let me know and I’ll give you the answers to both challenges in my next blog. Oh! Nearly forgot, the words/expressions in bold might be worth a look as well. I’ll give you definitions/synonyms in my next post. Ideally, try to use them in a sentence in your next post.
Well, that’s it for now. If there’s anything you feel I have missed out of my personal introduction, do let me know and I’ll be happy to fill in the gaps.
Until the next time…
Helen
Today’s Words/expressions
Took myself off to
Feel the need to
Of some description
Recreational
Establish a routine
At our disposal
On the precipice of
Tantalize
Wax lyrical
At play
Fill in the gaps
Comments
Hi Helen, my name is Simone and i just want to say you "WELCOME" in this incredible blog. I hope that you will enjoy this experience. Sorry for my english but i'm still learning...
Hi Helene how are you? i don't know if i have the ability to say you are welcome ( because it's my first comment, i'm a newbie :d:d. I'm very happy to contribute in this blog because i felt really the need to practice my English. Coincerning your 2 challenges i sincerely didn't understand them :(:(:(. I have many vocabulary at my disposal but untill know i'm trying to fill in the gaps in it's use to improve my English. Oh i forgot to introduce myself: i'm 24 years Old, i was born in morocco and i'm working for our national company of railways in FES (Morocco). I'm really sorry to not give an answer about your challenge HELENE, take care and good luck.
Hello to Helen, Uph, you gave hard challanges and I'm really bad at literary stuff. I might even be stupid of some description. Since I took myself of to answering your questions, I expect the same of you concerning Yoga. You tantalized me, I'm doing the same for you. Hope, we both are on the precipice of establishing a routine. Are we at play now or do we just feel the need to? Shit, now I have used everything at my disposal I still don't know what it means to be wax lyrical. Maybe I was a lot. At least I have used nearly all the expressions and I am close to doing something recreational. But first my answers. Think, concerning question 1 you want to hear alliteration because of TANtalize and TAste. Some expressions I would call chatty: l3: a little matter of & all that kind of upheaval entails. l6: in the good old fashioned way people do. Hmm, the whole blog looks a bit chatty. There must be more. Anyhow, I think I did enough and I don't want you to get knotted in making Yoga. Cheers, Jens
Nice to meet you Helen! I´m Ana Paula from São Paulo, Brazil. It´s nice to know a bit about you. I hope we can see here a picture of your little gal. Well, I´m interesting in reading and films. Actually, I collect classic films. You know, this is a kind of hobby that I have. Different from when you´ve lived in Delhi, I have recreational facilities near me. The hard thing is to have time at my disposal to enjoy them a bit. Currently my established routine only aloud me to learn English. However, I´m feeling the need to take up Spanish, once Brazil is surrounded by countries where Spanish is the language spoken. Moreover, I´d like to take myself off to Argentina and Chile. I always wanted to visit these countries. Well, let me have a go at the homework: 1- I reckon the literary device used in the sentence was the figurative language. 2- So; actually, anyway; well. They are used in a conversation to begin or change the subject. Anywya Helen, I couldn´t use all the vocabulary in my post. But I hope little by little, during this month I can fill in the gaps that I let in this first comment. Besides, I´m sure your and Olfa blogs will tantalize all of us :-). Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hello Helen,a warm welcome to you! I agree with you, I also counted the month, when my daughter was a little child, but nowadays, she is 15 years old, it would be a problem for me, to count her age in month.What is the reason for, that Colombo is known as the teardrop island? Is it because of the weather? I'm not sure, if I get the right meaning of the first task: do you mean , the use of words with the same letter in the beginning, like together-tantalize-tastes ?Now I'm looking forward to your next blog, connected with the wish, that you will show us also photos of Colombo and the surrounding. Best wishes for you and your family, see you soon...
Hi Helen, welcome to the virtual world. If don’t matter you I would like to be your friend in this trip to the infinite, taking care don’t fall on the precipice of ingravity. Your introduction promises great surprises and tons of sensitivity. I feel the need to express that I’m expecting with delight next entries, of you and Olfa. Surely we’re in front of a polyglot with a huge experience in learning and teaching languages, who surely know very well how to establish a profitable routine. I speak my natives Spanish and Catalan and I’m learning English. I’m very lucky to be born in Catalonia because for me is very natural to live into a continuous change of languages. Let’s go to the business. I’ll try to put light in your challenge (very difficult indeed) Maybe are you using allegories? Other literary devices: teardrop island - metonymy otherwise known as the teardrop island. - periphrasis We’ve moved over to digital - metaphor I am on the precipice of something quite exhilarating. - Metaphor Well, it’s enough. I hope to be at the expected level. See you. Toni.
