Alice's adventures in the land of learning English

STUDYING ABROAD

2012-01-27T17:19:00.005+02:00

Some people believe that choosing to study abroad is better than studying in their home counrties.I think that both aspects have many advantages and disadvantages.

Talking about studying abroad you can say that one advantage is that you can broaden your horizons by seeing how the people live in other counties. In this way, you can understand their culture which helps you to compare different things, to realise who you are and what you want. In addition,attending universities abroad can be an enriching experience because you have to take all the courses in a foreign language so in the end you will speak this language as your native one.

While there are considerable benefits to studying abroad, there are also importand drawbacks that cannot be ignored. First of all, you may feel isolated or homesick. It is very difficult to be alone without your friends, your parents and your relatives next to you. Secondly, it can be a financial burden on your parents because the studies abroad have a high cost. This would be risky because the degree may not be recognized in your country, which means that your effort was for nothing.

On the other hand, talking aboat studying in your country you can say that it is very advantageous. You can study in your mother tongue which makes it easier to understand everything which is provided to you. Moreover, you are close to family and friends which is very supportive and helps you to accomplish your goals. Also, it is not as expensive as studying abroad and this is a relief for parents who probably have other children to take care of.

To sum up, I believe that the best solution would be to study in your country for all the reasons above and there is no doubt in my mind that we all ought to support our county by all means.

NEW REFRESHMENT BAR FOR STUDENTS?

2012-01-04T18:09:00.004+02:00

Dear Editor,

I am a parent and I am writing to you to express my opinion about the idea of some schools to providing a new refreshment bar to sell health food and also to install a vending machine.As a parent, I think the best idea would be a refreshment bar which would improve the eating habits of students.

I think that it would be very beneficial fοr the students to have the opportunity to buy healthy food because young people are not health conscious so all of us, parents and teachers ought to teach them what is worthwhile.I believe that teenagers must be aware of the benefits of healthy eating and this is an education which starts from an early age, so when they reach puberty, they will know how to choose food with high nutritional value.However, it is not possible to teach them all these about nutrition, to urge them to improve eating habits, if healthy food is not available in the schools or in stores near the school.

Despite the fact that school officials are concerned that healthy snacks would not be popular enough with students to cover the costs, I insist the refreshment bar be provided because the children are in a very sensitive age with many emotional fluctuations and they usually tend to choose unhealthy snacks so it would be pointless to offer them potato chips, candy bars and soft drinks while we tell them all the time that these are not good for their organism.Another serious reason why I am against vending machines is that teenagers must care about their weight and as far as I know from my experience as a physical education teacher in some schools some years ago, many children face up the problem of obesity. So we ought to convince them about what is the best for themselves.

I hope you will take my opinion into account.

Yours sincerely

TIMES NEW

2012-01-04T17:15:00.009+02:00

Dear Mayor,

I am a local resident and I am writing to you to express my opinion about the plan to build a huge shopping mall on a site three miles outside our town.I agree with this plan, and I believe that young people will find there a place of entertainment with many activities.

First of all, this plan will boost our region in many aspects. It will give jobs to many people so in this way families will be able to offer to their children and the other members of them all they need.Secondly, the mall with all these facilities will enhance tourism and money and many people from other parts of the country will have the motive to come and know about our town, our traditions and our culture.It will help us to be more sociable to communicate with different people, to exchange opinions with them. This means that we will have the opportunity to enrich our experiences and to progress in many aspects of our life.

On the other hand, I know that some residents do not agree with this plan because they fear that this could mean the end for small local stores. I disagree with them because I strongly believe that all these people who will come in the mall will have the curiosity to explore the town, to go sightseeing and to taste the traditional food. So they will come in our local stores and I am sure that they will spend enough money on them. I suggest helping all local shop owners to reorganise and to renovate their shops in order for them to be able to come up to the challenge of having a huge shopping mall next to them.

All in all, I hope you take all these into account and I look forward to hearing good news from you. I wish all goes well in the end.

What is your dream job, Alice?

2011-12-04T20:30:00.001+02:00

What do you do for a living? Is that your dream job? What IS your dream job?

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

2011-10-25T17:17:00.008+03:00

1) Where are you from?

I am from Crete, an island in the South of Greece. Particularly, I'm from Heraklion which is the capital of island.

2) what's your hometown like?

My hometown is one of the biggest towns of Crete with many facilities because it is the capital of the island, so many services are concentrated there, regarding entertainment and life in general.

3) What do you like about where you live?

What I like about living in Heraklion is that the distances are short, so everything you want to do is easy. Heralion is situated by the sea but at the same time you can go to the mountain and the countryside.In addition,it has many restaurants where you can taste the traditional cousine and many bars and cinemas where you can have fun with your company.

4) Would you like to live anywhere else?

No, I thing that I couldn't live anywhere else because here in my town I can find everything I want.It is the place where I was born and all my relatives, my parents,my friends are here. Everytime I leave the town for a while, and I return after a few days, it's very relaxing to be again in a familiar place, it makes me feel good.

5) What kind of vacation do you enjoy?

I enjoy going to different places and not staying in the same place every time. Even if I go to the same place I like exploring what else is nearby, and every time I find something interesting that I hadn't seen the previous time. I don't like staying only on the beach without doing anything. I prefer to be more active. This means that I swim a lot, play rackets or volleyball on the beach. Towards the end of the day, and after all these activities I like relaxing on the beach.

6) Did you go on vacation last summer?

Yes, I went on vacation last summer with my husband and a couple of close friends too, in a place which is named Ligres in the South of Crete. It was very restful, without stress at all. We had a good time all together and we laughed a lot.

7) What are you planning for your next vacation?

I would like to go abroad, in Romania where I studied some years ago. I am planning to be there for my next vacation because I heard that everything has changed. So I am very curious to see the place where I lived for 5 years and I have so many memories. I look forward to seeing all the classmates too.

8) What are you doing tonight/this weekend?

I don't have any plans for tonight, but for the weekend I would like to go on excursion in Athens to visit some good relatives and to have good time together. We can go to the theatre to see a good performance which I heard that is on now or we can go to a big concert in the music hall.

Halloween, tradition and technology

2011-10-25T14:31:00.001+03:00

After surfing the Net and googling certain concepts, answer the following questions:

What is Halloween and what do its celebrations involve?

Is keeping traditions important to a nation? Is knowing about foreign traditions equally important?

How can tradition be combined with cutting edge technology that has radically altered the way we used to live?

Two extra activities! :-)

2011-10-06T13:44:00.001+03:00

1) Visit www.sixflags.com and leave a written comment about which theme you would choose and why, using the words you learnt in this unit.

2) Visit www.earthtv.com/en and write about which place you would like to visit and the reasons for your choice.

Many people believe it is better to spend their money enjoying themselves and not worry about saving for the future. Do you agree with this?

2011-10-05T16:29:00.006+03:00

I personally believe that all of us should worry about saving for the future and especially for our children's future. So we should save money for a rainy day.

It is true that most people spend money on things that they don't need such as new mobile phones or to cheer themselves up with a trip, but one day they maybe will find themselves in a difficult situation and in this case they should cope with their problems. For one thing, we should always be prepared to pay fore health's problems. In my opinion this is the most important reason why people should think about saving money for a rainy day. For instance, a cousin of mine had such a problem with his child who was ill and when he needed some money for the hospital, he couldn't pay because he had just returned from a trip.

For another thing, people should be worried about saving money for life's big events, and one such event is a wedding or their children's well-being. I think that a parent derives big pleasure when he is be able to provide some things to their children's wedding. I felt this when my brother got his son married, and he could pay for all arrangements of the wedding. He was very happy for this.

Finally, to be able to help your children when they start making their own start in life is another reason to save money. This does not mean that we must be stressed for all these, but we ought to think in such a way that will help us have a good life, satisfy our needs as well as the needs of our own people.

