questions

The langages spoken in my comunities are Portuguese, English and French.
Yes, the official langage of my country is my mother tongue, which means Portuguese, since I live in Brazil.
The langage that best represents me would have to be Portuguese, along with the Brazilian culture.
There are no langages to which I am averse, because I have grown up in a multicultural context, and have always been taught to respect and consider other cultures and langages.
I definitely encourage foreign langage learning, because I believe that each langage has a spirit, a different approach of life, and when you know many langages, you are more enriched and open minded. Consequently, this is beneficial not only to the individual, but also in a large scale, considering it improves international relations, and somehow “unifies” the world, in a general acceptance of the diversity.
In Brazil, no langage is forbidden, and the learning of different langages is rather unrestricted and accessible.
It is widely known that the speaking of a different langage gives you a better status, especially in the labour market, where it has become an inexorable condition to having a good profession.
The langages that are more privileged than other are the ones that are more widespread, that have a bigger extent, like English and Spanish.
Langages that are too restricted and territorial, such as local dialects, are less encouraged and are more looked down upon.
The main challenge you have to face when learning a new langage and adapting to a new culture are your own “pressuposés” and conceptions, some of which you have to discard, and others you have to adapt, without abandoning your own personnality.
However, you can discover other perceptions of life, and even create yourself some new ones, and realize facets of yourself that you would never have come across if you hadn’t been confronted to a new culture.
My studies definitely prepared me for this, considering I have studied in a French/Brazilian school, and have learned English and Spanish, which gave me the aptitude to conciliate different cultures.
I believe that my country is rather adapted to the fact that Eglish is the dominant langage of global communication, because it has become an imperative subject in most schools.
I believe that, when you are fluent in a langage, you can create and impose your own identity to it, but always whith many adaptations.
For instance, in Portuguese, many expressions depict a feeling or a feature of mine that English wouldn’t capture so well, and vice versa.
But you can’t say that I am one person in English and another in Portuguese, and another in French, for example, especially because the langages having many aspects in common, they can all express the most essential caracteristics of mine.

A new learning method....

What can I say about this whole blogging experience?
Did it work for me? Did I enjoy it? Was I engaged in this experience?
There are many points to be considered.
Firstly, we can say that it is a good idea to change that textbook-workbook-test routine to something most students enjoy doing: blogging, making research online and discovering new things in a fun way, getting to know different ways of life and contacting foreign students. It is a lot more dynamic and entertaining learning method, it is more practical and we get to practice more our English, which is essential when you are learning another language. Nowadays, dealing with computers and knowing how to handle a website is as imperative as speaking good English, and I suppose a bit of practice can always come in handy.
Besides, Internet has the advantage of supplying all the information you want about any subject in a matter of seconds.
However, there is a certain amount of risks to be considered when using the Internet: the quality of the delivered information, the fact that strangers may enter your blog or contact you, so you have to be careful about posting about personal issues or uploading intimate pictures of yours, eventual technical problems, with your connexion,for instance, that compromise all your work, these sort of things.
Besides, it has the disadvantage of making us forget more easily of our mistakes, since when we correct them or use Word, which corrects automatically our mistakes; we no longer SEE our teacher’s correction.
In addition to that, the idea of using an entertaining activity as a learning procedure has the risk of meaning to some students that they won't have to dedicate themselves all that much to work, considering it releases them from a certain tension that more "serious" forms of work give them.
Some of them will succumb to the temptation of CtrlC/CtrlV and others may tend to only post sporadically, giving a larger priority to subjects that work differently.
I have to admit that at certain points I myself had that sort of thinking: I would constantly leave the work behind, which led to an accumulation of undone posts.
I suppose I am more of an “old school” student, I work better under pressure, with books, grades and “drafts”.
But still, this experience was very interesting and did actually have its uses.

Wow!!!seven comments on one post!!I suppose I got you guys very curious,didn't I?

Maite said: Hello Nathy!!so, I read you list of words related to work and i saw that to you "work" is not only in the business departement, it is also related with "people".To me your list of words is very complete....you don´t think about making money but you think about accomplishment!

Thanks a lot Maite!!!I'm glad that you really understood my list of words...That was my intention: to make it very complete, and to show all the aspects that the word "work" may have. It is quite a general term, and I truly believe that, just like you said, it isn't limited to the "business" department.

