Bad Day Revisited

12th May 2023

A writing exercise to help build narrative. We shall use signpost language, paragraphs, amazing adjectives, adverbs and linking words, as well as some new expressions.

I shall tell you about last Sunday – it was terrible and here’s why.

The plan of my day:

6.50 Book Grab on my iPhone and leave for work.

7.40 – 9.40 Young Learners class, level 1 (24 students)

10.10 Arrive home

10.11am – 2.30pm Wedding party across the street

10.30 – 12.00 Prepare work online

5.00pm – 9.30pm Another wedding party but much louder, more karaoke singers

6.00 Go for coffee

BUT 11.30pm Barcelona win 1- 0 so ‘All’s well that ends well.’

So what were the problems ?

“Hey, where is my bike ? I am late for work !”

I only have one class; I hope they are nice and quiet. OK, they are screaming, loudly ! But now I can go home and relax. Wait a moment …

A wedding party with singing and drinking and karaoke … for four hours ! No problems, I will wear headphones, listen to my music and prepare my work online.

I give up ! This is never going to happen. However, after 2.30pm it starts to be quiet. I can work, read and at 4.45 I started to sleep … until at 5.00:

These gentlemen do not sing beautifully, they sound like cats having a fight. I decide to go out to a quiet coffee bar. The server is very friendly … but then a man walks in …

My dreadful day was nearly over. At 11.30 I watch TV and see …

Yes, my team Barcelona are playing. I am blown away by how good they are and I am over the moon because they win the game. All’s well that ends well.

NOW … your turn

Write about Mr Paul’s terrible day.

TIPS

Use a short introduction, then a new paragraph for each new event.

Use signpost language (first, next, then, afterwards, finally).

The story is in the past so you have to use simple past (Verb 2). Noun & verb agreement (he is, he was)

End with a short conclusion.

Use new adjectives and synonyms (terrible, awful, dreadful, horrendous).

I insist that you use at least one new expression (over the moon, blown away, all’s well that ends well).

Let me kick start you:

Last Sunday was absolutely dreadful.

First, I booked Grab on my iPhone but he was extremely slow and late. My manager was …

now you finish my day

Good luck with my bad day

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.

Young Teens: our Pledge of Quiet

12th May 2023

Today I start a new class, and I’m very lucky; they are great. The class has some outstanding students who display motivation, respect and diligence.

That being said (however), they are still young, the hour is still early, so some ground rules need to be in place from Day One.

I encourage joking and having fun – the students will learn much more if they enjoy the class. But there is a time for joking and a time for working.

At the beginning of our new semester, my students will recite and sign this pledge:

I PROMISE TO BE QUIET IN CLASS AND TO LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS

No talking, shouting, animal noises, clicking of pens, stamping of feet, slamming of books, whistling etc.

You will get ONE Black Star warning. The second Black Star means you go out of the class. You will have a short meeting with the Manager. The meeting will not be fun for you.

We can not help you improve your pronunciation if there is so much noise that we can not hear you.

You signed the Pledge … now keep to your word.

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.

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 5

10th May 2023

The fifth track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Christmas every August, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site:

https://thebutterflydecal.bandcamp.com/album/jingo-harleyman-life-in-a-korean-movie

A two-chord song that builds to add synths, guzheng and a glockenspiel, evoking the melancholy of this love story that never was.

The inspiration for the track, ‘Christmas in August’ (1998), was one of the first films of New Korean Cinema to combine romance with heart-breaking drama. In later years, two young lovers one with a terminal illness, became something of a cliché, but this film remains one of the best; simple, delicate and very moving

The music is non-profit, and I hope to introduce more audiences to Korean cinema and culture. All films are credited in the video. As such, I hope I may claim ‘Fair Use’, the video being for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of G

Tempo at drum section 133 6/8 Time

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Drum machine: Vintage Kit

Track 2 Clean Stack Guitar amp

Riff: Gm7 (root on the 10th fret, A string) / Cm7 (root on the 3rd fret, A string)

