Old-fashioned pocket watch !!! What does that remind you of?

 Watching one of the scenes on the previous post on "Seabiscuit" movie video, reminded me of the time I used to see my grandfather pull his watch out of his pocket to look at the time!!

I can still remember this harmonious ritual perfectly in syntony with the old times' slow pace of life !... Who would ever think of someone, nowadays, taking the time to do so ??....


So, in order to make my students have a break and not  to be listening to their watch ticking out the time  for their scheduled daily activities, I suggest taking this time to improve their English while bringing back memorable times when their grandpa might also have walked down the street on a respectful well-dressed suit and hat showing that dangling shiny chain out of  his pocket...

Instructions for Wearing a Pocket Watch

By Susan Reynolds, eHow Contributor

I want to do this! What's This? Pulling out a pocket watch is elegantly old-fashioned.

A pocket watch is an accessory normally worn by men. Pocket watches were popular among wealthy men at the turn of the twentieth century, before wrist watches became widely available. Wearing a pocket watch today gives an outfit a formal look. There are many styles of pocket watches, from genuine antiques to more modern, industrial designs. The instructions for wearing pocket watches follow traditional rules.

1-Choose a chain that suits most of your outfits. It could be a thick gold chain, a thin silver one, or a brass one. A rule of thumb is to match your jewelry metals, that is, don't mix gold and silver.

2-Hook one end of the chain to the loop on the pocket watch, and connect the other end to a T-bar.

3-Place the T-bar behind one of your jacket or vest buttonholes.

4-Slide your watch into an inner vest pocket on the same side as your non-dominant hand.
Read more: Instructions for Wearing a Pocket Watch

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6675298_instructions-wearing-pocket-watch.html#ixzz10wlMqWr4

Maestro Zubin Mehta at Ibirabuera park !

My mind and heart had not even quieted down from Yanni's concert when I found out  the Munich Phylharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta would be held at Ibirapuera park . There was I again on the rithm of the musician's instruments to  enjoy such breathtaking time!

Unlike Yanni's concert, it was an outdoor spectacle, in harmony with a gloomy weather and in fact, warm for the contagious music which surely might have called in Saint Peter to award us with a rain break.

The crowd was awfully small for a show of this scale but enough to applaud bright names like Zubin Mehta, the conductor, and  the japenese violonist Mayuko Kamio.

Below a video from a a live concert in Siena , Italy, cheered by a distinguished audience. It is BELLO!!! I wish I had been there!

Zubin Mehta was born into a Parsi family in Mumbai, India, the son of Mehli and Tehmina Mehta. His father Mehli Mehta was a violinist and founding conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. Mehta is an alumnus of St. Mary's (ISC) High School, Mazagaon, Mumbai and St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Zubin initially intended to study medicine, but eventually became a music student in Vienna at the age of 18, under Hans Swarowsky. Also at the same academy along with Zubin were conductor Claudio Abbado and conductor–pianist Daniel Barenboim. Mehta's first marriage was to Canadian soprano Carmen Lasky in 1958. They have a son, Mervon and a daughter, Zarina. In 1964, they divorced. [1] Two years after the divorce, Carmen married Zubin's brother, Zarin Mehta, now the Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In July 1969, Mehta married Nancy Kovack, a former American film and television actress. [2]Mehta is a permanent resident of the United States, but retains his Indian citizenship

For more go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubin_Mehta

What was Yanni's show like in São Paulo??

I do not know where to start….

Simply “divine’’ was the concert last night!! The place was not comparable to Radio City ,which is undoubtedly more suitable to welcome  and host such magnificent show.

However , for all the fans who have kept track of Yanni’s trajectory and brought with it special memories of their  life moments  when his music was present, the place was not an issue, but a delight moment to revive them and to see him live for the first time.

Yanni has that "shine" peculiar to those whose eye look can tell more than anything else .Yet, he can magically express his soul through his music.

He does not look as young as a few years back . It does not matter, obviously!!!

In my opinion, he will always be this handsome!! He still owns that same long lasting energy able to attract everyone’s heart forever ! He knows it comes from "the sky"!!  rsrsrs...

His life history tells about his and Charlie Adam’s dream of accomplishing something in life through what they did best : music. They were young when they joined their gifted skills towards this dream. They made it!! Their strong bond, the mortar of anyone’s achievements, has taken them there.

Delightedly, we can feel Yanni’s self- satisfaction while he plays and conducts all the other musicians for giving their best to the music. They all perform trying to please one another in unison and making it clear the orchestra would never be that outstanding without everyone’s instrument and part in the show.



As a matter of fact, Yanni not only has been looking for new talents to join his orchestra , but also working on them.

For me, such devotion and love could not result in anything else other  than a "unique orchestra"!

