Universidad Europea de Madrid

Do you have a "green thumb"? Giant pumpkins from...

Can you take a seed and make it grow?

"Giant pumpkins--from little pumpkin seeds grow!"

Have you ever heard the expression: 'Mighty oaks from little acorns grow'? -Geoffrey Chaucer-1374

Over 150 members of the UEM community planted pumpkin seeds this spring. Some have been very successful. Others have not. When someone is a good gardener we say that he has a "green thumb". Gardening, like everything else in life, is a learning experience.

Some of our participants have watched their seeds grow into little plants, and some of those plants now have flowers and little pumpkins. How exciting!

Antonio Huete, who works for Dima at the UEM, definitely has "a green thumb". Look at the size of those leaves! And this little plant was once a miniature pumpkin seed. I'm still hoping for a flower....and some beautiful miniature pumpkin.

UEM Farmers! Remember to water and fertilize your plants ! Impress your friends and neighbors!

And don't forget about the GIANT & Miniature PUMPKIN CONTEST. It's the last week of October, just in time for Halloween.

Vocabulary:

green thumb: pulgar verde/ tener mano para las plantas
pumpkin: calabaza
seed: semilla
grow: crecer
mighty: big and strong
oak: roble
acorn: bellota

spring: primavera
successful: tener éxito
gardener: jardinero
everything else: todo lo demás
take care of: cuidar

Have a happy summer! And take care of your plants!

Wendy

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Don't Play with Fire!

Summer has come and everything is dry.People are heading for the countryside and forests,for day-long picnics and camping trips. Smokers carelessly flick their cigarettes off the trail. Campers leave their barbecues unattended or don't put out their campfires completely. Be careful! You don't want tobe responsible for starting a fire.

As children in the US we were taught to be careful with matches and to watch out for forest fires. Adults didn’t need to tell us because Smokey the Bear did the job for them. He was and still is the national symbol for fire prevention. Smokey is a brown bear in blue jeans who wears a ranger’s hat and carries a shovel. He reminds us to watch out for forest fires. One time we were traveling through a forested area in California. We pulled off the road in a small clearing by a lake. As we approached the water we saw a campfire pit. The fire had been put out recently, but the wood in the pit was still smoldering. When we went to get water we noticed smoke coming up out of the ground in several places. The fire was spreading under the fallen pine needles, but hadn’t yet flamed. This was before cell phones so we got water from the lake, stomped out what we could, and quickly drove back to the nearest town to call the Forest Service fire department. We saved the forest!

"ONLY YOU---CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES," said Smokey.

At home, we need to be careful too. Kitchen fires flare up in a moment. What should you do when your frying pan turns into a blaze? Watch the video about kitchen fires. Then go back and look at the vocabulary and script below.

Wendy

Don't play with fire-------------------No juegues con el fuego.
Dry---------------------------------------Seco
Heading for-----------------------------Dirigiendose a
Countryside-----------------------------el campo
Forests-----------------------------------bosques
Flick--------------------------------------tirar rápid y sin pensar
Trail---------------------------------------sendero
Put out-----------------------------------apagar un cigarro/fuego/cerrilla
To be careful with----------------------tener cuidado con
Matches----------------------------------cerillas
Watch out for----------------------------tener cuidado con/estar pendiente de
Blue jeans--------------------------------vaqueros
Wears-------------------------------------llevar puesto
Ranger-------------------------------------guardabosques
Shovel-------------------------------------pala
Pulled off---------------------------------salir de la carretera/apartarse de
Clearing-----------------------------------un espacio abierto en el bosque
Approached------------------------------acercarse
Fire pit-------------------------------------hoyo para un fuego controlado en el campo
Wood--------------------------------------madera
Smoldering-------------------------------ardiendo lentamente
Ground------------------------------------tierra
Spreading---------------------------------extendiéndose
Fallen pine needles----------------------hojas caídos de pino
Flamed------------------------------------hacer llamarada
Stomped out------------------------------pisoteado
Saved---------------------------------------salvado
Flare up------------------------------------hacer llamarada
Frying pan---------------------------------sartén
Turn into-----------------------------------llegar a ser/reformarse/volver
A blaze-------------------------------------una llamarada

Vocabulary from the Video Transcription:

Chip-----------------------------------------patatas fritas(British)
Run a cloth----------------------------------pasar un trapo
The Tap--------------------------------------el grifo
Ring it out-----------------------------------escurrirlo

• Publicado por shakespeare•
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Drive safely! Buckle up!

You're off with your friends. For an hour, for a weekend, for the summer.

You're talking and laughing and having fun. Sound familiar?

Well... be careful!

We got stopped at a lone traffic circle on a country road near a provincial town with absolutely no traffic in sight. The Guardia Civil, police, pulled over the lead car and then his partner signaled for the 2nd car to pull over too. What was this all about?

