Thunderbolt Kid -memoires

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid – Bill Bryson 

                                                                            audio -@ amazon 

One day when I was not quite six years old I was in the basement, just poking around, seeing if there was anything sharp or combustible that I hadn’t come across before, and hanging behind the furnace I found a woolen jersey of rare fineness. I slipped it on. 

It was many, many sizes too large for me-the sleeves all but touched the floor if I didn’t repeatedly push them back-but it was the handsomest article of attire I had ever seen. It was made of a lustrous oiled wool, deep bottle green in color, and was extremely warm and heavy, rather scratchy, and slightly moth-holed but still exceptionally splendid. Across the chest, in a satin material, now much faded, was a golden thunderbolt.

Interestingly, no one knew where it came from. My father thought that it might be an old college football or ice hockey jersey, dating from sometime before the First World War. But how it got into our house he had no idea. He guessed that the previous owners had hung it there and forgotten it when they moved. But I knew better. 

It was, obviously, the Sacred Jersey of Zap, left to me by King Volton, my late natural father, who had brought me to Earth in a silver spaceship in Earth year 1951 (Electron year 21,000,047,002) shortly before our austere but architecturally exuberant planet exploded spectacularly in a billion pieces of pastel-colored debris. 

He had placed me with this innocuous family in the middle of America and hypnotized them into believing that I was a normal boy, so that I could perpetuate the Electron powers and creed. This jersey then was the foundation garment of my superpowers. 

It transformed me. It gave me colossal strength, rippling muscles, X-ray vision, the ability to fly and to walk upside down across ceilings, invisibility on demand, cowboy skills like lassoing and shooting guns out of people’s hands from a distance, a good voice for singing around campfires, and curious bluish-black hair with a teasing curl at the crown. It made me, in short, the kind of person that men want to be and women want to be with.

BONUS:

School Memories –

Also from “The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid”

 
Stepping into Greenwood was both the scariest and most exciting event of the first five years of my life. The front doors appeared to be about twenty times taller than normal doors, and everything inside was built to a similar imposing scale, including the teachers. Everything about it was intimidating and thrilling at once. 

            Greenwood had the world's finest gymnasium. It was upstairs at the back of the school, which gave it a nicely unexpected air. When you opened the door, you expected to find an ordinary classroom and instead you had - hey! whoa! - a gigantic cubic vault of polished wood. It was a space to savour: it had cathedral-sized windows, a ceiling that no ball could ever reach, acres of varnished wood that had been mellowed into a honeyed glow by decades of squeaky sneakers and gentle drops of childish perspiration, and smartly echoing acoustics that made every bouncing ball sound deftly handled and seriously athletic. When the weather was good and we were sent outdoors to play, the route to the playground took us on to a rickety metal fire escape that was unnervingly but grandly lofty. The view from the summit took in miles of rooftops and sunny countryside reaching practically to Missouri, or so it seemed... 

            They used to keep the school heated to roughly the temperature of the inside of a pottery kiln, so pupils and teachers alike existed in a state of permanent, helpless drowsiness. But at the same time the close warmth made everything deliciously cheery and cosy. Even Lumpy Kowalski's daily plop in his pants smelled oven-baked and kind of strangely lovely. (For six months of the year his pants actually steamed.) On the other hand if you carelessly leaned an elbow on them you could leave flesh behind... 

            The school day was largely taken up with putting on or taking off clothing. It was an exhaustingly tedious process. It took most of the morning to take off your outdoor wear and most of the afternoon to get it back on, assuming you could find any of it among the jumbled, shifting heap of garments that carpeted the cloakroom floor to a depth of about three feet. Changing time was always like a scene at a refugee camp, with at least three kids wandering around weeping copiously because they had only one boot or no mittens. Teachers were never to be seen at such moments. 

            Boots in those days had strange, uncooperative clasps that managed to pinch and lacerate at the same time, producing some really interesting injuries, especially when your hands were numb with cold. The manufacturers might as well have fashioned them out of razor blades.

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wr practice- So embarrassing! OMG, Patrick!

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WR_SAMPLE 89. So embarrassing! OMG, Patrick!

I was driving in a traffic jam because I spent an extra hour working in some urgent arrangements at the office, so I probably caught the worst of the rush hour, hectic “come-back-home” time for all the drivers of the city. Felt moody, working overtime today.

Moddy and worn-out! Besides it was Christmas eve and everybody wanted to reach home to have dinner with their families. And there I was, all alone in my old and rusty car, just trying to get to my parents house before they decided to start having dinner without me... again.

The cars were standing still in both directions. I looked over at the car that was level with me going in the opposite direction. My window was opened, so I could see clearly a red and fancy car that was at just four meters from mine and the man who was inside it.

As long as I was getting closer, I started to realize that the man’s face was so familiar to me. Wait a minute! That was Patrick, ain't it? Yes, I’m afraid so. He was my ex high school boyfriend.

Oh my God! What an awkward situation! I haven’t seen him since the day I split up with him (i reckon... ten years and 3 days!), and now he was just there, looking straight at me, and our cars were getting every time much closer.

I didn’t know where to hide or what to do, so I decided to face up the problem and try to be polite and -at least- say “hello”.

So that was what I did, and as soon as I did it, I realized that I’d made a terrible mistake. Because that man wasn’t Patrick!

Look-alike Patrick was a total stranger who now was looking at me with surprise and strangeness! Thanks God the traffic jam started to thin out quickly and I got the chance to drive away from there as fast as I could! Believe me... It was totally embarrassing!

life is over at .... 35, but some resilient earthlings managed to survive

LIFE IN THE GOOD TIMES

Which quote would you vote for?

1- “Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.” (Victor Hugo)

2- “At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgement.” (B. Franklin)

3. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. (Henry Ford)

This is dedicated to all those people 

who SURVIVED the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's 

and to those who want to know what it was really like in those days!!!!

1A> First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and / or drank while they carried us. They took Aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for Diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured, lead-based, paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets; not to mention the risks we took when we went hitch-hiking.

1B> As children we rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared a soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no-one actually died from this. We ate cup-cakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were not overweight because we were always outside playing. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day but we were always OK. 

1C> We would spend hours building our Go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill only to find out that we had forgotten the brakes! After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, video games, no hundreds of channels on the TV, no cell-phones, mobiles, personal computers, no internet or chat rooms, no CD's, DVD's, movies, MP3 players, but we had many FRIENDS; and if not, we went out and found some.

2D> We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits or compensation from these accidents. We ate worms and mud from dirt and soil and the worms did not live in us for ever. We were given cowboy guns for our birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, made bows and arrows, and although we were told it would happen no one ever lost an eye. Yes, we got a few cuts and scrapes but we also learned to be brave too. We could take things apart, fix them, mend them, and put them back together successfully. We rode our bikes, or walked all the way, to a friend's house and we knocked on the door, or rang a bell, or just walked on in and talked to them. We played marbles in the Autumn, climbed trees, stole apples, and went on lots of school trips!!

   

2A> The Little League had try-outs in the local park and not everyone made the team. Those who did not make the team had to learn to deal with the disappointment, just imagine that!! We had competitions and strived for success; there were losers, and they strived to become better!! Sometimes we were really naughty and broke the law but we learned respect for authority and other people, and we accepted our punishments. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!! A sharp smack was the end of it, and it did no harm, we got the message and learned the lesson.

2B> If we were bored then we found something to do!! We didn't just sit around and say "Here I am, entertain me", we actually got up and did something using our own initiative. We were creative and developed our imaginations, we went exploring and learned about the world around us in safety. We always had plenty of things to do. 

And so this older generation produced some of the best risk-taking problem-solvers and inventors ever!! This older generation produced so many academics, skilled workers, and responsible citizens. The past 55 years saw an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all, without the help of educationalists, psychiatrists, social workers, school mentors and too many welfare benefits.

If you are over 35 then congratulations, the "bad old days" never really did you any harm, and you are probably a much better person for that. 

It Says a lot for the present generation, doesn't it? You might want to share these thoughts with others who have had the luck .... to grow up as real kids before 

the Lawyers and the Government regulated our lives for our "own good", 

and while you are at it, tell your kids too (so that they will know) just how brave their parents were!!

It Kinda makes you wanna run through the house with a pair of scissors, doesn't it? 

Maybe those of you who were born in the 1980's and 1990's can learn something from this and will want to get back to your roots!!!

    written in 1997

gaol and fairness with the world

Saint George Saint George was a heroHe is a legend in EnglandHe is a saint in BarcelonaHe is a model of behaviourGreat! He is remembered with a flowerHe is rewardes with a bookHe is loved at his church.Allelluiah! (Juan Carlos, Benjamin) I’m..FriendlyFight for unityFocus on ProjectFollow friendshipRJANThat’s me! (Danje, Rjan) 

   Saint George is a hero... He loved a LadyHe is solidary with peopleHe killed the dragonWonderful! The friend of peopleThe solidarity with problemsthe special friend for everybody.Beautiful! (Boix, Joaquim)

      PeacePeace is wonderfulI love some peaceI like people’s lives in peaceI wish the peace for everyoneWonderful! Peace is calmWithout calm we will diewithout calm we have stormswithout calm we can’t feel good.Triumph! (Lluís Sellarés)

 SolidaritySolidarity is my lifeMy aim is to help peopleMy heart cleans peopleMy expectation is to helpI am GREAT! Solidarity is to help peopleI am a good man to help my familyI need to be in peaceI like to save children from dangerI am KIND! (Conta, Mustapha)

 2- POEMS ABOUT SOLIDARITY

They...

Sure we’ll exist

Self, respect in my life

Senator of my word

sensitive with my people

Seaman of love

We’re PEACE & LOVE

COURTESY & VALUE.

The best of the world!

(Jonatan Samuel- ANG 2B)

It...

Gorgeous is life

Green is the grass

Greenhouse, our world

Good I am

Goodness is everything.

KINDNESS,

That’s my life.

(Melo Pichardo, Louis Gilbert)

It...

Solidarity is necessary

Seduction of friends

Sensational feeling

Sentiment of calm

PEACE,

That’s my name!

(Gueddari, Mohamed, Yassine)

I...

Help people

Humble is my life

Have love to give

Hunter of dreams

Jean Louis

That’s me, myself!

(Guillen Mateos, Juan Luis)

I really...

I really hate oceanic cemetry

I really hate crying children

I really hate fatherless children

I really hate human exodus

I really hate indifferent people

I really hate european negligence

There will be a day when we all look up

and see a land that will says freedom.

(Jose M. Sevilla- ANG 2)

Crec que és interessant, i us envejo una miqueta, per tenir una finestra col.lectiva, una revista -online- del centre! Aqui us dono la impressió personal de profe i col.laborador en aqeusta petita experiència. He estat afortunat de ser-ne part, gràcies a una incansable Raquel (amb conversas i mails) i tenint ocasió d'posar un gra de sorra per trencar el gel i obrir un espai de comunicació amb els residents de l'escola Carme Karr.  Em quedo amb aquests  moments, tres a la nostra EOI, un record al vostre centre.

Primer, la primera trobada amb els tres primers alumnes a les 15.30 amb els 4 professors que ens vam implicar. Per Ryan, Jesús i Jimmy en què vam tenir un espai de reflexió amb nosaltres, molt enriquidor, i ens vam fer saber que era un dia "especial", deprés entrant a l'aula, ja estaven molt més relaxats i ens van fer partícips dels seus coneixements i saber fer. 

Segon,  aprendre amb les seves presentacions formals, Miami (de Jimmy) i   Tales from the World (de Jesus). Tercer, quan el darrer dia vam tenir els no nadius, Jose Maria i Sigi i Danje, i vam compartir el nostre espai d'Oral speaking hour al nivell pre-intermediate, una sessió llarga on l'èmfàsi era la fluidessa i la comunicació. Malgrat les dificultats, vam veure que també se'n sortien com uns alumnes més!  

A la visita al vostre centre,  vam veure que la Marta interactuava en anglès amb més de 12 persones! Coneixent els seus auxiliars de conversa va ser molt maco. El millor, les contribucions creatives amb poesia amb anglès que la profe Marta havia coordinat amb els residents... molt maco

i per damunt de tot la invitació per anar al aula de lectura amb dues novel.les que em va proposar l'auxiliar de biblioteca...uns  exemples a imitar a la nostra escola!

TIMELESS Perales -Carta a Maria -Letter to Maria

Carta Para Maria

Hoy te escribo esta carta
mi pequeña María,
yo que tanto te quiero,
y que todos los días
me acuerdo de ti,
yo me acuerdo de ti.



Hoy te quiero contar
mi pequeña María,
que he visto un caracol
escaleras arriba,
preguntando por ti,
preguntando por ti.

Hoy he visto un pájaro amarillo
que cantaba una canción,
y a una mariposa de colores
paseando por el sol.

Y he visto a una princesa en su castillo.
Y a un príncipe feliz cazando grillos,
y he visto a una muñeca que dormía,
y era igual que tú.

Y he visto a una princesa en su castillo.
Y a un príncipe feliz cazando grillos,
y he visto a una muñeca que dormía,
y era igual que tú.



Hoy te quiero contar
mi pequeña María,
que subiendo la calle
me encontré a Blancanieves,
preguntando por ti,
preguntando por ti.

hoy te quiero contar
mi pequeña María,
que una noche la luna
se acerco a mi ventana,
preguntando por ti,
preguntando por ti.


Hoy he visto un pájaro amarillo..

Letter to  Maria

Today I'm writing you this letter my little María,
I who love you so much,
and who every day remember you,
I remember you.

Today I want to tell you my little María,
that I saw a snail upstairs,
asking after you,
asking after you.

Today I saw a yellow bird which was singing a song,
and a colourful butterfly showing off in the sun.

And I saw a princess in her castle,
and a happy prince hunting crickets,
and I saw a doll who was sleeping
and looked just like you.
I saw a princess in her castle,
and a happy prince hunting crickets,
and I saw a doll who was sleeping
and looked just like you.

Today I want to tell you
my little María,
that going down the street
I met Snow White,
asking after you,
asking after you.

Today I want to tell you
my little María,
that one night the moon
came close to my window,
asking after you,
asking after you.

Today I saw a yellow bird.

===

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/jos%C3%A9-luis-perales-carta-para-maria-lyrics.html#ixzz404vSQzMr

OMAR Galicia.

Made a semi english/ spanglish version, i changed up the words a little...haha and i know its nothing compared to Danielas cover , Was inspired by @danielasings Check out her cover and her channel!! its just amazing! and her music! She has a beautiful voice and amazing covers!.

10 million padlets10 million padlets10 million padlets

User Spotlights

Together we have made 10 million padlets this year. See our favorites! Why not you have a shot!

1. Glorious grid -   Annabel’s Film Blog -  Each post is a short critical essay on a film, including a provocative title.  A look into the struggles of an interracial relationship in the 1960s -West side story 2. Sublime stream -  Homophily or Heterophily? Tell Me A Story!  - A Q+A in which the respondents consider whether “birds of a feather flock together” or “opposites attract” based on anecdotes from their lives.   Heterophily, or love of the different,  ( by Dorado) 3. Fierce freeform -  First Day of School -  An exchange of international greetings for the first day of school, with 70 contributors! 4. Padlet with a purpose -  The Freedom Hub -  Spreading awareness about the Freedom Hub, a charitable organization in Australia that works with survivors of human trafficking.

on language on the other shore -Trousers/Pants Voices map

On the shores of our EMPIRE,
   "where the sun never sets" comes from Schillers play 'Don Carlo'.

Mark Twain was happy to tweak the nose of the short-witted British users when in 1897 he wrote:

“There is no such thing as ‘the Queen’s English.’ The property has gone into the hands of a joint stock company and we own the bulk of the shares!”

Language and dialect!
And it is all about ownership, after all. Some native writers consider some to be the owners of the language  and the rest of us are just renting it.


Visit the capital: Capital sins
Multicultural London English (abbreviated MLE) is a sociolect of English that emerged in the late 20th century. It is spoken authentically by working-class, mainly young,
the press, MLE is often referred to as ‘‘Jafaican’’, conveying the idea of ‘‘fake Jamaican"

• Some linguistic experts say it is becoming so common in the inner cities that it is beginning to eclipse traditional accents
• Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-382734/Jafaican-wiping-inner-city-English-accents.html#ixzz4rXWKiGaW 

Accents and Variation
British comedy has always liked a foreign voice to poke fun at, particularly one that hails from one of the former colonies; from Peter Sellers' "Indian" accent to the characters from 70s sitcoms such as Mind Your Language

Check this section on The Guardian:  Language 

My pick: 

How sad that English-speaking parents fear their children being taught in Welsh