In good "company" ...

I have once more realised that many of my best moments are spent in the company of students, who attend my classes and several of the refresher courses, whom I almost naturally develop a strong connection with.

That was the case regarding the latest refresher course for Aerodrome traffic information agents, in which we had a terric challenging time decodifying "live" RTF transmissions in English, describing aviation oriented pictures and analysing unexpected situations.

I will definitely miss those moments ... and the good "company" ... once they go back to the Azorean  aerodromes and the Aviation school aerodrome in Evora they work at. May they continue to be the adorable people they have shown to be ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest film I have watched ...

 A walk in the woods, based on Bill Bryson's book bearing the same name would not have been the first film choice for any of us had we had a wider variety of films to choose from, but Mia and I were determined to do some thing else rather than stay at home in a rainy day, so we ended up settling for this "amiable yet less compelling than any road trip movie starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte should be."

Some breath taking views  ... a few humorous moments ... an encounter with a rather "exquisite" and boring character anyone in their right mind would run away from, as the protagonists did ... a small part played by Emma Thompson and two almost "unrecognisable" well known actors ..., despite the main underlying message ...

 

 

 

 

The latest book I have read ...

I couldn't resist buying the latest book by Sofi Oksanen, despite being a paperback with a rather small lettering (front cover in the picture underneath, on the left) that had me stop from time to time.

 

 

Some years ago I read Purge in its Portuguese version  (Purga) and a few years later Stalin's cows, in French (Les vaches de Stalin), both  by the same author, which I strongly fell for. There was (is) something rather special about the way she approaches tough themes, which is undeniably intelligent and can't help but draw the readers' attention.

 

 

I've now come across When the doves disappeared in its English version which seems to once more confirm the masterful writing skills the author has. The plot is rather intricate as the sequence of chapters  takes us back and forth from the forties to the sixties through different, yet similar political scenarios.

 

 

Sofi Oksanen explores the apparently uncontrollable ever-changing circumstances of the protagonists, who under the shadow of tyranny, the degree of desperation and the uncertainty of the present and the forthcoming future  of their lives and their countries therewith associated, act both deceptive and heroically.

 

 

"Quoting" one of the critics ... what would  or wouldn't one do to survive? ... A lot could be said about the book, but I feel the best way to get into its "heart" is to actually read it. I do strongly recommend its reading (not the paperback version because of the reasons described above).

 

 

 

"When the doves disappeared portrays with merciless logic and perception what happens when a society has lost its morals." - Arbetarbladet, Sweden

"At once a historical novel, a crime story, a psychological novel, a romance, a war novel When the doves disappeared plays with blurring boundaries." - Le Monde, France

"Oksanen depicts civilian life in war time and under communist oppression in rich historical detail, skillfully manipulating chronology and threading clues subtly throughout the narrative as suspense builds. Highly recommended." - Library Journal, USA

"This is a tense, politically relevant novel that asks what would you do to survive?" - Paul Gould

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching made easy ...

It wasn't too dificult to adapt some creative teaching strategies to the two day refresher course though that was only possible because the group of my five extraordinary students fully adhered to those.

What might have been a boring course ended up being a sequence of challenging live transcripts and the application of oral exteriorization techniques, as in accordance with strict International rules we nevertheless complied with. 

I will undoubtedly miss them whilst vowing they'll have safe journeys back to the South and the Azorean islands ... and who knows ... I might pay them a visit one of these days ...

 

 

The latest film I have watched ...

The Intern touches quite a varied number of  discussable issues I feel to be adequate for my lunch time English class film discussions.


An ambitious workaholic lady who often forgets she has a family of her own she should see to,  a stay at home father who consciously gave up his professional career and yet feels he is being taken for granted, a retired senior citizen whose unexpected role in the working environment and out of it does surprise both those he works with, as well as the ones who have hired them ... a rather peculiar and subtle sense of humour embedded in the sequence of most of the situations in the film that have turned it into a "light" and very agreable one to watch.

Despite the fact that many critics feel the film's success may ride almost entirely on the alchemy of the main actors - Robert de Niro and Anne Hathaway - I feel there's more to it than just that ... and definitely worth being watched.

 

 

My beloved students ...

Having had some kidney problems over the weekend and therefore not feeling too well to walk into the classroom "stage" for two consecutive full days, I must admit I was aprehensive as to my potential comittment and overall performance throughout the refresher course designed for aerodrome traffic information agents from two of the Azorean islands and Coimbra.

For some sort of magic spell I started feeling slightly better during the first morning and definitely much better as we approached the last day, despite feeling rather tired, which was easily reflected on my facial expressions and posture.

 

I'd like to believe the temporary health problem was (is) getting better but it's unfortunately not true which leads me to assume that I must be either permanently busy, so as not to feel any physical pain (which is also not necessarily true) or my beloved students have had a beneficial influence on me, having become my natural "pain killers".


We ended up having a great time throughout the intensive scheduled course in which we managed to creatively "cover" and revise what was necessary and I can't help but wish them all the best in their professional lives ... 

 

 

The latest book I have read ...

When I started reading this book I had no idea I'd be pondering on so many issues during its actual reading but also after having read it. Sometimes it is not so much what is said but the way it is said and in that respect Will Gompertz's approach to creativity and other therewith related endeavours did have an impact on me.

Some of my own perspectives  regarding what I personally feel a "productive" life is or should be about "surfaced" as I was reading it, but I must also confess that I learned quite a few things about some renown and unknown artists and what it took them to "achieve" the so called recognition. 

"(...) people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. That is the artist's way. To happen to things. To turn nothings into somethings."


"Curiosity  is the tool that shapes the work of all artists, just as much as any brush or chisel."


"It is not where you take things from but where you take them to."