Month: December 2010

Posted in Cross Cultural Comments

36 hours in Paris

Straight from today’s New York Times!

A long weekend around the city.

I heartily recommend the suggestion for lunch or dinner at the Palais de Tokyo … where you can also take a cooking course and enjoy a collective lunch! Fun, friendly and delicious.

36 hours in Paris. Enjoy.

Related Images:

Posted in Cross Cultural Comments The Last Word Video

Ted Sorenson, speechwriter to JFK

What is a speechwriter?

Here’s a video of a man who accepted a unique opportunity, who developed his skills and who worked hand in hand with JFK putting real, world-shaping ideas into words. In this video he speaks of the values he shared with John Kennedy, of the intense thirteen days of the Cuban crisis, of the letters and books he crafted for the man he chose to stand by. Listen to what he has to say about … asking questions. After all, which came first: the question or the answer?

Enlightening, serious, powerful and above all, human. A man who devotedly worked hard – no, a man who worked as hard and as devotedly as he could – to try to make the world a better place.

Last Word: Theodore C. Sorensen

From the New York Times: The Last Word, Theodore Sorenson

Related Images:

Posted in Notes on English Cross Cultural Comments Fluency Online Language Resources for English Popular sayings, proverbs & quotes

concluding a speech: at the end of the day …

During a recent conference,  more than one speaker used a very clear and easy to pronounce expression:

At the end of the day …” This expression,  which means … the end result …. is roughly synonomous with

When all is said and done” or “The bottom line

and in French … maybe something like … Tous comptes faits … En fin de compte … and I will say that today, at the end of the day, there was a lot of goodwill, lots of business cards were exchanged and promises made!

The bottom line,” said Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chief of pulmonology at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital, “is there’s no longterm health effect from volcanic ash.”

(see the article on the vocabulary of green, too)

When all is said and done

This means that when the discussion is over, when everything has been said … the conclusion is …

Try your own recording of these!

Related Images:

Posted in Notes on English Keywords Online Language Resources for English

Keywords – “light”

How many concepts does “light” bring to mind? Light itself, weight, humor …

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/how-many-concepts1.mp3|titles=

How many concepts does “light” bring to mind? Light itself, weight, humor …

Edith Wharton wrote :

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

When a word has more than one contrary, more than one antonym, this is proof that it’s a strong word. The pronunciation of the word is vital. The accent is important … and the context is the determining factor. Humor plays on words with more than one meaning.

]

Edith Wharton wrote :

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

When a word has more than one contrary, more than one antonym, this is proof that it’s a strong word. The pronunciation of the word is vital. The accent is important … and the context is the determining factor. Humor plays on words with more than one meaning.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/light1.mp3|titles=The word “light” is especially rich. It functions as a noun. A light, the light; it functions as an adjective: it is light, light blue; it also functions as a verb: to light … not to mention “to lighten” … and words with the root like “lightning” and just at the sound of it, you see the long yet short flash, that oh so powerful LIGHT against the (dark, darkened) sky.]

The word “light” is especially rich. It functions as a noun. A light, the light; it functions as an adjective: it is light, light blue; it also functions as a verb: to light … not to mention “to lighten” … and words with the root like “lightning” and just at the sound of it, you see the long yet short flash, that oh so powerful LIGHT against the (dark, darkened) sky.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/I-like-to-define.mp3|titles=I like to define words by what they aren’t … first by their polar opposites  (black/white) and then in more nuanced ways (shades of grey) according to their uses, their contexts, their connotations.]

I like to define words by what they aren’t … first by their polar opposites  (black/white) and then in more nuanced ways (shades of grey) according to their uses, their contexts, their connotations.

What’s the opposite of “light” ? …. Well, it could be …. just a moment … what’s the context?… what time is it? Is is still (light) outside?

What is the opposite in this context? If white is light, black is …… dark.

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/and-of-course.mp3|titles=

And of course the other very frequent context using “light” to describe the concept of weight would give us … heavy, of course.

As for the verb “to light,” .. why… if the linking concept is fire, it seems to me that “to put out” is probably the most frequent in everyday speech, though “extinguish” could be very popular among firemen … and officials.

]

And of course the other very frequent context using “light” to describe the concept of weight would give us … heavy, of course.

