June 09

LATEST UPDATE: June 09 (June 16th) and My music blog (June 14th)

June 16th

Hi folks! It's D-day and while I'm writing this (for the sake of relaxation) most of you must be doing the weirdest examen de certificación I've come across in these 3 years since the Junta decided to unify the certification EOI exams. I'm thinking of you all and trying to picture you guys down in the Salón de Actos while you're going across the Reading comp tasks. Gosh, I just hope you don't lose focus and do your best. Someone told me right before the exam: I don't have much at stake today, and I wish all of you would feel the same. I mean, who doesn't like passing exams, (that's what they should be made for, I'd like to believe) but I hope this is for you no more than a test of your language skills, regardless of the level the exam may apparently have (probably the texts - or most of them - are more difficult at first sight than the actual tasks, or are they?). I think some of the tasks are more frightening than challenging.

Anyway, what I mean to say is that you should never measure your capability, your ability, by the mere score of a test. I just hope that, whether you pass or fail, you keep learning English for the sake of using the language as competently as you can, in whichever situation. For the same reason, I want to believe that those of you who are given the symbolic "thumbs up" will not quit learning this wonderful language. I've always felt kind of sad to think some of you might just come to the language school in search of just a "sealed sheet of paper", if you see what I mean. I hate this titulitis syndrome that sometimes plagues our society. Hopefully making the grade will encourage you to keep improving your language skills independently, more effortlessly, slowly but steadily.

Vow, how about that for another "lecture".

Well, may I change the tone of this entry. On to basketball, then. You know how much I love this great sport. And surely you've all heard the news that a Spanish NBA pro, our own Pau Gasol, has made history by winning the coveted American championship for the first time. I've always admired Pau for his intelligence, class and demeanour on and off the court. So much so that I'm positive he would have been successful at any other sport (or profession for that matter). So I'd like to humbly advocate his candidacy for the Prince of Asturias Award by embedding this short clip (first in Spanish, then in English) where he "shares his jubilation" with us all. I reckon he is even more articulate and fluent in English than in Spanish! Doesn't he sound like a true American? Nothing to do with Nadal's broken English or Alonso's Asturian accent, ha ha! Definitely basketball is a sport for the elite! Only joking ...

Well, this is all for now. I have to collect the papers in a minute. Keep clicking. And good luck with the exam!

June 14th

Hi there! Welcome back to the blog, which I had "deserted" for a while". But what better occasion to resume it than this entry which features the photos of our dinner party last Thursday. I guess most of them came out nicely, some of them are really funny, but all of them bring fond memories of a lovely and emotional night spent with you guys. I hope you like them as much as I do!

I think I told you then, and I tell you again, that you can bring your pen drives on Tuesday (meet me at the school hall between 15:30 and 15:40 or go to classroom 10A during the breaks) and I'll copy the photos for you. If you don't have a "pincho" (or you think it's infected with a bothersome virus) you might prefer to bring a blank CD, no problem. And if for any reason you're not turning up the day of the exam you should be able to download the pics directly from the Picassa application.

But in the meantime you can enjoy a preview of the memorable night by clicking on the photo right down below. Now you will understand why I said Alberto steals the show!

Cena fin de curso 2NA 08-09

On a more serious note, how are you feeling these hours prior to D-Day? Nervous? Eager to do the exam and forget it all? Doing any English practice at all? Well, I don't know if I should send you more stuff as it might make you more stressed. I was expecting you would send me some essays but only Antonio has dared do it. By the way, you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you get the key to the last reading comp activities since I cannot find them anywhere in my PC's hard disk, and I'm just too busy to do the stuff myself. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Ok folks, it's time to close. I'm leaving in a couple of hours for Medina del Campo to meet some friends for lunch and I still have to finish some correction work (Intermediate exams from my colleague Victoria). I wish a happy Sunday (though it seems we're in for a rainy day) and hope you don't get too stressed all the way to Tuesday's final test. Un abrazo.

June 2nd

Hi everyone! Greetings from classroom 29 @ the language school, where at this very moment I'm invigilating at a 1º Avanzado exam for a workmate, Rocio, who incidentally will be one of my tribunal partners for your oral exam.

Let me start this first entry of the June blog by saying how awfully I'm missing you guys. You know, if feels like the first few days after the end of term I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms and certainly it takes some time getting used to not meeting my students. Honestly, I'd rather have a hundred lessons with you than all this Mad June of red tape, exam correction and stuff. So stressful!

Hey, I'm really looking forward to meeting up with you all next week for our eagerly anticipated farewell dinner. How's life in the meantime? Some of you still terribly busy with exams, I guess, others going about your daily business. Do you still manage to find a little gap in your precious time to do some English practice? Hopefully you do, so you won't come the day of the exam a little bit "rusty". I'm preparing more material for this week, both listening and reading tasks, but I wouldn't like to smother you with too much stuff.

You see, a former advanced student of mine has just sent me a link to a Google book which might kind of relax you and ease off tension. It's titled Drunk in charge of a foreign language by someone called Matt Rothwell (never heard of him) and my ex-student tells me there's quite a lot dedicated to our country, and specifically to Salamanca. I've just read the first few pages to get the taste of it and I reckon it should be a fun easy book for you. Then, if you type Salamanca on the search box you'll find that page 100 and following are set in our fine town and Matt deals with typical Salmantinian things such as bulls, Lunes de Aguas and - what else - the Plaza Mayor. Surely you would like to read bits and pieces (the book is set out like a diary) and then go back to it during the summer.

Interested? Click on the link below. Regrettably, you cannot download the PDF (or at least I don't know how to do it) so you'll have to read this travelogue online:

http://books.google.es/books?id=lRvhAPdtwHYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=drunk+in+charge+of+a+foreign+language#PPA104,M1

OK folks, time to stop now. My temporary students are about to end their written task and some of them are moving restlessly in their seats. By the way, do you want to know the tasks they've been given? An essay on the pros and cons of CCTV cameras in public places and a letter of application. Funnily enough, the latter is the very last thing we did as regards writing skills. Typical, I dare say! Who knows, you might come across the same task on the 16th ...

Keep clicking, will you? Cheerio!

May 09

LATEST UPDATE: May 09 (May 24th)

May 24th

Hello guys! It's good to be blogging again. You know, this is by far the shortest monthly entry of all and the blog needs some new blood, so to speak, so here I go.

Well, the end of term is at hand, barely a couple of lessons left, and I've got mixed feelings about the situation. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to the summer hols, which means lots of free time with my wife and kids, the course in Cambridge, etc. But on the other hand, I won't be seeing you guys each week and I'll miss you all very much, believe it or not. I always become very fond of my students. On top of that, we're heading for exam time, and you can't imagine how much I hate it. Besides, I get kind of anxious for you, perhaps I shouldn't but I can't help it. Naturally not everyone will "make the grade", you know, pass the exams, and, regardless of how much work and effort you've put in throughout the year to deserve the pass, it's always a nasty feeling to have to flunk some of you (hopefully not too many!). I just hope you do your very best at the exams and don't underachieve. To make things worse, I wish I knew what the test is going to be like, but it's shrouded in mystery. I want to believe the level will be adequate but (and I'm not trying to stick my neck out for them) I just know how difficult it is for my colleagues in the exam committee to work under pressure and eventually ellaborate the best materials possible to suit all the schools in CyL.