There is one word that the girls just couldn't swallow: "culture".Kaitlin,Giovana,Caroline and Esther, here is my answer: Do you really think that paintors,poets,actors,writers,singers,musicians,critics, artists in general and all the jobs that make and maintain the culture of a country, don't WORK to get something done? That they only have a gift, that all of their abilities simply come from pure and simple inspiration? or maybe they were born with it.It is really quite ironic since you are all L's ,I suppose that you consider that what you do IS indeed a form of work too.And a hell of a work. Besides, don't you think that, say, a journalist, with all the general culture that his job requires, only has it due to the reading of some magazines and talking to some friends? Absolutely not, culture takes work, work to be done, work to be kept. Besides, like Maite said, everything isn't about making money: I know that I WORK to have some general culture too, to be able to read a book and appreciate a play in the theatre. I'm not sure if I'm there yet, but I know, and I'm sure that you agree, in order to actually get there, every one has to invest oneself. All in all, that was what I was thinking of when I associated these two words: I hope that now you understood ((I'm not saying that you have to agree.))

Going back to personal doubts:

Tech said : How does necesity fit in the work area? Do you really think that working is something we HAVE to do? (ok, you've got a point, but I don't agree 100% )..luv ya hon~

First of all, sweetie, I love you too.^^ Second of all, despite my very characteristic laziness, I DO believe that work is a necessity. All kinds of works. To make a society function, to mold an opinion, to survive, to be human in all ways, to make yourself smart, EVEN in the "love" area, work is needed ((if you take a more abrangeant definition of this word)). From discoveries that change life world wide to personal accomplishments, the basis is work. Dedication. Things like modernity, rights, luxury, rarely ever come for free. Except in movies maybe. You got my point, tézinha?I don't mean to deny the importance of enjoying life, of loving, of having feelings, of doing absolutely nothing. I'm just recognizing a considerable aspect of the word "work".

Bee said: I wonder what actions and feelings you would associate to work.

Well, teacher, I have to admit,when I think of work, the first feelings I get are tiredness, boredom, stress. In this school,It could'nt be otherwise right?But I also feel decided, dynamic, useful. I associate to this word actions in general, specially the ones that require strength, physical and moral.

Naboo said:hullo nachy!!!well every word combine with work, execept 2 or 3 like art...do you really think that art is work????? i do not thik this.... do you an expression from indians of USA??? They say`" The Crazy dreams with open eyes"....artists are always a little crazy...don´t you think????

Hello naboo! I really enjoyed your comment, specially the Indian quote......It is very interesting to see how they see art. About your question: it is quite alike with the other's doubt about the relation between "culture" and work.......But don't forget that I put the whole expression "art work", meaning a painting r other expressions of art.
You see, when I put this expression, I didn't mean to deny the "human" aspect of art, the relative and the personal aspects.But in order to express these feelings, and translate them, you must have some technique, especially in the beginning. You can't suppose that Monet and Van Gogh were born doing such kind of paintings right? They had to work also.

Krol said:Hey Natalie!Could you explain what you mean by 'cause'?

Hey little Kro!!!!How nice of you do drop by.....lol I know you were forced to by our English teacher, but still, I'm honored....
Anyway, you didn't understand what I meant by "cause"? Let me clear things up for you.
You see, I have this really big affection for "activists" and ONGs. What they do is totally altruistic, and without any search for profits. Besides, they try to solve the problems of the world, so you can imagine how much work that takes. Like I already said, all these words that messed you guys up were put there to give to this word a more "human" aspect.

words I associate to the word WORK ......don't try to find any logical progression here....

*necessity
*effort
*stress
*achievement
*application
*survival
*sweat
*apply onself
*society
*learning
*studies
*enterprises
*art work
*culture
*business
*organisation
*formation
*dedication
*will
*success
*cause
*progress
*mold
*development, etc......

*so sorry*

I am so sorry teacher!!!again.....
you see, I have been so filled with things to do......haven't been very loyal to this blog and frequent in my postings....In fact, I will make this up to you!!!let me see....
I owe you a post about my oral,one about Henry Moore,another about our visit to his work,and another one about rebels.....okay....here we go!!!!




*IN COMPENSATION PROCESS*

Saint George: the patron saint of England

Here is the story of this illustrious saint, as it is told: St. George, born in Cappadocia to a Christian family, entered the Roman army. Once he was traveling through a pagan town in Lybia terrorized by a dragon, which had devoured all the cattle and now was eating people. George arrived at the moment when the dragon was about to swallow the king’s daughter, princess Sabra. With the help of Christ, George overcame the dragon and, according to one version, killed him, according to another, tamed and put on leash. Later George fell the victim of Diocletian’s persecutions and was martyred: after surviving being burnt, boiled and crushed under a wheel, he was beheaded. His cult was born in the east and remains particularly strong in Greece and Russia. Thanks to crusaders his cult spread in the west, where St. George became one of the patron saints of Genoa, Venice and Barcelona, as well as that of England and of Teutonic Order. St. George was also the patron of all Christian knights.