 

As for the verb “to light,” .. why… if the linking concept is fire, it seems to me that “to put out” is probably the most frequent in everyday speech, though “extinguish” could be very popular among firemen … and officials.

By the way, Edith Wharton also said this:

If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.

If you’re interested in words and concepts … subscribe to the Paris Savannah Connection.

Related Images:

Posted in Cross Cultural Comments

flowers on the way up

As you may know, European legislation, far from just being abstract paperwork and bureaucracy in Brussels, touches home in so many ways. One of those has to do with the elevators – lifts – as the British say.

Well, ours is getting onto its 80th birthday. It has that old-world charm of being one of  those wooden cabins with what’s known as French wood and glass doors that flap open. Most of the time it works pretty well. Once in a while, it does stop between floors for a rest, though. The folk in Brussels say such contraptions belong to the past.

Well, after a little negotiation and haggling, what we we have to do is update the machinery and install a brand new system of doors. So that is what’s being done. Needless to say, it’s a good time to be in the elevator business!!

The work began about 6 weeks ago and will be finished either before Christmas or after New Year’s.

In the meantime … we walk upstairs to our apartments. As I live on the 3rd floor (4th in American…) it’s easy enough. For the lucky few who live further up, say on the 5th or 6th or 7th, though, it’s been not only good daily exercise, but an opportunity to see the landings on the other floors as well!

A couple of years ago, I put a table with some plants and flowers on the landing I share with my neighbors. They agreed to my project so long as I took care of the gardening. Which I do with great pleasure. It’s one of those things that keeps me out of trouble.

Now to my surprise, when I went out a couple of days ago, there was this little note on the table:

(Thank you for these beautiful flowers. I’m happy to see them every day.)

I wondered who wrote that … but no matter, I thought it was such a kind gesture to let us know …. and in return … I added another hyacinth or two which I’d been growing.

Yesterday … this is what I saw:

(Life is beautiful, your flowers, too!)

Well, that encouraged my neighbors to add even more …. and our mysterious admirer left us this note today :

(There are more and more flowers. That’s how we live happiness!)

How sweet the dialogue is … Here’s what our humble decoration looks like today …

Stay tuned for tomorrow …

wnd whoever said the French were complainers doesn’t have an ounce of appreciation in his head!

Related Images:

Posted in Cross Cultural Comments

pulling a rabbit out of a hat

Has anybody ever seen this done with more than one rabbit? According to the IHT, there weren’t going to be any “rabbits pulled out of hats” at the EU summit meeting this week.

Oh! Darn it! Just when we thought there’d be some more of that winter magic!

Related Images:

Posted in Cross Cultural Comments

The condition of simplicity

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.“ A. Einstein

Related Images:

Posted in Notes on English Hear it, Say it, Write it !

Who can count? Who knows about cause and effect? Maybe we’re not as smart as we think we are …

What students know and can do: student performance in reading, mathematics and science. (around the world)

Did you see the OECD statistics on education? Shanghai’s got everyone beat … I wonder why …

Do you think this could have anything to do with it?  … Listen to this (You’ve got to double-click …)

[audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/ex202261.mp3|titles=they never get up before noon…]

Related Images:

Posted in Notes on English

“lengthy”

the adjective is long – the noun, length – the antonym,  short. Lengthy is an often-used adjective and adverb meaning “quite long” or “very long” or even “tediously long.” It’s a little more descriptive than “long” and takes up 2 syllables rather than one.

In what contexts? written information, meetings, events. All taking longer than we’d like them to … and in any case … time-consuming! Here are just a few recent examples:

lengthy information sessions

a lengthy, secret memo

a lengthy criminal investigation

in a lengthy report

Actually a good contrary would be … “brief!”

Related Images:

Posted in Notes on English Hear it, Say it, Write it ! Online Language Resources for English

Expression of the day = “Gimme five!”

When you meet a friend … this is one of the things you might say and DO!

“Gi’ m Faiv”  “Gimme five”  or literally:  “Give me 5”

This is what it sounds like : [audio:http://test.paris-savannah.com/wp-content/uploads/EX18013A.mp3|titles=Gimme five]

and it means:

=  Tope-là !

Related Images: