1939 Returning

Captured clandestine
Crawled into the lights
He knew he was in for a shoeing
Just wasn't to be his night

Dragged out of the frozen Rhine
For the Motherland and the Third Reich
A toeing's as good as a shoeing
When it's not to be your night

Tread carefully, so carefully
Upon the drifting ice
Caught behind enemy lines
In 1939
For Germany he sacrificed his life
Caught behind enemy lines
There in 1939

Kids knee-deep in rubble
London urchins grey with dust
Packed off west in evacuations
To farmers' wives
Green and pleasant lives
Far from the doodlebugs

Nanna Doll she still remembers
Leaving town in worn-out shoes
Now she's back out west in sheltered accommodations
Homes for the old where pills aren't the only blues

Tread carefully, so carefully
Upon the drifting ice
Staring blank into the TV guide
In 2009
How it's hurting me, I've only seen her twice
Since she went west for the second time
Since 1939
Peter Doherty

Listen for the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEZUm4_hR9U

Call me a bookworm!

September 23rd - September 27th

These 5 weekdays I’ve spent on the long-term reading. Every day I was getting closer to the end of The Forsyte Saga, the Leibovitz’s biography and The Calligrapher.

You write, I read

September 22nd



As you might have understood, I couldn’t not to abandon myself to reading of The Calligrapher. (Some 16 pages read where you meet a man, who begs his friend to draw his girlfriend attention from him in order to flirt with a lady in an art gallery, who just has given him a wink.)

Vocabulary,

but not from this book, just out of somewhere.

• The best/worst part
• The film is violent in parts.
• Casualisation – a tendency make things less formal.
• Paddle/ Go for a paddle
• Be gasping for something – spoken- feel that you urgently need smth.

I'm gasping for a pint!

• You wish! – spoken

'I'm going to be famous one day.' 'You wish!' – meaning “Most probably not.”

Robert Donne is still alive

September 21st


I go on with the Forsyte Saga. A chapter, where James goes to see for himself, was read. (6 pages) As I’d already mentioned, I don’t pick a dictionary, while I’m reading, for I like to get into the plot development and the characters, not be a slowcoach puzzled with every tenth word. The Nobel Prize for this masterpiece isn’t hot air.

More on reading:

http://books.google.com/books?id=0rYhgBiNMwYC&dq=edward+docx+calligrapher&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=lv&ei=lnW4Sp_cOYT8_Aay5I3jBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false

What about modern English literature? Edward Docx finds it absolutely important for a writer to be up to date. Therefore besides a calligrapher and his lovers, John Donne (whose poems the calligrapher re-writes for an American rich man and who changes the protagonist’s life), London, with its atmosphere, is something to pay your attention to.

Here’s about the English poet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne

http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0618343970.asp - Click here for a book review!

Well brought up

September 20th


Think you now simple things? I don't.

What you say when you thank someone

1) Thank you – wide use.

Thank you for…

Thank you very much

2) Thanks - use immediately.

Thanks for…

Thanks to somebody – use in speeches.

Thanks a lot

3) Cheers – informal use, immediately.

4) That's very kind of you – formal use, when someone has generously offered to do smth. for you.

5) I appreciate it – when someone has done a lot to help you.

I really appreciate it

6) You shouldn't have – when someone has given you smth, esp. expensive.

What a beautiful ring! You shouldn't have!

7) You've saved my life – when someone got you out of a difficult situation/ solved a problem for you.

8) I'd like to thank – use in a formal speech.

I'd like to thank somebody for (doing) something

9) Many thanks – in a letter.

Many thanks for

What you say to someone when they thank you

1) Don't mention it

"Thanks for the lift!" "Oh, don't mention it!"

2) That's all right/that's OK – informal use.

3) You're welcome – especially American.

4) My pleasure – formal use.

5) Not at all – formal use.

6) Think nothing of it / it was nothing – use when somebody thanks you a lot for smth you have done and they think it was very difficult for you.

