Fiestas Patrias

 Hi Bloggers,

Being a non-meat eater (my diet is 99% plant-based), Fiestas Patrias is not my favourite celebration because it centres around barbecues and the smell of cooked meat. However, what I do enjoy is having a few days holiday, and I guess this year was special because we had 10 days off.

    My wife´s birthday was on September 12th so, from the 13th to the 17th we went to Isla Negra with her sister and mum. We rented a little cabin in the middle of nowhere (about 15 minutes walk from the centre of the town). It was a really relaxing place, surrounded by trees  so the only sounds were the birds and the wind in the trees. 

It was a really lazy few days. We cooked, ate, drank, read and went for the occasional walk. In the evenings we played table games (Ticket to Ride and Yatzee).

On the way back to Santiago on the 17th, we went via Limache and visited some friends there.

On September 18 & 19, I just chilled, making music, watching some movies and reading.

A good break:)

How about you?

Write about your Fiestas Patrias 2024

Say:

Where you went,

What you did,

Who you saw.

Mention anything else you think  is important or interesting. Try to write a least 100 words.

Leave a comment on your Teacher´s blog and the blogs of at least 3 cñlassmates.

5 Favourites

 Hi Fau Bloggers.

Today I'm going to ask you to write about 5 favourites & why.

The categories are:

A song, a film, a piece of technology, a book, and a souvenir or trinket.

The song I'm going to share with you is a song from 1971 by David Bowie called Quicksand. I really love the lyrics and all the images they conjure up. Bowie was about 24 years old when he wrote this song but he sounds so wise. I love this track because it reminds me of my youth (as well as demonstrating Bowie's versatility).

My favourite film is most probably Brazil by Terry Gilliam. Released in 1985, it's is a "dystopian science fiction black comedy" (Wikipedia), which I must have seen at least 10 times. Actually, it's a nightmarish love story. I love it because it has so many bits of hidden humour. It may look a little dated nowadays but I still think it's amazing.

A piece of technology I use a lot is my Macbook laptop. I bought it refurbished in the UK during COVID, mainly to run with a DAW I use to make music. As far as I'm concerned, it was a real bargain. It's still running faithfully 4 years since I bought it.

 If your interesting in hearing more of my music this is a link to a playlist of my 3 musical projects:) 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3hI5HSsHQneUTcj3v3zcmq?si=4935681e128847b1

My favourite book is Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake. It is an amazing piece of fiction. The first volume of a trilogy that tells the story of Titus and the inhabitants of an isolated citadel called Gormenghast. Actually, it's a highly observant and imaginative mix of Chinese and British culture from the mind of a hugely creative writer. Mervyn Peake was born in China in 1911, where his parents were missionaries. The humour in the book is very dark. Peake was an artist who produced educational books teaching people how to draw. He was also an artist, illustrator and poet. Check him out:)

A souvenir I really like is a photo collage i found in a thrift shop in New York in 2011. It only cost me 50 cents but I think it's really cool. I like bring outlandish souvenirs from places I visit, especially things from craft markets or junk stores. I would love to find out who created it.

Write about 5 Favourites. Include a song, a film, a piece of technology, a book, and a souvenir (or trinket). Say a little bit about what each of these things mean to you or why you like them.

Please include photos and or videos (there are insert image and insert video buttons on the tool bar).

Leave a comment on your teacher's blog an

A Good Friend

Part 1

Visit this British Council website and read the text:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/international-day-friendship

Write a 60 - 80 word summary.

Part 2

Write a short post about your a good friend:

Say

Who it is,

How you met,

What you have in common.

My short post is about my good friend Kat, pictured above.

We met because a neighbour rescued him for a dog attack when he was a kitten. He decided to live with me and my wife. Kat and I both liked sitting on the balcony and eating. Unfortunately he passed away in 2017, aged 17 years. He was an amazing companion. R.I.P