Merry Christmas

Song lyrics | All I Want For Christmas Is You lyrics

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009)

The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is a year-long celebration of astronomy, taking place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the publication of Johannes Kepler's Astronomia nova in the 17th century.

Funny Picture

Asterix: 50 YEARS OLD and he still has all his teeth!

As everyone knows, heroes never get old. But that does not mean that they don't want to have all their friends and family wish them a happy birthday!
And when the heroes are Asterix and Obelix (born the same day as we learn in the Asterix and the Class Act album), everybody and their brother wants to be invited to the banquet.

As part of the celebrations for Asterix's fiftieth birthday (born on 29 October 1959 in the pages of the first issue of the weekly magazine Pilote), Albert Uderzo has come up with an exceptional gift in tribute to his heroes and their millions of readers from around the world!

A date has been set for all fans: on 22 October 2009, a new album of Asterix short stories will be available throughout the world with 56 pages of brand-new, never-before-published cartoons!

http://www.asterix.com/birthday/

English is Fun!

Funny English mistakes from around the World

by InnocentEnglish.com

click : http://www.innocentenglish.com/for-kids/quizintroduction.html

World Food Day- 16th October

World Food Day was proclaimed in 1979 by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It marks the date of the founding of FAO in 1945. The aim of the Day is to call public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In 1980, the General Assembly endorsed observance of the Day in consideration of the fact that "food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and a fundamental human necessity"

At a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories.

With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.

On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2009, let us reflect on those numbers and the human suffering behind them.

Relax!

Obama, the Nobel Prize 2009

The US president Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 for his work in giving the world citizens a hope for the better future. According to the Nobel Prize Committee, he has won for its humanitarian efforts in improving the quality of life for all the citizens of the world. He is giving a good signal to the world that the educational institutions and the international relations need to be strengthened.

Congratulations, Mr President!

Ardi - The Human's oldest relative

She lived at the dawn of a new era, when chimps and people began walking (or climbing) along their own evolutionary trails. This is Ardi - the oldest member of the human family tree we've found so far.

Short, hairy and with long arms, she roamed the forests of Africa 4.4million years ago.

Her discovery, reported in detail for the first time today, sheds light on a crucial period when we were just leaving the trees. Some scientists said she could provide evidence that our ancestors first started walking upright in the pursuit of sex.

Watch this video and learn more about this fantastic discovery!

This Cat Caught a Mouse!

Music

The word ‘music’ means a series of sounds made from various instruments or voices in a way that sounds pleasant and exciting. Music plays and continues to play an important role in our daily lives and is a form of communication. People of different times and cultures have contributed significantly towards the development, promotion and preservation of the spirit of music throughout the world.

What's your favourite type of music?

It's school time again!

It's school time again! You're probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. But don't worry you are going to meet new friends, new teachers and learn new a lot of new topics.



I wish all the students and teachers a good school year!

Apolo 11: 40 years later

Forty years ago today Apollo 11 blasted off to the moon. You can see a good deal of video, pictures and interviews on NASA's website.

July 20, 1969 is a date that will always live in the minds and dreams of people all over the Earth. That was the day two men became the first ever to step foot on the surface of the moon. July 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of that historic mission.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins flew Apollo 11 to the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the moon while Collins orbited the moon in the spacecraft's command module.

Ronaldo in Madrid

Ronaldo has signed a six year deal to play with top European football club Real Madrid. He used to play for Manchester United and he will be paid 131 million dollars to play with other football stars such as Kaka.

The Santiago Bernabau is the home of the Real Madrid team. It is one of the cities major attractions. The stadium can host up to 75,000 people, and besides the domestic league games, other national games have been played. It has also hosted the 1982 World Cup finals when the event was held in Spain.

A Tribute to : Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, one of the biggest pop icons in modern history, has passed away at the age of 50. Although Jackson’s music career hit its peak in the 80’s, his influence on music, and especially music videos, has persisted throughout.

Saint Jonh's Day- "São João"

The typical Festivities of Porto take place in June and reach the highest point on the night of the 23^rd to the 24^th(Saint John’s Day – “São João” in Portuguese). The festivity of Saint John is one of the most important cultural expressions of the Portuguese people. On the 23^rd June, the city “descends upon the Baixa (downtown) and its River” until dawn. The main streets are dotted by small stands selling basils and there is a Saint John cascade every where and there to celebrate the tradition that remains since the 19^th century. Everyone is out in the streets, taking part in lively “rusgas”, striking each other with small and big plastic hammers or making other people smell the famous “alho porro” (leek). Jumping the bonfire, tasting the roasted sardines and the potato and cabbage broth is also part of the festivity. The hot-air balloons, and the fireworks at midnight are the highest point of the festivities of Saint John. This popular festivity is also celebrated in Braga, my hometown.

