RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS / AMABILIDAD AL AZAR

Hi my dear friends! Are you usually kind to others? We need kindness today more than ever so we are going to read about RAKTIVISM! When we are kind to someone with no reason, we feel better so why don't we practice kindness a bit more?

Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Soléis ser amables con los demás? Necesitamos la amabilidad hoy en día más que nunca  así que vamos a leer acerca de RAKTIVISM (actos de amabilidad al azar sin una razón específica). Cuando somos amables sin razón, nos sentimos mejor así que ¿por qué no practicamos la amabilidad un poco más?

Info: Speak Up

Photos: Therandomactsofkindnessfoundation  /  Speak.up.  /  goodneighborstories  /  brightvibes  /  sundasocial.

CHANGIND THE WORLD  /  RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Can you remember a time when someone held open a door for you? Or when someone let you jump the queue when you were in a hurry? Or when you dropped your bag on the street and a passerby helped you pick up the contents?  Such a random acts of kindness can lift your mood, leaving you with a warm feeling that lasts all day.

A DAY OF KINDNESS

There is a date in the US calendar on which such gestures are particularly encouraged. 17 February is known as Random Acts of Kindness Day.  The initiative serves as a reminder that these small but meaningful acts have the power to change the world.  The idea is to create a more compassionate and caring society , but spreading love and positivity.

THE START OF A MOVEMENT

It all started some forty years ago in the US, in the San Francisco Bay area.  The phrase was coined by journalist Anne Herbert in 1982, who wrote about "random acts of kindness and acts of senseless beauty"  Herbert could not have imagined that her ideas would trigger a worldwide movement.  The words were painted on walls, discussed in classrooms and written about in the media.  Slowly but surely, the message spread.

RAK DAY IS BORN

Herbert published an illustrated children's book on the same theme in 1993.  It was received with enthusiasm by children and adults alike.  Local Random Acts of Kindness Days grew into an annual celebration in the US.  While the first event was funded by the book's publisher, Conari Press, a nonprofit foundation was created in 1995 to organise future celebrations.

RAKTIVISM

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is on a mission to make kindness the norm.  Besides the celebration on 17 February -the same week as Valentine's Day- it also provides free resources for schools, workplaces, homes and communities.  It encourages people to become RAKtivists (short for Random Acts of Kindness activists), who turn ordinary days into something special with small, thoughtful gestures -like bright smile or offering a seat on the bus.

KINDNESS AS A WAY OF LIFE

The movement gets bigger every year.  Influencers share content on social media.  Celebrities are judged by how kind they are to others.  Corporates are eager to join in.  Last year, Krispy Kreme gave out free doughnuts, for instance.  It has now spread New Zealand, where it is observed on 1 September.  The ultimate goal is to make it a way of life.  The foundation is hopeful: "Together, we can make the world a better place, one act of kindness at a time".

SEVEN WAYS TO START MAKING KINDNESS THE NORM IN YOUR DAILY LIFE:

1 Send an uplifting text to a friend or family member.

2 Let that guy merge into traffic with a wave and a smile.

3 Include intentional moments of kindness, laughter and delight in your daily routine.

4 Go slightly outside of your comfort zone at least once a day to make someone smile.

5 Share a compliment   with a co-worker or friend.

6 Reach out to a family member you haven't spoken to in a while.

7 Treat someone to a cup of coffee (a friend, stranger, or even yourself)

GLOSSARY

TO BE IN A HURRY: tener prisa  /  TO DROP: dejar caer  /  TO PICK UP: recoger  /  RANDOM: fortuito  /  TO LIFT YOUR MOOD:  levantar el ánimo  /  MEANINGFUL: significativo  /  TO SPREAD: propagar  /  TO COIN: acuñar  /  SENSELESS: sin sentido  /  TO TRIGGER: desencadenar  /  ALIKE:  de igual modo  /  SHORT FOR: abreviatura de  /  EAGER: deseosos  /  UPLIFTING: inspirador  /  TO MERGE INTO:  incorporarse  /  TO REACH OUT TO:  contactar  /  TO TREAT TO: invitar 

REMARKABLE SHIPS - BARCOS EXTRAORDINARIOS

Hi my dear friends. Do you like ships? Today we are going to look at four different ships that will astonish you for sure!

Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Os gustan los barcos? Hoy vamos a mirar hacia cuatro barcos diferentes que seguramente van a asombraros.

Info: Speak Up magazine

Photos: maritime.optima  /  LLoyd's List  /  en.wikipedia.org  /  youtube -2-  /  brodosplit

REMARKABLE SHIPS

The oceans are filled with un unimaginable number of fascinating ships.  Whether it is their glamour, their size or their capabilities, some of these industrial wonders embrace excess above all others.

THE BIGGEST CONTAINER SHIP

Sailing under the Panama flag and active since 2022, the Ever Alot is the largest container ship in the world. 

Spanning the equivalent of three football fields and with a capacity for 24,000 containers, it is operated by the Evergeen Marine Corporation.

THE MOST GLAMOROUS YACHT

The Eclipse is a 162.5-metre-long motor superyacht  that has sixty-six crew members, two helicopter pads, a top speed of 21.5km and can accomodate up to thirty-six guests in its eighteen staterooms. 

The third longest yacht in the world, the Elipse is one of only sixty-eight existing motor yachts longer than a hundred metres.

The yacht is owned by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and is worth an estimated €340 million.

The Eclipse is equipped with a missile detection system, missile launchers and self-defence systems.

THE LARGEST WARSHIP

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is the lead ship of her class in the US Navy, as well as the world's largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever constructed.

Named after Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, its construction began in 2005 in Newport News, Virginia.

It was delivered to the Navy in 2017.  In October 2023, the day after the Hamas attack on Israel, the US Secretary of Defense directed the ship to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of regional deterrence efforts.

THE NICEST SAILBOAT

The SV Golden Horizon is the very opposite of the mass entertainment offered by the Icon of the Seas. This 1912 ship is a distinctly exclusive experience in which relaxation is a top priority.

A total of 324 guests have cabins with a sea view, choose between an elegant restaurant with live music or a refreshing dinner on the wide open decks, and visit remote locations among other leisure and cultural on-board activities.  Its large, impeccably white sails make this vessel look stunning.

GLOSSARY

TO SPAN:  abarcar  /  STATEROOMS: camarotes de lujo  /  DETERRENCE: disuasión  /  LEISURE: ocio  /  SAILS: velas  /  STUNNING: imponente

RECETA DE BIZCOCHOS RÁPIDOS DE CHOCOLATE.

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy vamos a hacer una receta fácil, rápida y muy rica. Puede ser un postre, una merienda o simplemente un capricho. ¡Y hasta los niños la pueden hacer! ¡Vamos a cocinar bizcochos rápidos de chocolate!

Fotos: elinvitadodeinvierno  /  Lecturas  /  Caceroladas  /  Pequerecetas.

Info: Cocina Sana en menos de 20 minutos.

BIZCOCHOS RÁPIDOS DE CHOCOLATE

Ingredientes:

-140 gramos de chocolate negro o con leche (como os guste)

-Un trocito de mantequilla

-4 huevos

-100 gramos de harina

-130 gramos de azúcar

-3 cucharaditas de levadura en polvo

-2 cucharadas de azúcar glas

-Unas hojitas de menta (al gusto)

Tiempo de preparación:

15 minutos

Raciones: 4-6 personas

Dificultad:  Baja

** Trocea el chocolate y 120 gramos de mantequilla y ponlos en un cuenco que sea apto para el microondas.  Tápalo y fúndelos a potencia media.  Si lo prefieres, puedes fundirlos al baño María. También puedes usar cacao en polvo en vez de chocolate (por si no tienes)

** En otro cuenco, mezcla la harina y la levadura con el azúcar. Casca los huevos y añádelos.  Incorpora el chocolate. Con una espátula o cuchara remueve bien hasta obtener una mezcla homogénea y cremosa.  A continuación, vierte dicha mezcla en moldes individuales o tazas que habrás engrasado un poco con mantequilla previamente. No los llenes del todo que luego la mezcla tiene que subir.

** Cuece los bizcochitos en el microondas a máxima potencia unos 3 minutos.  Deja que reposen 1 minuto dentro del microondas y sírvelos espolvoreando azúcar glas por encima. Para decorar, puedes poner unas hojitas de menta o unas nueces por encima. Si te gustan mucho los frutos secos, y no tienes ninguna alergia, puedes echar a la mezcla unas avellanas picaditas, pistachos o almendras.

Como veréis, es muy sencillo hacer estos pequeños bizcochos así que hasta los niños pueden hacerlos o participar en su elaboración ¡eso sí, siempre supervisados por vosotros!

¡Que aproveche!

BIGFOOT - MYTH OR REALITY / BIGFOOT - MITO O REALIDAD.

Hi my dear  friends. Have you ever heard about Bigfoot? Today we are going to know a bit more. 

Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Habéis oído alguna vez hablar sobre Bigfoot o el Yeti? Hoy vamos a saber un poco más.

Photos: cowboydailystate  /  Etsy  /  EverettHerald  /  ABC  /  LiveScience.

Info: from Speak-Up magazine

CRYPTOZOOLOGY   /   BIGFOOT

It's one of the world's most famous legends: a huge primate species that lives in the mountainous region of the northwestern United States and parts of western Canada.  A similar creature has also been sighted in other remote areas of the world.

MANY NAMES, ONE MYSTERY

The name of the mysterious beast is BIGFOOT, or SASQUATCH, as it is also referred to.The nickname "Bigfoot" was first used in a newspaper column in California in the late 1950s, which reported that giant footprints had been discovered at a local construction site.  The name SASQUATCH means "wild men" in the language of the Salish peoples, indigenous to the area.  The elusive beast is comparable to the YETI, an ape-like creature , also known as the Abominable Snowman, that allegedly inhabits the Himalaya mountain range in Asia.  Similar creatures appear in the folklore of many other culture around the globe, and their presence has persisted in popular culture.

A MASSIVE CREATURE

Bigfoot is most commonly described as a massive creature, 2 to 4.5 metres tall, that walks on two legs and that is covered in long bristly hair that helps it adapt to its hostile environement.  Its face has been described as similar to that of a gorilla.

Some say it moves silently, others claim it emits high-pitched cries.  Reportedly, it gives off a foul smell. According to alleged eyewitness accounts , the beast's footprints are about sixty centimetres in length and twenty centimetres in width.

BIGFOOT ENCOUNTERS

A British explorer is credited with the first discovery of such footprints in Canada in 1811.  Since then there have been innumerable sightings, most notably in 1967, when two Americans, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, out looking for the creature, captured it on films stalking through a Californian forest.  The video is grainy, but it remains the most iconic evidence that Bigfoot exists.  Recently, footage of an animal resembling Bigfoot, captured by a Colorado couple from a train, has been circulating the Internet.  It apparently shows a mysterious beast roaming the foothills of a mountain range.

EVIDENCE OF ITS EXISTENCE

A 2020 poll found that 11 percent of adult Americans believe Bigfoot exists.  However, most scientists are sceptical when it comes to hard evidence.  Many reports of sightings were found to be fraudulent or mistaken.  In 2014, a genetic analysis of hair samples was conducted by an international group of researchers in an attempt to shed some light on the identities of these legendary crearures.  It revealed that they actually originated from a variety of common animals, including bears, canids, cows, horses and other known mammals.

However, discoveries of new species do still happen and scientists do not discount Bigfoot's existence altogether.  Surprising as it may seem, some parts of our world remain unexplored, so why not keep an open mind?

GLOSSARY

-to sight: avistar  /  -nickname: apodo  /  -elusive:huidizo  /  -allegedly: presuntamente  /  -bristly: erizado  /  -to give off: emanar  /  -foul-smell: hedor  /  -to stalk:acechar  /  -to roam: deambular  /  -poll: encuensta  /  -to shed light: dar luz  /  -altogether: por completo

RECETA SENCILLA Y RICA. TOSTA DE TORTILLA FRANCESA Y SALMÓN AHUMADO.

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy una receta muy sencilla y que no os llevará casi nada de tiempo en su preparación porque la verdad es que no apetece estar mucho tiempo en la cocina con el calor.  Además, esta elaboración es rica, sana y muy para el verano.

Fotos: cookpad.com  /  comarruga.80  /  revista.clara  /  

TOSTA DE TORTILLA FRANCESA Y SALMÓN AHUMADO.

Ingredientes

1 rebanada de pan de hogaza.

Queso para untar a las finas hierbas.

50 gramos de salmón.

2 huevos

Cebollino

Aceite de oliva

Sal

PREPARACIÓN

Corta una rebanada de pan de hogaza o del que a vosotros os guste más. Tuéstala en el horno o en una parrillita hasta que esté dorada.

Corta el salmón ahumado para adecuarlo al tamaño de vuestra tosta.  Si no os gusta el salmón también podéis utilizar trucha ahumada o bacalao ahumado. 

En una sartén pon unas gotas de aceite de oliva. Bate los huevos, sazónalos y échalos en la sartén hasta formar una tortilla francesa a vuestro gusto, es decir, más o menos cuajada.

Coge una ramita de cebollino. Lávala, sécala y córtala en trocitos.

A continuación y cuando tengamos ya nuestra tortilla hecha y el salmón cortado, unta la tosta con el queso, coloca el salmón encima y después la tortilla. Espolvorea con el cebollino y ¡listo!

¡A comer! 

Si queréis hacer tostas para más personas, sólo tenéis que repetir la misma elaboración para cada una de ellas.

En cuanto a la decoración, podéis hacerla también a vuestro gusto.

Podemos igualmente acompañar nuestra tosta con pepinillos, aceitunas y cebollitas colocados en un bol.

RECETA DE MELOCOTONES CARAMELIZADOS.

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy vamos a ver una receta de un postre que podemos preparar fácilmente en casa y en muy poco tiempo. Es sana, es dulce y muy rica.

Fotos: ABC.es  /  Recetas.gratis  /  Poesía.de.fogón  /  RBA.TVE.

MELOCOTONES CARAMELIZADOS

Ingredientes: 

4 melocotones

30 gramos de mantequilla /margarina o 1 chorrito de aceite de oliva 0.4

100 gramos de azúcar moreno.

4 bolas de helado de vainilla o del gusto que prefiráis.

100 gramos de frambuesas o arándanos.

Tiempo: 15 minutos.

Raciones: 4 personas.

Lava y pela los melocotones, sécalos bien y pártelos por la mitad. Quítales el hueso y córtalos en láminas más o menos del mismo grosor. Si preferís dejarlos partidos a la mitad, es otra opción.  En una sartén funde la mantequilla o la margarina o simplemente echa un chorrito de aceite.  

Agrega las láminas o las mitades de melocotón junto con el azúcar  y cocínalas a fuego lento unos 3 minutos hasta que estén blanditas. Retíralas y reserva el caramelo que se habrá formado en la misma sartén.

Ya sólo queda decorar.  En cuatro platos pequeños de ración, coloca las láminas de melocotón,  bien en círculo o como prefieras. Pon el helado en el centro y antes de servir los platos, decóralos con las frambuesas o los arándanos. También se pueden combinar y poner arándanos y frambuesas. Y no te olvides de regar todo el plato con el caramelo que hemos reservado.

¡Y a disfrutar! 

HOW TO SPEAK WHALE by Tom Mustill / CÓMO HABLAR BALLENO.

Hi my dear friends. Do you like whales? Do you think it's possible to speak to them? Today we are going to discover it!

Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Os gustan las ballenas? ¿Creéis que es posible hablar con ellas? Hoy vamos a descubrirlo.

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: National.Geographic (2) RTVE.es (2) elDiario.es.

HOW TO SPEAK WHALE!

If you could talk to your pet, what would you say? Beyond instructions or expressions of affection, what would you honestly want to tell him or her? What would you like to know about your pet's life? Or, if you could talk to your favourite animal, be it a penguin or a lion, what kind of conversation would you want to have with it?  Would you ask about its feelings or its fears? Are you ready to hear what animals have to say?

A VIRAL ENCOUNTER

Tom Mustill asked himself many of these questions after a thirty-tonne humpback whale nearly killed him in 2015. Born in London in 1983, Tom is a biologist and filmmaker with over twenty year's experience making wildlife documentaries for the BBC and National Geographic.  He has worked alongside public figures like David Attenborough.

On a cold September morning he was kayaking off the coast of Monterey, California, with a group of fellow whale watchers, when a majestic humpback whale breached the surface and landed on top of him and Charlotte, his companion in the small fibreglass vessel!  The incident was caught on video and went viral. 

Tom Mustill has explained  the incident mentioned before. "When the whale jumped onto me, my father had just died, and we were very, very close.  So when these kind of major things happen, you do reevaluate your life and what you'd like to contribute to.  I  think I was mostly very happy to be alive afterwards. It felf like a second chance, because I was so sure that we were both going to die". 

A PERSONAL JOURNEY

That near-death experience inspired Tom to learn everything he could about the indredibly complex communication system of whales and cetaceans in general. Perhaps one day he could communicate with that very whale, which was later identified by a scientist as a bull (a male) and tagged with GPS tracker.  Tom's journey took him around the world, from the coasts of Dominica and Cornwall to the forests of Hawaii, as well as to the Bioacoustics and Comparative Linguistics departmens of various universities. This quest ultimately led to the creation of his book "Speak Whale"

WHALE CULTURES

After interviewing scientists from many disciplines, Tom concluded that we actually know very little about these marine mammals, the largest animals on Earth.  However, one thing we do to know is that different whale populations in distant parts of the world develop their own distinctive cultures and even dialects.  A striking example of this cultural development is the case of orcas that have been sinking yachts in the Strait of Gibraltar.  Scientists belive that the killer whales are not attacking the ships, but are instead playing with their rudders, treating them as toys.  This type of behaviour seems to be spreading across different orca populations, as Mustill explains.

BACK TO THE WATER

As they are mammals, cetaceans have warm blood and breathe through their lungs, like we do.  They give birth to their calves and nurse them with milk. According to paleontologists, the ancestors of the whale -also distant relatives of ours- once lived on land. About fifty million years ago, somewhere near moderns-day Pakistan, they returned to the water.  In the depths of the seas, they developed a highly sophisticated communication system that allowed them to work together and thrive in this new environment.

WHALE SONGS

Whale calls are highly complex.  Much like birds, their vocalisations are called "songs" because they follow repeating patterns that can last up to twenty minutes, with a range of pitches, from high squeaks to deep, mournful moans, that can reach up to 230 decibels, louder than a jet engine.

KILLING WHALES PLAYING

For centuries and still today, whales were hunted ant turned into commodities such as dog food, fertiliser, lubricant, margarine and even chewing gum. Nevertheless, there has always been a mutual curiosity between whales and humans.  

IMPLICATIONS

Mustill's book is filled with fascinating insights that have far-reaching implications for subjects like the nature of language and the definition of consciousness.  More importantly, it introduces new arguments in the debate about humanity's role in nature and the increasingly plausible possibility of interspecies communication. According to him, the meeting of AI and nature holds incredible potential -even beneficial or harmful- depending on how we choose to use these tools. He wrote his book, he says, to encourage people to talk this idea seriously.

WHAT TO SAY

After this enlightening journey, has Tom decided what he would say to the bull that jumped on top of him if he could speak whale? He says that his question would be: "Why did you do that to me?" but the question could also be: "Tell me what is exciting or interesting or important to you."  The best conversations just begin with saying hello and then you see where it goes.

www.tommustill.com

VOCABULARY

-HUMPBACK WHALE: ballena jorobada  /  -FELLOW: compañero, colega  /  -TO BREACH: emerger  /  -INQUISITIVE: curioso  /  -BULL: balleno  /  -TO TAG: etiquetar  /  -STRIKING: sorprendente  /  -RUDDERS: timones  /  -CALVES: ballenatos  /  -HIGH SQUEAKS: chillidos agudos  /  -MOURNFUL: lastimeros  /  -MOANS: gemidos  /  -TO STRIKE: sorprender  /  -INSIGHTS: ideas  /  -ENLIGHTENING: revelador.

NEW YORK. ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER, FREEDOM TOWER / NUEVA YORK. ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER , LA TORRE DE LA LIBERTAD

Hi my dear friends. Today we are going to come back to New York. Ten years ago a  new tower appeared just in the same place where the Twin Towers stayed. It was the "One world Trade Center".

Hola mis queridos amigos.  Hoy vamos a volver a Nueva York. Hace diez años apareció una nueva Torre justo en el mismo lugar donde se encontraban las Torres Gemelas. Era el "One World Trade Center". 

Info: Speak Up magazine.

Photos: NuevaYork.es  /  NYC  /  Guia.NuevaYork  /  ElHuffPost  /  SpeakUp  /  Cestee.es  / Posters.es  /  BBC .

FREEDOM TOWER.  ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States.  It was built ten years ago, on the site of theTwin Towers that were destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The new Tower officially opened on 3 November 2014.  Its base has the same footprint as the original towers.  From base to parapet, it has the same height, too.  A tall spire crowns the building, making it an elegant new icon on the Manhattan skyline.

THE TWIN TOWERS

The Twin Towers were synonymous with New York.  Built in 1962, they symbolised financial success and the American Dream.  Some people saw them as a challenge.  French artist Philippe Petit famously walked on a tightrope between the two buildings without a safety rope in 1974.  Toymaker George Willing -nicknamed the Human Fly- climbed up the south Tower in 1977. It took him nearly four hours.  John Vincent went down instead of up, in a death-defying BASE jump in 1991.

ACT OF TERROR

The attack on 11 September 2001 -simply known as 9/11- was utterly devastating. The two planes demolished not only the two towers, but also damaged the other buildings in the WTC complex.  Besides the attackers, 2,977 people lost their lives. The site burned for 99 days. The clean-up operation took eight and a half months, during which two million tons of steel and rubble were removed.

A NEW START

One World Trade Center would become the centre piece of Ground Zero and a competition was launched to choose the design.  Daniel Libeskind's was the winner:  a glass tower, with memorial gardens representing the footprints of the fallen towers.  The project changed significantly due to safety concerns. The final construction was designed by David Childs, with advanced features for safety and sustainability.

One World Trade Center took eight years to complete. It became popularly known as the Freedom Tower. It consists of eight isosceles triangles on a square base, topped by a mast. At 1,776 feet (541 metres) including the spire, it is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.  The height is a reference to the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress.

THE HIGHEST VIEW

The One World Observatory on the 100th , 101st and 102nd floors offers the highest view over New York, allowing visitors to see up to 45 miles in all directions. The WTC complex has four other towers, a performing arts centre, the Oculus transportation hub and the September 11 Memorial and Museum.  Overlooking the complex, over at Liberty Park, is The Sphere, the only piece of art to survive the attack.  Now, it is a symbol of resilience and survival.

VOCABULARY

SPIRE: aguja  /  TIGHTROPE: cuerda floja  /  NICKNAMED: apodado  /  TO CLIMB UP: escalar  /  DEATH-DEFYING: que desafía a la muerte  /  UTTERLY: completamente  /  STEEL: acero  /  RUBBLE: escombros  /  CONCERNS: preocupaciones  /  FEATURES: características  /  TO TOP: rematar  /  HUB: centro  /  TO OVERLOOK: tener vistas a 

SPRING IN AUSTRALIA. FLORIADE / PRIMAVERA EN AUSTRALIA. LA FLORIADE.

Hi my dear friends. In Spain we are in Winter but not in Australia. We are going to know a bit more about Spring in Australia and a big Festival called FLORIADE. I hope you'll like it and if you are planning a trip this year, why not to Australia? Here you can see some ideas for the current year 2025!

Hola mis queridos amigos. En España estamos en  invierno pero no en Australia. Vamos a conocer un poquito más sobre la Primavera en Australia y un gran Festival llamado FLORIADE. ¡Espero que os guste y si estáis planeando un viaje ¿por qué no a Australia? ¡Aquí tenéis algunas ideas por si os decidís a viajar a las Antípodas en este años 2025)

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: Speak up (2)  /  Involved.CBR.Involved.Canberra  /  Canberraguidedtours  /  Floriade.gardens.Tour.

SPRING IN AUSTRALIA  -  FLORIADE

Spring starts in September in the southern hemisphere. As the leaves start falling in the north, flowers start to blossom below the equator.  The capital of Australia literally comes into bloom, as it welcomes the new season with a colorfoul flower festival.  Hailed as "Australia's biggest celebration of spring", Floriade returns to Canberra's Commonwealth Park.

A MILLION PLANTS

Floriade is more than a pretty flower show.  A million bulbs and annuals are planted across four hectares of the park, alongside Lake Burley Griffin.  Huge displays of flowering bulbs are punctuated by a variety of artistic features.  Every year has a different theme, usually centered around historic or cultural events.  Previous themes have included music (1991), Aussie icons, myths and legends (2007) and World War One remembrance (2015).

Last year's 2024  theme was Art in Bloom.  The organisers promised something special: "For thirty enchanting days, visitors have witnessed a harmonius blend of horticulture and art, with garden bed designs inspired by painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, theatre and cinema."

DUCTH INSPIRATION

Floriade was conceived by landscape architect Christiaan Slotemaker de Bruine and horticulturist Peter Sutton, who worked for City Parks.  The name Floriade is derived from the Latin "floreat".  The initial design was inspired by the famous Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands, which also holds a Floriade event every ten years.  The concept was the nation's multiculturalism.  Featuring Dutch and Aboriginal floral patterns, it was sponsored by the Dutch Embassy and the Bicentennial Authority.

DOUBLE CELEBRATION

The first Floriade was held in 1988, to celebrate the capital's 75th birthday and Australia's Bicentenary of European settlement.  Accompanied by a programme of live music and entertainment, it was an enormous success.  Initially, intended as a one-off event, its popularity convinced authorities to make it an annual celebration.

FLORIADE TODAY

Floriade has since grown into the largest flower festival in the southern hemisphere, drawing up to half a million visitors.  Despite being free to enter, it brings in around  Australian Dollar 35-45  million  (€21-27 million) every year.  Besides the floral displays, it includes NightFest, four nights of after-dark entertainment and horticultural illuminations, and a gnome-decorating competition, run by the Rotary Club to raise funds for charity.  In addition to the park, a tulip trail runs through the suburbs, thanks to 300,000 bulbs and annuals planted by local schools and community groups.

More info:  www.floriadeaustralia.com

                                        *************************************

VOCABULARY

To blossom: florecer  /  To come into bloom: florecer  /  to hail: considerar  /  blend: mezcla  /  patterns: modelos, patrones  /  settlement: asentamiento  /  one-off: único  /  to draw: atraer  /  trail: sendero, camino.

DIGITAL SLANG - INTERNET VERNACULAR ENGLISH / JERGA DIGITAL - INGLÉS COLOQUIAL PARA INTERNET

Hi my dear friends. Nowadays, we are all used to the Internet and its slang, principally young people so we are going to see much more about this curious slang and the Internet vernacular English. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy en día todos estamos acostumbrados a Internet y a su "jerga" principalmente los jóvenes así que vamos a ver mucho más sobre este curioso lenguaje y el Inglés coloquial para Internet. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: speakup  /Redbubble  /  Break.into.english  /  Immigo  /  7ESL

DIGITAL SLANG.  INTERNET VERNACULAR ENGLISH

British and American slang proliferates in today's interconnected world.  Social media platforms are where slang Brit and slang Yankee compete to win young users over through the exchange of memes, tweets or videos.  Rapid and viral sharing turns language into a shared asset among cultures and continents.  Through their distinctive vernacular, British and American English merge into a global linguistic fabric, creating a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape that reflects the fluid nature of modern communication.

HISTORIC EVOLUTION

Some famously vulgar four-letter swear words originate from Old or Middle English and are commonly used by both British people and Americans. Other expressions simply refuse to cross the Atlantic. For centuries, the British have used terms like "blimey" (God blind me) or "bloody hell" to show surprise or irritation, which Americans rarely use.  Although both Brits and Americans now say "guy" ,meaning "man" or "guys" meaning "people", only British people use the word "bloke" to mean "man". "Bro" is an American term of address to a male friend, whereas Londoners, in particular South Londoners, usually say "bruv".

"Cool", meaning excellent or admirable, originated in the jaz era. Consequently it started in America and spread to the UK with the music. The same cannot be said of "awesome". As far back as the late 16th century it was a common English word meaning "inspiring reverential awe" or "wonder", but only in 1960s America did it become slang for "overwhelming" or "incredible". The term was used so frequently that its meaning gradually weakened to simply "great".

THE AUDITORY LANDSCAPE

The evolution of podcasting has highlighted further differences. While American podcasts feature terms like "dude" and "awsome", in British podcasts there will appear as "mate" and "brilliant".  The language tapestry is enhanced by this auditory landscape., which reflects the divergence of slang.

However, the fusion of traditional and digital media has given rise to linguistic hybrids.  Memes, a cornerstone of online culture, encapsulate humour and cultural references, transcending language barriers.  memes  featuring British sitcom characters of American pop culture icons serve as a shared language, embodying the interconnected nature of slang in the digital age.

GLOBAL SPREAD

Nowadays, expressions that were once limited to a certain territory are accepted worldwide. The verb "to chill" is common enough for non-mother tongue speakers to use, even though the art of relaxing is more often defined as "chillaxing" by young Brits.  Similarly, the British slang term "cheeky", meaning "rude" or "impolite" in an amusing way, is common in the daily discourse of young people around the world.  The American word "lit", which has been used for over a century to mean "intoxicated" and more recently has gained the meaning of "exciting" or "excellent", is also widely used outside the English-speaking world.

Consider the term "savage".  Originating from African-American Vernacular English and now adopted globally, it showcases the intricate interplay between cultural appropriation and linguistic evolution.  Slang, once confined to regional boundaries, now traverses continents, challenging notions of ownership and sparking conversation about cultural exchange.

UNEXPECTED SIMILARITIES

Despite the differences, a curious convergence emerges in the abbreviations used on social media.  The use of expressions like LOL (laugh out loud) OMG (oh my god!), WTF?? (what the fuck?), IMO (in my opinion), TBH (to be honest), or BRB (be right back)  has become a kind of digital lingua franca, trascending national barriers.  These linguistic shortcuts provide common ground were British and American slang meet and are now used universally, regardless of the native language of the speaker.

Virality on social media plays a fundamental role in the evolution of slang. An iconic example is represented by expressions like "sksksk" or "and I loop", which are used to express shock, surprise or embarrassment and gained popularity through the TikTok platform.  These seemingly meaningless expressions have crossed linguistic barriers., creating a common language among users of different nationalities. The domino effect si so powerful that these new expressions quickly inflitrate everyday conversation.

A LANGUAGE IN MOTION

As we peer into the future, aritificial intelligence (AI) and virtual communication technologies stand poised to influence slang evolution.  Chatbots and virtual assistants, with their ability to understand and mimic human language, may contribute to cross-cultural slang adoption.  The intersection of technology and language proples slang into uncharted territories, challenging preconceptions and reshaping linguistic landscapes.

As slang continues to evolve, fuelled by social media and pop culture, it's clear that British and American English will forever be in a linguistic dance.  This is not just a comparison of words, but a celebration of the richness and versatility of the English language, embracing change and evolving with society. In an increasingly connected world, slang becomes a bridge between cultures and a means to express the essence of contemporary youth, a language in motion that continually redefines our understanding of the English language.

VOCABULARY

-SLANG: jerga  /  -ASSET: recurso, activo  /  -VERNACULAR: lengua coloquial  /  -TO MERGE: fusionarse  /  -BLIMEY: caramba!  /  -BRUV: colega  /  -AWESOME: impresionante, genial  /  -OVERWHELMING: abrumador  /  -TO WEAKEN: debilitar  /  -DUDE: colega  /  -MATE: colega  /  -TAPESTRY: tapiz, complejidad  /  -TO ENHANCE: aumentar  /  -CORNERSTONE: piedra angular  /  -STCOM: comedia  /  -TO EMBODY: encarnar  /  -CHEEKY: descarado  /  -INTERPLAY: interacción  /  -T SPARK: desencadenar  /  -SHORTCUTS: atajos.