THE CITY OF THE LONER - Chapter 5

TETO’S
DISCOVERY

By a smashing ninety-two percent of the votes, the people rejected the idea of holding three celebrations, proving their preference for a single event. The organizing committee seemed to have known this ahead of time because they were able to present a schedule offestive activities almost immediately after the vote. It was as if they had been planning all along.

And they had been.

Efficiently, the group had prepared two plans, so that they would be ready for either decision.
Now, they needed only to follow the plan dictated by the popular vote. The celebration day would include speeches and sports, as well as free time for people to enjoy their leisure.

The people had spoken and their voice would be respected.

The first activity was held at 5:00AM when a certificate of recognition was
bestowed upon my father.

The morning sun had not broken over the horizon when Maestro led the national anthem. It was tradition. On all holidays and other special days, the national anthem was the first and the last song played. People crowded into the town hall stood with hands over their hearts reflecting love and respect as they sang.

My father was wearing a suit and tie, though he had long before given up wearing formal attire. My mother was elegantly dressed with a diamond brooch shining on the collar of her green jacket. She felt her legs tremble as the Chairman of the City Council handed her a beautifully
engraved heavy gold medallion on a chain to place on my father’s neck. While she adjusted the clasp, the crowd cheered, and she was overcome by emotion.

Two speeches followed. Both were short, especially my father’s. The City Council Chairman began by highlighting the aesthetic, social and human significance of each of the projects. Later on, with his voice rising in emotion he concluded, “our distinguished neighbor is truly deserving of honors, prizes, and praise for the services he has rendered to our community.”

My father improvised, merely thanking the Chairman for his kind words.
The entire audience applauded in standing ovation.

From this assembly, everyone moved outside to the patio, where breakfast would be served. More than twenty long tables were laden with varied breads, cookies, cakes, cheeses, wines, fruit and juices. An enormous cake, prepared by Baker was decorated in the shape of the bridge, river and monument square. People enjoyed a leisurely breakfast since there was no reason for hurry. They were free to enjoy not only the delicious food, but delightful company until the rising sun and heat of the day made the organizers encourage people to begin the street festival. Maestro and his marching band in their dress uniforms left the festivities, playing patriotic music as they marched to the bridge.

For more than a hour, groups of school children paraded over the bridge carrying colorful banners. Behind them came the City’s Sports Club, complete with floats designed to show the City’s history. Champion was there organizing this part of the parade. Even from far away, his incredibly tall athletes were easy to see as the procession ended. Priest blessed the public works and Mayor closed the official solemnities.

The population spent the rest of the day celebrating. They danced and sang and dove into the
river and the manmade lake as well, even though it was the river that was being inaugurated along with the bridge and the town square: the new pride of the City.

It was a pleasure to see the young people, unafraid climbing the bridge, scooting up the parapets and plunging into the crystal waters. Because my father had imagined this scene, he had planned for the river to be sufficiently deep to avoid any disasters.

In the afternoon, something unexpected and surprisingly agreeable, especially for my father
occurred. A contest in which swimmers would swim the entire length of the river, starting at the manmade lake was suggested by someone in the multitude. It turned out to be an easy task since the river’s current gently helped the participants along their way. All of the contestants
reached their goal, with the stronger swimmers, like Teto, who won, coming in first, and others like me paddling in from behind. I lost sight of Teto, not only because the advantage he had over me, but also because of the angle of the rays of sun that glared on the water. Teto didn’t seem bothered in the least as he moved farther and farther ahead of the group.

The sun died down into the water as if wanting to take the swimmer with it.

Teto didn’t even notice. He swam into the sunset as if, like the sun, death could be looked at
straight in the eye.

He swam.
And swam.
And swam.

The waters, at first comradely and supportive, gently pushing him downstream, suddenly frothed violently, dragging him down. It was a fight for him to escape the water’s fury.

Grand.
Unmeasured.
Greater than the fear of death.
Is the will to live.

Many people die because they cannot avoid one fatal instant. Teto could. After his close call, almost breathless, but safe, he was still able to appreciate his discovery: a splendid crystalline waterfall. Its color needless to say was the same as the waters of the Lake of the City. The ecstasy of his discovery made up for the agony of facing death, which he undoubtedly would do again, if necessary to behold the cascading waters.