To sum up,it is a good idea to save money for a rainy day, but without this making us very anxious, because anxiety does not solve problems.

Interesting articles about today's topic

2011-09-06T21:14:00.001+03:00

Money Brings Happiness — if You Give it Away

Does Money Bring Happiness?

Why Money Does Not Bring Happiness – It Brings Unhappiness

Calendar (August)

2011-09-04T13:54:00.009+03:00

1) I like this dress so I want to know in which retail price it is.

2) The t-shirt which I liked was a famous-label cloth so I didn't buy it.

3) This is a good period of time to shop around if somebody wants to buy things.

4) It's sounds that a well-known actress is going to come to our town.

5) I had a very convenient offer to purchase a big house in the countryside.

6) It's welcome by everybody to get a gift card to manage it as he/she wants.

7) When I graduated from high school I promised to our classmates that I would organize a reunion party after few years.

8) Every time I visit the aquarium I feel excited about the wide range of fishes.

9) When you are in a foreign county, you need a guided tour to show you all the attractions.

10) I prefer going to a casual dining instead of a formal restaurant.

11) I love cooking and I like tasting different cuisines from all over the world.

12) I would like to be a member of an extreme sports club.

13) Many times, I am not in the mood of going shopping, so I prefer to buy everything I want from the comfort of my house.

14) Every time I receive a letter from my friend in America, I am very pleased.

15) It would be nice if the Municipality gives food to the homeless free-of-charge every Sunday.

16) Before you buy a product, it is useful to take some samples.

17) Each occasion in our life demands a different way to be dealt with.

18) There is a specialty store with footwear downtown in our city.

19) The blouse which I bought two days ago doesn't fit me, so I will go to exchange it with a skirt.

20) A famous singer will come in our town but I didn't find a ticket for his concert. All were sold out.

21) I don't like buying anything which is non-refundable.

22) When I was child, I gave away all my toys to a poor girl.

23) We must give up all bad habits!

24) When you rent a new house, you must pay two rents beforehand.

25) I he from one place to another in ave run out of money again so I should borrow some from my friend.

26) It's very difficult to move from one place to another in Athens because the fares are very expensive.

27) I keep all my things that are of great value, particularly things with sentimental value.

28) To keep fit you should eat small quantities of food.

29) I think that the sales clerk didn't give me the change correctly back.

30) He is stingy and has many problems because his wife is very extravagant.

31) In my neighborhood you can't buy a house because the square foot is very expensive.

Small pleasures

2011-09-02T14:01:00.001+03:00

Once upon a time in a country far far away a boy lived, very different from all the others. His name was Eftichis. Everything ran smoothly in his life until one day, many many years ago an incident made him see life from a different perspective. And suddenly, a big secret was revealed.

1) Mention some examples of small pleasures presented in the video.

2) What is the big secret revealed in the end?

3) What is the message sent through this video?

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

2011-09-02T13:50:00.000+03:00

Hello Alice! Since you liked that video so much, I am reposting it here, also having a few questions to ask you:

1) Which of the two stories impressed you the most in Steve Jobs' speech? Why?

2) 'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says. What does this mean exactly? Do you agree with this statement?

You can find the speech in written form here. Have a fascinating weekend, Alice!

ECCE speaking part two

2011-08-06T18:45:00.007+03:00

Situation:

Imagine that you have won a scholarship to study at a college in America for three months. You are looking for a place to live while you are studying. The choice has come down to two places.

A. First place: Student dormitory

Student: Could you tell me where the student dormitory is?

Examiner: It is in the campus.

Student: How much will it cost to stay there?

Examiner: It will cost 800$ a month including breakfast and dinner.

Student: Does the student dormitory have any sports or entertainment facilities?

Examiner: Yes it has a TV lounge, a cafeteria, a gym and a fitness center.

Student: It is nice! I am very excited about these facilities. Finally I would like to know how to get to the college from the student dormitory.

Examiner: It is very easy! It is only a 10-minute walk from the lecture halls.

Student: It is very convenient for a student.

B. Second place: room in private house

Student: I would like to know where the house is?

Examiner: It is a big traditional house 4 miles from the campus.

Student: Could you tell me how much it will cost?

Examiner: It will cost 450$ a month for only one room.

Student: Please let me know if the house offers any special facilities.Is it convenient to use public transport from the house to get to the college?

Examiner: Yes, it is very convenient because there is a bus every hour from the house or you could ride your bike to get to the college.

Student: Yes, it sounds good! But I would like to know if this house offers any special facilities.

Examiner: Yes, you can use a shared kitchen, laundry room, but there are no shops or entertainment nearby.

Student: This would be very uncomfortable.

Choosing an Option:

My first choice would be the student dormitory because I think that it would suit me best. I thing that I would have more fun with the company of the fellow students and also there are some facilities which would make my life easier and more entertaining. The distance from the dormitory to the college is convenient and if I go on foot or by bike it's a good way to do exercise every day to keep fit and healthy.I wouldn't probably choose the room in the private house because I think that to stay with a family would be pressing for me and makes me feel very uncomfortable .In addition, the facilities which are offered in a room of a private house don't meet my needs,as the lack of transportation methods would be a problem.

As a result, I'd choose to stay in a student dormitory because it is important to me to feel relaxed and pleasantly.

LETTER OF ADVISE

2011-08-06T18:06:00.004+03:00

Dear Troubled

I am writing to give some suggestions about your problem with your roommates.I know what it is like to feel angry and confused because you can't study or sleep because of the loud music and you have to do more chores because of their mess.I had a similar problem when I was your age and I am sure that the situation can be improved.

It might be a good idea to explain to them how difficult it is for you to study with so much noise around and make them understand that you have important exams soon and if they were in your place, you would do everything you could to support their attempt.

Another suggestion is to make a deal with them about the chores, telling that it is not fair to live in a house with other people and undertake all the chores.Everyone has the obligation to do anything they can to make sure things go well. The place which is shared by a lot of people should always be clean and tidy because it is a moral issue to respect the person next to you. By telling all these to your roommates I am sure that they would understand you and your feelings and they would try for the best.

I thing it will help you to try these suggestions. I am sure everything will be fine in the end.

Yours Aliki

What would you like about living in a smart house? Do you thing there are any disadvantages? What do you thing houses will be in 50 years' time?

2011-07-20T18:04:00.003+03:00

I would like living in a smart house for awhile, because I thing that it has a lot to offer.Such a house with its techonology, makes the occupant's life easier.Everybody wants to have comfort and convenience in his|her life.

On the other hand, in my opinion,it can have a negative impact on the grounds that by living in a smart house where everything is automatic, your life would be very monotonous as you have nothing to do and this situation makes you be inactive with many negative effects on your health.

Also, there's no doubt in my mind that houses will be more advanced in 50 years' time which means that people probably will have a robot in their position to do everything for them, so I'm certain that this may have destructive consequences on people's life.

How would you feel about living in a igloo for a couple of days?A month or two? Why?

2011-07-20T17:43:00.004+03:00

From where I sit, I feel that I wouldn't live in an igloo for a couple of days, because it is a very small home and it seems to me that I wouldn't breathe freely into it. I would have the sense of claustrophobia.

Another thing is that, I can't stand the idea of living on ace even if it is covered in furs. I believe that I'm far away from these living condition despite the fact that if I were in an emergency situation or ran a health risk,I would necessarily live in such a place!

What is your main interest?

2011-07-20T17:17:00.002+03:00

I think that I'm a restless person and I have lot of energy to do many things during the day so I have many many interests. This period of time I'm passionate about cycling.

I love my bicycle! First of all, it is a big white bicycle, very comfortable and full of technology. This means that every time I ride it,I enjoy going to my destination with it.