I am going to describe a painting in gouache made in 1868 and called "George and the dragon" that,in fact, shows the saint executing his deed. It was made by Sir Edward Burne-Jones(1833-1893), a painter and decorater, member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who is known for the mystical, dreamlike settings of his paintings and stained-glass designs, and who exerted a considerable influence on British painting .He studied theologie in Oxford and so his paintings usually represented graceful girls, angels, gods and heroes of the medieval legends and the classical mythology.
In the foreground of the painting, we can see the "kight in shining armour" pulling his bloody sword from out the dragon's mouth.We can notice that St George takes more space in the painting,he is the center,whereas the dragon (who looks a lot more like a crocodile,with hard scales) is small,near the ground,or even better,the underground.It is a creature that reminds us of a worm.The tones of George's colours is very pure,very distinct (black armour and red cape) while the dragon's are of a dirty green ,witch contributes to make him even more repulsive and evil.
They are very detailed,with very developped clothing and shape.
In the middle ground,at the right,stands the princess tied up to a wooden poll ,wearing her wedding gown and watchcing the fight.We can notice that she is even smaller than the dragon, compared to George: she is fragile.The white of her gown represents her purity and inocence, and the side where she stands is the side where the armour of the hero shines: she gives him strengh.
In the background,we see the landscape of a village sourrounded by mountains and farther hills.The village is blue, whitch implies sadness: the sadness of a town that has lost many villagers.
To conclude, we can say that it is a very simbolic painting, where there is a greater concern with colours,surface patterning and shapes other than narrative and realism.


deed:good action to save the world from the action of evil forces.

Pages 30-31 of the book

This is the detail of a painting called "Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth" , painted by Dennis Malone Carter, in 1854, that shows the courage of the famous heroine by representing her unwavering serving at the American Independence war in the place of her fallen husband. Our overall impression is of a very obscure painting,with very opaque and shaded colours and the whole scene being somber due to the fact that it is a war shot.
In the first field, we can see Molly's husband suffering the collapse that made her so illustrious ,lying on the floor.
In the second field, stands the heroine,helping a soldier to fire the canon, both looking fearless and focused on their cause.Behind them,there is a man waving his hat in the air, his white shirt wide open showing his chest.
Molly is in a red,fluffy dress and her hair is fluttering in the wind.
Everything around these characters is darkened, flou,and the entire painting has a touch of epic and tragic.
At the back, we can spot the american flag and the other soldiers, some of them more at the back,others right by the side of the main characters.
Every element of this painting is filled with movement and emotion.

Dan Eldon......

I was in the Enlglish class and the subject we were discussing about was heros and heroines.We heard a tape in wich a girl said that in order to be a hero,you don't necessarily have to be physically strong and fight in a war or something........Heros are people that do things other people wouldn't do......Such as dedicating and even risking your life in the name of a cause........As a matter of fact,her hero was Dan Eldon and she told us a bit of his history,wich,obviously fits her definition (and,by the way, was far from having a happy ending).......I happen to agree with this concept of hero and so I got interested. This is the result:
Dan Eldon