Track 3 Grand Piano

G F# G C / G F# G

Track 4 Alchemy synth – Voices – Girl’s Choir

Chorus selection (Chorus 11 o’clock / Reverb 11)

Track 5 Guzheng

G Am C Em chords

Tracks 6 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Track 7 Alchemy Synth – Glockenspiel

D G A – E D C

Tracks 8 & 9 Guitar Tones

Track 8: Palace of Mirrors PROCESSED

Track 9: Auditorium CLEAN

Riff: E 15 14 15 B 15 E 14 G 12

E string {C B A} G F# G D F# G {E} [20th – 12th frets)

B string D [15th fret]

G string G [12th fret]

Coming soon … ‘We are the Cyborgs, but that’s OK’

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 4

9th May 2023

The fourth track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Living in a Korean film‘, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site:

https://thebutterflydecal.bandcamp.com/album/jingo-harleyman-life-in-a-korean-movie

The track is built around a Jazzy chord progression, with audio clips from several of my favourite Korean films.

I tried out some new guitar tones on the Garageband app for some lead notes, and added some synth effects for extra colour and atmosphere.

Many audio clips start mid sentence, as if we are walking past people and catching snippets of conversation.

Astute readers may recognise the YouTube thumbnail as being from ‘Moonlit Winter’ which was mostly filmed in Japan. However the actress, Kim So-hye, is Korean.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of G

Tempo at drum section 133

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Drum machine: Vintage Kit

Track 2 Sparkling Clean Guitar amp

Riff: Gmaj 7 / Cm7 / Bm7 and some lead fills on the B & G strings

Track 3 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Track 4 Synth Pads – Chill Pad.

G D – A D improvisation based on ‘Für Elise’

Track 5 Bass – Liverpool Bass

Follow Chords G – G / C – F# / F# – E

Tracks 6 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Man at station from ‘Il Mare’ slowed down to extreme

Track 7 Alchemy Synth – Soundscapes – Endless Optimism

Tracks 8 – 10 Guitar Tones.

Track 8: Rich Harmonies CLEAN

Track 9: Thin Rhythm CLEAN

Track 10: Endless Ambient PROCESSED plus Phase Tripper guitar pedal.

Coming soon … ‘Christmas every August’

Sài Gòn … then and now.

3rd May 2023

We have a project to write about our city or town. How has it changed ?

Remember, when we write about the past we use Verb 2 (simple past) but when we write about today, we use Verb 1 (simple present).

Word Bank:

In the past there was or In the past there were …

There wasn’t … or There weren’t …

These days there is or These days there are …

Today or Nowadays …

Example: In the past, the city was called Sài Gòn. Today, the city is called Ho Chi Minh City.

Let’s set the scene – we need some old time music.

To help you, compare and contrast these photos. First, we have the General Post Office in Quận 1 (District 1, downtown or city centre).

Post offices were mainly for sending letters. Do people send letters these days ?

If people could not write, what did they do ?

Today, the Post Office has many shops inside, and many tourists visit to take photos.

How about street life ?

Sài Gòn 1960s (above), and Ho Chi Minh City today

Of course, Sài Gòn is famous for street food.

Some food is traditional, but nowadays there are a lot of fast food restaurants.

Finally, we need some modern music. Do you know this song ? The video was filmed in Quận 7

All the world’s a stage … and my students shall play their parts

1st May 2023

As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7

Recently, we have focused on writing, using new vocabulary and making sure the grammar is perfect. Now it’s time to apply the same creativity to speaking. Are you good to go ?

All right, all right, all right !

Let us write a short piece and then perform it for the class. We shall write about what happens in an English lesson.

First, we need four characters:

a teacher // a TA (teaching assistant) // the Manager // a student

Next, build up the character

Is the teacher strict, friendly, happy, angry ?

Is the TA helpful, funny, polite, lazy ?

Is the Manager scary, rude, kind, elegant ?

Is the student hard-working or lazy, polite or disrespectful ?

Finally, we need a situation

What happens ? Is the student very good, or very naughty ? Is the manager proud or angry ? Does the TA listen to the teacher or play on a phone ?