Anyway, I'm boring you with all this empty rhetoric. So let me tell you something lighter, about the weekend I've had so far. On Friday I went with my wife and kids to Villamayor to sample a bit of the neighbouring village's festivals, which are in full swing right now. So there was this gig by Los Mojinos Escozios. Not that I'm a fan of the band, but simply my son and some of his mates wanted to see them live and he asked me to give him a lift. Initially we intended to drop him at the venue and pop around the village until the end of the concert. But since it was an open-air gig we thought we might just stay for a while to see how it fared. So lights are off and on stage comes this tubby nutty long-haired bearded singer, with his bare torso and a bulging packet under his trousers. Outrageous! And he begins bellowing his first song to the sounds of hard rock music. The audience was a mix of locals and visitors alike, all ages from toddlers to some elderly. No question the frontman is a "showman" who knows all the tricks to amuse the fun-loving public: an indecent joke or remark here, a provocative posture there, I have to admit I had a good laugh now and then. Sometimes he goes beyond the limits of good taste, considering it's a free open-air verbena and, as the saying goes, "hay ropa tendida" (I don't know the equivalent in English) but all in all it's sheer fun and farce and people know what they can expect from the Andalusian band's lyrics and its lead vocalist's manners on stage.
Hi again! You know what happened. I was typing this stuff when suddenly the whole room shook with the sound of thunder. A mighty storm was coming so I thought it wise to turn off all electrical things. I had to go out for lunch and haven't returned home until now, nearly 8 hours later. Sorry about the break!
Well, I think I spoke enough of Mojinos so I should move on. Tell you what: I've been to Van Dyck Tormes this afternoon to watch Ron Howard's free adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller Angels and Demons. Despite its fast thriller pace and the stunning recreation of The Vatican landmarks, I can only say that I don't think much of it. Probably The Christian church and Hollywood get on like hand and blister, or fight like cat and dog, if you see what I mean. The storyline, in my modest opinion, wavers from the incredible to the ridiculous. I would even say that Tom Hanks at times looks like he's wondering what the hell he's doing in the movie (apart from earning an awful lot of cash). He's kind of a religious Indi Jones but without the energy and charisma of good old Harrison (Ford). But having said that, you can detach yourself from all the conspiracy and murders, the Church-Illuminati feud, and simply sit back and watch as a "Vatican-goes-to-Hollywood" flick. To cap it all, the dubbing is utterly ludicrous. I mean, why on earth do they have to dub many of the actors' voices with those stupid Spanish-foreign accents?
Enough. I'd rather blog about a lovely film we and the kids watched on the home cinema last night: A modern classic called The Full Monty. We played it for the kids as we had seen this hilarious comedy (with a dramatic undertone) a few times before. And boy, didn't David and Laura love it! You could see them ... 

Gosh, this is being really difficult! First the storm this morning and then my computer crashed when I was about to publish the latest entry so I lost a good deal of the film reviews and I've had to start again. Anyway, I was saying you could see my kids laughing their heads off at many of the scenes, like the famous "dole queue" dance. All the characters are so well-liked, especially Gaz (Robert Carlysle) and Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), who have fallen from grace in the once prosperous Sheffield. Needless to say we watched Full Monty in English and though the language is often gross, the subtitles are excessive at times, but my kids didn't seem to mind. Most of you have probably seen the flick by now (not necessarily in Spanish) but if you haven't I can only recommend it as a must-see film . The story, the acting, the music, everything in TFM is a joy.

OK, this is definitely one of the longest (and most difficult to write) entries on this blog, and I should close now. Listen, I'd really appreciate it if, apart from visiting the blog, you would write in some of your thoughts, comments, etc. 

See you on Tuesday. Cheerio!

May 6th

This will probably be the last section of the blog, as in June both you and me will be too busy to do any "extra tasks". So I guess it is kind of time I began assessing what this "project" has been like since it all began back in November. To tell you the truth, though it's been good fun for me to see it grow from a humble beginning while I learned little by little to make it more ellaborate, I cannot deny I expected more commitment, so to speak, from most of you, with the few honorable exceptions, so it leaves me a bittersweet taste, you know, mixed feelings. I wish you had written in your comments, reviews, opinions and stuff more often, but maybe I'm also partly to blame, perhaps I haven't been able to make you "infected" by my honest cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Anyway, I don't want this to be a gloomy farewell entry, but just the beginning of the inevitable end. Mind you, there's still ample opportunity for you guys to collaborate until the end of term. As the saying goes "better late than never" ...

Actually, if you visit the music blog section Ana (who else) has written a little something.

See you tomorrow! Good night! And congrats to the Barca fans ...

April 09

April 30th

Salamanca seems to be a popular destination among American students learning Spanish, and that's pretty obvious if you watch this clip:

April 29th

Hello again, guys!
Well, I've done it! I've been able, with a little bit of luck and some online research, to embed Alicia's wonderful Powerpoint presentation on Ireland that we saw in class yesterday, so now you can flick through it at a slower pace (on second thoughts, perhaps Alicia has already forwarded it to you all by mail)
Anyway, little by little one learns new things about this fascinating world called blogging ...
Sportwise, what an appalling defeat our archrival Ros Casares inflicted on Avenida this evening. a 40-point margin, no less! Just one word can describe the match: humiliation! I felt kind of ashamed for the girls, who surrendered to their opponent's tremendous superiority after just 5 minutes. Still, there might be a slim chance that Avenida extend the series to a third game ... GO AVENIDA!
That's all for now. I look forward to your hits. As you can see, I've inserted a counter on top of the blog. Just curiosity ...

April 27th

Hi there!

I'm back from London, safe and sound. It was a great weekend, how about yours? You see, London is the "citiest" city, if you know what I mean: lots of people, lots of traffic, lots of stress, but a bustling place, the European NY, so to speak, with so much to see and do. Anyway, I'll try to use some audiovisuals to tell you about the trip, though I don't want to bore you.

Now, I must apologise for not writing an email from London, but everything was so hectic, with just three days to spend, that I didn't have time to find a cybercafe. What really upsets me is that I totally forgot to publish the entry I had drafted the day before leaving for the British capital. What with packing and some unexpected visit, it simply slipped my mind and I only remembered when I was driving to Madrid to take the plane. It was my personal tribute to Castilla y León to mark the occasion of "Comuneros Day". But as the saying goes "better late than never" so you can find what I wrote (and the clips I embedded) right down below. Hope you like the stuff!