Portugal Day- 10th June

Portugal Day (Portuguese: Dia de Portugal), officially Dia de Camões, de Portugal e das Comunidades Portuguesas ("Day of Camões, Portugal, and the Portuguese Communities"), marks the date of Luís de Camões' death in June 10, 1580 and is Portugal's National Day. Camões wrote the Lusiads, Portugal's national epic poem celebrating Portuguese history and achievements. Although it is only officially celebrated in Portugal, Portuguese citizens and also Portuguese immigrants throughout the world celebrate this holiday.
The poem is mainly about the 16th century Portuguese explorations, which brought fame and fortune to Portugal. Camões' poem, considered one of the finest and most important works in Portuguese literature, became a symbol for the greatness of the Portuguese nation. Camões was an adventurer, lost one eye fighting in Ceuta, wrote the Portuguese epic poem Os Lusíadas while travelling, and survived a shipwreck in Cochinchina (present-day Vietnam). According to popular lore, Camões saved his epic poem by swimming with one arm while keeping the other arm above water. Camões became a national symbol. Yet, in the year of his death, Portugal lost its independence to Spain and was ruled by three generations of Spanish kings. Sixty years later, in December 1, 1640, the country regained its independence. Since then, because Camões' date of birth is not known, the date of his death is celebrated as Portugal's national day.

Wikipedia

International Children's Day

Children's Day is an event celebrated on various days in many places around the world. International Children's Day is celebrated on June 1. On Children’s Day tribute is payed to all children in the world. Children are loved by one and all. They win over our hearts with their angelic eyes and innocent smiles. They make us forget the bad moments and give us courage to face difficult days.

Let's protect our children and give them a happy life. They are our future!

International Museum Day- 18th May

International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world since 1977. Each year, a theme is decided on by the Advisory Committee. The event provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them to the challenges that museums face if they are to be - as in the ICOM definition of museums - "an institution in the service of society and of its development". The chosen topic is also discussed in ICOM News, a review of the related activities is produced and made available to members of ICOM.

It has been recommended that this celebration be held each year on 18 May (Given that each country has its own specific traditions and conditions, we recommend that members organise their events around 18 May), in the spirit of the motto:
« Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, co-operation and peace among peoples »

Europe Day- 9th May

On the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations.

This proposal, known as the "Schuman declaration", is considered to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union.

Today, the 9th of May has become a European symbol (Europe Day) which, along with the flag, the anthem, the motto and the single currency (the euro), identifies the political entity of the European Union. Europe Day is the occasion for activities and festivities that bring Europe closer to its citizens and peoples of the Union closer to one another.

Every country which democratically chooses to accede to the European Union endorses its fundamental values of peace and solidarity.

These values find expression through economic and social development embracing environmental and regional dimensions which are the guarantees of a decent standard of living for all citizens.

( click here ) European Quizzes

Earth Day - April 22

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Although the idea for Earth Day came about in the early 1960s, the first official Earth Day wasn’t held until 1970.

The purpose was to draw attention to environmental issues :

• air and water pollution;
  
• dumping of toxic chemicals;
  
• destruction of natural habitat

Earth day Quiz

Some Job Interview Tips

First Job

Whether you're a teen or older and looking for your first job, you'll need to prepare for a job search. Before you start looking for your first job, you will need to gather some information together including details and dates of your educational background, as well as your skills, and any volunteer or informal work experience you have.

Even if you haven't had a "real" job that pays you a paycheck, volunteering, babysitting, delivering papers, and similar types of experience count as work when you're writing a resume or completing a job application.

Depending on your age, there may be requirements about what jobs you can, and cannot do. For example, if you're 14 or 15 you can only work 3 hours day and a maximum of 18 hours a week.

Make a list of where you went to school, dates of attendence, and if you have participated in sports or other after-school activities, list them too. List any work you have done, organizations you belong to (like the Girl Scouts ) and any volunteer organizations you have helped. You need the information to complete job applications and to write a resume.

ask.com Job Searching

Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com

World Theatre Day

All over the world artists will spend part of their day honouring the larger community of the art form they share in. Designated "World Theatre Day" by the International Theatre Institute, the event is described as "an opportunity to celebrate together an art form and a way of life that binds us, regardless of borders, language or political differences. It's a day of communion".

Theatre is a branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed any one or more elements of the other performing arts. ...

Spring 21st March

World Poetry Day is on March 21, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world

Poetry is a form of dialogue among cultures. Through it we can express our feelings.

To celebrate this date bring your favourite poem to the English class.

This date is also associated with Spring. To celebrate this season enjoy this lovely poem.

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

St. Patrick's Day - 17 th March

The Irish tradtional religious feast day of Saint Patrick takes place each year on March 17.

Who was Saint Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

And the Oscar goes to ...... ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Slumdog ended up with eight Oscars in all, including Best Picture and Best Director for Danny Boyle. In the acting categories, Kate Winslet won Best Actress for The Reader, her first win after six nominations, while Sean Penn's performance in Milk netted him his second Best Actor statue. As expected, Heath Ledger was honored posthumously as Best Supporting Actor for his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight; Penelope Cruz won her first Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, her second nomination.
The night of triumph sealed the Mumbai-set British film’s unlikely dominance of Hollywood’s glittering award season.

Origins of Carnival

The origins of Carnival are largely unknown, but it seems to have been part of a pagan celebration of the new year or the start of spring in Ancient Italy, marked by the mixing of social classes in a large outdoor festival. At the start of the Christian Age, celebration was restricted to before Lent as a kind of "flesh abuse," a time to purge oneself of such Pagan practice prior to the remembrance of Christ's death.

Carnival was introduced to Portugal, the mother country of Brazil, in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. It took on a violent turn with the advent of the "Entrudo," or introduction to Lent. During the Entrudo, entertaining and often cruel practical jokes were played. It was this kind of Carnaval that first arrived in Brazil. The Entrudo did not last long as it was suppressed by the police.

In the mid-19^th century, Carnival split into two parts: the Ballroom Carnival (attended mostly by the rich) and the Street Carnival. Mask Balls in the São João Theater continued weekly throughout the year, keeping up the spirit of Carnaval. To make Carnaval more affordable, it was moved into the streets, and sub-deputies were authorized to freely distribute masks to anyone who wanted to join. This format was adopted by tradespeople as it meant more profit.

Carnival had finally come into its own, no longer overshadowed by the Entrudo. Mask balls were organized a year in advance, families and groups competed to decided who was the most elegant and refined as class lines were allowed to blur in a fun party atmosphere.

http://student.bard.edu/clubs/laso/carnaval.htm

Saint Valentine

The History of Saint Valentine

Every February, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

Love quotes

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own home.
Give love to your children, to a wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor." ( Mother Teresa )

"A kiss is something you cannot give without taking and cannot take without giving."

(Anonymous )

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." (Aristotle)

"Love is the greatest refreshment in life." ( Picasso )

'Viva La Vida' is Grammy Song of the Year

The Grammy Awards

(originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony.
The award ceremony is generally held in February. This year,the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 8, 2009, and was held at Los Angeles' Staples Center for the sixth consecutive year.

The band Coldplay won the priorizes for song and rock album of the year.

Barack Obama's Inauguration Is One for the History Books

"A New Birth of Freedom" was the theme for Barack Obama's inauguration today—a reference to one of Abraham Lincoln's most memorable lines from the Gettysburg Address. It was part of Obama's sustained effort to link himself with the memory of one of America's greatest leaders and to give Americans reassurance that today, as in Lincoln's time, the country would find its way through any crisis.
Obama, the first African-American president, has often emphasized his bonds with Lincoln, who waged war to preserve the Union and end slavery. Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, was raised amid the cultural diversity of Hawaii and Indonesia, and he went out of his way to involve many different kinds of people in his inauguration. Nearly every major segment of the population seemed represented in some way—whites and blacks, men and women, straights and gays, the old, the young, the middle-aged.
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C., which became the capital in 1801. After his second inauguration, Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the president's house surrounded by mechanics from the Navy Yard—the forerunner of the inaugural parade.

One year in 40 seconds

You are going to watch images from the same spot through one year. You will feel the sensation of how days pass quicly.

So, be hapy and enjoy life!