Secondly, I save time which is very valiable in our days, because by bike you can go everywhere without delay.In addition, by cycling I can keep myself healthy because it is one of the best types of exercise and, therefore,I control my weight.

Taking all the above into consideration,I thing that I will use my cycle until I become old.

Calendar (March)

2011-05-26T01:33:00.000+03:00

1.There are many races all over the world, but everyone probably feels that his\her race is unique.
2.Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another.
3.I don't like people who provoke others with their bad behavior.
4.These days the police fines many drivers in the centre of the town.
5.When my children are absent from our home, it seems to me that the house vacates.
6.My mother in law was a seamstress, and she makes me many nice dresses.
7.All of us know that we don't defy the law because we will suffer the consequences.
8.It's very difficult for senior citizens to get on or get off a bus.
9.In politics, it is very common for someone to charge somebody else with doing something.
10.We mustn't violate the laws of nature, because the results will be catastrophic.
11.People who accept the oppression without protest are very weak.
12. I am very happy that I belong to the female gender, although it is very difficult to be a woman sometimes.
13.Every person determines his\her lot by him\her self.
14.I think that many times I am very rigid with my children...
15.But as I am their mother, I am in charge and they can't do anything about this.
16.People who lived through a civil war have only bad memories.
17All of us ought to defend our civil rights, for a better future.
18.Because of this, in a fascist state people protest for the oppression which they face.
19.During the year, I save some money for our holiday in the summer.
20.I love to be on the beach when the sun rises.
21.Every day many problems arise for everyone, but we ought to solve them.
22.In a trial the most interesting part is the verdict.
23.It's nice to uphold emotionally somebody who you know that he\she is in your need.
24.My friend was sacked from her job last week but it doesn't matter because she found a newone immediately.
25.Woman suffer from sexual harassment very often.
26.Forty days before the Easter we must fast not only for religious reasons, but it is also good for our health.
27.When I go to Church I want the preacher to speak very clearly.
28.Children usually have many stains in their clothes.
29.When we are young we don't think that when we are older, perhaps we will be a burden on our childen.
30.The last days I heard about some accidens on T.V because some people exceed the speed limit.
31.This summer I am likely to do many different things compared to what I did in other summers.

The road to be taken!

2011-05-25T20:38:00.000+03:00

I think that all the people have felt the challenge in their life to make some serious decisions which can influence the rest of their life and, consequently, the lives of the closest persons.In this situation I am in this period of life, since I should make a decision about my professional career, and I must choose between two roads.

The main reason why I feel this is because long time ago I left my work to bring up my children who were at a very sensitive age. They were aged between 9 and 15 years and they needed me to support them in what they had to do.There is no doubt in my mind that I did the best thing I could do, but now the situation has changed.
The children grew up, so they don't need me so much any more.As a result, I have more free time for me now.This means that I can return to my job and to be more creative again.

Recently, I had a very attractive offer for some Pilates seminars, a new type of Gymnastics, and I am very interested in this, but I have a dilemma.I wonder how I can manage the distance between my hometown and Athens.I am thinking that it is very difficult for me to immediately leave my house and my family to live for a long period of time in Athens alone.However, I feel that I ought to make this decision because in this way I can balance family and work which I love very much.

Taking all the above into consideration I have to say that by choosing to make the next step in my life the satisfaction I will feel will be my reward, and as the past has taught to all of us, every moment we have to choose anything we do.This is our daily lesson if we want to go on in our life.

February (words)

2011-03-24T18:47:00.007+02:00

1.I didn't like the fact that I was obliged to resign from my job for personal reasons.
2.Beethoven was a person with admirable expertise in music.
3.Somebody spoke on tv last night and he highlighted the problem of pollution.
4.When somebody speaks of you badly, you must overlook his rudeness.
5.In my job I want to be very polite with my fellow workers.
6.The police has many enquiries about the crime.
7.Because I like tidiness, I always file my bills.
8.Every time I give exams I keep my fingers crossed.
9.First day at work and my senior told me what my duties will be.
10.In my family it is traditional to name children after their grandfather or their grandmother.
11.When I decide to do something well, I can work miracles.
12.Two days ago I was in Athens on a business trip and I got in touch with my children all the time.
13.I saw the crash and I wonder if somebody survived this accident.
14.I can't stand people who insult me.
15.I don't know why, but all the time I mislay my glasses.
16.When I am in a difficult situation, I adjust to the new conditions.
17.As I grow up, I feel that I don't put up with many things.
18.I have a new friend in my life and I like that he's a decent sort of man.
19.My husband had an accident with his bike and now he can't walk, he limps.
20.Although it is raining, I keep on walking to my house.
21.Old people are usually more conservative than young people.
22.What I like about my teacher is that she has very progressive ideas.
23.The fiancé of my brother is a very beautiful girl with a strong personality.
24.When somebody is very ambitious, this can be negative for his life.
25.We must keep some bad things off our lives.
26.Last night I dreamed that I was on a ship and I fell in the sea and I drowned.
27.When we are children, we liked chasing each other.
28.Each time I'm in a awful hurry, I usually become careless and I hurt myself.
29.A friend of mine, ruined her life because of her wrong decisions.
30.When a person is mean in terms of money, possibly this person is mean in terms of feelings too.
31.Every day I say to my doughter to lay her bed before she leaves for school, but she never does it.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

2011-03-23T17:27:00.000+02:00

The picture of Dorian Gray is a story about a young man who was very handsome and innocent at first, but with the bad influence of his friend Lord Henry, we will see how he ended up.

The story starts when Dorian Gray went to his friend Basil Hallward's studio, who was an artist and had just finished Dorian's Gray portrait.There he met Lord Henry, who was 40 years old and he didn't believe in anything and he didn't care about anyone.He only saw the negative aspect of everything and ridiculed the positive one.Nothing was important to him and spent his life going to parties and drinking.Dorian Gray was innocent as I said and he didn't know anything about life so he adopted Lord Henry's cynical way of thinking and his life changed under this influence.Dorian's life became more and more decadent and his beautiful picture reflected what was happening to him.So in this way, he was responsible for three deaths.First,it was the death of Sibyl Vane, an actress who was in love with Dorian and he promised her marriage,but after a while he regretted his decision and the girl took some poison and died.

The second death was the one of his friend Basil, the artist who painted his portrait.Before that, Basil tried to tell him that everyone. In London was talking about him and was saying terrible things, so he was worried about all these.Dorian full of hatred, took a knife and stabbed Basil in the neck.Finally, the third person who died was the brother of Sibyl Vane, who was a sailor and when he heard about his sister's death he returned to take revenge, but he didn'tsucceed.

After all these, Dorian wasn't satisfied with his life.He realized that he wasn't a nice person so when he looked at the portrait which reflected his evilness all these years, he turned ugly and he took the knife and stabbed the picture with all his strength. There was a terrible cry, and the servants were frightened when they saw Dorian Gray dead with a knife in his heart,and his face was very ugly and his eyes were evil.On the wall they saw a beautiful picture of Dorian Gray looking young and handsome just as they knew him.

THE TREASURE OF HAMILTON HALL

2011-02-17T17:05:00.000+02:00

The story begins with the death of James Hamilton who was a widower,a rich old man and had no children.Hamilton Hall the name of a big stone house owned by James Hamilton and many generations of Hamiltons lived and died there.

Now after Jame's death,this house and money would go to the person who could solve the mystery of Hamilton Hall. Three relatives and one family friend were the four competitors who had a puzzle to solve:what and where was the treasure of Hamilton Hall?They had seven days to find out and the person who would solve the puzzle would get the house and the money.
All of them stayed at Hamilton Hall with Griff,the butler who looked after them.They were two women and two men.The two men died in their effort to find out the answer to what and where was the treasure and Griff was charged with the murder of those two men,so he went to prison.

