Category Archives: language

the killing

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in films, language, media, spain, teaching, television

≈ 9 Comments

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I’ve been hearing rave reviews about this Danish tv programme for ages so when the first series (it’s now into series 2) became more reasonably-priced on Amazon I decided to go for it. Two episodes in and I’m hooked! And its especially refreshing to see actors that look like real people.

Watching it has also made me wonder why Spanish people are so averse to sub-titles. I’ve been going to sub-titled foreign films since I first found out they existed – I think I was about 16. So I don’t get it when people say it’s “too difficult” to read and watch at the same time. And I really don’t get how not hearing the actor’s real voice isn’t important to viewers.

In Portugal films and tv series are sub-titled and, as a result, most of the population has at least a smattering of English. Unlike in Spain. But I guess Peter would be out of a job if they got wise here and changed their ways. Still, I cannot abide dubbing. Can you?

Guardian review – The Killing

which comes first… the mortar or the pestle?

21 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in cooking, culture, language

≈ 11 Comments

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This morning my friend WeeRascal asked on Twitter… Mortar and Pestle or Pestle and Mortar? and my answer was mortar and pestle as that was how I was brought up hearing it said. But my English friend Annie Bennett says she has always called it a pestle and mortar, while admitting that “we Brits have some strange habits as you know…”

I remember recently wincing when on a cooking programme – I think it was Jamie Oliver though it may have been Rick Stein – it was referred to as a pestle and mortar. It just sounded so… well, backwards!

Thinking about it logically, you first put your food item into the mortar before using the pestle; alphabetically the mortar wins out too.

What do you say?

what american english sounds like to foreigners

16 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by in humour, language, video

≈ 10 Comments

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This is hilarious. An Italian parody of a 60s/70s pop song sung entirely in gibberish that is apparently how American English sounds like to non-English speakers. If I were really cruel I’d give this to my students and have them try to work out the lyrics.

You can see the subtitled version below the links, but watch this one first.

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multi-tasking az is back!

04 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by in cancer, computers, internet, language, life stuff, work

≈ 7 Comments

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Things are getting back to “normal” here again after the annual upheaval that is Semana Santa. Part of me really likes how everybody’s routines are totally disrupted during this week, even if they don’t attend any of the processions. I know that if I didn’t live next to the cathedral I wouldn’t bother going out to see them (though I did the first few years I lived here) and I know I would miss that. Sure, it’s a week of unpaid holidays and getting out my front door can sometimes be difficult because of the crowds, but it’s also kind of refreshing to have things shaken up a bit. As usual, this year all of my students (all = 4) cancelled classes for the week, but I ended up working more than ever…

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