Ericka Camila

BLIP

2010-07-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!! Long time no see, right?!

Well, today I'm going to give you the link to my Blip account. What? Don't you know what Blip is? All right then. I'm going to tell you a little bit about it. Blip is a tipe of social media that allows you to select songs you enjoy and show them to the people online on BLip website. If the listeners like the songs you "blip" they can choose you as their DJ. So, to understand more, follow the link and let me be your DJ: http://blip.fm/ErickaCamila

2010-02-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

Yes! Today is the first day after the end of the daylight saving time. I'm sure some people forgot to move their clocks backward one hour. So, I'm here to remind you.

Elizabeth Bishop- Pink Dog

2010-02-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

PINK DOG

[Rio de Janeiro]

The sun is blazing and the sky is blue.
Umbrellas clothe the beach in every hue.
Naked, you trot across the avenue.

Oh, never have I seen a dog so bare!
Naked and pink, without a single hair...
Startled, the passersby draw back and stare.

Of course they're mortally afraid of rabies.
You are not mad; you have a case of scabies
but look intelligent. Where are your babies?

(A nursing mother, by those hanging teats.)
In what slum have you hidden them, poor bitch,
while you go begging, living by your wits?

Didn't you know? It's been in all the papers,
to solve this problem, how they deal with beggars?
They take and throw them in the tidal rivers.

Yes, idiots, paralytics, parasites
go bobbing int the ebbing sewage, nights
out in the suburbs, where there are no lights.

If they do this to anyone who begs,
drugged, drunk, or sober, with or without legs,
what would they do to sick, four-legged dogs?

In the cafés and on the sidewalk corners
the joke is going round that all the beggars
who can afford them now wear life preservers.

In your condition you would not be able
even to float, much less to dog-paddle.
Now look, the practical, the sensible

solution is to wear a fantasía.
Tonight you simply can't afford to be a-
n eyesore... But no one will ever see a

dog in máscara this time of year.
Ash Wednesday'll come but Carnival is here.
What sambas can you dance? What will you wear?

They say that Carnival's degenerating
— radios, Americans, or something,
have ruined it completely. They're just talking.

Carnival is always wonderful!
A depilated dog would not look well.
Dress up! Dress up and dance at Carnival!

1979

Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)was an american who lived in Rio de Janeiro and Ouro Preto. She translated into English poems of the poets Carlos Drummond, João Cabral and Vinícius de Moraes. Bishop is also one of the most important names in the modern american Literature.

Although this poem was finished in 1979, "Pink Dog" refers to an event that happened in 1962, when beggars from Rio de janeiro were being murdered by the " Death Squad"( Esquadrão da Morte).

Podcasts

2010-02-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

Although they are really used and very common nowadays, I still talk to people who still don't know what a podcast is. For these people, here is a simple definition: A podcast is a pre-recorded audio program that's posted to a website and is made available for download so people can listen to them on personal computers or mobile devices . To get started using podcasts, check out the link on the bottom of the page. It will guide you to great information in british English from BBC website.

The Wolfman

2010-02-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

This evening I watched The Wolfman, a remake of the 1941 classic horror film of the same name. It is starred by Benicio Del Toro which I think is a brilliant actor. I'm not a huge fan of horror movies, but this one is quite good for me because the only horror features it has is blood and the beast. I really liked the settings. There's a lot of 19th century buildings that look gorgeous and act as a perfect contrast to the dark and creepy woods.

Now some wiki facts:

A werewolf or werwolf, also known as a lycanthrope (from the Greek λυκάνθρωπος: λύκος, lukos, "wolf", and άνθρωπος, anthrōpos, man), is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely, by being bitten or scratched by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Ash Wednesday one day after "Mardi Gras" (pronounced /ˈmɑrdi grɑː/) French for "Fat Tuesday" or "Shrove Tuesday",which refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer before the penitential season of Lent before easter. It lasts forty days(excluding Sundays) because of the forty days Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) That is why some people decide to give something up during the Lent such as chocolate, meat, beer or something they really like or are kind of addicted to. Going back to Ash Wednesday, the name derives from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of believers as a sign of repentance.The priest or minister when making the cross of ashes on someones forehead says the following: Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.—Genesis 3:19The purpose of this is to remind us of our mortality.

Carnival holiday- What about it?

2010-02-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Hi guys.What's up? I haven't been able to write lately because my routine is quite busy and tiresome but fortunately now I having some days-off due to the Carnival( Carnaval) holiday. So, I decided to talk a little bit about it. Brazil is known all around the world not only but also because of this party. There are many types of celebrations all over the country. In fact, I am not very in to it. Actually, I am at home right now enjoying my free time.So, I am going to give some credits to the type of celebration in my state. Carnival in Minas Gerais is often characterized by blocos carnavalescos with varying themes and fantasy styles. There are even some Axé groups from Bahia who come to play in the state every carnival season.
Although I have never been to Ouro Preto(which is a shame!)It is one of the most visited cities during the time. Its carnaval is very popular by college students in the area. The city has a large proportion of students, who during the year live in places called Repúblicas (rented houses maintained and ruled by themselves). During carnival, the Repúblicas are literally packed with residents and many visitors coming from all over the country. The hills prevent traffic of heavy sound trucks, but don't stop people from feasting all night and day.It is very fun!! I have already taken part in parties like this in smaller cities. It was really fun. This year I have decided to stay home and go out to near places during the day.

What gives you the creeps?

2010-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

When I am waiting at a bank line or in any other place, or riding a bus, I hate when strangers try to strike up a conversation with me. It really gives me the creeps.I try to be polite and at least nod when the person asks a question, but I really feel unconfortable. But the worst thing is that I keep wondering about things they could do or if their are criminals or something similar. I know it sounds crazy but I am a chicken. I fear almost everything.What about you?

"Sisters-in-Law" or "Sister-in-Laws"?

2010-01-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Let's take a second here to talk about one thing that many people might not know: How do you say more than one sister-in-law or brother-in-law?  

Well, you make "in-law compounds" plural by making the noun part plural since the women are primarily sisters, and the "-in-law" part just further describes what kind of sisters they are:
Sisters-in-law
Brothers-in-law
Fathers-in-law
Mothers-in-law

Running out of time

2009-12-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

A nice book I read this vacation is " Running out of time", a novel by the award-winning author Margaret Peterson Haddix. The book was a real page-turner and once I began reading I couldn't put it down .

Jessie Keyser is a 13-year-old girl from the village of Clifton, Indiana in the 1840s. During a village-wide bout of diphtheria, Jessie's mother reveals that the actual year is 1996, and that Clifton Village is actually a tourist attraction, a replica of a historical village. She secretly sends Jessie out of the village to retrieve a cure for the disease from a man that disagreed on having Clifton as a tourist attraction, Mr. Neeley. But Jessie has to be careful because there are a few guards that have to make sure that no one from Clifton leaves and finds out that it is really 1996 and not 1840. Miles Clifton was the creator of Clifton.The author and publisher have alleged that the M. Night Shyamalan film The Village is an adaptation of this novel.

It was also a fast read . All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good novel. I borrowed the book from my friend Larissa and I am thankful for the opportunity. Now I am waiting for the english version of "Twilight"(I have already read the portuguese one).

Let's start feeding it!

2009-12-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hi anyone who might read this! It is late and I can't come up with a good idea for a post now, so let's explore the blog itself. If you teach, study or enjoy the English language, you might want to take a look at the videos you can see in this blog. They are really interesting to apply in an English class or in your self-studies. The ones starting with "Real English" present topics related to day-by-day language and are basically interviews with native English speakers. The others with the camera focused on a guy's face are all about pronunciation. The guy's name is Dave Sconda. His explanations are fascinating and he is hillarious. Have fun!=D

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2005-05-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

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