See you tomorrow, guys!

April 23rd

Morning everyone and happy Dia de Castilla y León!

Well, by the time you read this I'll probably be in London, but that doesn't mean I'm not remembering (and celebrating) our region's festive day. You know, I've always wondered what is the reason why we castellanos y leoneses tend to underrate our land, its beautiful landscape, its varied gastronomy, its immense cultural and historical heritage, you name it. I don't think it's necessarily a valid indication of this attitude but I deem funny that many people in this region, if asked about the name of our President, would answer they have no clue - or at least they'd have to take a minute or two to think of it, Juan Vicente Herrera that is - when they know perfectly well the likes of Montilla, Chaves and Ibarretxe. Even if asked where they hail from, they'll probably say "salmantinos", "burgaleses", let alone "leoneses", rather than castellano-leoneses. Why shouldn't we feel proud of what we are and what have in Castilla y León? Forget about long-lived disputes and rivalries between provinces within our land, the stern character of the people, the many weaknesses that we seem to relish, in a way the self-deprecating, even self-destructive nature of our demeanour.
So enough is enough. I've decided to pay my personal tribute to this land where I wasn't born, but certainly raised, and with a little help of a videoclip - in English - let me open your eyes to the beauty and greatness of our vast autonomous community. Surely some of you would like to express your views about out identity as Castellanos y Leoneses, and even disagree with some of the ideas I sounded off about at the beginning of this entry. But if you come from other parts of this complex country we call Spain, I'm sure you can also contribute to this blog by saying how you view the strengths and weaknesses of this old land: CASTILLA Y LEON. I wish you all a happy day!

But before I leave you, I'd also like to show a funny promotional campaign on TV selling our region, featuring American actor Gary Dourdan (famous for his role in CSI), who, I'm told, is dating a Spanish girl and has fallen in love with our country. I don't necessarily agree with the slogan at the end. However, when you come to think of it, isn't our land "A land of taste"?

April 21st

Hi folks! How was Lunes de Aguas? Hope you had your fair share of hornazo in the company of your family or friends without suffering from indigestion. At least it was a glorious evening weatherwise.
Now, if you open your mail you will find a PDF containing a scanned document from an article in the latest issue of Dgratis which precisely explains the origins of this typically Salmantinian festivity. I guess you must know the story of Padre Putas (pardon the expression!) and stuff by now if you are a local or have been living in this town for long enough but there might be a few of you who, being outsiders so to speak, are not familiar with it, and anyway it's English and easy to read.
We're having lessons this afternoon before on Thursday I'm leaving for London with my wife and kids. I'm really excited about the trip and looking forward to it, so I thought I kind of should share my trip with you guys, even if "virtually". So I've found this interesting video on YouTube called "10 things you need to know about London" taken from a website, hostelworld.com, which sort of gives you the highlights of the capital city. And, oddly enough, it's presented by an Irish speaker. Boy, do I love his Dublin accent! I'm sure you'll have no problems whatsoever to understand 90% of what he says, if not more. And I wonder if any of you who's been to London before would like to send their fond (or unhappy) memories of the place and the trip. By the way, Alicia, we're all eagerly awaiting your "Dublin travelogue", with the photos and all, aren't we?

See you later mates!

April 14th

Good evening everyone! First of all, may I break some great news to you all? You see, barely had I finished my lessons with you when I went down to the café, holding the burned "smoking" amplifier in search of my colleague Julián, who teaches French in the same classroom. As soon as I met him another colleague of the German Department, Teresa, came up and congratulated me. "What on?", I asked her. It was obvious that I hadn't read the Bocyl of late because I had no idea I had been given a grant to a course in England this summer. I was so thrilled with the news that, after thanking her for the "scoop", I hurriedly dashed into my office, turned on my PC and searched for the corresponding order like mad. There was my name: ANTIGUEDAD MIGUEL, JOSE LUIS - ENG 02, which means I will be doing a teacher-training course in the beautiful city of Cambridge (see photo on the left of the magnificent King's College chapel seen from "The Backs", the area where so many famous buildings back on to the River Cam) in the first fortnight of July. Aren't I lucky? This will hopefully be my fourth time in the renowned university town, but by far the longest stay. I first went there as a young student on a flying visit way back in '84, so it sounds like my 25th anniversary!
Well, I don't want to bore you with my enthusiasm. But hey, I'd really like to apologize for some of today's comments during the "You're so vain" activity. Surely they were kind of inappropriate, out of place, even if they intended to be funny. I mean, you know me quite a lot by now and hopefully you understand my peculiar sense of humour during my - too often - "wild" lessons but I reckon today I was carried away by it. So if anyone felt I sort of sounded grotesque and a bit coarse, for some of my language I sincerely apologize. Sometimes I cannot restrain myself ...
Well, that's all I wanted to say. Thanks in advance for your patience and, I'd rather say, leniency. See you on Thursday. Good night!

April 12th

Hello again! Happy Sunday!
Here I am, in front of my portable while watching with my son a music DVD, ACDC's No Bull (The director's cut), a 1996 live gig recorded by the Australian hard rock giant in Las Ventas. Sheer energy! At 46 I don't clash (just yet) with my son's tastes. Actually I was only 15 or so when I used to listen to Highway to Hell, one of the band's flagship songs. I can picture myself headbanging (can you believe it?) across the living room of a secondary schoolmate who had just bought a turntable and a couple of big loudspeakers connected to an amplifier. His father would come in and look at us with a baffled expression while begging is to turn down the volume. Those were the days!
Anyway, how are you enjoying the last days of Easter? I'd like to start by thanking Ana and Antonio for their comments down below. C'mon dear Antonio, how can you still complain about the short holidays, consider yourself lucky! But I appreciate you remembered me at El Prado as you were watching Bacon's exhibition.
Talking about art and entertainment, I've watched a few films these days. And a couple of days ago I went to see Los Abrazos Rotos in Van Dyck (Tormes) so I thought I could write a review. A film within a film, a good story of love and revenge, Almodovar's latest venture is definitely worth watching. You know, I've always believed the manchego director is a visionary, an artist fond of taking risks, of going one step beyond in each film he creates, and this passionate drama of "broken embraces" is no exception. Whether you like Pedro or not, you have to admit is no ordinary moviemaker. I love his awesome close-ups, his unconventional travel techniques, his various camera angles even if sometimes the choice of an excessive colourful background may cause dizziness. And he's a genuine actors' director, someone who "squeezes" every single drop of talent out of the cast. Led by a splendid Luis Homar and a convincing Penelope Cruz, for me, however, it's Blanca Portillo who really stands out, but let's not forget a screen veteran, Jose Luis Gómez, who does a pretty good job too. The flashback-oriented storyline may have its flaws but the editing and the cinematography alone take you through the story in a way thet keep your eyes glued to the screen.
All in all, I would not say this is Pedro's best work, not in my modest opinion as remarkable as Laberinto de Pasión, Mujeres ... or Todo sobre mi Madre, but I tend to believe he's really indulged in a kind of personal whim while making this film.
Hey guys, I know some of you have been to see the flick, so would you like to agree or disagree with me? This is the place, I guess. Or perhaps you've watched other movies, read a book or listen to a lovely record. Don't miss the opportunity to send your review, will you?
Listen, it's lunchtime now and I can't wait to polish off a good plate of the potaje (chickpeas, rice and cod) which my wife has cooked today so I have to say bye for now. Buen provecho! And keep clicking ...

