What we did this weekend…
Friday…I made curried chicken and mango chutney for lunch for the guys. We were going to go to town for Mojitos, but it actually rained…really rained…for the first time since we came so we hung out at home and drank G+T’s and watched ‘The Wire’ on my computer.
Saturday…We got up early, like 5am, and went for a walk and a swim with Pipa. Home for breakfast. To town for market. I bought coconut oil for Pipa, a loaf of green olive bread, Noni juice (a nasty tasting health drink that the locals swear will turn me into Wonder Woman), some weird fruits, a latte frio, black pepper, dehydrated candied ginger. Then in the afternoon we went to the lot to wait for a delivery. I got bored and went down to Rasta’s house and made him a cup of Matcha (served it to him while he played cards and smokes with his friends like a proper Geisha) and gave him the ginger I’d bought…Rasta has had a cold for over a month so everyone is trying to help fix him up. Then 3 hours of bird watching and cilantro picking while waiting for the delivery that didn’t come…Pura Vida!
Saw 2 sloths, toucans, red headed woodpeckers, mynas, morphos, blue birds, yellow birds, black birds with red spots on wings…a good showing for such a long wait. There is a ylang-ylang tree right next to our construction (and one next to our rental house). At around 6pm/dusk it starts erupting with a glorious fragrance. It is the base for Chanel 5, but smells infinitely better wafting through the house.
When we got home Gary came over and we had an impromptu happy hour en casa and I made Caiphirinas…mmmmm.
Sunday…motorcycle ride to Manzanillo where we walked the jungle trail for awhile…walked on the reef and looked at wee fishies, walked through town and checked out the few changes, had Agua de sapo and Nachos con Pollo…then to town for latte frio, beach chicken, took Pipa for a play date with an 8 month old spaniel named Dokey and swam at black beach…I had no swim suit so I went in in my yoga bra and jean shorts. Then home for a shower and change, back to town for some bar hopping and then to the Beach Hut for roast pig. We went out for dinner and icecream after with Ana and Adam. Ana was our waitress at Flip Flops where we had burgers and tacos one day and she was immediately smitten with Pipa and when I heard about her puppy, Doky…as in Oky-Doky…we conceived of this plan. She is from here, he is from Chicago and has liquidated his assets there and come down here to become a diving instructor and pick up DJing gigs where he can. I may have to go out diving with him…sounds like some cool stuff out there (sea turtles, nurse sharks, stingrays, squid, new bright coral etc).
All in all a successful weekend.
February 2, 2010
WELCOME TO SESSION 2, BE:
Hey guys…we’ve already started session 2 and you are probably looking for your pronunciation practice. Look under P2…it is the first one. The others are from previous sessions. It’s a bit of a continuing story about Mike’s first few months in a new job. Enjoy this installment.
This month we’ll be talking about Company Culture and Strategy for the future of a company. We will also be focussing on the practical skills of using English in Meetings and On the Phone.
The writing assignments are still focussing on inter-office communication…memorandums, reports, emails, agendas, etc. and you will have to write, and then rewrite your assignments in an effort to improve your accuracy of expression.
Grammar points that we will deal with include relative clauses and passive voice, when to use gerunds vs. infinitives, and sooo much more. If you have any issues that you wish to review, let me know and I’ll try to work it in (or give you extra homework!).
I’m excited about this session. I think we have a good mix and I hope you guys take every opportunity to speak to and get to know eachother! Let’s get down to business!
Welcome to BE
Hello everyone! Glad to have you in class. I’m still working on the Blog, so keep checking in for more stuff.
This month we are going to look at the overall theme of ’selling something’. The first thing you’ll be selling is yourself. We’ll practice job interviews and write a letter of inquiry about employment. Next you’re going to sell an object. For this activity we’ll be focussing on presenting with enthusiasm and confidence using language that conveys excitement. It’s going to be fun! Then you’ll be ’selling’ a Business Plan to potential investors. To do this we’ll look at the language of a Business Plan and a professional presentation style.
In order to sell aything, in an interview or presentation, you need to use the right body language and manner. Therefore, we will also practice how to give an awesome presentation using engaging intonation, movement and body language to make people pay attention…all of which we will record so you can get a detailed look at your strengths and those areas you need to focus on for improvement.
Throughout the month there will be a lot of fluency practice and new vocabulary. We’ll also look at grammar and pronunciation to make your English more natural and fluent in both business and everyday situations. And the bonus: writing emails, levels of formality, reading and lots of correction.
Homework November 13/2009
- Writing #1: Memorandum regarding policy changes to improve company culture
- Pronunciation #1: Let’s set up a meeting
- Grammar Worksheet 1: join two sentences using relative clauses
- Read Kirin’s article and prepare for discussion (most important)
- Edgar…prep your SLD
See you guys on Monday!
Homework: October 23, 2009
- Email to Megan
- Email writing for Role Play (Due Monday, 100+ words)
- Pronunciation 2
- Review Vocab
- SLD prep (Nanako)
Homework: October 22, 2009
- Questions for Megan
- Summarize your reading part (pg. 104)
- Email writing for Role Play (Due Monday, 100+ words)