7) No problem – informal use, to emphasise that smth was very easy for you.

I’ll drop a variant with sure, for it is common among Americans, and I’m not interested in American English very much.

At the university

September 19th

It's Saturday. Normally it means The Barclay’s Premier League. This date doesn’t stand out above the other ones. This day's allowed me to find a stock with a range of recordings, texts, schemes, which might not only improve my language, but help to meet the standards of the higher education.


http://www.uefap.com/

Marching on

September 18th



Browsing in Internet for the Common mistakes people do, I've found this. Here're listed some popular writing mistakes.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5157813_common-english-errors.html

Still it isn't the most intersting on this website. Come here to view all type of advice, relating to the electronics, hobbies, finance, society, health and so on. All in 1, 2, 3…steps.

http://www.ehow.com/how-to.html

How to Do Just About Everything?

That’s the motto of this site.

And as usual, some vocabulary examples I learnt.

Watch your language! – (spoken) - stop swearing!

Be on the same wavelength = speak the same language = be in tune with

GOLF!

September 17th


One of my aims is to learn phrases. Here is website for it:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html

These, for the beginning, I chose with no intention behind it. Especially the third one is simply memorable.

Fair and square - Honest and straightforward, especially of business dealings.

Faith will move mountains – Out of the Bible - Faith is immensely powerful.

GOLF - Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden!

Another bite at the cherry

September 16th


Phraseology I find highly important to know. Today it’s:

Jazz isn’t my cup of tea (informal) – I prefer rock music.

Another/Second bite at the cherry – you have you have another chance to try something.

Sit an exam (formal) = take an exam



Vocabulary with word loose:

Loose (adj.) from being controlled or held in a cage, prison, or institution

Break/get loose (=escape)

Turn/let/set something loose (=let something go free)

Loose - [usually before noun] not exact or thoroughly done: a loose translation, a loose interpretation of smth.



I came across the phrase: get loose in one of Kasabian songs. So it's how the whole family appeared.
 
 

A human who spins his web all around

September 15th

Where the justice lies

The British Journal of photography writes: http://www.bjp-online.com/

Don McCullin brings support to protest as The Guardian defends its new policies

The Guardian has defended its new contract terms after legendary photojournalist Don McCullin joined a protest against what photographers argue is a rights-grabbing move.

On 28 July, Chris Elliott, managing editor at Guardian News & Media (GNM), wrote to freelance and contract photographers to inform them that the company would cease paying reuse fees on their images.

Contract and freelance photographers working for The Guardian have protested the move by staging a demonstration in front of the newspaper’s headquarters in London earlier this month and by refusing to sign the new contracts.

The protest has also taken the form of a petition, which has already gathered close to 1000 signatures. The latest photojournalist to show his support is Don McCullin, who worked for The Observer more than 40 years ago and had his first picture published by the Sunday newspaper. ‘It’s the usual nonsense coming from newspapers that are bullying photographers to hand over their rights,’

McCullin tells BJP. ‘It’s wrong. These photographers don’t seem to be respected by these organisations. They are squeezing photographers for more money when these people are doing their best to come back from photo shoots with something worthy. I personally didn’t have to work in these circumstances, but I don’t see why photographers today should.’

McCullin’s support comes after Magnum Photos told BJP it was drafting a letter protesting the changes. ‘We’re in discussion with The Guardian regarding these new rules,’ says a Magnum Photos spokeswoman. ‘As you know, Magnum doesn’t support these kind of terms and contracts.’

Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins added: ‘It’s not the first time a newspaper has tried to do this kind of thing. It has happened many times, but in the past they always backed off. They want to pay the equivalent of a three-hour plumbing job to do everything they want with a photographer’s image.’

Reached by BJP, a GNM spokeswoman says: ‘We have not received any official written correspondence from Magnum on this matter. However, we are pleased to report that the changes in place since 01 September are working well with both new and existing freelance photographers. The fact remains that these changes were introduced to sustain the business in the long term and continue Guardian News & Media’s commitment to high quality photography. Our terms are still amongst the best in the industry and we offer more opportunities for freelancers than other national press.’