Thus,the two women remained to solve the mystery.One of them succeeded in getting there but with the help of a man who was the doctor of Mr Hamilton in his last illness.The doctor fell in love with the woman and was very happy with the result of this story and the woman too.So they inherited the house and money and they could live there happily!

JANUARY. (words)

2011-02-14T18:31:00.000+02:00

1.Many times I say to my daughter that she should mind her manners.
2.The first thing that I look when I set foot in a place is if it'clean.
3.Every day I give my daughter a lift to her school because it is far from here.
4.I don't like betting money on horses.
5.I rejected your marriage proposal and I regretted my rushed decision.
6.It's nice when people's dreams come off.
7.I hate these days when I feel let down, without energy at all.
8.When somebody offers me a chance,I take advantage of it.
9.If I want to be member in a gym club, I should sign up for that.
10.If I was a manager in a company, I wouldn't give the elbow to my employees.
11.I will not allow myself to be impolite to anyone.
12.To protect my children I take some precautions.
13.If you run a company, you don't want any counterproductive employees.
14.Some times, I become disrespectful to my parents and then I feel very bad about it.
15.I would like to confront all the problems in my life with optimism.
16.As I grow up, I notice that I try hard to memorize things.
17.I know some people who don't want to face facts because this is a grim truth.
18.If I happen to break somebody's heart, it will be only by mistake.
19.When I must take a serious decision for my life, I don't make up my mind about it quickly.
20.When I got the elbow from the company, I felt angry with my boss.
21.Every day, I have my hand so full that I wish to have more hours in a day to finish what I have to do.
22.My wonderful teacher Christina wants me to learn all the new English words by heart!
23.Nowadays it's very difficult to find someone who you can see eye to eye with.
24.I always wonder, why children are so cheeky to people of older age.
25.I don't like to be nosy, especially about matters pertaining to other people.
26.Always I find a way to catch somebody's eye without being perceptible.
27.My sister asked me to give her a hand to clean her house, because she had an accident and she broke her arm.
28.Today my son sat for an examination so I keep fingers crossed for him.
29.I can't overlook the fact that he has some negative feelings about me.
30.When I go abroad, I want to liaise with my business partners there.
31.Women cope with many things compared to men who are able to do only one job.

In search of Happiness!

2011-01-19T15:53:00.000+02:00

This is the story of Green's family.Peter and Ann Green are married, with two children.They seem happy, but their life is not easy because the money which Peter earns isn't a lot.

So all the time Ann nags to her husband for a better life,which means:a bigger house, a modern kitchen and more money in general.However, when Peter achieves this target under different conditions,Ann isn't pleased with the new way of life again.There is always something else:a bigger house to buy, a larger swimming pool e.t.c.Peter starts to wonder where all this stops.They had everything they wanted but they weren't happy.He worked very hard and he never was at home,while Ann was often lonely in the big house.

Thus, Peter thought that he must do something about all these, because they were unhappy.So he decided that he didn't want to be rich anymore.They sold the house and the big car and they bought a little sweet shop where Ann made special sweets from all around the world.They made enough money to live, they worked together and finally, they were happy.

Another world

2011-01-12T23:16:00.018+02:00

This book is about a city named Eden City which is a part of another world.All the people in Eden City are always happy:they never fight,they are never ill,they never grow old. The "Team" was the group of people that was responsible for the people's happiness.They made the laws.They were the most important people in Eden City.

Student BZXY741 was the best student of the year and the teachers and all the Students loved him.He dreamed to be part of the "team".Eve was a beautiful girl in the College for Advanced Studies in Personal Happiness, together with BZ.A man from the Ministry of the People's Happiness gave Eve an important job:to find out if BZ was the right man for the "Team".She tried to persuade him that she comes from another world, and that her world was better than Eden' City which was an artificial world because the air,the sky, the moon and every single thing was artificial.She told him that in her world people live real lives,they don't learn how to think and to feel.They live together in families,not just as friends.They love, they hate,they fight, they get ill and they grow old and die.They are free!

All this contrary Eden's City world where people have no freedom and they can't decide about anything because the " Team" decides for them.Eve led him almost five kilometres above to the real world and showed him how real people live there.He felt very unhappy and he saw only dad things like the noise and dirt, the tired depressed faces,so he decided to be back in the college with his friends.

After Eve's report to the Ministry of the People's Happiness, they decided that BZ was the perfect man for the "Team".

"Out of Africa"

2010-10-20T23:10:00.003+03:00

Out of Africa is the most romantic film I have ever seen.It is based on the memories of a Danish writer Karen Blixen who runs a cofee plantation in Kenya.Meryl Sreep is great as Karen Blixen. The role was very coplex and she performed it beautifully. Robert Redford is also excellent as Denys-Hatton, the hunter who keeps her company.

But the best feature of this film is the outstanding photography of Africa. The beautiful African scenery is breathtaking. Also the soundtrack is out of this world. Sydney Pollack directs this brilliant movie who is one of the best directors of the cinema. There aren't special effects in the film, but I think that it doesn't matter because the test of it is so rich that makes you feel so emotional and touches you in a unique way.

I recommend it to anyone because it is an absolutely brilliant film which was worth every penny!

September (words)

2010-10-12T22:55:00.000+03:00

1.I am very happy because I'm going to put up my best friend from America for a week.
2.My mother always nags me that I don't look after her.
3.If we eat every day in moderation it will be good for our health.
4.When I come in a room where some people smoke, I can't breathe because the atmosphere is stuffy.
5.My house isn't spacious so many times I feel suffocated in it.
6.I was sorry, when I heard about this child who was found drowned on the beach.
7.Many people feel isolated in this era, because of the different societal problem.
8.Our houses are more cosy when they are painted in natural colours.
9.One of the feature that I want for my house is to be intimate to anyone.
10.It's nice for a house to be chilly in the summer, but what about the winter?
11.My bedroom is drafty, so when the weather is hot, it is very relaxing to sleep in.
12.My sister's brand new house has a balcony which overlooks the sea.
13.I like the high shutters with green colour.
14.Iraklion is a cosy town;on the downside, it's full of cars.
15.Now I live in a block of flats, but I dream of having a detached house.
16.As a housewife, I can day that the most useful room in a house is the warehouse.
17.My daugther likes to do up her room very often.
18.Many of the things which people do, must be ecologically friendly, in order for us to save the planet.
19.I have a friend who is claustrophobic and doesn't go in the elevator.
20.I had a quarrel with a person last night because he stared at me continously.
21.I believe that when you are keen on something it's certain that you are going to do it very well.
22.All of us like to have some amenities when we stay in a hotel.
23.Parents must be negotiable with their children, especially when they are adolescents.
24.When somebody revolutionizes education,the result of this revolution may benefit many people.
25.All of us saw the blazing forests this summer on T.V because of arsons.
26.Usually a rager is very noisy and full of people.It finishes at dawn.
27.In these days youngsters swear and behave very badly to each other.
28.It makes me feel better if I treat myself to some candy.
29.I like staying in my beloved place for some days every year.
30.Talking with a friend cheers me up, takes my mind off any problem,and I get though the day.
31.It isn't worth splashing out so much money on clothes.

Two important events that happened when I were growing up.

2010-10-12T09:40:00.003+03:00

When I was a kid I was very reckless and I liked doing things which boys occupied with, like hunting.
So, one day, many years ago, my brother and I left out house in the village at 10 o'clock in the morning.We took a weapon and we went far away in the forest to hunting birds.Our mother was very concerned about out safety because she didn't know where we were and because around the village there were many wells.We were absent all the day because when you are a kid you don't realise the passing of time and you find many things to do. I remember this event because of the severe punishment which our mother gave us.I also remember that she made a fusse about it.

Another event which I remember is when I was 5 years old and I wanted to go from my village to the town by bike.It was a distance of 24kilometres and I didn't understand that I coudn't go on my bike.So one day, I made my mind up that I can try to go alone.While my parents were busy with their affairs I found the chance to achieve my goal. My uncle found me in the middle of the street as he coming to the village after 2 hours and he took me to my house.
As you understand I had a new punishment again and I remember this event because I really was frightened when I was far away from my house!

JUNE (words)

2010-07-12T12:52:00.000+03:00

Because of my child's naughtines I have a word with her\him every now and then.
When something annoys me very much, I make a fuss about it.
I know a person who is opinionated and he insists on everything.
It's something that I always do; to apologize when I annoy others.
Every day I eat whole grain bread because it's good for the otganism.
Anna bought a new dress from a store but it doesn't fit her, so she asked for a refund.
My sister is so nervous that she drives me crazy when we discuss something.
When a friend of mine has a problem, I like to comfort her.
I have more to learn about blogging, but every day I am increasingly aware of new developments.
It's very significant for me, when I come to do something, to do it right.
I will go to the bank tomorrow to meet the deadlines for my bills.
The number of tearways in our society increases every day.
I f every school in our country had some funding,our education would be better.
Every gang culture follows specific rules of conduct when it has to tackle something head on.
I prefer to nip a fight with a friend in the bud.
Anyone who is excluded, possibly feels angry with the other people.
When I had a serious problem I decided to turn my life around.
The citizens of a country are obligated to abide by the law.
Whoever breaks the law is in danger of going to jail.
Parents dread to think that the crimewave menaces their children.
It's to be regretted that the juvenile crime destroys the life of the children who intervene in this.
When you are a manager in a company, you should rely on your employee.
I always give credit to my children for their good behavior.
All the parents think that, it's worth the try to instill good principles into their children.
Yesterday, my sister asked me something that made me feel bad and I dodged the question.
Animals seek only affection from people.
It's very difficult not to get into troubles when you are a teenager because of impulsive reactions which dominate this age group.
I like it very much when I take up a new hobby and I am very enthusiastic about it.
Yesterday, a robbery was committed in the National bank, but the thief escaped and nobody knows anything about it.
I want to be surrounded by people who have a personality.

A FRIEND BREAKS THE LAW!!

2010-07-10T12:09:00.000+03:00

Dear Law-abiding,

I am a reader of Priscilla's column and I am writing to give some suggestions about your problem with your friend.I know what it's like to feel angry and confused because your best friend has been stealing for months.

A good idea to prevent this might be to speak to her parents, in order to know which their daugher's problem is.I think that parents are the closest people to each one of us; they are the people who have only positive thoughts about their childen and the people who know better than anyone the weak points of them. In this way, parents are the most suitable people for such a serious problem and they have the right to know about it.

Another good idea is to speak to a person who you know that your best friend respects, trusts, and appreciates. For example, a teacher, a relative, or even better a psychologist. In my opinion, this person can approach your friend because she will feel that she speaks with a friend and she won't defent herself in what she\he has to say about her problem.It is urgent that somebody should made your friend understand what is happening to her and the most important is to find out the reasons why she is in this difficult situation.

Taking all the above into consideration, I think that you should help your best friend and, thus you will express your feelinds and your concern about her. I am sure everything will be fine in the end.

MAY(words)

2010-06-08T22:12:00.002+03:00

All the people want the peace treaty to be singed.
Usually the fairy-tales finish with the phrase:all's well that ends well.
When I was a child, I used to imagine that I had a crown on my head.
Last night I woke up frightened because I saw a terrible dream that I was assassinated by somebody.
What I don't like about the politicians is that the only thing they have in mind is to seize the authority from each other.
I enjoy it very much when I go for a walk in the center of my town and I come across with in the squares.
Many people believe in fortune tellers, but I don't.
Some pedestrians are very rude when they are in a hurry for something.
The number of homeless people has increased in the last two years because of the crisis which we are going through.
Tonight I am going to attend a play which takes place in the center of the town.
Every day I go to work by taking the tube.
All the time I say to my daughter:'' take your time when you do your homework.''
But she doesn't take notice of what I say to her.
Everyone ouhgt to take advantage of the chances which arise in his/her life.
I'm familiar enough with him to go on an excursion abroad.
When my teacher speaks to me, I pay attention to what she says.
At noon when the shops close, it is rush hour in the center of the city.
I don't know if it is right to administer justice with death penalty.
It's very difficult for everyone to admit to doing something wrong.
Unfortunately, nowadays there are many criminals who hurt society.
Every time I go to the beach I look for shells, conches and starfish.
All women should know about self-defence, because they are victims very often.
Sometimes to know how to pull the trigger, cuts both ways.
There are many muggers in the streets so this is very dangerous to the pedestrians.
Yesterday, a robber came in the bank and he took all the money.
Yesterday,I heard on tv that a burglar was in our neighbourhood and he burgled many houses.
All the parents have a fear of smugglers and they want to protect their children from them, since many times they smuggle exactly out of their schools.
It is said that, the police found the hitman who killed the president.
The kinapper demanded the ransom immediately because he was going to kill the victim, otherwise.
The bread which I bought yesterday is off today.
I don't like to tear my clothes.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION(The editor of the Sunnyvale College News want to know how her readers feel about this issue.)

2010-06-06T17:48:00.009+03:00

Dear Editor,

I am a reader of Sunnyvale College News and I believe that alcoholism is one of the weghtiest matters in our society, and especially when it has to do with the new generation.In this way I agree with closing down the college pub at University.

I believe that, because in this age students are dominated by spontaneity,ambition and impulsive reactions, they are not able to manage all these vibes.Consequently, they lose their balance, which is even worse when they are under the influence of liquor.This is to say that, if there is a pub in the campus, it is a temptation which has a negative influence on them so we ought to protect them from that, by the closure of any pub in these places.

I am convinced that the college life should be related with more creative things like sports, learning polite manners, music,formative arts and generally with things which offer them the chance to become better.This means that students should focus on their studies and if they want to have some fun they can do it outside the campus.Besides, there are some students who live into the campus all their student life so they do not want any disruptions in their home; in this way, a pub has no reasons to be there.

I think it will help to try these suggestions in order for all the students and their teachers too to be happy.By doing all this, there will not be any fights between druken students so I hope everything will work out for all of us.

Yours sincerely

Dessert with vanilla and chocolate flavour

2010-06-06T17:22:00.000+03:00

Ingredients:

Cracker(1)
Milk 350+350ml
A sachet of pudding(vanilla flavour)
A sachet of pudding(chocolate flavour)
Grated chocolate

Preparation for pudding:
Pour350ml(1 3/4cups) of milk into a bowl. Add the content of the sachet(vanilla flavour).Using a whisk stir the mixture for 2 minutes until pudding sets.Do the same for the sachet of pudding chololate flavour.Put the crackers into a pyrex,one cracker next to the other and pour over them the pudding of vanilla flavour.Put again cracker with the same way and put the pudding of chocolate flavour.Add the grated chocolate and let the pyrex stand to the refrigerator about 30 minutes until sets.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

2010-05-26T14:01:00.000+03:00

I am convinced that the most serious environmental problem is the global warming and all of us ought to do anything we can to save the planet and our children's future.

The signs of global warming are all around us. The earth's atmosphera is overloaded with carbon dioxide which is created by pollution from factories, exhaust fumes, from cars, toxic waste, and all these result in the greenhouse effect and the changing climate.Moreover the global warming causes a big problem in the Arctic region.The polar ice caps melt because of rising temperatures and that is to say, the sea level rises threatening some areas near the sea with floods which contaminating the water; in this way the endangered species are menaced.In fact, we should set limits on pollution causing because if we don't the consequence will be the destruction of the planet which means that the human species will disappear.

And we can do it!! First of all, we can invest in ''green '' jobs and clean energy by building windparks. To drive smarter cars, like hybrid cars, will help to solve the problem because it will reduce air pollution. Another effective solition would be to create green homes and buildings. New buildings should be constructed according to standars that maximize energy savings.Finally, we should be more active by walking to work and using the car less or using the public means of transport.

In conclusion, if we want to protect the planet, we should try our best because in this way we ensure the future of the generations to come. The responsibility lies with each one of us, so I thing it's worth trying. I am sure everything will be fine in thr end.!!

MARCH (words)

2010-04-23T09:04:00.019+03:00

If you take this packet I will charge you double.
Can you affotd to pay for so many interests?
I can say that all the people have some flaws.
When you sent me your papers, you didn't your C.V.
Don't do it forthis because it will be very to your job.
I can't forbid you to go to the party, but please don't come back late.
Teenagers don't like prohibitions .
Yesterday, we voted for a very active in my school.
It isn't polite to interrupt me when I speak.
Every day I clean my room but the dust is in the air.
It is right to protest about something that you don't like.
From this position many opportunities will come up.
When I want to listen to music, I like switching off the lights.
I got rid of all my old clothes because I bought some new ones.
I never buy a piece of clothing,if it doen't fit me.
I thing that the classical style suits me better than the modern one.
There are some youngsters who hang around in the Lion's square every night.
All the family are proud of the my daughter's grades.
In Winter, I like to burn wood down in fireplace.
I had an accident last year and I wrote off my new moped.
As I was walking in my house last night I tripped up and I fell down.
There was a glass of water on the table but I knocked it over, so it fell.
My car is empty of petrol, I must fill it up.
When I see a friend of mine to be sad I want to cheer him\her up.
Usually boys quarrel in my school; today someone knock somebody else out in a wrangle over trifles.
Suddenly, a big fire burst in the forest.
A strong wind uprooted all the trees in the garden.
I observed that all the product prices are on the rise at the supermarket in this period.
When I am angry about something, I express my frustration with a loud scream.
Many times, I don't dare to do things which I should do because I'm afraid of something.
Today I was in the centre of the town and I got stuck in traffic for about two hours.

Generation gap

2010-04-13T12:47:00.009+03:00

I agree with teenagers that it is very difficult for their parents to understand them because of the generation gap.This means that there is a difference in the attitude, priorities and views among generations.

In this way there are many problems between generations. First of all, the progress and the technology creates many problems in this era. The younger generations accept and adopt these technologies very quickly so that are ahead of the older generations, who believe that teens are shallow, and they have a lack of knowledge. So the young people today get their information from the Internet while the elders take it from the profound study of books. One should also bear in mind that every age has its own codes which include the way of dressing, of behavior, and of relationships with others. Consequently, our grandmothers are connected with tradition so they never approve of the way that we wear the clothes today, for example the jeans, while the younger generations consider the elders old fashioned.

Despite the fact that there are problems, this does not mean that there are not some possible ways of overcoming them. Firstly, one way would be for parents to listen to what children are trying to say; they should talk to them, and encourage them. Even though it is difficult to interpret the teenagers' mind when they try to become an individual, parents ought to spend time with their children, to do some activities together, so in this way they will know each other better. As a mother, I try to support my children in every possible way every day, to understand them and to share a common hobby with them, which will give us the same pleasure.

Taking everything into account, the best thing to do is to try to brige the generation gap and simply, to tell our children that we trust them enough to do the right thing.

EXTENDED FAMILIES

2010-03-18T19:39:00.015+02:00

Do you think it is possible for extended families to share the same house in harmony?
(The editor of 'New York Today' wants to know his readers' opinions on this recent trend.)

Dear Editor,

I am a reader of 'New York Today' and I am writing to you to express my opinion about the advantages and disadvantages which arise when a newly married couple is obliged to live with their parents because of financiale problems.

The are considerable advantages in sharing a house with your parents.They offer their help daily regarding the preparing of food, the house chores and most important the children's upbringing.Grandparents have a lot to offer because they do not work anymore so they have the time and the patience,which their grandchilden need.Personally, I experienced this situation for a year and I think that it is very convenient and practical in some aspects.

Nevertheless, there are also important drawbacks that cannot be ignored. This means that it is very difficult to share the same house, even with your parents, because everyone needs to have their private space. Many times you have a disagreement with them about differnt topics and this has a negative influence on the life and the harmony of the house. Sometimes they hold strong views and they refuse to listen to others' opinions, in this way an unpleasant atmosphere is created. For example a friend of mine got a divorce when she had to live with their parents on account of the grandparents' mindedness and stubbornness.

Taking all the above into consideration, I suggest that somebody should share the same house with their parents if this is necessary, but for a small period of time, keeping a balance between their privacy and their shared life with others. I hope that my letter will be puplished and that my views will be taken into account.

February (words)

2010-03-09T18:37:00.014+02:00

My friend John is moody everytime I phone him.
But I have another friend who is called George and he is easy-going everytime I phone him.
I would like to have a cheerful company with me when I go out to have fun.
It's very positive if somebody is self-confident because in this way all the things go well.
All people should be thougtful when it comes to elderly people.
The person who talks all the time is very dull.
She hasn't many friends because she is opinionated and this isn't pleasant to anybody.
Most of the famous people are big-headed so this hinders their career.
I don't like anyone to be pushy with me.
Teachers don't like being in the classroom with childen when they are treated awfully.
The doctor told us that our father's treatment rescued his life.
There was an accidend last night and a passenger injured his knuckle on the hip.
My mother doesn't understand when I speak to her, so she gets on my nerves.
For me the date of a lifetime was the first one I had my husband.
Do you remeber the sinking feeling when we lost the plane?
She didn't go on about the film she saw yesterday.
Mr Been has a wicked sense of humour.
He first came across as being moody, but he is a fine person after all.
Once you get to know him, he will make you laugh all the time.
The thing that strikes me about him is that he is so self-confident.
Although the room was very messy he was sitting in it being very chilled out.
You shouldn't make heavy weather of our quarrel because it wasn't a big deal.
I want to be bright and breezy all the time and my friends too.
On the beach I feel more confortable when I sit on a sun lounger.
Every summer I look forward to going on holidays.
Last night I was in a party but I didn't have fun because it was deadly boring.
I 'm convinced that my life will change if I adopt a positive outlook.

What is the most important attribute for people to succed in life, an attractive appearance, a good sense of humor or a sharp mind?

2010-03-04T10:38:00.018+02:00

I disagree with the idea that to succeed in life, you should have only an attractive appearance. While there is no doubt that it is an important feature for people, it is also undeniable that by having a good sense of humor, and a sharp mind,you can make it easily.

On the one hand, if you have a good sense of humor it is advantageous because you make a positive impression on other people and everybody talks and thinks highly of you.In this way you are very likeable to others, so they can not probably see your weak points.For example, there are many artists who had an important career and they are famous in the world, like Mr Been without being good-looking.

On the other hand, having a sharp mind, has a lot to offer to everyone who wants to achieve something.Cleverness provides people with the opportunity to do everything they want. For example applicants with a sharp mind have more chances to take a job in an interview compared to others who don't. They have better ideas and they negotiate the situation with more confidence.

From my point of view, the good sense of humor and a sharp mind are the best qualifications young people should have to achieve their targets, and to have a brilliant future.

