Modern slavery

Hello,
this post is especially dedicated to unemployed youngsters. I'm a youngster (ha ha ha!...), but luckily I have a job.
I cannot bite my tongue: slavery exists. We all know about cheap labour in many countries that produce the goods we consume; the first example that comes to my mind is the children working in the coltan mines, in Congo. We all know about factories in China, sweatshops in Morocco producing for Zara...

But I've received this e-mail from Actuable.
Read it.
Don't you think it's slavery?

Quique

Guess where I am, what I'm eating

Hello,
look at the picture on your right. That smiling young man is me, some 4 years ago.
Can you guess where I am, and what I am eating?

I'll give you a clue:
1-place- because of this place, the Sun never set in Phillip II's kingdom.
2-food- some people would call it a "chicken omelette".
3- as you can tell, my smile doe not imply happiness, it actually shows a kind of nervous, embarrassed reaction.

Where am I?

PS- have you noticed the difference between "Where am I?" and "Guess where I am". Why this different word order?

Answers; new design

Hi,
here you have the meaning of the phrases below. Did you like the interview?

-there's another way- hay otro camino, otra forma

-first of all- primeramente

-what's out there?- ¿qué hay ahí fuera?

-and then, something happens- y entonces, algo pasa

-not true at all- no es ciero para nada

-in my entire life- en toda mi vida

Seguro que lo sabíais.

Oh, I nearly forgot. As you can see, I have a new layout and design for the blog. I have been working on it for.... three seconds. It's the time that took me to ask my friend THRASHTO to do it. Thanks.

Problems solved...

Some millions of people have contacted me, because they couldn't write comments. I've sorted it out. Try now.
Q
PS- have you noticed, the words in red link you with their meaning in Spanish at  Google Translator?

Science can be fun

Hi, I have found an interesting interview to the scientist Michio Kaku. He explains why most children hate science at school: basically, it's the school system itself that makes you hate it!!

As Kaku says, everybody is born a scientist: we wonder where things come from, we calculate, we analyse, we compare, we test... but usually, things that we understand. Mr. Kaku probably dislikes textbooks, just like me (remember, here "like" means "como")! Can you guess what puts children off science, according to him?

Before you watch the interview (1 minute 30 seconds), how about focusing on some of the words that you might learn?. Can you guess what these words and expressions mean? You will hear them in the interview:

-there's another way-

-first of all-

-what's out there?-

-and then, something happens-

-not true at all-

-in my entire life-

Here's the interview (subtitled):

I will give you the answers tomorrow, but I'm sure it'll be easy for you!
Quique

Stupid English

Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English Language?

Let's face it
English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. 

If writers write, how come fingers don't fing.
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn't the plural of “telephone booth” be phone beeth

Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy
Of a language where a house can burn up as
It burns down
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard when it goes!

If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat!?

When the stars are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible

(Adapted from http://www.ahajokes.com/eng002.html)

See you!!

Education and optimism

Hi,

I was in class today with my 1st Bachillerato (great kids), and something has dawned upon me: I am always telling them how polluted and deforested the world is, how corruption penetrates every aspect of politics, how the media and big political parties infect our minds, and how multinational companies and banks are making us poorer and poorer. WHAT A DARK FUTURE AWAITS YOU, KIDS!

But then, I have realised that this is wrong! Of course, kids should be informed about this "Matrix-alike" life we lead, but, where's the room for OPTIMISM?? I think that teachers should be much more confident, and should transmit a better picture to our students. Come on,  if it weren't for all the opium that kids consume today (Internet, videogames, TV, fashion, botellones, etc.) they'd be committing suicide like lemmings!

So, from now on, I have decided to swim against the current, and every now and then look on the bright side of life. After all, they'll have plenty of time to discover the truth. Or change it.