Enjoy the long journey to Ithaca

 

“When you set sail for Ithaca,
wish for the road to be long,
full of adventures, full of knowledge.”
― C.P. Cavafy 

 

The Greek poet from Alexandria Constantino Cavafis (1863-1933) tells us about the importance of enjoying the long journey, whichever journey, and not only be thinking about our goal, our destination. This is a metaphor to be applied to any targets in our life, or to the life itself. 

 

That would be the case of our students in the quest for the best future they can expect and that is the case of teachers. Teaching is not an easy task, but with the rucksack full of eagerness and hopes this long vital journey will be more enjoyable. When I look back and see how much I have gone through (here's my blog and my site as an example) and the expectations I have for the future, I realise the importance of Cavani's poem making reference to Homer's voyage to Ithaca, his home.

 

 

I would like you to discover the real meaning of the poem and of what I have just said by having a look at the videos and articles I have prepared for you: 

 

The Poem Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy (explanation in Spanish)

The legend of Ithaca explained     

Everything you need to know to read the Odyssey (Episode 1: The Odyssey)  

 

Ithaca by C.P.Cavafy (with Sean Connery & Vangelis)

Version with lyrics  >>>  Ithaca by C.P.Cavafy (Read by Sean Connery) | Powerful Life Poem | STRYV

Tourist destination:

• ITHACA ISLAND GREECE hlias mpr photography

• Visit Ithaca | Ithaca, NY Travel & Tourism Video 
  

 

 

And here's the official trailer to the film Ithaca  (2016)

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• Leadership: Do you know how to achieve your vision?    (BBC Learning English)

• A listening exercise for you to do: Are personalised diets the best way to be healthy?    (BBC Learning English)

• News Review: Tonga: Volcano and tsunami hit  (BBC Learning English)

• Papa English: Learn some Phrasal verbs with "away"  
  

 

Here's my musical hint for today: The Long Road by Mark Knopfler.

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

Episode 220119 / 19 January 2022    >>>   Following whales round the southern ocean   -    Language related to 'researching animals'.  

Need-to-know language: conducted, tags, track, migrations & transmitting.

And what about our great Rafa Nadal in his quest to become the G.O.A.T. in tennis? Now it is time for the Australian Open, where Carreño, Badosa and Alcáraz have done a great job too. Today he had a tough match against the French tennis player Manarinno, especially in the tie-break they played in the first set.

World No.5 Nadal Cruises To Quarterfinals After Beating

Our students at work   >>> Project on England by Abel Martínez (3º ESO A)

He is happy, she is happy, I am happy, we are all happy...

How happy are you? There are different ways to be happy. A certain thing makes someone happy and just the opposite thing makes someone else happy too. But something is for sure, being happy is far better than feeling miserable and sad!!!

 

I want YOU to be happier!!!!

Selectivity exam to do:  Albert Einstein's theory of happiness sold for $1.5 M

 

 Here are some articles to read and a listening exercise about the different concepts of happiness:

• Can I learn the secret of happiness? (BBC)

• The true secret of happiness? Accepting that there isn’t one (The Guardian)

• Want to be happier? Stop scheduling your free time. (The Washington Post)

• Happiness linked to longer life (CNN)

Here's a listening exercise to do: Concepts of happiness (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

How School Makes Kids Less Intelligent by Eddy Zhong (TED talk)

What is the difference between: 'Journey' & 'Trip' ?(English in a Minute)

John McEnroe, The Commissioner of Tennis, still talking about the Australian Open >>>

McEnroe: Stop Complaining About Your Balls!

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190123 / 23 January 2019    >>>  Bollywood Bridal Wear -  Language related to 'High-end fashion'.  Need-to-know language: luxury, in demand, swanky, couture, off-the-rack & glamour.

 

Revision for ESO students:

LANGUAGE IN USE

F. Make the questions to the following answers.

1. _______ ? He is from Venezuela.

2. _______ ? No, but I can speak a little French.

3. _______ ? One metre seventy-eight.

4. _______ ? About twice a week.

5. _______ ? I'm an English teacher.

6. _______ ? I go out with friends or watch TV.               

G. Translate these sentences into English:

1. ****¿Cuánto tiempo hace que has tenido ese reloj? Unos 14 años.

2. La película más emocionante que jamás he visto es 'Forrest Gump'.

3. Ni él ni ella saben hablar inglés.

4. Espero que no os importe venir el próximo miércoles. Tengo tanto que deciros.

5. No puedo costear un coche, así que siempre se lo pido prestado a un amigo.

6. "Yo no he leído el libro"  "Nosotros tampoco"

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post.

A. Put the word in the right place. 1. The radioactivity was so great that ....  2. The cinema is cheap enough....    3. I am too short to ....    4. Peter is such a lazy fellow that .... 5. ... got up yet.                                                                             

B.  1.  for  2.  for   3.    since    4.  ago   5.    since           

C.  1. is cutting , cuts   2. has just written   3. see   4. has been playing   5. had already started  6. got , was coming   7. working  8. is raining                                                                 

D.   1. The job must be done   2. Your application for the job is being considered    3. You were asked to come   4. The name of the new managing director won't be announced until next month.   5. This kind of lock hasn't been manufactured for years.

E.  1. The music we listened to last night was good.  2. Mao Tse-Tung was a famous politician from China, whose history goes back thousands of years.   3. This is the hotel I stayed at when I last came to London.  4. I grew up in Salobreña, which is a little town in the south of Spain.  5. I'll never forget the day I met you.