Before we got the explanation as to why we were stopped, we were told to hand over our IDs. My passengers handed over theirs, but mine was in my purse in the trunk. The police officer asked me again, so I started to get out of the car. "Get back in the car," he growled. "But you asked for my DNI. It's in the back" I replied.

"Stop! You're not wearing you yellow traffic vest ! You can't get out of the car without your vest on." I looked at him and the deserted road in astonishment." Well.... What? " He said "OK" and I got my DNI for him. Meanwhile those in the other car were going through a similar procedure. The police officers strode back across the deserted road and called in our IDs I guess. When they returned we were told that the woman in the back of my car was getting a 150 Euro fine for not wearing her seat belt. She was not given a copy of the fine but would receive it in the mail.

The other car was ready to go, so off we went to meet up again a few blocks away. The backseat passenger in that car had also received an invisible fine, but for over 200 Euros! Why the difference? Conflicting opinions of the 2 police officers? Male/female discrimination for backseat traffic offenders? I think it was probably the fact that one had a driver's license and the other didn't even though neither was at the wheel. We were angry............but the police officers were right. Seatbelts are important, even if you are in the back seat.

Look at this short commercial from Chile. It says it all.

Wendy. See vocabulary below.

undefinedC:\Documents and Settings\901\Mis documentos\BLOG + CONNECTA 3\comercial-Chile.wmv

Vocabulary:

Buckle up: abrochar el cinturón
You're off with: libre, por allí con
got stopped: te pararon
lone: solitario
in sight: a la vista
pulled over: nos pararon
lead car: primer coche
hand over: entregar
purse: bolso
trunk: maletero
get out of: salir de
growled:gruñó
replied: contestó
vest: chaleco
strode: (past tense of stride) caminó
fine: multa
blocks: manzanas, calle
at the wheel: al volante, conduciendo

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Storks, storks everywhere!

Spring in Vinuesa, Soria, Spain.

A beautiful stone village, off the beaten track... but easily accessible.
You'll find a river and a lake and pine forests. Spend the night. Get a feel for the place. You'll relax. You'll forget. You'll meet new people. You might even bump into someone you know. Someone who's kept this place a secret. Someone from the UEM!

In the spring storks nest here. Dozens of storks. They're on the churches, on smoke stacks, in the trees. We saw 2 and 3 nests in some tall trees.

Vocabulary:

Storks: cigueñas
Off the beaten track: apartado,

bump into: encontrar por casualidad, chocar con
Smoke stacks: chimineas

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The Lost Generation

How is your attitude these days? Are you usually up, or are you often down in the dumps. Are you taking the world by storm, getting prepared for whatever comes your way, or just complaining about everything? Maybe you're in your 20s, studying a lot and looking for a job. Maybe you're in your 30s and don't have the money for a mortgage, or in your 40s, trying to do a balancing act between work and family. You could be in your 50s worrying about your adult kids and your aging parents. And then come your 60s and your retirement fund, if there is one. Wherever you are on the wheel of life, I'm sure you're active and busy and wondering what the future holds.

In the US there is an association for retired people called AARP, American Associaton for Retired People. They set up a contest called "U @ 50" meaning "You at age 50" and surprisingly a 20 year old girl won second place. Her video is very simple, and at the same time brilliant. Read along with her, all the way through. You'll discover that this is a palindrome--you can read it forwards and then backwards as well. Pay attention. The meaning changes completely. The Lost Generation
Is your generation apathetic and lethargic? -Wendy

Vocabulary:

Are you up?: estás animado
Down in the dumps: con depresión
Taking the world by storm: comiendo el mundo
complaining: quejandose
mortgage: hipoteca
balancing act: actuación de equilibrio
worrying: preocupándose
wondering: preguntándose
kids: hijos, niños, críos, chavales
aging parents: padres ancianos
retirement fund: pension, jubilación
wheel: rueda
holds: trae, tiene, sostiene
set up: montar, organizar
pay attention:presta atención
meaning: significado

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Springtime at the UEM-Villaviciosa

It looks like winter is finally over. The flowers are blooming!

You would have thought that this was northern Europe a few short months ago. We had snow, and more snow and then even more snow. What a strange winter for central Spain!

Now it's a different story.

There are daffodils and tulips and pansies.

The rain comes and goes but the trees are blossoming and everything is green.

Have you noticed? Everyone is out, walking around, sitting on the steps and benches and the lawns.

Yes, spring has come to the UEM campus. Get outdoors and look around.

See that mallard in the lake? He's been a resident at the UEM Lake for several weeks now. I bet his wife and babies will be appearing soon.

Advice: Don't hurry. Don't worry: Don't forget to smell the flowers.