The last rays of sun hit the surface, cutting the water and illuminating a bed of precious stones.
Teto was happy. Still panting, he collected enough strength to warn the nearest swimmer.

“A waterfall! A waterfall! I discovered a waterfall!”

Hearing the joy in Teto’s voice, that swimmer called out the news to the next, who passed it along to the next and so on forming a chain of communication. Carried by the wind, the news flew from swimmer to swimmer and soon reached the City.

“How naive I was!” my father thought.

“Worried only about the three projects underway, I didn’t stop to think that the river would obviously end in a waterfall. After all, we are on top of a hill!”

The streets were soon deserted because everyone wanted to see the waterfall. Mother, Father, the authorities, the marching band and the entire population...By the time they arrived, daylight had faded into night.

That night the band didn’t lead the crowd in the national anthem. Instead it played a new composition of soft and fleeting colors. The melody spilled into the waters and transformed into luminous happiness, lulling the people’s hearts with contentedness. I saw Mayor whisper something to my father, who simply shook his head and smiled in the direction of Priest. Mayor must have been suggesting a speech because Priest began to speak.

The prayer was brief. His touching words were poetic. He said that Nature was offering a divine gift to the City, pampering us with the Waterfall, which would complement our manmade works. He asked that all of us look to the heavens and contemplate stars which new to all of us, in fact, had been born millions of light years ago, but now shimmered in rhythm with our
own beating hearts.

“This unique beauty,” he concluded, “is God’s way to show affection for
the pride that we feel for this City.

That jubilant night my father was indeed filled with pride and affection,
and consequently, so were my mother and I.

Teaching Tips & Ideas - Part 2

ENGLISH THROUGH ACTING - THEATER AS A TEACHING AID.


A Play provides a realistic model of the way we talk. Not the exact model but it is closer than the contents of most English text-books.

1 – Selecting a Play. Modern – contains useful language – presenting an aspect of a culture where English is the native language. Avoid Shakespeare. He is absolutely marvelous but his English is not what we use in daily conversation. He wrote for a different time. His vocabulary and phrases are not what the young people of today need.

2 – “The Talk and Listen System”. It can train the “actors” to listen, to learn dialogues in a conversational tone – not reciting. In most classrooms situations, dialogues are read aloud rather than spoken as conversation. The “cue” for the listener to begin speaking is the Silence.
The student should not read the line to the other person, because we read completely different from the way we talk. There would be no problem on how often the actor refers to the script. A broken sentence like – “I am going downtown to buy a magazine”, could appear. But it is not a terrible thing because this is only a first part time. Maybe on the second time he’ll be able to put four or five words together and so on. This is important because the student is making communication – he is looking at the other actor – (eye contact). Acting is 50% listening. You can’t be a good actor without listening to what the other person is saying and to the way he is talking to you. The same is true in conversation.

3 – How to do it – Cards “A” and “B”

A – Why do you always do that?

A -...........................................................

B -...........................................................

B - Do what?

A - You Know. What you’re doing now.

B -............................................................

B - ...........................................................

B - Why? Does it bother you?

A - Oh, no. Not at all.

A -...........................................................

B - ...........................................................

B - You’re kind of a crazy.


Since “A” speaks first, “A” reads his first line to himself. “B”does not look at his card yet, but waits for “A” to speak to him. “A” then makes Eye Contact with “B”and says his first line to “B”. When “A” has finished speaking, “B” reads the first line in his card to himself, then looks up and says it to “A”. The entire dialogue is done this way. The students may refer to their cards as often as necessary, but whenever someone is speaking the other one should not be reading his line, trying to learn them, or planning how to say them. He should be LISTENING to the speaker. He can give a proper response only if he has been listening. When using a dialogue from a text-book or a play, the student should be careful not to read the line that is being spoken to him. In most cases a student who reads the line that is being spoken to him will hear his own INNER VOICE with its interpretation louder than the real voice of the speaker. (Richard Via)

Here Is A List Of People Engaged On The Teaching Thru Acting Process:

MAURICE IMHOOF: Mr. Imhoof has joined the growing number of persons connected with teaching English utilizing drama as a part of the learning process. Several years ago Mr. Imhoof had an experience in directing a shortened version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at The University of Kabul, Afghanistan.

