A sign of times

I hope that this is not a sign of times. The terrorists win when authorities react like this. Travelling in the subway will not be the same carefree journey anymore. Maybe in 50 years time people will have to give their biodata at the point of entry of each station to be allowed to travel.

: 09 Aug 2005 16:24 |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

In the cell

After the Second World War a lot of people were divided by other ideologies and ideals. Some where against their own governments and some were punished for unknown reasons. In Greece a civil war broke between the partisans who were supporting the communists and the government troops who were helped by the English. The country was already in ruins by the Germans and people were hungry and sick. Inside this situation our hero who his name does not matter is not only victim of the circumstances but also he is in prison without anyone to care about him. His captors think that he is a former spy and his family a traitor. He feels confused and tired from the closure.

Day 23

In a small piece of paper I am writing with small tiny letters , I am writing more, as much as I can fit in.I f My thoughts. I don’t know how long I am going to stay here but I guess a lot more. I am cold. No clothes to wear. They took everything from me. There is no reason for this madness. I have to get out. Guards!! Guards!!! Someone!! Can you hear me? You are going to die in hell for this!You are going to pay you scums! Someday!

Day 112

My only hope now is you my little white friend. I’ ll fill you with my grey memories so you can tell others about this. I am not going to die for nothing, for a crime I have not commited, for a war I did not choose to fight. There is no way out now. They are the new society, I am the enemy of the people. Shoot me, shoot me in the head because I dared to think. I am your babies snatcher , your village leuper, the black sheep of the flock.

There is no way out.

I remember farmers at their fields , dancing and acting in the middle of the harvest and then august . August was so hot as a month but it was my favorite as a child , no school , always at the sea till the night.

Day 163

Where is my home? my village by the sea? Oh the beautiful grace of the morning sea breeze. I remember the sunny day that I went to school, a nice fresh breeze was brushing the top of the trees and the calm singing of birds was mixing with the constant buzz of the cicadas around .

Mother I love you so much but I will not do what you say. I am independent like the sea.

Day 212

Rain? I can feel it . I like rain the water always finds a way to escape from any direction. Water was not plenty in my island and it seemed that people were taking so much care of it that not a drip would go wasted.

My soul is like water, it can escape any time. I must stay strong in this final hour. I don’t know what is going to happen to me but I must be prepared. I believe in freedom. I always did , being here, condemning me to be here is worse than death. I want to die for freedom. My own freedom. It is my duty to nature, to God.

Day270
Time for my morning beating.

The door opens and three people come inside the cell in khaki uniforms. He laughs but quickly bursts into tears. They beat him well. His ribs are swolen and his nose is bleeding. Lying in the ground heavilly scared.

Another day has come and I am not dead. Praise god.

And spits blood on the floor.

Where is my… ? Oh God! They took my memories from me. What is it going to be of me? Can anybody hear me? You are going to Hell! I hate you ,you bastards!

Day 332

A month has past and he has not been questioned. The guards do not seem to care anymore. They have new arrivals to take care of. You can hear screaming and smell the roten blood in the air. He holds his breath and then slowly he exhales. Days pass like hours, hours pass like minutes and his breath is crystalised in the frozen walls of his cell. Every day the same food. Every time the same procedure. But today is a special day as he has found a small metal fork. Inside his plate.

Propably fell in the kitchen .I am the one to get the lucky share. God has forshaken me. I have a purpose. I have to escape. There is no window in my cell. I have to find a weak spot in the wall and dig a hole into it. I can hear the rain. I am very close. I am sure that if I dig here I will get outside.

: 14 Jul 2005 19:44 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Something I wrote in greek

*Καταναλωτικός Βιασμός
Αφού δεν μπορώ να τον αποφύγω θα κάτσω να τον απολαύσω.