There is more this on photography. I listened to a virtual tour about the photographic software in American English. New photography-related terms are learnt. This software is simple and has the connection to the Google Maps, for you to see, where each of your photograph was shot. Watch!

http://www.hasselblad.co.uk/products/Virtual-demo-overview/phocus-video.aspx

Songs – you have always brought a breath of fresh air to me

I find it reasonable to translate the lyrics from the songs you like. Personally I translated The Queen, Placebo, The Pink Floyd, The Doors and many more texts some days ago.

Now it’s the turn of the new Kasabian album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

http://www.kasabian.co.uk/gb/home/

Watch the video about VLAD The IMPALER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM5YDI7ttME

The Journal

September 14th



It’ actually gorgeous to read about, what you are interested in. My choice is http://www.bjp-online.com/

Here you can find all around the world photography.

Today’s news is:

Carl Zeiss unveils super-wide-angle optic for Canon cameras

Carl Zeiss has announced the upcoming release of 18mm Distagon T ultra-wide f/3.5 objective for Canon mounts - a year after the release of the Nikon and Pentax mounts

With a field of view of 99 degs, the Distagon T 3.5/18 ZE is a rectilinear lens, which provides dramatic perspectives for architectural, landscape and close-range photography for users of full-frame digital SLRs or film-based cameras.
The optic is designed with a floating element in the rear lens assembly, resulting in better image quality at all ranges. It uses Zeiss' T anti-reflective coating to prevent stray light artifacts and internal reflections.
Despite its short focal length, the lens has an extremely compact design compared to other zoom lenses in its category. The lens’ internal focusing mechanism also helps to reduce its size while delivering precise and smooth focus control, claims Carl Zeiss.
The Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE will be available in autumn at a retail price of €1049 +VAT.( value added tax added to the price of goods and services in Britain and the EU)

I am sure, I did something more this day, but for no clear reason, I simply don’t remember. Probably, because of its smallness.

Know your skills!

September 13th


The Q – a British music magazine, full of the real-life-phrases and the perfect writing, besides the news, of course.
I pay my attention to a short (half an A4 page) article about Jason Pierce, a leader of Spiritualized. You find a critical overview of his career, always going hand in hand with drugs.

I picked some vocabulary up.

• On the intimate terms
• Intimate details
• Intimate connection
• It’s apparent that
• It’s apparent from smth. that
• It’s apparent to smb. that
• For no apparent reason


Moreover I did some tasks from my Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English CD, which meant taking trail-IELTS. The tasks were following:

• Read and fill in the missing words.(1 text -2 tasks “An Unusual Partnership”)
• “Read the sentences, which all describe a change, and they all use the word increase. In each case, an adjective comes before increase to describe how something has gone up. The letters of these adjectives have been mixed up. Unscramble the letters make the adjectives. Type the whole word in the gap.”(10 sentences.)
• Read the information from a booklet about a college. You have to choose one sentence from two with the same meaning as in a booklet. (12 pairs of answers.)
• “Decide which word is the best one to fill the gaps in these 18 sentences.” Theme: Education in England.
It isn't very nice of me saying, that except for the 2nd task, I had 90 or 100% of the right answers.
I also took some Listening comprehension tasks for the advanced learners. You hear people in different situations and decide what it was all about.

Being social

September 12th


Why should I lie? I haven’t done anything related to English this day. Oh, of course, if you count 2 hours watching Man United away against Tottenham with two British commentators.
A photo shoot of my friends giving FREE HUGS to everyone in the street for three hours and Baltá nakts take the time.

Junkies

September 11th


At Saturday I listen to the same radio programme I did a day earlier to get what I didn’t get yesterday, because it was being broadcasted LIVE, but now I am able to rewind. (Time: 1h)

You still can’t buy the tickets to the FIFA World cup in South Africa, since the draw results are to wait. Makes sense! You should know the town, where your team plays, to go to.

