Surfing bored in the internet I decided to search for new music I could like. But finding nothing that really amazed me on the websites I usually use, I just researched on Google for ‘the best songs ever’. I had not really expected to find something, but then I recognized a Wikipedia link, so I went on this page. It was an article about the ‘500 best songs’ the music magazine ‘Rolling Stone’ published in 2004. About 170 musicians, managers and other important persons out of the music business were able to choose. Because ‘Rolling Stone’ is an important music magazine I searched for the whole list and found it. Staring to listen to the first ones I couldn’t stop and so I am listening now to the Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and more – for me till there partly unknown – bands and singers while I am in Facebook, check my emails, surf in the internet or writing an Learning Journal.
It amazes me, because some of the songs are older than my own father and I really like them. Of course there are some songs I don’t like but I think not liking a few of 160 songs - I already listened to - is normal.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Learning Journal # 7 Man vs. Wild
‘Man vs. Wild’, also called ‘Born Survivor: Bear Grylls’ or ‘Ultimate Survival’ is a television series is about the British adventurer Bear Grylls showing survival tricks and techniques in some of the most dangerous regions of our world. Every episode he is landing in of these regions with nearly nothing as the things he is wearing and shows the way back to the Civilization. With him are just his 2 cameramen filming him.
While the episodes he has to grapple with the same problems as lost hikers, survivors of a natural disaster or an air crash. He is showing how you can built a place to sleep for the night, in which you are save of wild animals, rain or other risks. Sometimes his techniques seem to be ridicules and I don’t want to use them, but I think they work. Just like using his own urine for nearly everything you can, can’t and don’t want to imagine or eating the most disgusting beetles on this world.
But I also like this series, because some of the most beautiful places on earth are shown there and I think in all of us is a little adventurer.
While the episodes he has to grapple with the same problems as lost hikers, survivors of a natural disaster or an air crash. He is showing how you can built a place to sleep for the night, in which you are save of wild animals, rain or other risks. Sometimes his techniques seem to be ridicules and I don’t want to use them, but I think they work. Just like using his own urine for nearly everything you can, can’t and don’t want to imagine or eating the most disgusting beetles on this world.
But I also like this series, because some of the most beautiful places on earth are shown there and I think in all of us is a little adventurer.
Learning Journal # 6 Field Trip
Because I know less than I want to know about the beautiful city of Lisbon, this study visit was really helpful for me. I was able to see more than Benfica or the big sights of Lisbon, because of this field trip I was able to see the oldest part of Lisbon and a completely new lifestyle.
Although I am in general not a person taking many pictures I took like 200, so you can see, I really enjoyed this field trip.
I choose this Picture of Diogo sitting next to two old man because it symbolizes for me a little bit the lifestyle of Mouraria. I think we would never see people just sitting and relaxing the whole day on park benches in Benfica. It is the slower way of living we can see there, not like the normal hectic city life. I think you would be able to see something like that in small cities, but I never expected it in Lisbon. So I think we can say Mouraria is Different, and that is what this Picture shows to me.
Although I am in general not a person taking many pictures I took like 200, so you can see, I really enjoyed this field trip.
I choose this Picture of Diogo sitting next to two old man because it symbolizes for me a little bit the lifestyle of Mouraria. I think we would never see people just sitting and relaxing the whole day on park benches in Benfica. It is the slower way of living we can see there, not like the normal hectic city life. I think you would be able to see something like that in small cities, but I never expected it in Lisbon. So I think we can say Mouraria is Different, and that is what this Picture shows to me.
Learning Journal # 5 Presentation in 11°4 about a Gap Year
At the 10.11 I gave a presentation at the class of a friend, they interviewed me about a Gap Year. I will summarize this interview and try to use reporting verbs.
At first José asked me to tell the class about my organization. After having told them the history of the American Field Service, short AFS, I advised them, if they are interested, to go on the website of AFS.
Another reporter posed a question to explain my reasons for doing an exchange. There are many answers for doing a Gap year, so I just picked some, like getting known a new culture and country, learning a new language, gaining unforgettable impressions and so on.
Another student begged me to explain some differences I recognized between Germany and Portugal, here I was able to use the presentation I already did in our class.
José told me that he thinks that there are differences between Portuguese and German weather and wanted to know whether I can agree with that. The Portuguese Winter is really rainy and feels cold, even if the temperature is not that deep as in Germany. In Germany 0°C feel like Portuguese 10°C, but it is possible that in my area the temperature is falling under 0°C, so I think in Germany it is colder. Of course we also have snow everywhere, what is really rare in Portugal. I think we don’t have to talk about the summer, because the temperature in Germany is around 25°C and in Portugal higher.
They asked me to tell them about difficulties I have to pass adapting me here in Portugal. It is completely new for me to kiss girls to welcome them and the language is also a problem, because without speaking and understanding I am not able to do things on my own, so I feel sometimes like a baby. On the other side I think there could be more problems, I imagine for example doing my exchange in India, or Muslim countries is much harder.
I was able to answer the question how my new classmates received me very positive, because they spoke immediately with me and were really nice.
The las question was what my general opinion about this whole experience is? Whether I would recommend anyone to do it as well, or whether I think that just a few people are capable of taking a year off?
At the moment I can say it was one of the best and maybe the best decision I ever made, but its normal that you feel bad at some times and in general the worst time is around Christmas, so it’s possible that I say the total opposite at Christmas, if I do that don’t believe me.
I think you should be tolerant, interested in new cultures and be able to live without your family. But I think nearly everyone is able to do an exchange year, but if you decide to do it you should know that you are the representative of your country.
At first José asked me to tell the class about my organization. After having told them the history of the American Field Service, short AFS, I advised them, if they are interested, to go on the website of AFS.
Another reporter posed a question to explain my reasons for doing an exchange. There are many answers for doing a Gap year, so I just picked some, like getting known a new culture and country, learning a new language, gaining unforgettable impressions and so on.
Another student begged me to explain some differences I recognized between Germany and Portugal, here I was able to use the presentation I already did in our class.
José told me that he thinks that there are differences between Portuguese and German weather and wanted to know whether I can agree with that. The Portuguese Winter is really rainy and feels cold, even if the temperature is not that deep as in Germany. In Germany 0°C feel like Portuguese 10°C, but it is possible that in my area the temperature is falling under 0°C, so I think in Germany it is colder. Of course we also have snow everywhere, what is really rare in Portugal. I think we don’t have to talk about the summer, because the temperature in Germany is around 25°C and in Portugal higher.
They asked me to tell them about difficulties I have to pass adapting me here in Portugal. It is completely new for me to kiss girls to welcome them and the language is also a problem, because without speaking and understanding I am not able to do things on my own, so I feel sometimes like a baby. On the other side I think there could be more problems, I imagine for example doing my exchange in India, or Muslim countries is much harder.
I was able to answer the question how my new classmates received me very positive, because they spoke immediately with me and were really nice.
The las question was what my general opinion about this whole experience is? Whether I would recommend anyone to do it as well, or whether I think that just a few people are capable of taking a year off?
At the moment I can say it was one of the best and maybe the best decision I ever made, but its normal that you feel bad at some times and in general the worst time is around Christmas, so it’s possible that I say the total opposite at Christmas, if I do that don’t believe me.
I think you should be tolerant, interested in new cultures and be able to live without your family. But I think nearly everyone is able to do an exchange year, but if you decide to do it you should know that you are the representative of your country.
Learning Journal # 4 Cultural Differences I recognized
I am 17 year old exchange student from Germany and I am in Portugal since 6 Weeks. Now I want to talk about some cultural differences I already recognized.
One of the things I saw first in Lisbon were the trees. I don’t know a big German city with so many trees. But I think it is really good, because they are good for the environment, spend shade and create jobs.
There are also everywhere TVs, in Restaurants, bars and so on. In Germany we don’t watch TV while eating, but in Portugal it is common. We also have TVs in bars, but not in Restaurants.
Smoking is also practiced by many people, even at the breaks in school pupils go out to smoke. For example, at my school in Germany we are not allowed to smoke on the school area (and also are not allowed to leave the area), so the pupils can’t not smoke at school.
Mobile phones are also everywhere, every time someone is texting or phoning. The phone is sometimes also on the text while having dinner, in Germany people would interpret that like ‘You are not important for me’ and that is really impolite.
Having the laundry hanging next the street to get dry is nearly impossible to see in Germany. People would hang the laundry in the garden or in the houses so no one can see it, because want especially their underwear not to be seen.
Portuguese are also more late, I will quote my host brother to show that: “She was punctual and now she has to live with the consequences, you can’t be punctual in Portugal’, the consequence was waiting. Germans are known for being punctual so that is really a difference.
In my German family we are eating one time a warm meal and at the afternoon cld, means bread with butter, cheese, ham, other sausages, salad and so on. Here I am eating two times warm and I have also to say that the Portuguese food is really good. When we have dinner we usually eat soap, something warm and fruits, but in Germany we do not eat soap before the main meal, just in higher restaurants, that is in common.
The Portuguese bars, I was in, are also louder, people are shouting, singing, and clapping. I don’t know so much noise from bars I usually went to in Germany, they are more like restaurants.
The last thing I want to talk about, is the election of the representatives of students. Here it is celebrated like a big party at my German school it is more conservative. Two Students go to a room, get informed about the candidates and their plans, go back t the class and inform them. Then every class votes for one and the two volunteers go back to the room and vote.
I could talk about more, just like the school system, language, cumprimentos, etc., but I think I talked enough to make clear that Portugal and Germany are different in some points.
One of the things I saw first in Lisbon were the trees. I don’t know a big German city with so many trees. But I think it is really good, because they are good for the environment, spend shade and create jobs.
There are also everywhere TVs, in Restaurants, bars and so on. In Germany we don’t watch TV while eating, but in Portugal it is common. We also have TVs in bars, but not in Restaurants.
Smoking is also practiced by many people, even at the breaks in school pupils go out to smoke. For example, at my school in Germany we are not allowed to smoke on the school area (and also are not allowed to leave the area), so the pupils can’t not smoke at school.
Mobile phones are also everywhere, every time someone is texting or phoning. The phone is sometimes also on the text while having dinner, in Germany people would interpret that like ‘You are not important for me’ and that is really impolite.
Having the laundry hanging next the street to get dry is nearly impossible to see in Germany. People would hang the laundry in the garden or in the houses so no one can see it, because want especially their underwear not to be seen.
Portuguese are also more late, I will quote my host brother to show that: “She was punctual and now she has to live with the consequences, you can’t be punctual in Portugal’, the consequence was waiting. Germans are known for being punctual so that is really a difference.
In my German family we are eating one time a warm meal and at the afternoon cld, means bread with butter, cheese, ham, other sausages, salad and so on. Here I am eating two times warm and I have also to say that the Portuguese food is really good. When we have dinner we usually eat soap, something warm and fruits, but in Germany we do not eat soap before the main meal, just in higher restaurants, that is in common.
The Portuguese bars, I was in, are also louder, people are shouting, singing, and clapping. I don’t know so much noise from bars I usually went to in Germany, they are more like restaurants.
The last thing I want to talk about, is the election of the representatives of students. Here it is celebrated like a big party at my German school it is more conservative. Two Students go to a room, get informed about the candidates and their plans, go back t the class and inform them. Then every class votes for one and the two volunteers go back to the room and vote.
I could talk about more, just like the school system, language, cumprimentos, etc., but I think I talked enough to make clear that Portugal and Germany are different in some points.
Learning Journal # 3 Os Gemeos
A yellow man sitting in a grey bucket is painted/sprayed on a wooden door, which is colored in a light brown. Where the man`s face should be, a small person is looking out and it looks like the small colored person is using the big person as a suit. The small person has a hat on his/her head which has many hearts on it.
I think the artist wants to show us that all of us have something in our selves, which doesn’t come out very often, but everybody is nice in her/his self. The bucket could be a symbol for living I the own world, come never out of it. It wants to show us that people are not interested I the life of others they don’t show concern for other peoples distress and just when the ‘real’ person, means who we really are and not the person we want to be, is coming out, they do.
This image had an big impact on me because it seems so easy on the one side but on the other side it`s so profound.
I think the artist wants to show us that all of us have something in our selves, which doesn’t come out very often, but everybody is nice in her/his self. The bucket could be a symbol for living I the own world, come never out of it. It wants to show us that people are not interested I the life of others they don’t show concern for other peoples distress and just when the ‘real’ person, means who we really are and not the person we want to be, is coming out, they do.
This image had an big impact on me because it seems so easy on the one side but on the other side it`s so profound.
Learning Journal # 2 Poster
In my opinion the group work was helpful, because it gave us valuable realizations for our further lives. Especially in our group we learned how important a good level of education, if you want to reach a good job, with good working conditions and hood chances to climb the career ladder. While working we were able to recognize everybody`s strengths and weaknesses, especially while presenting we realized what each of us has to work, whether vocabulary or grammar.
The presentations gave us also a small insight into our world and our lives.
The presentations gave us also a small insight into our world and our lives.
Learning Journal # 1 My Expectations
My goals for the following year are to improve my vocabulary, because I think thats my biggest deficit in English. To reach this goal, I plan to watch English TV shows, reading texts and I will try to speak as often as possible. I think watching BBC once a day is perfect to keep yourself informed and learn English.
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