27th January 2023








27th January 2023
22nd January 2023
Less than two weeks ago we lost legendary British guitarist Jeff Beck. Today, we mourn the passing of another 60s icon, David Crosby, who passed away aged 81.
David was a member of the Byrds, playing on their first five LPs, before forming the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Famous for their vocal harmonies, the group, frequently augmented by the addition of Neil Young, eptitomise the ‘California sound’ of the late 60s and early 70s.
Graham Nash said of David, “He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy.”
Crosby (bottom left) in the Byrds.
The debut album of the supergroup.
David Crosby August 14th 1941 – January 18th 2023
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
17th January 2023
I was recently reading a report in an English-language Vietnamese newspaper, bemoaning the lack of tourists.
Tourism accounts for a significant portion of Thailand’s GDP and Vietnam, with beaches, historic towns and cities, should be able to significantly boost their economy by attracting foreign visitors.
To an extant, they do (tourism is increasing). The problem, according to some reports, is the lack of return visitors; people add Vietnam to their bucket list, then never return, a case of, “been there, done that,” whereas many tourists return again and again to Thailand. The following website lists ten common factors that deter or spoil the experience of visiting Viet Nam:
https://www.expatolife.com/10-bad-things-vietnam/
Many are based around petty crime: overcharging, thief, poor service, fraud and bad manners.
I have my own litany of complaints, and then some ! However, the focus today in on one major problem in Vietnam … the (add expletive of choice) NOISE. The following is an extract from VNExpress, an English-language newspaper:
Noise pollution can be said to be a fact of life and a headache in many urban areas, but in Vietnam, it gets taken to levels unheard of.
A study by the Institute of Occupational Health and the Environment of 12 main traffic routes and intersections in Hanoi found the average noise level during the day to be 77.8-78.1 dBA, about 7.8-8.1 dBA higher than the standard. The level is 10-20 dBA higher than normal night-time standards at 65.3-75.7 dBA.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/readers-views/why-are-vietnamese-people-so-noisy-4528394.html
The worse offenders, for my sensitive ears, are street hawkers (motorbike riders who have loudspeakers, and often park outside my window for hours, playing their noise on a loop … sometimes for nearly four hours).
I know, they are just trying make a living and support their families, but if you are constantly woken up at 5:10 am by a guy driving past blaring out that he is selling bread (without stopping for anyone to actually buy said item), or you want to enjoy your balcony and read some Shakespeare, but a knife-grinder is under your window playing a three-sentence phrase over and over … and over, you may have more sympathy for my plight.
Now for the worst offender; Vietnam seems to positively encourage the right for ANYONE to buy a karaoke machine and use it, outdoors, all day, every day. Increasingly, the use of such machines has caused anger, violence and even deaths:
A man in the northern province of Hai Duong was singing karaoke at home earlier this month and his neighbor complained about the noise. He went over to the neighbor’s to express his anger, only to be stabbed to death.
The whole article may be read here: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/readers-views/fining-karaoke-noise-violations-after-10-p-m-makes-no-sense-4487372.html
I myself have been driven to near insanity by wedding parties on my free day (five hours of karaoke just across the street) and used all my English insults to get my point across. Pretty damn stupid in retrospect, and the fact that I was a foreigner probably saved me from a severe beating, or worse.
So … intelligence is more powerful than strength. Don’t get mad … get even. I have an electric guitar which, of course, is nigh useless without an amplifier. Hence, I reveal my Fender Champion 20W amp.
The amp has four different setting, a range of built-in effects and a Gain button … to increase noise.
We are approaching Tet Holiday, so we can expect a lot of parties, Karaoke and NOISE.
As you can see, I hooked up my laptop to the speaker today around 11.00 am because … already … some local gentleman and his good lady wife (or sister or whomever) began screaming through a microphone. A lot of these ‘performers’ just copy TV stars and make whooping noises or scream. Take it from me, a Vietnamese with a mic is one of the world’s worst tortures.
So, I chose some pretty inoffensive K-Pop, and covered up the caterwauling from the great beyond.
You can see, the Gain is only set to 4 and the volume was on 2. The switch goes up to 10 ! I also used some delay and reverb. Furthermore, thanks to the internet; YouTube, Spotify plus my own files, I own a LOT of loud music … a LOT. And if that wasn’t bad enough, just wait until you hear me murder ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
The gauntlet is thrown down. After several hours, your voices will crack, you will sleep from that nasty cheap beer but I will only just be warming up. Rock ‘n’ Roll will never die … but don’t take my word for it. Here’s Mr Neil Young
16th January 2023
Today you will need pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks and paper.
You are going to tell me about Tet Holiday.
I want to know what you do that is special, what you eat and what you wear.
Do you like Tet ? Explain why … or why not !
First, we need a vocabulary bank. Here are a list of adjectives you should try to use.
Write these words in your notebook next to the meaning in Vietnamese
traditional // lucky // fun // funny
delicious // beautiful // colourful
loud // terrible //
What is happening here ?
What is in the red envelope ?
Tell me about the food.
What are the ladies doing ?
What are the men doing ?
Write and draw about Tet Holiday.
At Tet I … (my family) …
I eat …
I see …
If I have lucky money, I will buy …
My family go to …
My Mummy …
My Daddy …
I like (don’t like) Tet Holiday because …
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
12th January 2023
JEFF BECK 1944 – 2023
9th January 2023
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “The Battle Between Carnival and Lent,” 1559 Kunsthistorisches Museum
Today we travel back in time to see how people lived 400 or 500 years ago. What was different ? What games did children play ?
First, we need a modern avatar. Team captains can choose from the following:
FBI Agent, Dale Cooper // Black Panther // Mulan
James Bond 007 // Reva // Lady Penelope
Sinbad the Sailor // The Minotaur
LEVEL 1
What do we have now that children did not have in the 1500s ? I want 3 things.
LEVEL UP: score 50 points
LEVEL 2
Tell me what you see in this picture. Remember to use adjectives.
Start with, “I can see …
LEVEL UP: score 100 points
LEVEL 3
The paintings are by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Read about his life:
Pieter Bruegel was born in Holland in 1529.
In the 1550s, he lived in Italy to study art. Bruegel liked to paint landscapes, and life in villages.
Many of his pictures tell a story. He had two sons who became painters. Their names were Jan and Pieter.
Bruegel died in 1569 in Belgium.
Questions:
Where was Bruegel born ?
When was Bruegel born ?
What country did he visit in the 1550s ?
What did he like to paint ?
When and where did he die ?
What were the names of his two painter sons ?
LEVEL UP: score 200 points
LEVEL 4
Many of Bruegel’s painting are in the Art Museum in Vienna, Austria. Have a look at this virtual tour: https://www.khm.at/en/explore/digital-museum/bruegel-begegnen-en/#:~:text=Only%20in%20Vienna&text=The%20Kunsthistorisches%20Museum%20Vienna%20houses,course%2C%20The%20Tower%20of%20Babel.
Look at the first picture at the top of this page.
Can you see it on the virtual tour ?
Look at the picture of the boys playing.
What is the name of this painting ?
Can you find this part of the painting ?
What other games can you see ?
LEVEL UP: score 500 points
LEVEL 5
Look at the painting ‘Children’s Games’ from 1560. In your teams, write a short story about what you see. Some people can draw, others can write. When you are finished, you may present to the class.
LEVEL UP: score 1000 points
GREAT WORK
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
6th January 2023
Margaret Hale, the protagonist in the novel ‘North and South’ returns to her childhood home, and revisits her old school. The new school mistress, who has made drastic changes, cajoles Margaret into giving an impromptu lesson.
One student is having difficulty with the ‘a’ sound.
“A, an indefinite article,” said Margaret mildly.
“I beg your pardon,” said the Vicar’s wife … “ (the new teacher).
The children had been taught to refer to ‘a’ as an adjective absolute. Margaret sat down “abashed.”
“The children knew more than she did. Mr Bell turned away, and smiled.”
(Chapter XLVI Once and Now)
Mr Bell, who is a fellow at Oxford and therefore very educated, passes no comment, yet his body language sufficiently expresses his opinion.
I had not come across an adjective absolute before. I could have taken the blue pill and kept on reading, or taken the red pill; I switched over to Google and began my descent into the rabbit hole of grammar taxonomy.
Others word forms have subdivisions; nouns can be proper, concrete, collective etc, verbs can be transitive or intransitive, and there are several types of adverbs.
Fortunately, the nomenclature is more frightening than the definition. So, without further ado let’s have a rabbit about adjectives (1), starting with the adjective absolute.
Most adjectives can be modified, e.g.
London is very expensive.
The book is extremely confusing.
Studying Vietnamese is quite difficult.
However, some adjectives do not need to be modified; they are superlatives (the biggest, the tallest) or binary (either yes or no). An old joke cracks that a woman phones her mother and tells her that she is a little bit pregnant. Of course, a woman is or is not pregnant.
Show, don’t tell:
A mark of 25% is unacceptable.
The building was destroyed in the fire.
Dinosaurs are dead.
The hostages were set free.
Modifiers such as absolutely, completely, totally may be used for emphasis.
The holiday was totally perfect.
My shirt is completely ruined.
I’m afraid it is absolutely impossible for you to get into Cambridge with those grades.