Danny Boyle is nearly ready to start his Trainspotting part 2 shooting, showing the same characters in their middle-age. The script will be based on the book Porno.

As I like to spend time on a dictionary, looking for nothing, finding great stuff; I should somehow organise my papers, I’ve got my written-out words on. It becomes slightly uncomfortable to search thought it all, in order to find something.

RSA

September 10th



• Perplex =puzzle – if smth. perplexes you, it makes you feel confused & worried, because it’s difficult to understand.
(a perplexing problem, perplexed)

• Presume – The temple is presumed to date from the first century BC. “Are his parents alive?” “I presume so.”

• Despair – a feeling that you’ve no hope at all. (She killed herself in despair. The noise from the neighbours used to drive me to despair. To the despair of the workers, the company closed the factory. Despite the illness, Roger never despaired.)

• They found him lying prostrate on the floor. – On his back.


Scotland’s lost against the Netherlands – the manager George Burley speaks and Fabio Capello gives an interview. The BBC radio 5 gives the detail.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00mkglh

The phrase I like today:

“In the days when England was little, and knew her own mind, and had a mind to know instead of a circulation of newspapers.”

B.Shaw

God is speaking

September 9th


B.Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. A monologue of the god Ra makes it worth to start.

http://drama.eserver.org/plays/modern/caesar_and_cleopatra.html

Contrast-Kate Moss,Man United,The Forsyte Saga.

September 8th


The BBC is an enormous stock of interesting audios.
This time I got close to the people in London queuing to see the super model Kate Moss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1728_people_places/page51.shtml

Her silence is definitely the secret to her career and the reason why she has lasted almost 20 years now and most other models haven’t had careers lasting half that amount of time. The reason she’s so successful is people can put onto her any image they want and they can do that because she’s completely silent. So she can represent older sister, the cool rock and roll girlfriend, anything that they like.
(Hadley Freeman - the Guardian)

This programme was specially made for the learning purposes, so not only reading while listening was available, but a change in person, who’s speaking – real people in the streets and the journalist talking to them; the tutor, who explained the meaning of words and repeated the sentences several times.

Reading:

Football is like...

The trouble with the orgasm as metaphor here is that the orgasm, though obviously pleasurable, is familiar, repeatable (within a couple of hours if you've been eating your greens), and predictable, particularly for a man - if you're having sex then you know what's coming, as it were. Maybe if I hadn't made love for eighteen years, and had given up hope of doing so for another eighteen, and then suddenly, out of the blue, an opportunity presented itself ... maybe in these circumstances it would be possible to recreate an approximation of that Anfield (Liverpool's stadium) moment. Even though there is no question that sex is a nicer activity than watching football (no nil-nil draws, no offside trap, no cup upsets, and you're warm), in the normal run of things, the feelings it engenders are simply not as intense as those brought about by a once-in-a-lifetime last-minute Championship winner.
None of the moments that people describe as the best in their lives seem analogous to me. Childbirth must be extraordinarily moving, but it doesn't really have the crucial surprise element, and in any case lasts too long; the fulfilment of personal ambition - promotions, awards, what have you - doesn't have the last-minute time factor, nor the element of powerlessness that I felt that night. And what else is there that can possibly provide the suddenness? A huge pools win, maybe, but the gaining of large sums of money affects a different part of the psyche altogether, and has none of the communal ecstasy of football.
There is then, literally, nothing to describe it. I have exhausted all the available options. I can recall nothing else that I have coveted for two decades (what else is there that can reasonably be coveted for that long?), nor can I recall anything else that I have desired as both man and boy. So please, be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller, and contains less potential for unexpected delirium.

(Nick Hornby, Fever Pitch)

Taken from the TA website.

