Eau de Cologne

When people can’t think of a present to give that’s different in some way, they often end up buying perfume, cologne  or aftershave.

Are you wearing any now?

Scientists say mammals (that includes us) are attracted to each other unconsciously by their natural smell. But according to the advertisements, a fragrance is your secret weapon with the opposite sex: choose the right one and the boy or girl of your dreams will find you irresistible. You could spend anything from a few euros in a departments store to hundreds of euros for a tiny bottle of an exclusive perfume at a Paris salon.

But can anyone really tell the difference between them?

A campaign is currently underway in the USA to ban the use of perfume. Not just the perfume the people wear but also the other perfumes around us like those in washing powders, air fresheners, hair spray, cleaning fluids, polishes, toilet deodorisers etc. People who are most affected by them includes asthmatics, allergy sufferers and those who gets migraine headaches, but many other people find strong fragrance offensive. So the campaign aims to stop this form of “pollution” of our atmosphere. It appears to be having some success, too.

There are now air-freshener-free cinemas, odour free rooms in hotel and even “cologne free” waiters in restaurants. Some airlines are now also on the look for passengers who may cause offence!

Will wearing fragrance eventually be seen as antisocial in the way smoking is now?

What do you think? Will we see the day when wearing perfume will be only something you can do in the privacy of your own home?

By the way, do you know that originally the water of Cologne was believed to have the power to ward off bubonic plague?

In fact, it seems that it was first taken to Germany by the French soldiers who used   “eau de toilette” as a disinfectant, later the  original Eau de Cologne a spirit-citrus perfume was launched in Cologne  in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina  (1685–1766), an Italian perfume maker from Santa Maria Maggiore Valle Vigezzo.

After you have read all this information, I would like you to investigate  the history of perfume, then create your own perfume, drawing the logo, the bottle and the adv.

NO COMMENTS! I want yours.

Somebody I used to know

Look for information about the singer and explain which is the meaning of the videoclip according to your opinion in no less than 70 words.

Jacques Prévert

Jacques Prévert faisait de la poesie en utilisant des mots très simples et un language tout à fait familier. Et toi?... Prouve à écrire un poème sur n'importe quel sujet.

The animal sounds

Arnau Pejó  - 2^nd Eso - let us listen to a nice song: “ What does the fox say?” 
Here's the video:

From this song we learn what dogs, cats, birds, mice, cows, frogs, elephants, ducks, fish, seals say.

Now you have to discover what pigs, owls, sheep, rabbits, people, snakes, chickens, bees, horses, donkeys, bears and lions say ...... and of course you will be the winner if you can discover what the fox says!

By the way, the song is sung by Ylvis, can you please tell me all you know about him? I'm curious! ;-).

Et pour mes élèves de Français...

C’est un des très grands mystères de la nature. Les  animaux, tout comme les humains ne parlent pas la même langue…

Chien- ouah, ouah, ouah                         Vache – meuh, meuh, meuh

Chat – miaou, miaou, miaou                  Corbeau – crôa, crôa, crôa

Chat content – ron, ron, ron                    Âne – hihan, hihan, hihan

Canard- couin, couin, couin                    Lion – roah, roah, roah

Cheval – hihihi, hihihi, hihihi,                  Mouton – bêê,bêê, bêê

Grenouillle – coa, coa, coa                      Oiseau – cui,cui,cui

Cochon – groin, groin, groin,                  Dindon – glou, glou, glou

Poule – cot, cot, cot                                   Coq – cocorico, cocorico, cocorico

Have a nice holiday!

Hi students,

Take a look at what Valeria Cuní has drawn for each teacher.

Don't you think we are as we are?

Have a great holiday! ENJOY!

Anna Klein

We didn't start the fire!

This is the history of the last 50 years in one single song. How many of these images can you recognize?

Which do you think is the reason for this title?


WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

This song and its title was the answer to one question of Final Jeopardy -- only one person got it right. Question was (paraphrased): "What 1980's song do history teachers praise for its educational value?"

 I never could understand all the references on Billy Joel's song -- fortunately, with this VIDEO, given the pictures, now I can "see" what my "ears" couldn't.

Apparently, it's Joel's homage to the 40-years of historical headlines since his birth (1949). Wish I could have appreciated the depths of this song when it was released. Twenty years later, I'm in awe of what Joel was able to put into music and lyrics lasting only a few minutes.

Whether you are a Billy Joel fan or not, you probably remember his great song, 'We Didn't Start the Fire.' Here it is, set to pictures... Very, very cool. Had to share this one. It's a neat flashback through the past half century. I never did know the words. Turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes!

Thanks to Billy Joel and some guy from the University of Chicago with a lot of spare time and Google.

Top left gives you full screen....top right lets you pause. Bottom left shows the year. The older you are, the more pictures you will recognize.