From birth in 1970, Dan's international wanderings were destined to follow, as the son of an English father and an American mother. When Dan was seven, he, his sister Amy, and his parents left behind the grey of London in favor of the vast blue skies of Africa; a move that would forever kindle his imagination and change his life.
Following a school trip to the Loita Hills in Kenya when he was 15, Dan began to create journals in an effort to capture his experience. At first they were simple paper bound books that later evolved into bulging journals, labored at the seams, which seemed to take on a life of their own. Pages that spoke with humor, beauty, injustice and irony - that found their expression though collages, paint, photographs, ink drawings, quotes, clippings, scraps and trash.
Biography
Growing up in Kenya, Dan was aware at an early age, of the plight of people less fortunate than he. In high school he organized a campaign to raise money for an operation for Atieno, a young Kenyan girl with a heart defect. Together with friends, and his sister Amy, the group raised $5,000 on her behalf.
Some of the people that Dan most loved, were the Masai. Over the years he became very close to a Masai family living on the edge of Great Rift Valley outside of Nairobi. As often as possible, he would hitch a ride to the Ngong Hills to visit Kipenget, his Masai "mother". She dubbed him "Lesharo" "the one who laughs." Dan helped Kipenget and her family by selling her beaded jewelry and Masai head dresses to his friends and visiting tourists.
After high school graduation, at age 17, Dan left Africa and made his way to New York City. His talents continued to be recognized while creating graphic art for Mademoiselle Magazine during a summer job.
Finding His Way
After three months of a great many sky scrapers and far too few sunny horizons, Dan left New York City and returned to Kenya, where he bought an old Land Rover which he named "Deziree." From August to October 1989 Dan and his best friend Lengai drove from Kenya to Zimbabwe -- a sometimes perilous but always exciting journey. From Zimbabwe Dan ventured further south alone, hitchhiking through South Africa where he photographed anti-apartheid rallies before driving Deziree back north.
The following winter he headed to California and enrolled at Pasadena Community College, the first of four colleges he would attend. Within weeks he was homesick for Africa and together with a group of friends, started a charity which would enable him to return to Africa on a mission of goodwill. The charity "Student Transport Aid" was composed of 14 students from six different countries. After raising nearly $20,000, the group spent the summer of 1990 traveling from Nairobi to a refugee camp in Malawi where they donated one of their Land Rovers to the "Save the Children" organization. In addition they donated money for blankets and the building of two wells.
For the next two years Dan traveled as often as possible. He ventured to Uganda, Japan, India, East Germany and Morocco. In between he had stints at various educational institutions, including UCLA, Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa and Richmond College in London.
In spring 1992 he worked in Kenya as an Assistant Director on the film "Lost in Africa" and decided to stay on in Nairobi for a few months before returning to UCLA for the autumn term. He followed a family friend to Northern Kenya, where she was photographing refugees of the civil war in neighboring Somalia. Horrified, Dan took photographs which were published in Kenya's main newspaper The Nation. He met other journalists and began to consider staying in Africa rather than returning to school.
Return to Somalia
In July 1992, Dan made the first of many trips to Somalia, working as a stringer for both the news agency Reuters and The Nation. During the late summer and fall his emotions swung between the adrenaline rush of being in a war zone and the depression that came from witnessing the extreme suffering of famine. When American and U.N. troops launched "Operation Restore Hope" that winter, Dan was happy and relieved to see the famine victims fed - but frustration soon followed as conditions in Somalia continued to deteriorate into more extreme violence and chaos. Having worked his way up to being one of the main photographers for Reuters, he was determined to stay and help, believing that the story needed to be told. His photographs eventually found their way into leading newspapers and magazines, including The Times and Newsweek.
A Life Interrupted
On July l2 l993, Dan was preparing to leave Somalia for an extended break after months of recording the tragedy and death around him. As he readied to depart, U.N. forces bombed a house where it was believed the warlord General Aideed was holding a meeting. Instead as many as 74 innocent men, women and children were killed in the bombing and more than 100 others were injured. Survivors of the tragedy raced to the journalists' hotel and asked them to take pictures of the devastation. Traveling in convoy, under the protection of the Somalis, Dan and a group of colleagues raced to the compound to capture the images on behalf of those wrongly killed.
As they began to take photographs, the crowd erupted in anger at what had happened and attacked the journalists. Dan and his colleagues Hansi Krauss, Anthony Macharia of Reuters, and Hos Maina of the Associated Press, were surrounded, stoned and beaten to death.Reuters, 1993
Dan would have understood the suffering of the grieving mob. It is with regret that we lose his lens to the world, his respect for all people, and his appreciation of the beauty, as well as the horrors of life.Carloyn Wellso, 1993, Cedar Rapids Gazette
Dan's Journals
After his death, Dan's family found l7 journals created from the beginning of his high school years until his death; Each filled with images and stories from Dan's extraordinarily rich life. Believing the books might inspire other people to make the most of the moments in life - to seek lives of passion and compassion -- they worked to have excerpts from the journals published. The Journey Is the Destination, published by Chronicle Books in 1997, is the result.
Dying to Tell the Story
In l998, five years after Dan's death, Turner Original Productions produced a 1 1/2 hour documentary in association with Creative Visions Productions. Entitled "Dying to Tell the Story" the documentary focuses on journalists who risk their lives in an effort to share with the world the stories and images of those who need a voice.
Legacy
Dan, in his brief life, planted seeds which those, left behind, have tended to and nourished. It is in great gratitude for his buoyant personality, his humor and his ever roving spirit - that we seek to journey through this world in an effort to inspire those that would recognize themselves in his story. We believe that each of us continues Dan's legacy and so many before him, when we seek to live joyously and to reach beyond ourselves to touch the lives of others.

I am still fascinated about his story and his creative mind.....Too bad that I hadn't heard about him before......Besides,I was four years old when he died so his name didn't even sound familiar........However,I will keep on researching , reading ,seing,discovering and getting more and more amazed about my new found hero.....kisses bye bye!!!!

ps: link to his oficial web site HERE