Have a happy Spring. --Wendy

Vocabulary:

looks like: parece
is over: ha acabado
blooming: floreciendo
daffodils: narcisos
tulips: tulipanes
pansies: pensamientos
blossoming: floreciendo
benches: bancos (para sentarse)
lawns: céspedes
spring: la primavera
get outdoors: sal fuera
mallard: male wild duck(pato)
bet: apuesto que

Don't Hurry. Don't Worry.

Don't Forget to smell the flowers!

Happy Spring. Wendy

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"Jacaranda"- Fabulous dancers at the UEM

"Jacaranda" is the contemporary dance troupe at the UEM. The dancers are all students in their first year of the Dance degree or in the Sports degree programs. These kids can really dance! That's an understatement if I have ever made one.

They put on a very professional show in the halls of the UEM last week and impressed us all. The choreographer, Eduardo Castro was present. He's a professional dancer with the Compañia Nacional de Danza de Nacho Duato.

We were all impressed. You would have been too.

Wendy

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Donations for HAITI

We all know about the tragedy in HAITI: a major earthquake, tremors, aftershocks, another earthquake. Can you IMAGINE what it's like to be in HAITI right now?

The Haitian people need our help. Contribute! Donate a Euro; donate 50. Drop a few coins in the box as you come and go. It will all add up. And now UEM and Laureate International Universities havepromised to double our donations!

You'll see students in red VOLUNTEER vests collecting money in Building B today. There are collection boxes at the reception desk in each building.

IMAGINE what it would it be like if the ground in your hometown shook like that? Would the buildings collapse? Would your life change dramatically in a few minutes. Help the RED CROSS help the HAITIAN people. You are a citizen of the world. Do what you can do to help the cause.

Wendy

VOCABULARY

Drop: dejar caer

coins: monedas

add up: sumar

promise: prometer

vests: chalecos

ground: la tierra

hometown: pueblo natal

shook: sacudió (Pasado de shake)

buildings: edificios

citizen: ciudadano

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Earthquake in HAITI: Contribute to the cause

Please help the people in HAITI who are suffering from a 7.0 magnitute earthquake and 5+ magnitude aftershocks. The UEM VOLUNTEERS have set up tables, MAIN HALL, BUILDING A to collect money for HAITI through the CRUZ ROJA, the Spanish Red Cross . This initiative came from the 3rd and 4th year LAW students. They will be manning tables from 9:00 to 14:00 all this week. We know that it is exam time and everyone is busy, however they need more volunteers to collect money. Marta Acosta Soria and Alvaro Calvo Giralt came to the UEM LAB to ask for our collaboration. We are sending volunteers to help with the tables and have set up a collection box in the reception area of the UEM LAB which will be available from 8:00-21:00 all this week. If you have an hour or two to spare, please come by the VOLUNTARIADO tables to sign up for a shift or contact 20610076@live.uem.es . Be sure to put VOLUNTEERING time for HAITI INITIATIVE on the subject line. Remember, being a volunteer is an important part of your university experience and is mandatory on your CV for a job search in the global job market.

Thank you for your collaboration. Wendy

VOCABULARY

suffering: sufriendo

earthquake: terremoto

aftershocks: réplicas

volunteers: voluntarios

set up: montar

available: disponible

to spare: disponible, de sobra

sign up: apuntarse

a shift: un turno

law: derecho

busy: ocupado

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Happy New Year- 2010

Happy New Year! Happy 2010 ! Oh, that looks futuristic just like 2000 or 2001 did a decade ago. And what about 1-1-2010? That looks really strange, doesn't it? Well, a week has already passed and we're still sitting here, writing 2009 by mistake and staring at the computer screen, wondering what the future will hold.

Have you made your New Year's Resolutions yet? Are they the same ones you made last year and the year before? Is this THE YEAR when you're finally going to get it together? Did you start the year off right, start in on your fitness program, your diet, your personal Stop Smoking campaign, or are you waiting for a more auspicious date like maybe 10-1-2010 or as the Americans would write it 1-10-2010? Shall we procrastinate perhaps until the day before exams begin, or till next semester, or possibly till Groundhog Day or your birthday or.....1-1-2011 (ouuu, that looks really cosmic. That's only 11+ months from now. Maybe we should just leave our great plans for personal development till next year.

So, where were you on New Year's Day? Were you sleeping it off?
Were you outside, enjoying the day from beginning to end?

This is where I was as the 1st day of the year 2010 came to an end. Wendy

VOCABULARY:

staring: to stare: mirar fijamente
wondering: preguntándome
will hold: ofrecerá, sostendrá
get it together: organizarme
start X off right: empezar con buen pie
auspicious: prometedor
procrastinate: dejarlo para el último minuto
Groundhog Day: día de la Marmota
sleeping it off: reculperándose

Last year's NEW YEARS post:
http://comunidad.uem.es/shakespeare/2009/1/7/new-year-s-resolutions-2009

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