Word bank:

over the moon / body language / strict / furious / hard-working / thoughtless / screaming

Work in groups of four. If you only have three, you can leave out the TA or Manager.

Example

Teacher is Ms Jane / TA is Mr Khanh / Manager is Ms Mi and the student is Graham.

Ms Jane: Mr Khanh, what is Graham doing ?

Mr Khanh: I think he is sleeping. Graham, Wake up !

Graham: I am awake.

Ms Jane: Look at his body language. You must respect teachers. You should be more hard-working, like Larry.

Graham: Larry is stupid !

Mr Khanh: Say, “Sorry !” You are so rude and lazy.

Ms Jane: If you don’t say sorry, you will go to the Manager.

Graham: I’m not scared.

Ms Jane: Ms Mi will be furious. She will scream at you.

Mr Khanh: I will send her a message … now.

Ms Mi enters

Ms Mi: Where is the impolite boy ? Come here. You must always respect teachers and do as they say.

Graham: Yes, Ms Mi. I promise.

Ms Mi: Apologise to the teachers.

Graham: I’m sorry. I will work hard now.

Mr Khanh: Good. Now sit down and do the lesson.

Ms Mi starts to leave

Ms Jane: Everybody say, “Goodbye, Ms Mi.”

Ms Mi: When I see everybody working hard, I am over the moon. Keep studying.

SCENE

Now … your turn

Learn English … or else !

1st May 2023

Don’t take my word for it; here are some stills from a Korean film:

The film is ‘House of Hummingbird’ from 2019

So, do you want to be a house-owner or a housemaid ?

Roll up your sleeves, put your nose to the grindstone, burn the midnight oil, burn the candle at both ends, turn over a new leaf, hit the books, get down to it.

At every opportunity, read, speak, write English. Then, after you graduate, you can party !

Jingo Harleyman. ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 3

28th April 2023

The third track on the new EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Lover’s Phobia, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site: https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie

Another one of my favourite Korean films, another film about two young people in love fated only to share a short time together.

The track is based solely on one chord, Em11, played in two different positions. The first position is on the 5th fret, the second on the 10th.

Both intro guitar riffs are based on the notes of the 5th fret position. The bass plays variations on the notes of the chord.

The mood changes as the tempo slows and guitar arpeggios replace the riffs. The chord moves to the 10th fret position.

The third section has thrashing chords and a faster tempo, along with drums and a more atonal bass, hinting at the unhappiness after the ‘happy’ ending.

The film stars Kang Hye-jung & Cho Seung-woo

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of Em

Tempo at drum section 187

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Chorus Shimmer (processed Guitar amp)

1st Riff on top 3 strings:

E – A note B – G & E notes G – D note

Track 2 Cool Jazz Combo Guitar amp

2nd Riff: notes of the Em11 chord (5th fret position) on E & B strings.

Tracks 3 & 4 Sparkling Clean Guitar amp

Arpeggios of Em11 chord, 10th fret position.

D, A & E strings, then B, G & D strings.

Track 3 plays the chords, Track 4 uses fingerpicking

Track 5 Alchemy Synth: Mallets, Atlantean Bells

Setting 1: Warm Ring (Chorus at 7 o’clock, Reverb 1) Setting 2: Wooden Mallets

Tracks 6 Drum machine: Live Drums, SoCal

Track 7 Precision Bass

E – G – C – F – E (with variations)

Track 8 Film Clips. Audio: voice, Extreme Tuning

Coming soon … ‘Living in a Korean film’

Jingo Harleyman. ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 2

25th April 2023

The second track on the new EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Samaria Girl, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site: https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie

The track is based around a simple guitar riff, augmented by two chords (Am & Gmaj7). An upright bass (synth) plays a variation of the main riff. The song develops into a conflict between grand piano and fuzz guitar, representing the two conflicting characters in the film.

I added some dreamy synth mallet sounds for atmosphere and colour, as well as including some dialogue between the two girls.