Blog Session 3 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today you have to choose your best holiday ever. Please write the following:

My best holiday

a) When you travelled
b) People you were with
c) Where you travelled
d) Things you did
e) Reasons why these holidays were so good
f) Include images

Write 190 words minimum and remember to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

Blog Session 3

My best holiday

Considering the length, I have to say that my best holiday was one that lasted a month and a half, and travelling on my own was quite an exciting experience. I travelled to Europe  in 2004 and I spent most of the time in Belgium, in the capital city Brussels. From there I travelled to other cities in Belgium like Liége and Bruges. And by bus, by car or by train I visited London, Paris and Amsterdam too.

Apart from getting around old and beautiful cities, I visited friends and they were very nice with me. I stayed with them, sometimes for two nights some others for a week depending on who I was visiting. I spent 6 films, so I got plenty of black and white pictures from that trip. I spent money going to museums, and all of them where so interesting... I’m sure I would have visited more museums if I had had more money.

The most important reason to consider this my best holiday was the fact that I was on my own but also, the chance I had to visit different countries in a bit more than a month. I’m afraid I have no pictures to upload as I didn’t take digital photos and I haven’t scanned them either.

Blog Session 2 Instructions

Dear Class,

Travelling is one topic connected with today's post about "A country you'd like to visit"

Please include:

a) Which country would you like to visit? Why?
b) What do you know about it?
c) What would you like to do there?
d) Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain

Remember to make comments on at least three of your classmates' posts. 
Word count: 170 words minimum

Blog Session 2

A country you'd like to visit

It’s incredibly difficult to choose one single country I’d like to visit because I want to visit at least two in every continent. One country I’d love to visit is Angola, in Africa, because this continent is one of the most interesting in so many respects. I know very little about Angola but when I go, I’ll visit the capital city Luanda. I heard about this place because my first capoeira teacher is from there and I know they speak Portuguese because Portugal invaded that part of Africa. I also know it’s a poor place but not as poor as many others in that continent.

When I’m there, I’d like to visit Miguel and Zeferino, -my first capoeira teacher and his cousin- as well as their families. They’re both from there and they’re currently working there too. Apart from that, I’d love to go to the beach, walk around the city, dance zouk and practice Portuguese.

Although I haven’t been there yet, I’d like to work, to study and live there. As a teacher I could work teaching Spanish and/or English and I could also study there and if I’d live there, I’ll try to find a place near the Atlantic Ocean.

Blog Session 1 Instructions

First Term: Good and bad points

Dear Class,

Write about your experiences during the first term of 2012.

Describe:
a) What you studied/learnt
b) The sports and free time activities you did
c) The challenges/problems you had to face
d) Others (family, friends, etc.)

Write 150 words minimum and remember to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates' posts.

Good luck!

Belén

Blog Session 1

First Term: Good and bad points

Every experience during the first term of 2012 was quite good actually. Not only because it was my birthday and I love that date but in general. I studied English and Portuguese on my own and I learnt more about the history of the city where I live because I also work in tourism. In terms of work, I studied for the first time with students from Escuela de Gobierno, where they study Public Administration and Political Science. It was a good experience and I enjoyed my courses there. I also got to understand why they where on strike at the end of the semester for more than a moth...

I practiced yoga, a bit of capoeira and zumba as usual but I wish I had had more time to practiced yoga though. I managed to practice at least one of these physical activities once a week. And this term, I’m planning to continue with my belly dance lessons. 

I think the hardest thing was to face the disease of my youngest nephew Tomás. He was in the hospital for more than a week when he was 2 months old; he got the syncytial virus and it was dangerous because he also has Down syndrome. Fortunately, he’s fine now and I hope he doesn’t get that virus again.

Welcome back to English!

Dear Class,

Before you start blogging, please write an introduction post.
Include your name, age, career you study, family, hobbies and others.

Best,


Belén 

A bit about me

My full name is María Belén Farías Gutiérrez but nobody calls me María Belén. I’m Belén, a single Chilean woman, I’m 32 years-old and I live in Santiago. I’m from Chile and I was born in the capital city, on a rainy day, on May 22^nd, 1979. We’re a five-member family, my parents plus my brother, sister and I; and both my sister and brother are older than me. My brother Felipe is the oldest and then my oldest sister, Male, which makes me the youngest. I also have a younger step-brother, Mauricio, who’s 16 and a younger half-sister, Mariajosé, who’s 4. My parents got divorced in 2004 and in the same year I left home and went travelling to Europe for a couple of months so I could visit some of my friends there.

I studied in the same school for twelve years and I’m still in contact with most of my classmates. After that, when I was 17, I worked sporadically and studied English for a year because I didn’t know what to study as a career but I finally decided I wanted to be a translator. I graduated as a translator in 2001 and then studied Pedagogía en inglés so I became an English teacher in 2005.

I really like music and sports. I play capoeira, practice yoga and rock climbing but I can’t go climbing as often as I’d like to. I love dancing too and I don’t mind trying to learn new rhythms. I enjoy singing and I try to learn new songs in different languages. Also, I’ve tried to learn how to play some instruments but regularly I just play the tambourine.