April 7th

Hello everybody!

How's life? Enjoying the holiday? I hope you are, wherever you may be. As for me, life is relaxed (and relaxing) these days. My daughter is away on a Scout camp in Vitoria, so we're down to three at home, and we haven't got any holiday plans until the 23rd, when we're heading for London. I'm really looking forward to it as I haven't been to the UK's capital for a while.

What can I write about, I wonder? Well, for a start Avenida, as expected, couldn't beat Spartak in the final, but they lost with dignity (a 15-point margin) considering their opponents' level, a true world's best team. So hats off to the girls! Besides, the atmosphere was electric and praised by FIBA's executives. I'm not exaggerating if I say that Salamanca is the best basketball venue in Europe.

Enough sport. I'm watching a few films these days. Last night, at my son's request, we watched an Internet download (which of course you can get), Copying Beethoven. You see, my son is hooked on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and he had heard the film revolves around Ludwig's turbulent last days and how he composed the famous work. Whether you are a classical music enthusiast or not, it's difficult not to be moved by the awesome notes of the acclaimed masterpiece. And then there's Ed Harris's powerful performance, highlighting the maestro's life plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma even if assisted by the young conservatory student Anna Holtz (a very effective Diane Kruger). I reckon this biopic has its ups and downs, and the ending leaves you kind of cold, but still a film worth watching if only for the sake of Beethoven's compelling music and Ed's convincing acting throughout. One bonus: you'll find the dialogues easy to follow, since the cast's English accents are slightly "Germanized" as you will notice if you watch the film's official trailer embedded down below:

Watched the flick already? Been to the movies these days? C'mon folks! I'd love to hear from you, whatever you have to say. I know you deserve your hols but a bit of English practice won't do you any harm ...

April 4th

Hi folks! Happy Saturday morning.
Welcome to the April entry of our blog (it only seems like yesterday but it was back in October that we started this experience)
Well, I've lost my voice and I'm speechless with joy. Why? Yes, the dream continues and Avenida is playing the Final-Four final tomorrow against a dream team, the seemingly unbeatable Russian giant Spartak Moscow, a pleiad of stars. But our girls know a thing or two about conquering Russian teams, don't they? CSKA can testify to that! So let's say it loud and clear: YES WE CAN!



Anyway, it's good to be blogging again after a short while. I don't know if you listened to Ana and myself on Radio Oasis on Wednesday, but boy, was it fun! She was talking about her lovely dreams while I was reminiscing about Dublin, and the programme went by as quick as lightning, as we were so relaxed - at least I was - speaking on the mike while listening to some great music, mainly Irish folk but also to the Goddess of soul, Aretha Franklin, the legendary Pink Floyd and stuff. And to me the highlight of the evening was Mary Black's Song for Ireland, whick makes me so emotional whenever I listen to it. A true anthem whose lyrics depict the beauty of the land, the character of its people and reflect the pride and joy of being Irish. So I've decided to embed the song here for you to enjoy, not only the goear.com file but, more importantly (and I'd never seen it before) the YouTube clip featuring my beloved Mary Black. Such a sweet voice!








Then, let me also insert the two Youtube "commercials" advertising our language school, whose links, if I'm not wrong, I sent you yesterday by mail. I'd really love to hear your opinions. Maybe the videos are not very professional from the technical point of view, but the guys deserve some credit for making them, don't they?

March 09

March 26th

Hi folks! Today I feel like reviewing an awesome film I've just seen.
You know, how can the Academy Awards in Hollywood (the Oscars, that is) possibly snub a great movie such as Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. I really wonder. Good old Clint, the older he gets, the better he becomes, both in front and behind the camera. Boy, don't I love his grumpy expression, his harsh voice, his wrinkled face!
You were damn right, Kike. Gran Torino is an extraordinary story about a retired Polish-American Korean War veteran, Walt Kowalsky, who apparently keeps telling the whole world "Keep away from me" while actually meaning "Notice me, I need you". After his wife's death his life amounts to nothing much but a treasured vintage car, a Ford Gran Torino, and a lovely she-dog, Daisy. He despises his unconcerned sibblings, his spoiled grandkids, and wants to be left alone. To make matters worse, his neighbourhood is cluttered with "gooks", Hmongs, and there's this Vang Lor family who live next door to him and trigger back resented feelings from his days as a soldier. But after the initial scorn it will be this Korean family, and in particular the younger members, Sue and Tao, who will "rescue" Walt from his personal hell.
I love the story from the beginning to the end, which will probably draw the emotional tear. With convincing performances by all the cast, the film will give you some food for thought: tense race relations, mindless urban gang violence, Gran Torino depicts the senseless world we live in, full of hatred and prejudice, but still there's hope that a bit of affection can break through sometimes.
Listen, I don't want to give many details about the plot, as I do hope you will get you pen drives ready and take the file home. Sometimes the language is not easy, as there's lots of slang, but no big deal, you will follow the story and you can use the English subtitles anyway
Just one more thing: the "icing on the cake" is this great final song, performed initially by Clint Eastwood himself (his voice pierces your heart!) until the talented Jamie Cullum (ever heard of him?) takes over. The lyrics are glorious and sum up the film perfectly. These are the lines I enjoy the most (the core, actually) but you can listen to the whole song, courtesy of goear.com, down below:

So tenderly your story is
nothing more than what you see
or what you've done or will become
standing strong do you belong
in your skin; just wondering ...

Gentle now a tender breeze blows
whispers through my Gran Torino
whistling another tired song
Engines hum and bitter dreams grow
a heart locked in a Gran Torino
it beats a lonely rhythm all night long

May I be so bold and stay
I need someone to hold
that shudders my skin
their sparkling

Your world is nothing more than all the tiny things you've left behind ...

March 24th

Hi again! Javi Becerro wants to join this "Almodovar fever". This is what he has to say about the universal manchego's career. Thanks Javi!

As a student at university, in the late eighties or early nineties, I knew about this filmaker. During“la Movida”, everything sounded fresh, original and provocative – this is the important word - I started to love the first films of Almodovar for his provocation.

I feel that his first movies are not important for their quality but for their character: druggies, transsexuals, transvestites, mixed with religion, traditional Spanish stereotypes and so on.

His shocking movies clashed with a conservative country that had just got over almost 40 years of dictatorship.

Almodovar is a peculiar director: you love his feature films or your hate them, but they never leave you indifferent. And he is more appreciated abroad than Spain.

Now, I believe that his whole career is impressive but I miss those surprising beginnings.

Almodovar: Love him or hate him. Please join us for more opinions on the controversial filmmaker or any other thing you wish ...

Hello guys! Alleluia, comments keep flooding in, this time from Marta (Prieto), who apparently cannot post her opinion about Obama's interview onto the blog either (what seems to be the problem, I wonder), so she's also asked me to do the task. Well, this is it (thanks a lot, Marta!):

I’ve just watched the interview of President Obama in the Tonight Show by Jay Leno (thanks Jose Luis for providing us with the transcript, it really helps!) and I think that it’s clearly another example of Obama’s charisma. He told several jokes (the one about American Idol is hilarious and I also found other moments very funny such as the part when he’s asked about his future dog and if people throw the game when playing against him) If you’ve enjoyed this one I recommend you the interview on The Ellen Degeneres show when he was still a senator. He dances Beyonce’s song Crazy in love!

About the controversy, I think the same as you, he really didn’t mean to offend the handicapped, it was only a joke...

So c'mon, keep it up folks!

March 23rd

Antonio has just emailed me this "travelogue" together with a few pics of his recent visit to Guadalupe and he wants me to upload the stuff onto this blog for him. and I do it with great pleasure. Thanks a million, Antonio!

Last Saturday I went to Guadalupe. A friend of mine, who is from Mexico, read his thesis on Friday, and he was so interested in knowing the place that I had promised to take him the very next day.

We had a wonderful time. Firstly it was the journey. Every time I

go to Extremadura I have strong feelings of happiness. It is like finding my roots again.

When we arrived it was midday and we went to the monastery, but in front of it, facing the bright sun, looking at the lively atmosphere in the square, we were immediately caught by the place, as we were enjoying everything.

Things went better when we strolled around the place: I saw a large side door for cars in the`Parador´. I always enjoy seeing patios and I am very cheeky about entering a restricted place without permission. So, we went in and we found a wonder: a large garden in several levels and in a style clearly influenced by the Arab world. We wandered slowly looking at everything: the basement floor of the building ended in an arcade, the first floor in balconies, beyond any doubt the balconies for the rooms.

In the past centuries the building, now a `Parador´, was a hospital. I thought about hospitals today, cold places, full of pipes, devices and machines. People recover in hospitals… sometimes. I thought that in an old hospital like this, such a humane place like it seemed to me, people felt undoubtedly well and recovered too.

Francisco, my friend, advised me to pay attention to the sounds. It was a great moment.

Beside the fountain, in the shadow of the cypresses, dozens of birds were singing everywhere: blackbirds, goldfinches, greenfinches, starlings… I even think I heard the nightingale for the first time this year.

Well, having fed the soul, it was time to nourish the body with the typical black pudding and have a beer ...

March 22nd

C'mon you lazy bones! Some of you take AGES to get down to writing and then all you come up with is three-four lines! I mean, if you recommend a film you might as well produce a "full-bodied" review ... or might you? Please, there's more to English than "one of the best movies", "It's better" or "I prefer ..." But anyway I'd rather you wrote stuff like this than nothing at all!

Morning everyone and happy Sunday!
I read a couple of days ago that President Obama had appeared on Father's Day in the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, one of the most famous talk shows on American TV. It seems that the interview had sparked some controversy because, talking casually about his sport activities, namely bowling, Obama said his low score of 129 was "like Special Olympics or something", which has inevitably called into question the President's sensitivity as he seemed to be comparing his skills at bowling to those of a handicapped athlete.
The thing is that last night CNBC replayed the show and I was lucky enough to watch it. Honestly I don't think Obama meant any offence, but it was simply an off-hand remark (surely in bad taste) that tried to make fun of his bowling skills but in no way underrate the Paralympics. However, it is a clear indication of how a public figure of this stature, their every word or move, are under constant scrutiny by the media and the general public.
Anyway, I've been able to find both the full interview on NBC's website and the transcript (which the White House decided to release) for you all to see. Personally I feel it probably gets kind of boring at times as the President mainly focuses on the economic crisis, the AIG bonuses scandal and stuff, but now and then he becomes more relaxed and gets to talk about what "life in the bubble is like", which might be just fine. So give it a go, guys, won't you? It's funny to watch the President of the USA cheered by the audience in a prime-time talk show. Can you imagine our own Mr ZP in the same atmosphere? I just can't!

March 16th

Dia Duit! Cad é mar atá an saol?
No, I've not gone bananas! It's just that I've greeted you in Gaelic ("Hello! How are you?"), the native language of Ireland. Why, you must wonder? Well, tomorrow is St. Patrick's day, the national day of the so-called "Emerald Isle". You know, I've always been very fond of all Irish things since I first set foot in the country in 1992 (I remember seeing the Barcelona Olympics in Dublin!): the people, the music, the way of life, the beer! ... In fact, I believe there's quite a lot in common between us and the Irish, except, of course, for the weather and the food. And historically we've hit it off rather well.
But I don't want to bore you with history or personal feelings. I just want to share with you some Irish stuff to celebrate the day:
Firstly, a History Channel video (just the link, unfortunately I cannot embed it) explaining the origin of the festivity and its popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. It's only a shame the accent is not Irish but middle American! It will do anyway.
Then, there's this YouTube clip featuring a lovely photo montage for you to get a taste of Irish sceneries, folk music and typical St. Paddy's blessings. One curiosity: They all begin "May ..." For example, the first captions read "May the Irish hills caress you / May her lakes and rivers bless you". The use of the "may" inversion is the equivalent to our subjunctive: "Que las montañas irlandesas te acaricien, que sus lagos y ríos te bendigan". I hope you like it!
You know what, we should have some craic (Gaelic for "fun") in class today, shouldn't we? I might come up with a surprise or two. See you then!

By the way, if you go to My music blog you will find an Irish song that I really like. I mean, I couldn't possibly finish this modest Paddy's day celebration without treating you to some Irish music act, could I?

March 12th

As you know, module 6 deals with the case of Stella Liebeck, which triggered off the so-called "compensation culture" in the US. Well, you know, there's this American singer-songwriter and satirist, Weird Al Yankovic, nicknamed the Prince of Parody, who has this hit song titled I'll Sue Ya, which is the height of frivolous lawsuits and spares nobody, from Panasonic and Toys'R'Us to Starbucks and Coca-Cola. Well, since I don't really like this sort of metal-like hip-hop for its musical quality, I've decided to only embed the animated DailyMotion clip, where you can see the cartoon of Weird Al "struggling" against all the world-famous brands. Hilarious!

March 8th

Hi again! Well, the Copa de la Reina is over and done with. It's been a great three days of basketball even if Avenida - disappointingly for some, not for me -underachieved against Ibiza on Friday and couldn't make it all the way to the dreamed final. But that's sport at its best, equally competitive and unpredictable. Mind you, Ibiza are a good team and they deserved to win, as they proved today versus the almighty Ros Casares, when they gave the much hated Valencianas a hard time and stood their ground until well into the last quarter and eventually lost the game. Ros Casares had to cope with the constant booing and whistling of our local fans, who clearly took sides and supported the Balearic team, even if at times they went a bit over the top by chanting an unpleasant and unsporting "Cago en Ros!", which I totally disapprove of. I mean, I don't take to Ros Casares's overbearing general manager, the unmentionable Carme Lluveras, and I sometimes get mad at the bragging attitude on the court of some of the players, who incidentally played for Avenida in the past, but that doesn't mean that the rivalry should get that far. But on the other hand I understand that sport arouses passion. So congrats to Ros Casares, who unlike Avenida won't be able to play the Euroleague's Final Four (it's us who laugh loudest, ha ha!)
The photo? Well, I didn't miss the opportunity that we were seated on the second row, a few metres away from the court, right behind one of the benches, to take - literally - hundreds of pix of the players, the court, the stands, the atmosphere ... and, of course, of my two kids, great fans of basket themselves. My daughter has also collected dozens of autographs and I've even talked to some players myself. And the photo above is the last one I took today, right after the final, on our way out when we bumped into local heroine Isa Sánchez, a charming girl I must say, nothing like the primadonna-ish stars that very often dominate professional sport.
OK guys, enough sport blogging for today. So, has anyone else been to the Multiusos over the weekend? Perhaps you've seen the final on TV? Whatever the reason, send in your comments, will you?
See you on Tuesday. Cheerio!

March 1st

Welcome to a new entry of our blog, which is getting bigger and bigger week by week, almost like a pregnancy, ha ha!
Well, the February exams are over and done with (thank God!), and it's time to get back to normal lessons. Some of you did fine at the exams, others not so well, but I want to encourage all of you, regardless of the "marks", to keep working, harder if possible. If only time didn't go by so quickly, I mean, it's barely three months till the end of the year and still so many things to do, in class and, hopefully, outside. So we are on a pretty tight schedule and have to make the most (and the best) of the time we have left, don't we?
Honestly, I've never felt that my students should come to a language school for the sole purpose of getting the diploma, but mainly for the pleasure of learning the language, if pressed I'd say for the LOVE of the language. Of course, as the saying goes, a gift is always welcome ("a nadie le amarga un dulce"), but it happens, more often than not, that those who only wish to be given the Certificado walk away and quit English (or any other foreign language) completely, so their level of competence fades little by little and eventually goes 100% rusty, as it were. I sometimes bump into former students of mine and quite too often, when I ask them if they keep practising the language, they shrug their shoulders resignedly and confess that they have barely any contact with English, except for the occasional DVD and some odd book they come across. Such a shame, I say to myself!
You must be wondering why I'm telling you all these things, and I really don't know why either, but it's like I want to make you realise that, like mine (and I mean it), your learning process has just begun, so to speak. There are solid foundations but they may collapse if abandoned, like those buildings which one day stood out bright and beautiful but now are derelict so no one looks at them. Wow, I feel poetic today!
Anyway, enough reflections for now. I hope you keep clicking and visiting this modest blog and, above all, you are daring enough to contribute to it, whichever the way. So why not right now? Cheerio!

Oscars Night 2009

Hello guys!

Welcome to a new section of our blog, which is devoted to the biggest film event of the year, The Oscars. You know, it makes me mad to think that I forgot to organize the traditional "porra" in class on Thursday. I've been just too busy these last couple of weeks and I had completely lost track of time, so to speak, and I realised only yesterday that this Sunday is Oscars night in L.A. If you have a satellite dish you can watch the ceremony live - in English - on the German channel ProSieben (mind you, you'll have to rise early, at 2:00 a.m. Monday). Ladies, Hugh Jackman is hosting the show, and rumour has it that he'll be dancing and singing now and then ...

It would have been fun, wouldn't it, to set up a class competition so that you could make your predictions. Will Slumdog sweep the board as in the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs? Will Penelope bring the famous statuette home?

Anyway, to compensate for my forgetfulness, I'm going to embed the trailer of the five movies nominated for Best Picture, beginning with, that's right, my sentimental favourite, the moving Indian urban tale, Slumdog Millionaire:

However, I have a hunch that the all-American Milk, Gus van Sant's portrait of California's first openly gay official, is going to sneak ahead. A masterly performance, as usual, by the great Sean Penn, in my view one of the finest actors of his generation:

Next we find The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the fantasy drama inspired by Scott-Fitzgerald's short story, starring two big Hollywood names, Cate Blanchet and Brad Pitt. The film leads the pack with 13 award nominations, but I've got the gut feeling that it's going to be the upset of the night. Personally I feel it's the most overrated movie of the five, but still a good flick:

Everyone says Kate Winslet is a sure bet on the Best Actress category, and who can deny this is being her year, winning accolade after accolade while delivering tearful, somewhat silly acceptance speeches. Whatever, The Reader, the drama telling the story of a love affair set in a Nazi concentration camp, could be the dark horse:

Last but not least comes another historical drama, Frost / Nixon, directed by the always effective Ron Howard, which dramatises the legendary 1977 televised interview between the former US President and British journalist pioneer Sir David Frost. The film is a fantastic face-to-face showdown between two brilliant actors, Frank Langella (nominated for best actor) and Michael Sheen (remember his role as Tony Blair in The Queen?), but I don't think (at least that's what film buffs predict) it stands many chances:

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's all for this special edition of the Oscars blog. I'm really sorry we couldn't organise the game, but I guess it's too late now to do it by mail.

If you want more stuff on the Awards, you can visit the academy's official web, featuring lots of trailers, videos, photos, reviews, you name it. As an example I insert down below a video called "Road to the Oscars" with some interesting behind-the-scenes interviews.

Even if you disregard the glitz and glamour of Hollywood (so do I in a way) it's all for the sake of English.

By the way, I will be recording the whole ceremony on my home DVD in case some of you want to watch it later on ... Cheerio and happy Carnival!

February 23rd

Morning everyone! Here I am, at nearly 3 o'clock in the morning, watching (and recording for posterity and potential watchers among you guys) the Oscars ceremony live on ProSieben. Well, may I say I'm starting to doubt my judgement on film excellence, because only a few minutes ago Pe did it again: Yes, she's won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and I must admit she delivered her acceptance speech brilliantly, a mix of emotion and thankfulness. I've always questioned her acting talent, so perhaps it's true after all, as the saying goes, that no man (woman in this case) is a prophet in his / her own land ... Anyway, hats off to Penelope, however little I liked her performance in VCBarcelona.

Now, Slumdog has collected its first award of the night, Best Adapted Screenplay, which says a lot about the quality of the story, written by Simon Beaufoy (remember The Full Monty?) Surely it won't be the last ...

Will I be able to overcome sleep throughout the ceremony? You know, it had a promising start featuring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway on a musical sketch, and hopefully the speeches won't be too boring or tear-jerking, so fingers crossed! But if eventually I fall asleep, it's no big deal, I can watch and edit the show first thing in the morning. And anyway I'm not supposed to bore you all with endless comments on every single award presented, so I'd better quit now and resume the blog within a few hours when the whole thing is over and the full list of winners is known to the world. GOOD LUCK SLUMDOG!

5 hours later ...

Hi again! This is your sleepy, weary-eyed teacher reporting from L.A. Ha ha, only joking! Now seriously, what an extraordinary night for Slumdog, which did sweep the board scooping all the major awards, Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Cinematography and Best Editing among others. A total eight accolades out of ten nominations, the best success for a British film since The English Patient, can you believe it! It was great to see all the cast and crew on stage at the end of the show, like a big family coming all the way from England and Mumbay to taste Hollywood glory, and earlier good Danny Boyle jumping up and down "in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh".

You know guys, I know I've been a little too emotional about this flick, but I'm overjoyed that a small-budget movie, nearly an independent one, has gained massive recognition after a very modest beginning, when it was on the point of not being released theatrically. It was Danny Boyle's determination that pushed the film to international fame, so I'm delighted for the guy.

The other highlights of the ceremony were, of course, Kate Winslet and Sean Penn (probably the biggest upset was Micky Rourke not winning the Oscar for Best Actor that many had predicted) and Heath Ledger's family picking the posthumous award. There was also the glitz and glamour of the red carpet, which I detest, but anyway it's part of the show, isn't it?

As for the host, well, Hugh Jackman did a good job, with his singing and dancing and the odd joke in his thick Aussie accent, but I specially liked the way the awards were presented, with former winners on the stage praising the nominees before duly announcing the lucky one.

Needless to say I've recorded the whole event, conveniently edited, for you to see if you wish. Some of the speeches and presentations are worth watching for its wittiness and good humour.

Well, I will close now, but if you want to write in your reaction, your feelings about the film if you've watched it, either in English or dubbed into Spanish, that'll be great, won't it?

Hooray for Slumdog Millionaire!

Hi again! Well, it's been a great "hangover day" for Slumdog and the international media can only praise the film and tell all the details surrounding its humble beginnings and its final glory. For me, regardless of the overwhelming success at the Oscars, which I couldn't predict only a couple of months ago, it's simply one of the finest films I've ever seen in recent years.
Anyway, I want to close this " Oscars Special" by inserting a recap from last night of the best moments throughout the ceremony. Remember you can watch the full event in English if you ask me to bring the DVDs I will edit and record in due course tomorrow.
Sweet dreams!

February 2009

LATEST UPDATE: My music blog (25/02/09)

February 17th

Hi guys! Right now I'm at the language school invigilating a 1st year exam for my colleague and good friend Gregorio, who is going through a rough personal patch these days. And as the students are doing their stuff I've logged on to my blog and I thought I could add something I've seen on Larry King's CNN website. It's an interesting interview with American stand-up comedian and political commentator Bill Maher on Obama's first weeks as President. How is Barack doing so far? He's had his wise moves but also his gaffes, specially as regards Cabinet's picks. As Maher jokingly remarks "the President doesn't know anybody who pays taxes", referring to the scandals surrounding some members of his Cabinet, namely former senator Tom Daschle, who Barack had appointed as his Secretary of Health but had to withdraw after he allegedly failed to pay his income tax.

Anyway, you may not find American politics the most exciting of issues, and you probably will not know everybody's names during the interview, but that's no big deal. The important thing is to listen relaxedly, understand the gist and, little by little, get used to real material at different speeds and accents. And I assure you that both Larry's and Bill's accents are quite mild ...

February 11th:

Hello guys, how's life? Well, I'm watching the Spain-England match on and off but since it's pretty one-sided (Spain is winning 2-0) I thought I'd rather do some blogging instead. 

So, I've found out that Ana has made the following comment in response to the controversial news that has hit the local headlines today: 

This morning I have heard, in my opinion, of course, a crazy piece of news: Colegio Montesori has decided to separate the boys from the girls in nursery school (three to six year old children). Among other reasons they argue that males and females have different speed because of hormones and genes.

I can't believe it! As far as I know we are different in a way but we can live together and complement each other.

Kike, you're lucky, fortunately you're a bit older, ha,ha!

 

You know, there's extensive research on the issue concerning the influence of the opposite sex on children's education. I once read somewhere how some experts claimed that girls had a positive influence on boys but the latter got distracted by the former. Rosa Peñalver, the director-general of territorial cooperation for the Ministry of Educaction, remembers that our education law, the LOE, clearly dictates "there cannot be any discrimination whatsoever among students on the grounds of sex". Fair enough. It would be nice, now that we're talking about education in module 5, to hear your views on the matter. In the meantime I've found this interesting 2006 article in The Guardian which emphasizes the idea that girls don't derive much benefit from single-sex education. Also that there's a growing movement in the US which argues that boys' and girls' brains develop differently (apparently it's the boys that lag behind) so they benefit from separate teaching styles. However it goes, the article is good reading comprehension practice, don't you think? Once you've read it you may have formed a clearer opinion on the subject ... or may you?

February 9th

Good evening everyone ! Well, it's a few minutes past midnight and I've just heard the news on Sky: Slumdog has swept the board - yet again - at the BAFTAs with 7 awards out of 11 nominations, including the top gongs, best film and best director, beating the likes of Benjamin Button, The Milk, Frost/Nixon and The Reader, which is no small achievement. So what can I say, I'm overjoyed that a film I've recommended you tirelessly, way before it started receiving so many accolades, is getting the recognition I think it well and truly deserves. I cannot find the video highlighting the awards on Sky's web just yet so in the meantime I'll make do with this clip shot before the ceremony began. It was obvious by then that Slumdog and Kate Winslet were the hot favourites, tipped to take the top prizes. By the way, you know she's not my cup of tea but Pe(nelope) has done it again: best supporting actress. Fair enough, as a fellow countryman I'm glad for her. More to come tomorrow! Sweet dreams ...

Hi again! Well, this is more like it. The Sky News video highlighting Slumdog's actual success as well as the acceptance speeches by Danny Boyle (hugely indebted to the people of Mumbai), Kate Winslet (no tears this time) and (the most "colourful" of the night) Mickey Rourke. Gosh, how he's changed, from 80s sex symbol to down-and-out "comeback" star ... Good for old Mickey!