São Paulo Credicard  Hall 2010

It is a pity that such extraordinary artists and music do not get our country's  media attention in a way a greater number of peolple could be entitled to this heart's fulfillment !!!

What does meeting your music idol feel like?




Show in São Paulo
I got very close again!

Not till you unexpectedly get yourself completely thrilled by getting close to someone you look up to, will you know what it feels like!!! Passione!!! That is it! You  fall head over heels and find out why so many people freak out on these occasions... Like a child, nothing else matter but being close to your  "idol" and showing him"how unique" he is, even if  he can not take any notice of you in the middle of the crowd!! And when  it happens that "with the help of the angels your dream come true", I will tell you, it trully is a memorable and magical time in your life!

I have no idea if tonight I will be awarded such honour again!I do not care, since I am so proud I have already been through this experience and know Yanni's music will always be there for me and everyone else whose soul are touched by such indescribable melody...NOT A CONVINCING EXPLANATION??
HONESTLY, like all passionate fans, I wonder what is to happen later on!!rsrsrsrsrsssssss

Yanni in São Paulo!! Looking forward to the concert!!

It has been quite a long time,  since I saw Yanni  live in concert in New York! Luckly,por sorte ,I had the chance to talk to him after the show when he told me he would be coming to Brazil on a South America tour 2 years later. It has been 12 years!!! Faz 12 anos!! For those who really enjoy instrumental music, specially his music which consists of a bunch of instruments being played by a great number of  musicians from different nationalities, I would recommend not to MISS IT OUT!! Não percam!!
His music really gets into you ! It is soothing and inspirational!
I can't wait for watching again one of the greatest MASTERS of "soul touching music" in the world!!!




Os pais de Yanni Chrysomallis eram artistas e fãs de música clássica. Filho de uma cantora e de um violonista, Yanni cresceu ouvindo Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Stravinsky e outros grandes nomes eruditos. Estas acabaram se tornando as maiores influências de sua carreira como tecladista e compositor de um estilo que ele prefere chamar de instrumental contemporânea.

Apesar de sempre ter sido um amante de música, Yanni passou a infância e adolescência dedicando-se à natação, e aos 14 anos já havia batido recordes na Grécia como nadador.

Aos 18 anos, mudou-se para os Estados Unidos, onde cursou psicologia na Universidade de Minnesota por três anos e meio. No entanto, ao terminar a faculdade, decidiu abandonar a carreira de psicólogo antes mesmo de iniciá-la, resolvendo dedicar-se apenas à música. Aos 21 anos, Yanni aprendeu a tocar teclado sozinho e passou a fazer parte de uma banda de rock local intitulada Chameleon.

Alguns anos depois, decidiu mudar-se para Los Angeles com o baterista Charlie Adams, que conhecera na época do Chameleon, e começou a gravar suas próprias composições pelo selo Private Music. Em 1986 lançou seu primeiro álbum, Keys To Imagination. O álbum trouxe a Yanni um impressionante séquito de fãs.
A partir daí, não demorou muito para o tecladista estabelecer-se como um conceituado músico de estúdio, compositor de jingles e produtor. Pouco tempo depois, Yanni tornou-se um dos artistas mais vendidos do selo Private Music.

Considerado um dos nomes de maior destaque no segmento instrumental, a fama de Yanni aumentou a partir de seu relacionamento com a atriz americana Linda Evans, no início da década de 1990. Por ser muito popular nos Estados Unidos na época, Evans foi a maior responsável pelo grande interesse da mídia pelo tecladista. Eles tiveram um relacionamento de amor que durou nove anos.

Por ser autodidata, Yanni não sabe ler ou escrever músicas do modo tradicional. Ao invés disso, inventou uma maneira própria de compor ainda na infância e continua criando suas músicas usando a mesma técnica até hoje, depois de quase vinte anos de carreira e mais de vinte e dois discos. Sua sonoridade é ao mesmo tempo acessível e elaborada, sempre unindo o pop e a música clássica. As composições de Yanni também ficaram famosas nos Estados Unidos após terem sido usadas em programas de televisão e na abertura dos Jogos Olímpicos. Yanni é adepto da Nova Era, ele e sua ex-esposa Linda Evans estavam envolvidos na meditação oriental.

Autobiografia
Em 2003, Yanni lançou sua autobiografia com a co-autoria de David Resin. No livro o músico relata suas memórias, partindo da primeira infância na Grécia, o início do aprendizado de piano, o amor de seu pai, considerado por ele uma lição para toda vida. Avança para sua mudança para os Estados Unidos, seus estudos em Minnesota e seu relacionamento de anos com a atriz Linda Evans. Ao tratar do sucesso que sua música alcançou em todo o mundo, fala sobre os percalços que enfrentou, a depressão que ameçou-o por algumas vezes e de seu empenho para não rotular de new age a música que produz. O lançamento do livro coincidiu com o lançamento do seu 13o. álbum, o Ethnicity, e foi considerado um best seller pelo New York Times[1].
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanni

Book launch!! Patrícia Gebrim lança seu mais recente livro! Congratulations!!!

                                                                   

Foi uma honra compartilhar com Patricia Gebrim o lançamento de mais um de seus livros:  "Enquanto Escorre o Tempo..."

Se existe alguém que sabe falar de coisas sérias com alma de criança e consciência de um sábio, é ela!

Patrícia diz: “Os desafios da vida moderna são cada vez maiores. As necessidades ilusórias, geradas pelo comportamento consumista, aliadas à velocidade da informação provocam a sociedade a buscar padrões comportamental, estético e financeiro inatingíveis."

Sua abordagem é a liberdade do ser autêntico em sua natureza , livre para viver e se relacionar no mundo onde inevitavelmente acabará atraindo situações e pessoas  que estão em sintonia e permanecem vinculadas pela mesma afetividade cósmica .

Patrícia:“A ideia é que o leitor se sinta livre dentro da narrativa. Que busque atividades que proporcionem prazer, entenda que não é possível dar conta de tudo e comece a fazer escolhas conscientes. Na vida moderna, não existirá mais o momento pacífico no qual teremos as sensação de que todas as pendências estão resolvidas”.

Com muita simplicidade, Patrícia transmite através de suas palavras mensagens que tocam o coração e sem muito esforço mantêem nossa mente alerta. O que é verdadeiro, é leal !!
Congratulations on your new book!!!

Vocabulary

Como eu sempre aproveito os assuntos postados aqui para  trabalhar vocabulário e estruturas em inglês com os alunos, abaixo: "Tips for a successful book launch"

Well, first and foremost, press coverage is pretty vital. The local media – especially radio – attract bigger fish like sharks around chum, but they might only attend if there’s a story within a story and nothing attracts a story as much as celebrity.

If you know one, get him or her there … even if you have to pay them. A big name controversial author would be good, but a boy band member or an actor or someone totally tallentless so you can shine in the pale imitation of their stardom, is all the better. So, in short, a reality show contestant failure who has just written an autobiography at the age of 20 exposing a torrid somewhat kinky affair with a leading politician, is a sure fire winner and pretty easy to find.

 For more go to the site:  http://www.findmeanauthor.com/book_launch_tips_advice.htm

Learning to ride a horse!!! Watch Seabiscuit !

Riding a horse:get on the feeling of what it feels like being taken off- road by looking at the picture below and learn some vocab.

Learning to ride a horse can be one of the most thrilling experiences of your life, as long as you do it safely. The payoff lies not only in the freedom of galloping across a field on the back of an animal but also in enjoying the wondrous bond between human and horse.

Instructions: things you'll need : long pants , riding boots, riding helmets

Choose an Instructor

1 Find a competent teacher by talking to friends who have horses, visiting boarding facilities or looking in the yellow pages under Horses, Lessons or Riding.

2 Talk to the instructor. Ask what type of lessons he or she gives. Make sure the instructor knows you are a beginner and need a well-trained horse.

3 Ask the instructor about his or her riding experience. Does the instructor have formal training? Seek out an instructor who has taught riders of all levels so that he or she can help you as you improve.

4 Discuss your goals with your teacher. Do you just want to learn to ride so that you can borrow a friend's horse or so that you can go on a long trail ride?

5 Watch other riders taking lessons to observe your instructor's personality. Does he or she give instructions in easy-to-understand language? Is he or she patient?

Read more: How to Ride a Horse

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_10761_learn-ride-horse.html#ixzz0z8GQ2g8N

                                              I would highly recommend "Seabiscuit":

                    
                                          
Seabiscuit is based on the inspirational true story of an underdog who rises to victory and wins the hearts and minds of a nation.
In an era when Americans were in great need of heroic figures to help them forget their troubles, SEABISCUIT comes to the rescue. The picture relates a moving story of friendship and devotion in rehabilitating the main characters' fractured lives, as it interweaves the interactions between horse, jockey, trainer and owner and their adoring fans. The film accurately portrays the real people and events of those troubled times and how Seabiscuit "fixed us, every one of us."

Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933—May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred race horse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many US citizens during the Great Depression. Seabiscuit became the subject of a 1949 film, The Story of Seabiscuit, a 2001 book, , and a 2003 film, Seabiscuit, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture

Seabiscuit was foaled on May 23, 1933, from the mare Swing On and sired by Hard Tack, a son of Man o' War. Seabiscuit was named for his father, Hardtack; hardtack, or "sea biscuit" is the name for a type of cracker eaten by sailors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_o%27_War