Now we know why Mr Bell “turned away, and smiled.”
I mentioned the rabbit hole because there are over a dozen types of adjective. Should you be interested, here’s some links to enlighten you:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/adjectives-gradable-and-non-gradable
https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/what-are-the-types-of-adjectives/
Notes
(1) Rabbit is London slang for talk or talking
28th December 2022
A version of the Grammarians game but this time aimed at younger students.
The teacher could give points for individual answers or use the Monopoly board template. Place students in teams, and make sure every member takes part, writing and speaking.
Without further ado … the game:
Grammar:
What is the correct grammar ?
EXAMPLE:
I to be sad … NO !
I am sad.
I to be hungry
You am happy
He to be tired
She are angry
ms huong am beautiful
WE is to be quiet
They to be loud
Adjectives: What is the opposite ?
EXAMPLE: hot and cold
fast and ______
young and _______
big and ______
tall and ______
beautiful and ______
Animals:
Tell me two animals that are fast
Tell me two animals that are slow
Tell me two animals that are big
Tell me two animals that are small
Tell me three animals that can fly
Tell me three animals that can swim
Sentences
EXAMPLE:
I like dogs but I don’t like cats.
I like cats but I __________________
I like dolphins but I __________________
I like birds but I __________________
I like cats but I __________________
I like cake but I __________________
I like pizza but I __________________
I like chicken but I __________________
I like tomatoes but I __________________
Dancing
Who can dance like Starlord ?
Happy New Year one and all
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
22nd December 2022
Peter Townsend and Princess Margaret
Butterfly Decal have a Bandcamp page: https://butterflydecal.bandcamp.com/
The demo version is available on YouTube:
Viewers of ‘The Crown’ will know the story of Princess Margaret falling in love with war hero Peter Townsend, and how the establishment forbade the marriage.
Niall wrote this song based on a doomed love affair, two people from different worlds who can never be together.
As the band Butterfly Decal, Niall and I try to do something a little different, often using spoken word and sound effects as opposed to conventional singing.
The first demo has the narrative too low in the mix, so we will be re-recording the song. Additionally, we decided to add a female voice in some sections. Here are the lyrics:
When In Rome
Well, it was never likely to work, was it?
He was a famous musician, a guitarist of some renown,
American, he had settled over here to escape the petty prejudices of his own country.
As if we have none.
Still, better here at least; some acceptance.
He was loaded, money meaningless with so many noughts in his account,
Far richer than she, despite her royal blood.
A princess, only a short hop, skip and abdication from the throne.
She’d always been the flighty one,
A little rebellious,
Safe in the security of her family, her position, her fame, her history.
They met at a charity gala,
The classic ‘eyes across a crowded room’ deal.
They knew of each other, naturally,
And had each secretly fantasised and fetishised the other.
Unbeknownst; hidden; covert.
They had made a big play of outbidding each other in their bizarre mating ritual.
The charity being the clear winner in this elaborate and ostentatious courtship.
A secret rendezvous was arranged that night,
When their imaginations gave way to wonderful reality.
Love – real and deep love – followed.
The fires burned brightly until an indiscrete confession to an ambitious maid
Forced a decision.
Well, it was never likely to work, was it?
A scene from ‘La Dolce Vita’ (1960) by Federico Fellini. The film, which shows the decadence of the rich and famous in Rome, was a forerunner of the ‘Swinging Sixties.’
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
21st December 2022
You have to use your English grammar to save the Galaxy from evil … can you do it ? Of course !
Game 1: correct these sentences
1: I is happy (1 point)
2: You am sadd (1 point)
3: He am is angree (2 points)
4: She is is beautifulll (2 points)
5: they is brave verry (3 points)
6: We are to watching a film good (3 points)
7: He am strong and liking to dance (3 points)
8: He am Groot and are cute very. Also he friendly (4 points)
9: Hiss name are rocket and she to be very small and angry (4 points)
10: the joker am in the Guardian film no. He am in film battmann ( 10 points)
Game 2: write 3 sentences using helping verbs
Subject // helping verb // verb 1 or infinite verb // object // adverb
An infinite verb is to + verb 1
EXAMPLE: to eat // to watch // to go // to buy // to learn.
We NEVER use to + verbing:
to swimming // to drinking // to writing X
Subject // helping verb // verb 1 or infinite verb // object // adverb
I // can // play // piano // very well
I // like // to watch // TV // sometimes
I // want // to visit // Thailand // soon
What is different about helping verbs can and like & want ?
Can uses verb 1, but like & want use infinite (to + verb 1)
Now … Your turn
Write 3 sentences using can, like & want.
Remember:
can + verb 1 // like + infinite // want + infinite
Only good grammar can defeat Thanos …
Good Luck !
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.