What could I go on with after that? Maybe Manchester United website? Nope, I took The Forsyte Saga – a famous novel about the three generations of the upper-middle class of English society.


As I’m on the 157th page now (I started reading in August), I won’t be giving out my thoughts about this book, I’ll only say, that I enjoy it due to its beautiful language (not very difficult by the way), exposure of the British life in the late 19th century and themes, roughly minimised to Duty versus Desire and Generations and Change.

(5 pages today.)

As I read this book I don’t use the dictionary, despite I don’t understand many words. The idea is to get used to the structures, which are nearly the same in this book and the modern life.

Informal, but British

September 7th

Seeking  for a rough English speech I remembered The Football Factory, a film about the hooligans and their wild riots. I watched several videos on YouTube.

I was frustrated, because the film has so much violence in it, that it was difficult to sit in front of the computer. So I decided to print some quotes out, which meant I couldn’t stand some pieces. They were downright rude.
Here’re some fragments I read and translated. Marked words I learnt that evening.

Tommy Johnson: Are you gonna sit in some poxy office with a cunt for a boss telling you what to do as you count your pennies trying to make ends meet in a country that's sinking into strikes and wars and at the end of the day you go home to your cosy little flat in 'nowheresville' and pull your IKEA curtains shut to hide from the big bad world and pretend it's not happening? Or are you gonna stand up and be counted, make a difference and feel the rush? Just for once say "fuck it". I'm coiled up like a spring and I'm ready to burst and wanking ain't doing it anymore. I need violence to make me feel I'm still alive. I know what I'd rather do, mate. Tottenham away. Love it!

Tommy Johnson: After all that you really do have to ask yourself if it was all worth it... course it fucking was!

Billy Bright: Are you tryin' to mug me off in front of my pals(=close friend + any man – unfriendly) ?

Tommy Johnson: There's nothing different about me. I'm just another bored male, approaching 30, in a dead-end job, who lives for the weekend. Casual sex, watered-down lager, heavily cut drugs. And occasionally kicking fuck out of someone.

Tommy Johnson: What else are you gonna do on a Saturday? Sit in your fuckin' armchair wankin' off to Pop Idols? Then try and avoid your wife's gaze as you struggle to come to terms with your sexless marriage? Then go and spunk your wages on kebabs, fruit machines and brasses? Fuck that for a laugh! I know what I'd rather do. Tottenham away, love it!

Tommy Johnson: Getting beaten up by football hooligans is like having V.D. The fucking pain goes on forever. But that's what makes it so exciting.

Tommy Johnson: My granddad, old Bill Farrell, drove us to drink with his stories about the war and how he fought to put the "Great" into Britain. He said fighting at football was nothing compared to fighting with the Germans...

Rod: Let’s get out of here Bill, there’s six Stoke fans staring right at us.
Billy Bright: Right, which one's staring at me?
Rod: The one with the hat on. Please don't start Bill.
Billy Bright: [pointing at fan] Right, see you you c**t, I'll cut you first.


While looking up the words in the LONGMAN dictionary, I found a few more things to remember.

Carry coals to Newcastle – take something to a place where there’s already plenty of it available.

This cheese is a pale imitation of real Parmesan.

Take/ have a day off - free.

Grief

September 6th


New words I came across today are:

Loud and clear – means: in a way that something is very easy to understand.

Have a lot on your plate – have a large number of problems to deal with or work to do.


Just listen carefully for the consuming grief in a song The Good Old Days by the Libertines!

“The Arcadian dream has fallen though, but the Albion sails on course”.


Today’s revision:

Get into a car/ out of a car.
But!
Get on a bus, train or plane/ off a bus, train or plane.

Famous people

September 5th

No access to the Internet plays its role, and I decide to go on with the book on photography by Annie Leibovitz.
You may never know how Mick Jagger in his early days acts behind the stage. Or what a tender and loving man John Lennon was. That’s what a world famous American photographer could tell you.

Her bio I read aloud to train my pronunciation.
(Finished page 53.)