February 8th

Hey guys! You know, there's an American comedian and political satirist called Jon Stewart who hosts this hilarious comedy programme, The Daily Show, which you can see Sunday mornings @ 10:30 on CNN. Probably you remember Jon because he presented last year's Oscars ceremony (or was it 2 years ago, my memory fails me), such a witty funny and sometimes politically-incorrect guy! Anyway, I hadn't watched the programme for a while until this morning and guess who he interviewed on the show: Slumdog's star Dev Patel (Jamal). Jon really praises the film and wishes Patel and Slumdog the best luck for this year's Oscars. Would you like to see the interview? Well, I've been able to find it on the Net and it is embedded right down below. Very interesting to compare Patel's southern English (notice how skillfully he can imitate Indian English!) and Jon's NY accent. C'mon guys, it's only 6 minutes long and it's always good to practice listening skills, don't you think?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Dev Patel

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

By the way, I've already told you that Slumdog premieres this week in Spanish cinemas so I guess you would like to see (specially if you've seen the original film) the official Filmax trailer. So weird (and annoying if I may say so) to hear the voices dubbed into our language! I mean, the characters lose their spirit completely!

February 5th

Morning guys! Let me yell the name loud and clear: A-VE-NI-DA! Boy, o boy, what a game! On a day when Salamanca was hitting the headlines for the ETA-related car (motherfu...!), a women's basketball team shocked the almighty CSKA with an 83-74 epic victory after playing overtime ... twice! And today is Las Aguedas (happy day, girls!), what a date to celebrate for them. Did anyone watch it on TV? You know, I was drained after the game, both physically and emotionally, literally deprived of my voice with so much screaming and yelling, cheering and booing. Luckily today I won't have to "work" much with you guys!

So what next? Well, Avenida advance to the Euroleague quarterfinals, and will play Hungary's Mizo Pesc with the home-court advantage, so they are ony one step away from the moment everyone is dreaming of: The Final Four ...

Anyway, I'd like to pay a small tribute to the girls by inserting the game's chronicle - in English, of course - from the official Euroleague website. A bit of basketball jargon won't do you harm, will it?

CSKA Fall To Resilient Avenida After Thriller

Halcon Avenida and their passionate fans in Salamanca will be partying into the early morning hours of Thursday after stunning CSKA Moscow in double overtime to advance to the EuroLeague Women Quarter-Finals. In the Game 3 decider, the Spanish outfit prevailed 83-74.

Anke De Mondt's three-pointer late in regulation knotted the game at 60-60 to force the first extra period. Then the outstanding Donnette Snow drilled a three with just four seconds left in overtime to send the contest to a second OT.

With the game level at 68-68 in the second extra period, Avenida made five straight free throws - four by Spain international Isa Sanchez - and stayed on top for the remainder of the game.

CSKA led by as many as 12 points in the first half and were on top 49-36 with 3:57 to go in the third period after a Becky Hammon three-ball.

Avenida outscored CSKA 8-2 to end the frame and trailed 51-44, and they continued to scratch and claw their way back before tying the game with De Mondt's three-pointer. With 58 seconds to go in the first overtime, Edwige Lawson-Wade's jump shot gave CSKA a 66-63 lead but Snow launched and hit her only three-pointer of the game to send the game to the second overtime.

After Ann Wauters tied the game at 68-68, Snow was off target with a jumper and CSKA had two chances to take the lead. Lawson-Wade failed to connect from behind the arc but Olexandra Gorbunova grabbed the offensive rebound. Young Spanish international Silvia Dominguez intercepted a pass by Wauters, though, and was later fouled by Gorbunova. She split one of two at the line and after Lawson-Wade again missed from long range, Sanchez drew a foul. Sanchez went on to make the four free throws and Avenida celebrated one of the finest nights in their recent basketball history.

For CSKA, the defeat closes a disappointing and bizarre campaign in the EuroLeague Women. During the Regular Season, the club almost went out of business and even forfeited a game before new owners were found. The team's coach, Gundars Vetra, left to lead UMMC Ekaterinburg and that paved the way for ex-CSKA and Russia boss Igor Grudin to return to the helm. CSKA made the play-offs, but suffered their earliest exit from the post-season since 2004.

Avenida out-rebounded CSKA 39-34 with Snow pulling down 14 of those boards. She also led the winners with 23 points. Sanchez had 13 points while CSKA got 21 from Wauters. Hammon also weighed in with 20.

QUOTES HALCÓN AVENIDA VS. CSKA MOSCOW:

Jose Ignacio Hernandez (Avenida coach):

"I´m very happy. It was really fantastic. Now we have to continue working like this and we´ll see what happens in the next round. We have possibilities but we must not relax."

Silvia Dominguez (Avenida player):

"It´s amazing. I´m really happy and I´m very proud of my teammates."

Isabel Sanchez (Avenida player):

"I´ve never played 50 minutes like this. We were exhausted but [the feeling] is unbelievable."

February 1st

What a better way to begin this month's entry than talk about the great Aussie Open final,

probably the greatest rivalry in sport right now: the stylish Swiss maestro vs the feisty left-handed matador. After the 5-hour epic against Verdasco, many doubt if Rafa will have enough petrol left in the tank for a GS final against Federer, who has enjoyed a three-day rest after his walkover semifinal against Roddick.

Well, I'm watching the match live as I'm writing down these lines, and I can only say Rafa is leading two sets to one after three hours. Does that mean he will finally make it? Who knows? I see Rafa a bit tired, which is only natural, but I take my hat off to him for what he's doing, for his amazing stamina and unyielding faith in himself. And in any case, if Roger eventually succeeds, it will only make his victory and GS record all the greater. OK, I'll get back to you guys later on as Federer has just broken Rafa's service and leads 2 love in the fourth set ...

What a key game with 2 all! Rafa's had at least 4-5 chances to break serve, but Roger has stood firm and leads 3-2. The battle continues ...

After nearly 4 hours we're in for the decider. And there cannot be a tie-break so only the tennis gods know how long this extraordinary match can last (such amazing points!). Another brilliant page in the history of the sport is being written and if Rafa wins he can officially become Federer's nemesis, so to speak. So fingers crossed for the Majorcan!

Unbelievable! 5-2 ahead and love-30. Rafa is on the verge of winning his first Australian Open ...

And he's done it!! Rafa is ... AUSSOME! 40 years after another Spaniard, Andres Gimeno, played (and lost to an Aussie, the true Grand Slam champ Rod Laver) the first Australian Open final, Rafa Nadal, at 14:14 pm Spanish time, extended his status of tennis legend after beating Federer in 5 hard-fought exciting sets. What an image! Roger weeping inconsolably like a baby (end of an era?) and Rafa, gracious in victory, embracing him with the trophy in his hands. That's what makes Rafa not only an amazing sportsman, but, most important of all, a great human being. So humble, so self-effacing, truly respected by his opponents. Congrats Rafa!

Enough tennis from me, I don't want to bore you. But if you want to send in your thoughts on Nadal's triumph, this is the place. Happy Sunday guys!