Hi Helen nice to meet our new teacher blogger. You lived in India and you travel a lot. I have to admit that I do envy you.In good of this word for meaning of course. Travel to India especially to Goa and Diu and Gudzarat is my dream. I hope some day I will go there. I'm looking forward to watch your pictures.Best wishes and see you soon.
Challenges which you gave us...hmm... so difficult for me I'm afraid.:( I admit that I'm looking forward to read the answer in your next blog.
Hello Helen, that's an alliteration isn't it? Like in "make this journey together and tantalize our readers..." the consonant sound "T" is repeated. By the way, do I wax lyrical any further if mention that "Helen" sounds like "heaven"? Well I feel the need to use the today's expressions you have posted at our disposal and it's quite exhilarating. So I'll try to establish a daily routine reading your blog. Please fill in the gaps of every description I surely make and have a good journey!
Hi Helen I don't know if it's possible to correct my post anyway thanks for your comprehension. I've actually noticed that I've used the verb "make" with the expression "fill in the gaps" - in my case, oceans- and I should write "has". Sorry again for the upheaval entail.
Hi Helen. Welcome to the blog. So you are discovering Sri Lanka and at the same time discovering this communication through a blog. I suppose that the answer to the first challenge is that the words begin and sound similarly, Hello and Helen, or tantalize and tastes but I don´t know the name of that form of expression.
Hi,Helen It's so nice to meet you and I'd love to welcome you with a virtual hug.I've got a hunch that I will lern a lot about a new country from you and have a whale of a time with you.Would you do me a favor? please, don't tantalize us too much becouse my curiosity has already been kicking off and I am not patient,too. I am looking forward to hearing from you.xx
Hi Helen, it´s very nice to meet you. Your introduction was very nice and I can´t think of anything you missed. But I´m also sure you have plenty more to tell us given the fact you have been to so many places around the world and must have had so many nice experience. I´m sure we´re going to have a great time following your blog this month. As for the task you assigned us, I´m afraid I could´t come up with an answer, but I´m looking forward to your next post to know what literary device you used. I hope to learn more about this subject and the linkers too. Good bye for now. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye.
Hello Helen Your introduction was very complete and comprehensive, so I just can say welcome to the bloggers world. Of course there are always some gaps to fill, but we have the coming two months for that, so lets take it easy. In my country is very common for parents to tell the age of children with their months. In the case of a child of your daughter age, chilean parents probably would say she is one year and five months old. And if she were 20 months, they probably would say In two months she'll be two years old. A teardrop from India is for sure a very poetic and blue nickname. But I think it fitts Sry Lanka well, since there is a bitter conflict between singalese and tamil people. Isn't there? In following posts I expect to take the plunge into your challenge. Bye.
Hi Helen! Great to e-meet you. :) I try to be fluent in English and Spanish whereas I have a basic knowledge of French. I am pro-digital camera!! I am very looking forward to reading about Bangladesh. Bye for now, Fili
Hi Helen, nice to meet you! I'm just here to wish you good luck and that you have a lots of fun, I am really look forward your next entry. Best Wishes, Bruno.
Hello to Helen! It seems that we are not only going to be tantalized by your blog,but we are also about to fill all the gaps in our English.thank you HElen.looking forward to the next blog.
Hi Helen, nice to meet you. Your introduction is very refined, but since I'm not so good at English I can't find any literary device you used. Put me out of my misery, please...bye
Dear Helen, Very warm welcome from the SAARC region! I am Kishor Silwal from Kathmandu Nepal. Nowadays it is very difficult for me to promise to write comments in regular basis. If you check last month blogs I was completely off line though I used to read regularly what teacher and student blogger have written. In my opinion language learning is a continuous process which never ends. Way of writing and expressing oneself also differ from person to person.
Hi Helen, Where are you?Remember me?Deepti from Delhi.
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