January (words)

2010-03-04T08:37:00.015+02:00

Heraklion is a small sity and it doesn't have many motorway junctions.
Despite the fact that it is a small town, the urban sprawl has increased the last years.
I think that a hot bath unwinds and relaxes all people.
When my son wanted to go on a trip alone, I didn't negotiate this with him.
When you have an untidy room, it is very difficult to browse your things.
Last week I went on an excursion with my family and my mind is packed with images.
Picasso's paintings, like Mona Lisa, are outstanding.
To enjoy my stay, I definitely want some basic facilities.
I like travelling by rail because it is more comfortable.
The teacher did some DIY by cardboard for the children last week.
Pride is a sentiment which gives happiness to people.
If you want to earn a reputation for your work, you will have to work very hard.
In my village we have a church with a very high spire.
If you take part in this conspiracy, you will have many bad consequences with the law.
I always use a clove of garlic when preparing my meal.
Children don't like the absenteeism of their parents from the house.
The Museum of Louvre is one of the most famous hightlights of Paris.
The girls always follow the trend at the age of 16.
One of the most important things which I want to teach to my children is self-esteem.
My nephew is likely to have a big career in economics.
When I am in a difficult situation, I always figure out a solution for my problem.
The black breed of people are very good singers.
I am filled with optimism? I mean I have a positive view of the future.
We must diminish the number of cars in my town because of circulatory troubles.
My dressmaker demonstrated me some pattens for carnival costumes.
It is difficult for me to adapt to living in my new flat.
My friend Anna adopted a child last year, and she is very happy now.
Parents always have their children as a priority.
I don't like it when somebody makes me do something which I don't want to do.
In the morning ,I overslept and I lost my appointment with my gynaecologist.
The institution of family is very important in my country.

Grammar focus

2010-01-25T23:35:00.024+02:00

If+Present Simple+Present Simple (zero conditional)

If you have an important decision to make, it is more difficult.

If +Present Simple+will (first conditional)

If the trend continues, this figure will double in the next ten years.

If+Past Simple+would (second conditional)

If you wanted to buy a house ,.....you'd be able to.

1 a probable situation in the future (real) (First conditional)
2 a less likely or hypothetical situation (unreal) (Second conditional)
3 a habit or general truth (real) (Zero conditional)

Examples:
1 If I go to excursion, I feel happy.
2 If I cook today, we will have lunch at noon
3 If I went a trip abroad, I would go to Paris.

Cookery Challenge

2010-01-07T23:12:00.015+02:00

Ingredients:

1 medium chicken
250g mushrooms
2 lemons
400g cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 onions
4 carrots
2 potatoes
oil, salt,pepper

Instructions

Take a pan and heat 4 spoons of oil and put the chopped chicken. Add the onions and the garlic. Cook the meat and onions until they are brown. Add the mushrooms, the carrots, the potatoes, and let simmer for 30', before adding the cheese, salt, pepper and the lemons. Serve with rice.

November (words)

2009-12-01T14:05:00.040+02:00

Don't neglet your children!
I saw two mice in the garden yesterday.
Every day I meet the dustbin man who cleans the streets.
It was raining all day yesterday so you can't walk today because of the mud which covered everything.
Have you heard about the crime on tv? Someone stabbed his wife many times.
My favourite singer brought out a new cd.
The wedding was put off because the bride was ill.
I will call off our appointment because I don't have any time.
All the company is on strike because the employees want to earn more money.
I have always had the fear that someone will kidnap my child.
The gardener comes once a week and weeds the garden.
His plan to steal things from the shops was wicked.
There are some people who sacrifice their life to rescue other people.
My cousin George was injured seriously when he had an accident with his car last year.
These days there are many floods in Europe because of the bad weather.
The car dosen't move when it has a flat tyre.
I like the decoration in your house because it is very plain.
This program which I installed in my computer is very helpful.
I don't like the fact that I grow up and I have so many wrinkles.
You had better see a dentist soon.
Every time I say to my son to lower, when he listens to music.
If you don't clean your skin every day,you are in danger of getting a skin infection.
I should take up my dress because it is very long.
My daughter's piano is tuned every day.
Every year I polish my furniture.
All the chores are postponed because I am going to Athens for a few days.
My mother rearraged all the furniture after the death of my father.
When I was a child, I didn't brush my teeth every day.
If you want to have sanitaty conditions in your house, you must mop daily.
My grandmother knew to sew very well.

Rice with vegetables

2009-11-25T22:18:00.024+02:00

One of my favourite flavour!

Ingredients:

Mushroom (400gr)
One read pepper
One green pepper
One yellow pepper
Two onios
One cups of rice
Two cups of weater
Soy sauce
Oil
Salt and pepper

Execution

Put in a pan all the vegetables chopped in small pieces with oil and cook until goes brown. Put in a roasting pan the rice with hot weater and add the vegetables, the stock and the soy sauce.Stir all the ingredients and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Delicious!

Everything about Agia Roumeli

2009-10-27T17:32:00.041+02:00

Agia Roumeli is a very special and unique place.Situated at the Southern coast of Crete at the exit of the Samaria Gorge. Agia Roumeli is a small village with 120 permanent residents.It surrounded by wild mountains and a long beach of fine pebble by the clear Libyan sea.The village is remote and a little isolated. You can only reach it on foot or by boat.There is no road.

A few lucky visitors have discovered that Agia Roumeli is a superb place to spend their holidays in and they tend to return again and again.In Agia Roumeli and its surroundings you can relax, you almost forget it exists.Agia Roumeli has no nightlife, no cinemas and no entertainment. However anyone who can relate to nature can find plenty to do.

At a distance of one hour’s walking, following the path, there is the Byzantine monastery of Agios Pavlos at the homonymous beach.This is the spot where St. Paul is said to have landed on Crete on his voyage to Greece. Further on, this path takes you to the beach of Marmara, the village of Loutro and eventually Hora Sfakion which is about 7 hours walk from Agia Roumeli. You can then take one of the frequent boats back to Agia Roumeli.With the mountains so close you might also want to walk up to the two ruined castles, situated on the nearest western hillside of the village. The view from the castles is superb.Last but not least, you will want to have a look at the gorge of Samaria. It is not difficult to walk upwards from Agia Roumeli and if you go in the early morning you will have this beautiful gorge almost to yourself.

The location is perfect for unwinding, forgetting the cares of the world and indulging in the drinking of the local wines, notably tsikoudia, and eating the local cuisine for which the island is famous. This is not a destination for the sophisticated tourist, but more for the discerning traveller looking for a laidback, and unforgettable expirience.

Holiday in Paris

2009-10-22T19:35:00.048+03:00

If I had a choice of a country to holiday in, I would like it to be Paris. Paris is one of the most spectacular cities in the world containing a wealth of history and culture. With countless Art Galleries, scores of top museums and stunning historical monuments there is something to please every visitor. If I was there, I would like to visit the Louvre Museum because it is unquestionably one of the finest museums in the world.

To walk through the Louvre Museum is to walk through the history of France and into the minds of kings and revolutionaries. Moreover, I would like to visit the Versailles by bike because it is so massive, so this is the only way to see them.Finally I would like to visit the Eiffel Tower. I can imagine what you can see from the top of tower. I think almost all Paris. For all these reasons I would like to go to Paris.

MY BEST CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

2009-10-15T13:28:00.012+03:00

My best classroom experience began about two years ago. It was when I decided to learn computers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this and learnt a great deal. I felt like a little chid who takes a gift and everything was very interesting for me.But sincerely,what I felt is nothing comparedto how I feel now!

Everything started when my teacher Christina proposed to me to have a blog on the Internet. It was a great idea.!! She is highly experienced with the Net with proven IT skills, so she took the initiative to start and to show me this magic world.

She co-ordinates everything and motivates me to achieve my objectives. It's fantastic that now I can communicate with differt people all over the world and to get across my ideas. She broadens my horizons and I would like to tell her thank you for everything and also that I am willing to do everything it takes , so she takes pride in me.