*
Η τηλεόραση

Οι διαφημίσεις πειρνούν αργά αργά απο τη τηλεόραση. Οι σούπερ ήρωες των καθαριστικών προιόντων συναγώνιζονται για το ποιός θα κάνει το σπίτι λαμπίκο και θα στείλει στο κικεώνα της ακολασίας τα προβλήματα της καλής νοικοκοιράς- εργαζόμενης μητέρας που όμως έχει χρόνο να μαγειρέψει το σουφλέ, να αλλάξει πάνες το μωρό και να υπογράψει ένα συμβόλαιο συνεργασίας με μια Ιαπωνική εταιρεία εμφιάλωσης οξυγόνου σε κουτάκια αλουμινίου. Εδώ πουλούνται τα πάντα και η τηλεόραση δοξάζεται όπως ποτέ άλλοτε.
Μόλις αρχισε το αγαπημένο μου πρόγραμμα. Κάθομαι αναπαυτικά στη πολυθρόνα μου και παίρνω το τηλεκοντρόλ στο ένα μου χέρι, δυναμώνοντας τον ήχο, καταπίνω μια γουλιά απο το αγαπημένο μου καφέ αναψυκτικό και απλώνω τα ποδια μου στο τραπεζάκι. Ωχ, τώρα βρήκα να θέλω να χέσω. Η μια μεγαλη ευχαρίστηση διακόπτει την άλλη. Ω τη μεγαλύτερη ευτυχία. Αν ειχα μια τηλεοραση στην τουαλέτα ή μια τουαλέτα στο χώλ απέναντι απο τη τηλεόραση. Μισό λεπτό αγαπημένη μου. Σου υπόσχομαι να γυρίσω γρήγορα.

Η Παραγγελιά

Η τηλεόραση ακούγεται στο βάθος και το τηλεπαιχνίδι έχει αρχίσει. Ο παρουσιαστής παρουσιάζει τους παίκτες έναν έναν με κάποια καυστικά αστεία που οι παίκτες τα δέχονται με νευρικά χαμόγελα καθώς τα ψεύτικα χειροκροτήματα πέφτουν για να καλύψουν τη νευρική σιγή. «Διαφημίσεις και αμέσως μετά πάλι μαζι.»
Το στομάχι μου αδυνατεί να αντεπεξελθει στη πίεση των σαγηνέυτικων υποκατάστατων τροφής που πέφτουν σιγά και αισθησιακά ανάμεσα απο δύο φέτες ψωμί με μπόλικη μαγιονέζα για να βρούνε το δρόμο τους γρήγορα στο στόμα μιας πανέμορφης ξανθιάς καλονής. Οι θόρυβοι μεγαλώνουν σιγά σιγά σαν επικήμενη καταιγίδα που ακούγεται οτι έρχεται απο μακριά. Παίρνω γρήγορα το τηλεφωνικό κατάλογο. Για να δούμε , Κινέζικο, Ινδικό, βρώμικο, καθαρό, σάπιο, φρέσκο, μαύρο ή άσπρο; Τελικά όλα αυτά μαζί σε ένα, και παραγγέλνω μια σπέσιαλ πίτσα. «Η παραγγελία σας θα είναι έτοιμη σε μισή ώρα». Ίσα που προλαβαίνω τη μπόρα.

: 14 Jul 2005 19:37 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

London attacks

Although I am far away from London now ,I must say that the terrorist attack has affected my life here in Greece. I lived in this lovely city for three years. I passed through the streets and used the tube in the areas that are now a crime scene.
Shame to those who staged such a terrible crime.
My thoughts are with all my friends that study and work there. I called several of them who work in the affected areas and they said they are ok. Thank god

: 07 Jul 2005 22:30 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Marvin

This is one of my favourite cartoons. It is even more evil than the coyotee and more treacherous than Yosemitee Sam but unfortunately no match for Bags Bunny. I like the blackness of his humour trying to destroy earth with a huge cannon.

: 14 Jun 2005 22:40 |  Tags: Fun |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Alexis Georgoulis

The world is very small. When I studied in London I met this girl that she was from Larissa (my town). We became friends but (thank god) never dated. Then my mother came to visit me and she said something about a cousin that studied in London at the same time and at the same University. It came down that it was that woman.
Now back to Greece an actor was making a successful career on a Greek sitcom and became very famous.His name Alexis Georgoulis. And guess what , he was my cousin too from the same side of the family as the girl in London…. It is a small world after all. Eventually I was very honoured to meet the guy who seemed down to earth and very kind. My sister of course went buzzerk and I got to meet some very hot girls around him.Maybe one day I become famous too , only if I could write as I could act.

: 14 Jun 2005 22:29 |  Tags: Greece |  Comments (29) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Don't Panic

Writing about web page http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/infocom.php

History

There was a time when computer games didn't have graphics. Or at least they couldn't have graphics and sound at the same time. They certainly couldn't have graphics, sound and enough content to keep even a human being amused for more than a few minutes. So they had text. This was radical – a computer game you could control by typing in commands. The game would then respond to your commands with a breathtakingly prescient understanding of your intent. Or not. Usually not – the early text parsers (circa 1977) weren't that bright. But, as long as you limited yourself to what the game understood and the game designers wrote creatively enough to misunderstand you in a humorous and entertaining fashion, it all worked. It therefore stands to reason that any game which combined a really good programmer with a really good writer was likely to do well. So when Steve Meretzky of Infocom got together with Douglas Adams to create a game based around the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the result was never going to be less than interesting and more than likely insane. So it proved – the Hitchhiker's Guide adventure game was one of the best-selling games of its era, selling some 350,000 copies. In 1984.

: 13 Jun 2005 02:16 |  Tags: Fun |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Survival phrases in Greek(slightly altered by me)

Writing about web page http://www.transparent.com/languagepages/greek/FSGreek.htm

Whenever you see the letter "i" it is pronounced like "ee" like in "tea"
whenever "e" alone pronounce it as e high which sounds like "ae" as in "Aegian"
Whenever you try to pronounce the letter "h" try to aspire it like it is arabic like in the word "hero"
Capital letters give you the hint to raise your tone.

Basic phrases

ne. Yes.

Ohee. No.

parakaLO. Please.

efhariSTO. Thank you.

parakaLO. You're welcome.

siGNOmee. Excuse me.

siGNOmee. I am sorry.

kaliMEra. Good morning.

kaliSPEra. Good evening.

kaliNIhta. Good night.

Phrases for Meeting and Greeting

miLAte angliKA? Do you speak English?

miLAee kaNIS aPO eSAS angliKA? Does anyone here speak English?

eGO miLO MOno LEEgo eliniKA. I only speak a little Greek.

pos se LEne? What is your name?

to ONoma moo EEne FLOra. My name is Flora.

tee KAnis? How are you?

EEme kaLA, efhariSTO. I'm fine, thank you.

HEro poLEE ya tee gnoriMIa. I am very glad to meet you.

den katalaVEno. I don't understand.

tee EEpate? What did you say?

boRIte na miLAte LEEgo pio aRGA? Can you speak more slowly?

katalaVEno poLEE kaLA. I understand perfectly.

Dialog

Mrs. gianoPOUlou: kaliMEra. miLAte angliKA?
Good morning. Do you speak English?
Store Clerk: leePAme, aLA den miLO angliKA.
I'm sorry, I do not speak English.
Mrs. gianoPOUlou: distiHOS, eGO miLO MOno LEEga enliniKA.
Unfortunately, I only speak a little Greek.
Store Clerk: den peeRAzee. sas katalaVEno.
That's all right. I understand you.

: 13 Jun 2005 01:53 |  Tags: Greece |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The ultimate link for any language resource

Writing about web page http://bubl.ac.uk/link/l/languagelearning.htm

A great portal to any language resource that is online from ancient Tupi (an old brazilian language of the 15th century) to WELL online grammars of the most modern languages.Worth visiting for sure.

: 13 Jun 2005 01:42 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Bibliography (so far so good)

Some of the books I ve read that concern my studies in Education

1.Barton Amanda, (2003) , Getting the buggers into Languages, Continuum
2.Barnett, V., (1991), Sample Survey principles and methods, Hodder publisher
3.Brown Kim & Brown Margot (1996) Pathfinder 27 , New contexts for modern language teaching, Cross-curricular approaches, CILT
4.Brumfit C. (2001) Individual freedom in language teaching: helping learners to develop a dialect of their own, Oxford University Press
5.Burden Robert, Williams Marion, (1997) L. Psychology for language teachers
Cambridge University Press,
6.Burden Robert L., Williams Marion (1998) Thinking through the curriculum Routledge Falmer
7.Bush Tony (1995) Theories of Educational Management (Paul Chapman)
8.Chapelle Carol A., (2001), Computer Applications in Second Language acquisition, Foundations for teaching testing and research, Cambridge University Press
9.Cohen, L and Manion L. (1994). Research Methods in Education. 4th Edition. (Routledge)
10.Cohen, L, Manion L and Morisson , K R B(2001) Research methods in education (5th edition), London: Routlege
11.Dede Teeler with Peta Grey, (2000), How to use the Internet in ELT, Person Education Limited
12.ELT Documents: 122 edited by Brumfit C J (1985), Computers in ELT, A view from the classroom, Pergamon Press,
13.Evans, L (1998) Teacher Morale, Job Satisfaction and Motivation, London, Paul Chapman
14.Fidler B., (1996) Strategic Planning for School Improvement, Prentice Hall
15.Fullan M(1993) Change Forces (Cassell)
16.Fullan M (1999) Change forces; the Sequel (Falmer)
17.Gates Bill (1996) The Road Ahead, Penguin Books
18.Gurrey, P.,(1964), The teaching of writing English, Longman, Green and Company
19.Hawkins Eric, edited by (1996), 30 years of language teaching, CILT publications
20.Hafernik J.J, Messerschmitt D.S. & Vandrick S. (2002) Ethical Issues For ESL Faculty, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
21.Hellawel David(2000) Managing in the Educational Madhouse ( the Questions)
22.Imprey Graham and Underhill N., (1994) The ELT Manager’s Handbook, Practical advise on managing a successful language school, Heinemann,
23.Keiko Peter and al, Every student’s guide to the Internet 1995 Mc-Graw Hill
24.Kydd, L; Crawford, M and Riches, C (1997) Leadership and Teams in Educational Management, Open University Press
25.Kit Field (2000) Issues in modern foreign languages teaching, Routledge Falmer, London
26.Mc Kernan James , (1991), Curriculum Action Research, A handbook of methods and resources for the reflective practitioner, Kogan Page limited
27.Middlewood D and Lumby J (1998) Human Resource Management in Schools and Colleges. London. Paul Chapman
28.Morison, K. (1998). Management Theories for Educational Change. (Paul Chapman)
29.Nunan David (1992) Research methods in language learning Cambridge University Press
30.Parker S. (1997) Reflective teaching in the post modern world, Open University Press
31.Pillete Martine, (1997), Tips for Busy Language teachers-Motivating reluctant learners 14–16, Collins Educational
32.Preedy M, Glatter R, Levacic R (Eds(1997) Educational Management: Strategy Quality, and Resources (Open University Press)
33.Richards J. C. and Rodgers T.S (2001) Approaches and Methods in Language teaching Cambridge University Press
34.Richterich R. (edited by) , (1983) Case Studies in Identifying Language Needs, Pergamon Press
35.Robson, C. (1994). Experiment, Design and Statistics in Psychology.3rd Edition. (Penguin Books)
36.Robson, C. (1999). Real World Research – A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. (Blackwell Publishers Inc)
37.Tudor Ian, (2001) The Dynamics of the language Classroom, Cambridge University Press
38.Vale,D. with Ann Feunteun, (1995) Teaching Children English: A training course for teachers of English to children, Cambridge
39.Wrag E.C (1994) An introduction to classroom observation, Routledge

: 12 Jun 2005 21:56 |  Tags: PDP |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem