About relative adverbs, slowing down, books and metamorphosis...

Last class we learned about relative adverbs.

The principal we used was “the reason why… is…”. To fix this relative adverb we read two texts and we did phrases with it of each topic of the texts.

The first text was about downshifting. Speaking in a superficial way, this is the practice of work less to have time to enjoy the good things of life.

I think this idea very interesting and it’s adopted by many people who wants to have a simpler and more sustainable life. In my case it won’t work, at least for now, and the reason is a simple one: I don’t know what to do with my free time. To tell you the truth, I know what to do but at this moment I’m so mentally tired that when I have some time to rest or do anything else that is not working or studying, my body and my mind are so tired that I don’t want to wake up. I want to sleep as long as possible and when I wake up, I wake up tired already and thinking about to sleep again. I know is a very sad situation, but at this moment I just can’t quit the job or quit the college. I know I could find some another job but I don’t think my situation will get better, I will still have to work and to study, and my actual job helps me to pay my college. So I feel like selling my soul for a determined time. But I believe things will be better.

The second text was about Slow Books Movement. This is a movement which encourages people to read more. To turn off the tv or the internet and read a good book. I’m used to do it, but now, with all my lack of time, I’m just reading texts to my college. Of all the things I don’t have time to do, read books is the only one which I miss almost physically. I used to read 2 – 4 books a week, and now I take almost a month to read only one. The reason I chose to become a translator was my passion for literature.

I love what books can do for me! I can travel going to nowhere, I can imagine myself on another life, with another choices, with another idea how life supposed to be, and the most important, I always change my thoughts about everything. I think to change your mind is something very good. To see the same situation with different eyes is something almost magical. Be able to choose the best way how to handle with some situation, only opening your mind, is something unique. So, as Raul Seixas would say, I prefer to be a metamorphosis! And books help me to be it. So, what are you expecting to start reading now?

Fashion... or judgment?

Last week we have a debate about fashion. What do I think about it?

According to the text, your clothes and accessories should tell to the world about your personality, but there are occasions that you must dress yourself in a certain way. Occasions like job interview, you are expected to wear more formal clothes.

I think this argument is true up to a point. When you chose something to wear, you unconsciously show how you are feeling.

But to judge someone based on the way this person is dressed is bullshit. To tell you the truth I think that every way of judgment is something irrational and prejudiced. But I know to judge others is part of human condition. Is something that we can avoid. But if I have to choose a reason to judge someone, it is for his/her actions.

Clothes, music, books, movies can give a glimpse about our personality, but it is not all.

World will be a better place when people stop to judge others and worry more about their lives. 

Picking up a book, and let it go...

What do you think about to pick up a book on a bus-stop or in a restaurant?

I think it’s a lovely idea. Picking up a book which someone loved and left it to share its story, must be an unique experience. Think about it: you read a book and immediately needs to share with the world this amazing story, what’s the best way to do it? BookCrossing is the answer.

First of all, chose a book which you like to share with other people. Go to BookCrossing website and register your book. This register will generate a unique code and a label where the purpose of this travelling book is explained. After that you can go to an OBCZs (official BookCrossing zone) or leave it where people can find it.

The idea is very interesting and the motto is: “If you love your books, let them go”. I think it is a very poetical idea, books like something else, needs to grow up, and it’s only possible spreading its story to as many readers as possible.

I think if I would be able to leave one of my books, I love them and I want to have a personal library, but it was very cool to share a beautiful story with someone who you don’t know. I think everyone wanted to talk about some book with another person at least once in their life. So, this is a very good way to put it in practice. A really good book needs to be read, spread your words and ideas and make a reader someone better.

Like a very avid reader, I’m considering to start use this different way to read. Now that I know about this project, at the moments when I want to read different literary styles, there will be a good way to get indications about very good books, that maybe I would never pick up to read for lack of information or something else. I just need to detach, and how the motto says, let my books go…

Is the end of books?

Talk about e-books nowadays is very common. Like was common to talk about CDs, Mp3 and DVDs on the past. But think the physical book will disappear like vinyl or VHS won’t be an overreaction or at least a precipitate conclusion? I still believe there’s public to both formats.

With much less personality than the physical book, e-book has been slowly gaining its place among the not so radical readers. And not for nothing. With an e-reader you can  carry thousand of books in your bag, weighs only  a few ounces. And ok, it’s not necessary , and probably you’ll never be able to read all this books, but considering the practical side, you can read “David Copperfield” (a work by Charles Dickens about 900 pages) weighing just 200 grams. Not to mention the ease of reading an eBook anywhere without bothering to turn pages or hold a large volume. Another advantage is to adjust the font size. Who never had a wonderful book on hands, and couldn’t read it for its font size be small and uncomfortable?

In my opinion, physical books will never go out fashion. Despite having an e-reader and love all the ease its brought to my life, one thing is undeniable: I love bookstores and smell new books!
And it’s not only the smell of paper with ink, has to do with admiring the colors of covers, the texture, the size and weight, and also imagine this book and a coffee in a cold and rainy day at home. To admire a bookshelf with all your volumes, to pick a book was shabby by time and use, and imagine how many times that book told its story. It’s fantastic!

So, having an e-reader is something very good, I can keep my private library, with the facility of chose what books I want to put on it, I don’t need to think how to get rid of books I didn’t like. Because read an e-book is something cool, but open a book on lap and wait for him to tell me its story is a great satisfaction!

Relative clauses and non-finite clauses

This will be a brief explanation about relative clauses and non-finite clauses.

Defining:  Is an essential part of the sentence.

There were four students who missed class at 7 a.m.

He is the teacher whose wife just died.

Non-defining: Is extra information, always separated by commas and the speech changes.

The class, which was missed by four students, started at 7 a.m.

The teacher’s wife, who just died, always made pie for students.

Which

Is used to introduce a non-defining clause:
The train, which was late, exploded.

Always follow a preposition:

It was a help for which I’ll be eternally grateful.

That

Is more informal than which:
By 4:30, there was only one painting that hadn’t been sold.

Is often used instead of who in everyday speech in defining clauses:
Do you know the girl that lives next door?

Whom

Whom is the object form of who.
He was a person whom everyone regarded as trustworthy.

Whom is always followed by preposition:

With whom were you dancing?

However, in everyday use, it is usual avoid this kind of construction:

Who were you dancing wih?

Whose

Whose means “of whom”. Can be used in both defining and non-defining clauses:

Several guests, whose cars were parked outside, were waiting at the door.
Several guests whose rooms had been broken into complained to the manager.

When and Where

Non-defining: They follow a named time or place.

Come back at 3:30, when  I won’t be so busy.
I stopped in Maidstone, where my sister owns a shop.

Defining:  When follows words such as time, day, moment.

There’s hardly a moment when I don’t think of you.

Where follows words such as place, house, street.

This is the street where I live.

Non-finite clauses containing an –ing form

These are clauses without a main verb.

Actions happening at the same time:
Waving their scarves and shouting, the fans ran onto the pitch.

One action before another:

Opening the letter, she found that it contained a cheque of $1,000.

An event which is the result of another event:
I didn’t get wet, having remembered to take my umbrella.

Writing beyond Twitter

To write on the twitter era can be more complicated that you imagine, because you have a limited number of characters to be used. So, to pass a message you need to abbreviate many words, or even purposely write something wrong, cause this way fewer characters are used.

The internet is something that can’t be avoided nowadays, and all this confusion when it’s time to write is understandable. We live in a fast pace and write a brief message can save time and God knows we live like we’re dying in the next second. Social medias have an important role, but you need to know how and when to write something complex or simple.  

On the other hand, nothing justifies write wrong when you don’t need to save this “precious time”, when you need to do a composition or essay to college, or even write something for your work. Social medias like twitter also have something bad about this limit to write: you’re not be able to develop extend ideas, and it’s ok for social medias, but the thing get complicated when the person is not able to write at all. Read and write well should be seen like an obligation not as a differential, and many people do not realize that.  Write wrong or in acronyms is the new fashion boom and if you don’t write this way on the internet you’re considered someone outdated. Write well is also identifying the target audience and gives to your text conditions to be understandable.

Is very important to read everything you can and sometimes to practice writing, many people don’t remember how to write some words because they are used to copy and paste most of the things on the internet.
So, be someone who is able to adapt your written language can get you rid of embarrassing situations writing to others. And if you’re able to write  what happened in a day with just 140 characters, it means you can express yourself in a concise manner, which is very good for this fast pace of life we live.