October (words)

2009-10-09T12:21:00.055+03:00

1. I don't believe that he did this thing because it isn't according to his beliefs.
2. Despite the fact that we quarreled about this, I keep on believing that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
3. Do you fancy going for a picnic in the park?
4. I put some limits to my childen's behaviour and that's definite!
5. My sister comes along with me for a walk in the centre of the town.
6. I had some evidence that he was going to be ill.
7. If my friends are spontaneous with me, I feel very happy.
8. When I cook a meal, I sprinkle it with oil in the end of cooking.
9. A mixture of vegetables is the best for a balanced diet and a healthy life.
10. CV is a document that describes your education and the jobs you have done.
11. You ought to be up-to-date with all the new developments in the field when you are trying to get a new job.
12.Resume should be printed onto one side of a single sheet of paper.
13. Your boss will be pleased if you are effective in your job.
14. A piece of advice from an older person is always acceptable.
15. I said you shouldn't lie because you may be caught out.
16. This weekend I had many assignments as homework in English.
17. The new Prime Minister has many tasks to do hereafter.
18. It is important to remember your accomplishments when you write your CV.
19. When you identify your tasks, it is easier to achieve your goals.
20. One of your qualifications when you apply for a post in a company must be the ability to co-ordinate everything you have to do.
21. If I lead a team, I like taking responsibility for everything that happens.
22. You must take a reference when you leave a job.
23. I wrote a text about the environment, but I forgot to print it on a sheet.
24. Here in Heraklion there are many applicants who want to work in the community.
25. Nowadays there is a big problem with the expansion of flu.
26. In my life, many opportunities arose and I took advantage of them.
27. Everybody in my job should implement the rules of the company.
28. I am learning how to use computers and I have the motive to be good at the information tehnology.
29. My friend John is very innovative with proven managerial skills.
30. Being a senior executive in a business means that one is skifful at giving orders and getting everything done.
31. I would like to be fluent in English.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL CHILDREN SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO DO.

2009-08-31T22:52:00.002+03:00

Nowadays there are many experts about parenting in childcare who confuse parents about what they are supposed to do.So they feel desperate because of all these commandments and they usually make mistakes.

I have read many books of different psychologists who propuse what we have to do about our children's behaviour.I respect their opinon but it's very difficult to follow always their advice because every child has her/his unique character and personality.

Every parent knows better than others what is best for their child.I have formed an opinion about how to bring up my children which I have applied with succes until now.Here are my seven commandments:

1) They should do their homework and they must study their lessons every time.

2) They mustn't eat junk food because it is harmful to their health.

3) They ougth to go to bed before 10 o'clock p.m.

4) They should have free time to do anything they want, because in this way they relieve stress and they respond better to their responsibilities.

5) They ought to do odd jobs in the house because they learn to work as a team and they become more responsible and independent.

6) They need to have some time every day to play, especially little children because building up their personality is the most important thing for them.

7) In the end I believe that they must grow up knowing that there are limits in everything but with lots of love and affection too.

So they will have a balanced life and many values by doing all these and I thing it's worth devoting our selves to them bacause our children are the future.

AUGUST (words)

2009-08-27T11:22:00.043+03:00

1. I like to be a role model for my children.
2. A teacher must set a good example to his students.
3. My daugther can imitate some personalities on TV.
4. I love cartoons like TOM and JERRY they are quite funny.
5. There is a hilarious series on TV every Friday.
6. Someone who tells a good joke, amuses the audience.
7. All the family likes to watch sitcom on T.V.
8. I don't like when I haven't the last laugh in a conversation.
9. The archive in my blog helps me to find easy my topics.
10.What I like in my car is the dashboard.
11.I think that the Italics are more formally.
12.Every time that I publish a text on the internet I previw it first.
13. I like the satire and that sort of things.
14. Ι like very much the sweets so I am into make somes for my family.
15. Every night go to sleep after 12 o' clock.
16. I was in the kitchen and while I was dring a glass of water, it slipped from my hand and it broke.
17. When I listen the news on tv I reckon that there is only unhappiness in the world.
18. All that things politician say to us, it's not truly.
19. Acording to this it'd go along with that all the people.
20. Every time I see Mister Been does impressions of somebody I laugh.
21. My grandfather has spoken to me about the years of dictatorship.
22. The teacher dictates to childen some words.
23. Some people in the center of the town protest against war.
24. It is impossible for me to imagine that nowadays there is poverty in the world.
25. I liked how the actor played the trump on the film yesterday.
26. I feel a little tired so I am going to have a lie-in tonight.
27. I like when the shops are closed to go for a walk to do some window-shopping.
28. When I travell abroad I don't catch up with my friends.
29. Before I go to bed I like surf the Net.
30. My husband likes to do some DIY in the house.
31. I don't like to be a mess in my house.

Vacation

2009-08-27T00:20:00.007+03:00

This is PALEOXORA. Is the place where I went to holidays for a week.It is a fantastic place with many beaches and incredible see.The small town of Paleochora lies at the southwest part of Crete and the southest part of Europe. It is built on a small peninsula between two picturesque gulfs. Paleochora is washed by the Libyan Sea. It is called the Nyph of Lybian Sea and the Land of the Sun. I like it very much so I will go the next year.!!

STAYING IN SHAPE

2009-08-26T21:44:00.009+03:00

Nowadays there are many illnesses because of stress, unbalanced diet and the sendentary life.The most important health problems are diabetes, heart problems, cancer, cholesterol, obesity and osteoporosis.

So having a balanced diet and taking some exercise daily are two of the best ways to lead a healthy life. That means choosing a variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups.It' s good to eat foods of all colors and to find ways to exercise.

You should eat food with enough calories, but not too many.Don't eat more food than your body uses.This depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.

Eat a wide variety of foods, especially vegetables, whole grains, ftuits and legumes. Limit sugary foods, salt, saturated fats and refined products.

Moreover you should relieve your stress with working out in a gym to be in a good shape your heart and your brain benefit from exercise.

Another factor for a healthy life is the good sense of humor, which helps you stay emotionally healthy. Remember that even in the most difficult of times, a laugh, or even simply a smile, can go a long way in helping us feel better!!!

LORD ALL-IN-WHITE

2009-08-06T18:47:00.007+03:00

This story is about a poor fisherman who had three daughters. He sold the fish and he bought food which his wife cooked and his children ate.

One day as he cried out, because he had not caught a single fish, a black man appeared and said to him, "I'll give you a sack of gold florins but you must bring me one of your daugthers to take to my master.If you don't you'll never catch another fish."

The prettiest and kindest of the three girls was the youngest. She said goodbye to her mother and sisters and the next morning went down to the sea with her father. The black man led the girl in another world where there was a beautiful palace with servants who were expecting her.

At first she was happy, but until that time she had been married for a year and had never known her husband,so she was very unhappy for that.

One day her husband left angry, because she tried to know him as her mother told her to do when she visited her in the palace. From this moment the girl began to walk night and day in search of her husband. The girl met on her travels three old women who were really Fates who wanted her to find her husband.

In the end after many adventures she found him and they lived in happiness ever after.

Love at first sight

2009-08-04T23:12:00.012+03:00

It was a man Mark who lived in Spain in a small beautiful village. He was very lonely and isolated so every day in the afternoon he went for a walk in the main street of the village where there were many shops.

One day he decided to buy a cat or a dog from a pet shop because he wanted to have a company. As soon as he got in the shop he didn't know what was going happen to him. First he looked around the place looking for the pet which he wanted to buy. Next he advanced toward the shop assistant to help him with what he wanted to buy. While he was looking at her he was feeling his heart beating very loudly. He fell in love with her at first sight. But the assistant Maria felt the same about him too. They took to each other immediately.

So after that they were living together in a small house with happiness and passion in the begging but after a while they didn't get on well because of different financial problems probably.They didn't get over their problems and they fell out every day so Maria left the house desperate by this situation.

At that time Mark won the lottery and he was very happy about it. At once he bought a mansion and many animals and he thought that he reached Maria's expectations so it was the big break to made up again.

Finally they got back together and they lived happily ever after.

Hello Aliki!

2009-07-31T01:17:00.000+03:00

Welcome to the world of blogging!