Valentine's Day

What is the origin of Valentine's Day? Valentine was a Christian priest who lived in Rome in the third century. The emperor, Claudius II, believed that single soldiers would be better than married soldiers so he did not allow(1) his soldiers to marry. Valentine celebrated marriages in secret but, one day, he was caught(2) and sent to prison. In prison, he became friends with the jailer’s(3) daughter and, before his execution, sent her a farewell note(4) signed “From Your Valentine”. Cards still say this today.

So how did the “Day of Love” start? There are two main theories. The first is that it was connected with the Roman feast of Lupercalia. This was a fertility celebration in honour of Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage. The day before the festival, each woman wrote a love letter and left it in a large urn(5). Then each man took one of the letters... and the woman who wrote the letter became his companion for a year. The other theory dates back to(6) the Middle Ages, when people realised(7) that birds started tomate(8) on the 14th of February.

The custom of sending cards on the 14th February started in 1415 with a Frenchman, Charles Duke of Orleans. He was in prison in the Tower of London and sent a love letter to his wife on that day. Nowadays, Valentine’s Day cards (or “Valentines”), which are often marked with an X instead of the sender’s name. The X represents a kiss. Many years ago, when people could not write, they signed documents with an X and then kissed the X symbol, in front of witnesses,(9) to show sincerity. In the past, people also used to writeSWAK on the outside of their letters to their lovers. It meant “Sealed With A Kiss”.

Now you know everything you need to know to send an English Valentine to your sweetheart.(10) Don’t miss your chance;(11) it’ll be a nice touch!(12).

Here’s a typical Valentine rhyme:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Sugar is sweet,

And so are you.

Happy St. Valentine’s Day !

(1) permitir, (2) ser pillado con las manos en la masa, (3) carcelero, (4) carta de despedida,(5) urna, (6) remontarse, (7) darse cuenta, (8) aparearse, (9) testigo, (10) enamorado, (11)perder la oportunidad, (12) todo un detalle

Thank God for tea !

Tea ...the " National Drink".

If there is a typical British drink, that is tea. Known as the ‘National Drink’, it is consumed daily by a majority of people across the country. Teas can be divided into categories depending on how they are processed: white, yellow, green, oolong, black and postfermented. In Britain, tea is usually black tea served with milk.

The tea plant is native to East and South Asia. It was imported to Europe during the Portuguese expansion of the 16th century. Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, took the tea habit to Great Britain around 1660. It became a widely consumed drink in the 19th century when the British started importing tea from China.The world’s largest producers of tea are China and India.

Did you know  ?

The first tea bag was marketed in 1904. American Thomas Sullivan from New York was the first to distribute samples of his tea in small bags with a drawstring. This method became widely used during World War II, when tea was rationed. Tetley was the first brand to sell tea bags in the UK, in 1953. They became an immediate success12.

British Pubs

British people love going to the pub. But what exactly is a pub? Well, a pub is like a bar – people go there to have a drink, to meet their friends or to play darts.

Pubs open at about 9 o’clock in the morning and they usually close at about eleven o’clock at night. You have to remember two very important things about pubs in Britain: you have to order your drinks at the bar because there is no table service (servicio de camareros en las mesas) and you have to pay for (pagar) your drinks when you order them! If you go with friends, everyone usually buys a round of drinks (ronda de bebidas). Of course, you don’t have to drink alcohol; you can also have non-alcoholic drinks.(bebida sin alcohol)

       

Here is a list of some of the things you can order in a pub.

Beer and whisky

There are lots of different kinds of beer; lager, bitter, mild or stout for example. And of course, there are many different kinds of whisky: Ballantines, Glenfiddich, Cardhu or Johnnie Walker, for example. Do you know of any other brands (marcas) of whisky?

Ordering drinks – beer and spirits

When you want a glass of beer, you can order a pint or half a pint.

 “Pint” – 1 pint = 0.568 litres

“Half pint” – 1/2 pint = 0.284 litres

         

In British pubs, when you buy spirits (bebidas alcohólicas) the barman gives you a very small amount of alcohol. He measures (mide) the amount of alcohol (0.0284 litres) that he puts in each glass. In Britain, the law (la ley) says that pubs have to do this. If you want a bigger drink, ask for a double – but remember you have to pay double as well.

Do you like whiskey? Yes? Well, then you probably know that you can drink whisky with or without ice If you want your whisky with ice, you can say “a whisky with ice, please”, or you can ask for “Scotch on the rocks, please” – they always use this expression in films!

You are now ready to survive (sobrevivir) in a British pub!

What is Black Friday ?

" People stand in line hours before the store is opened..."

The day After Thanksgiving (Friday) is known as Black Friday. This also is the start ( unofficially or officially ) of the Christmas shopping season. Many stores come out with Sales to attract consumers to their stores. People stand in line hours before the store is opened, to get the bargain  (la ganga) of the year. For bargain hunters ( cazadores de gangas)  this is the biggest festival in the year . Additionally, Green Monday is another big shopping day. Although Cyber Monday is relatively smaller shopping day but is growing each year. 

Why is it called Black Friday ? 

The closest reason as to why it is know as Black Friday is given in Wikipedia - "Many retailers report some of their highest profits on Black Friday. The name, "Black Friday" relates to businesses recording their losses (sus pérdidas) in red ink and gains ( ganacias)  in black. This tradition lives on in modern accounting software, hence the name." 

For more information visit: www.theblackfriday.com 

Shakespeare and The Tempest

 

Everyone knows who William Shakespeare is, he is England’s most famous playwright (escritor) and he is often called “The Bard”.Perhaps you have visited Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born, or The Globe Theatre in London, where they show Shakespearean plays such as The Tempest. The theatre has no roof and so all the plays are outdoor performances. (representaciones) If you decide to go, watch out: you can never trust the English weather! In the middle of the play, it might suddenly start raining! But don’t worry, the play won’t stop. The actors will continue and everyone will stay in their seats. At the end, everyone will be very wet, but it should be a memorable experience! You’ll be able to say that you have seen The Tempest in the middle of a real tempest.

The Tempest

Prospero is the Duke of Milan. After his brother, Antonio, betrays him (le traiciona), he leaves Milan and goes to live on an island with his young daughter, Miranda. Ariel, a spirit, and Caliban, the son of a witch (bruja) called Sycorax, live on the island too. Prospero is also a magician (mago) and one day, he starts a storm (tormenta) at sea. A ship is caught in the storm and the people on the ship go to the island. Who are these people? Antonio, Prospero’s brother, Alonzo, the King of Naples and his son, Ferdinand. Prospero plans to get revenge on Antonio and his friends. However, Miranda and Ferdinand fall in love and Miranda asks Prospero to let them live. Prospero agrees (está de acuerdo) and he helps them. Finally, they go back to Milan. Miranda marries Ferdinand, and Prospero is restored (es nombrado de nuevo) as the Duke of Milan. It’s a fabulous story, isn’t it?