TEREZINHA PINTO: Miss Pinto is also engaged on the process of teaching thru drama. She was a teacher for children and had also worked in one adaptation of Romeo and Juliet some years ago at Instituto Cultural Brazil/Estados Unidos – Minas Gerais – Brazil.

SARAH SHARIM PAZ: Miss Sharim Paz combines two professional interests. Drama and Language Teaching. Prior to becoming an instructor Miss Paz taught English in several secondary schools, and as a professional actress she appeared in more than 15 plays. She has also written scripts for radio and TV and directed the production of an original script “Shakespeare and his Time”. She has been a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages at The University of Chile.

RICHARD VIA: Mr. Via was a Visiting Researcher at the East-West Culture Learning Institute of Honolulu, Hawaii. Creator of the “Talking and Listen System” (The via Method), Mr. Via assumes that no one can start the very first English lesson by presenting a play. “Students do need the basics. They need some vocabulary. They need to know something about English before we jump right in with a play”.

DISADVANTAGES: The amount of time spent on rehearsals. 25 hours for one act – 120 hours for three acts. The problem of shyness. The understudies.

OUR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE: Some years ago we staged one of Mr. Via’s plays called “Never on Wednesdays” – a comedy. A Xmas celebration. The “actors” have been motivated and involved in the atmosphere of the performance and so have the audience. Also, some excerpts of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” have been produced (we did not avoid the Bard of Avon) and the whole experience was a real satisfaction. But that’s what it really was, an EXPERIENCE. The Via Method has not been used. HUGO CALDAS

Teaching Tips & Ideas

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE "THE" - PART 3

The Article THE is used:

- Before family names in the the plural:

e.g. THE Taylors are coming to dinner.

THE Simpsons are moving to California.

- Before proper names when the very name is used as an adjective:

e.g. THE Reagan Administration was quite inefficient.

- Before certain geographical names:

e.g. THE Philippines – THE United States –

THE United Kingdom - THE Baltic – THE Hague (city) –

THE Caribbean – THE Artic

THE Netherlands – THE Bahamas – THE West Indies – THE Balkans

- IT IS USED (generally) before the names of Rivers, Seas, Oceans, Chain of Mountains:

e.g. THE Thames - THE Volga – THE Danube – THE Rhine – THE Amazon

THE Nile – THE Pacific – THE Atlantic – THE Andes – THE Alps - THE Mediterranean – THE Red Sea.

- IT IS USED when the person or thing that is referred to is obvious within the situation:

e.g. THE milkman was late this morning.

THE Mailman hasn’t been here yet.

Have you seen THE Newspapers?

THE carpenter has done an excellent job.

THE mechanic has fixed my car last night

- With parts of the body and pieces of clothes the

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE is generally used instead of “THE”.

e.g. I hurt MY knee - Take off YOUR coat - She broke HER arm.

- IT IS USED to refer to all members of a class or nationality:

e.g. THE rich get richer and THE poor get poorer.

THE French are famous for their cooking.

- IT IS USED for inventions in general:

e.g. Who invented THE telephone ?

THE motor car has been with us for almost a century.

THE wheel was the most important invention for all mankind.

THE zip-fastener was a very useful invention.

- IT IS USED before superlatives:

e.g. THE fastest train in the world.

THE most important language.

THE cheapest European automobile.

- And in the idiomatic expressions: ....THE more... THE less...

e.g. THE more I read, THE less I understand.

- IT IS USED to indicate DECADES AND CENTURIES:

e.g. This movement took place in THE 60’s.

This movement took place in THE sixties.

That happened in THE XVI century.

That happened in THE sixteenth century.

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.
Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen....

"Careful," he said, "CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD!
You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW!
We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER?
They're going to STICK! Careful .. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You
NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up!
Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them.
You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT!
THE SALT!"

The wife stared at him. "What in the world is wrong with you?
You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"
The husband calmly replied,
"I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."

Optical Illusion:

HOW MANY HORSES CAN YOU SEE?

LAUGHTER'S THE BEST MEDICINE

HARD TO FIND

Two guys are quietly sitting in a boat fishing and sucking down beer when suddenly Mel says:

- I think I'm going to divorce my wife. She hasn't spoken to me in over 2 months.

Earl sips his beer and says:

- You'd better think it over. Women like that are hard to find !

Teaching Tips & Ideas

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE "THE" - Part 2

DO NOT use THE before the names of chemical elements, substances, metals, materials; animal or agricultural products, colors, arts, sciences etc., when used in a general sense:

e.g. Butter is made from cream
Wheat is grown in Canada and Argentina.
Coffee is appreciated all over the world.
Steel is harder than iron.
Blue is a beautiful color.
Hydrogen is the lightest gas.
I like history and music.
Sand is used in house building.

But, we use THE before the nouns above when they are limited or qualified:

e.g. THE steel used in ship building is a special one.
THE blue of the sky above us is absolutely marvelous.
THE history they teach at that school is completely wrong.
THE music that comes from that church is divine.
THE hydrogen that they produce at that factory is 100% pure.
THE sand they used to build that house is of poor quality.
THE butter that you bought is awful.
THE wheat grown in Canada is of excellent quality.
THE coffee which is exported from Colombia is of good quality.

DO NOT use before the names of the planets (except the Earth):

e.g. Jupiter is many times bigger than THE Earth.
Pluto is the farthest planet of the Solar System.

But, IT IS used before nouns that have a UNIQUE reference:

e.g. THE Sun THE Moon THE Atmosphere THE Sky THE Stars
THE North THE South THE East THE West.

THE CITY OF THE LONER - Chapter Four

4 - THE PLEBISCITE

In just a week, we had completely adapted to life in the City. Mom was welcomed, not only by the housewives on our street, but by all of the women in the City. She felt immensely at ease with these caring, attentive women, whose good natures radiated happiness. They welcomed her to join them in simple and true friendship.

“Who wouldn’t be happy in a place like this?” she asked, thanking God for guiding her when she made her choice.
My dad became a new man, filled with confidence. He even looked younger. He had found his
niche and was sure to grow professionally.

As soon as he arrived, his mind began to churn with fantastic ideas that would soon become
reality. He noticed at once that there were no rivers in the City, and even though the beautiful man-made lake was cherished by the population, he couldn’t accept that the landscape had no river and no bridges. In spite of the logical explanation that there was no water over which a bridge would span, it still seemed a shame. Finally and lamentably, he noticed that the City had neither a public square, garden nor park, where adults could meet and children could run and play.

Dad was an architect. He had the refined taste and sensitivity of landscapers and urban
planners. He specialized in beautification and humanization of cities. In the City, three of his projects, produced not only personal satisfaction for him, but also motives for pride for the City’s population. They also guaranteed my father’s name for posterity.

Dad started with the river. It was a simple project to implement. He said that it would consist of a deep channel dug into the earth, according to a preestablished route. Its source would be the Lake of the City, from which it would flow winding around some of the streets downtown past a few suburbs and finally spilling into the unknown. It was simple task in spite of its Babylonian
dimensions. The construction brought to mind projects of the Egyptian pharaohs.

Thousands of men worked like ants, each conscious of his responsibility. They dug into the soil, transferring the earth to the backs of trucks. When the trucks were loaded, their engines roared, and smoky fumes filled the air as they departed slowly dragging the weight.

When they finally finished their task, the river was beautiful with its crystalline water from the
man-made lake.

Surprisingly, the lake never dried up. It was as if there were no river at all draining its waters. Nothing changed, and the people of the City continued appreciating the view the Lake and the River that had become part of
their lives.

When the project was finished, my dad did not even consider stopping to rest.

“Stop? Not even to catch my breath!” he said as he got ready to build the bridge.

He chose a delightful spot. He wanted it to have a Baroque style, but had to carefully avoid a
clash with either the City’s 16th Century architecture or the more modern buildings nearby. The outcome would be admirable. In his mind he was positive that the man-made lake, the river and the town square — which would soon be built — would create perfect harmony.

In an area of the square that had the best view of the lawns, the flowerbeds and the children’s
playground, he built a monument. It was a transparent pedestal, tinged the color of the water of the Lake of the City. Its surfaces were planes of varied widths and heights. On the widest column, he placed a crystal plaque of similar transparency. At first, the people of the City were confused, thinking that the monument was incomplete: a pedestal without a statue and a plaque without an inscription. The people were curious, wondering whose memory would be
preserved on the beautiful work of art. Who would be honored?

No response was given. Yet, the people continued to admire the beauty and perfect equilibrium
of lines and forms of the anonymous monument.

Circling the monument, were tables and chairs that my dad had placed there, so that the area would become a meeting place, where people would sit and relax while enjoying unhurried, light, and happy conversations. For some time the main subject of conversation was the inauguration of the three public works. There was no way that the event would be forgotten because everyone enjoyed rehashing the entire process, especially the plebiscite and Teto's discovery of the waterfall.

A plebiscite was going to be held because the population was divided. One group wanted to have three separate parties, one for each project. The other was in favor of one magnificent celebration. That side defended its idea, saying that the river, the bridge and the town

square were indivisible, and therefore one project.

To end the disagreement, my dad suggested that the mayor consult the population. A true democrat, my father believed that problems that involved the population could only be solved with direct participation of the population.

“You’re suggesting a plebiscite?” asked the mayor.
“Yes,” answered my father.
“Okay. I agree.”

The mayor always listened to my father’s suggestions. He had learned to admire in him and to
confide in him from the time that he first saw Dad’s plans for the City. So, he immediately called Secretary and ordered that measures be taken to call the population to a plebiscite.

“What’s a plebiscite, Mayor?”
“You don’t know what a plebiscite is! Unbelievable! How can my Secretary, the Mayor’s
Secretary not know something of this nature.”

Mayor was irritated. He couldn’t accept that kind of ignorance, especially in someone in his own
cabinet.

“I’m sorry, but I must confess that it’s the first time that I ever heard the word.”

From the frankness of the Secretary, Mayor deduced that many other people in the community were also probably unaware. This would be a great opportunity to build consciousness among the citizens and to build his reputation as an enlightened politician. Looking straight into his Secretary's eyes, he gruffly stated his order.

“You know very well that I do not like to teach individuals over and over when a group could be
taught all at once. So, call a meeting for everyone who works for the municipal government. I’d like to address the entire group.”

The order was received and carried out.

That night the auditorium was full. Smiling and confident, Mayor made his way through the audience. What he planned to say was on the tip of his tongue.

What a beautiful speech!

He had a gift for speaking and he used it well. In the middle of his presentation at the perfect
moment, he delivered his message, his voice ringing with authority:

“...and consequently your city government will be presenting an idea to you, the people. It is you who will decide to accept or not accept the proposal. A Plebiscite is just that: the vote of the people “yes” or “no”.

He concluded his speech with two decrees; the first, convoking the people to the popular vote, and second, appointing a committee to be in charge of writing the proposal ballot.

As usual, Secretary went right about dispatching orders and everything was organized quickly. Soon two illustrious writers of the intellectual community began arguing over the best way to clearly word the proposal. One wanted to promote the single celebration; another supported three distinct commemorations.

Actually, there was no reason for the two to be in opposition: they realized that whatever the wording of the question, the will of the people, based on their votes, would prevail.

Luckily, the two men put their differences aside, and with a bit of understanding on both parts, the wall that divided them tumbled.

By the end of negotiations, the proposal
consisted of one short question:

“Do you want the inauguration of the three projects to consist of three separate celebrations? _____ YES _____NO

The people would mark their preference with an X to show their preference.

And that is how the plebiscite would be decided.

Teaching Tips & Ideas

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE “THE” - PART I

The study of the DEFINITE ARTICLE “THE” is quite simple as far as the English language is concerned. There’s only one form of THE for masculine and feminine, singular and plural. And neuter.

The boy - The boys - The Girl - The girls - The table - The tables (neuter).

The Definite Article THE is generally used to define, determine, qualify a thing (things) or a person (persons). Therefore, the use of the Article in English differs from most languages where it is sometimes used unecessarily.

(English) BOOKS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS - (books in general).
(Portuguese) OS LIVROS SÃO OS MEUS MELHORES AMIGOS.
THE BOOKS WHICH YOU BROUGHT ME ARE QUITE INTERESTING.
THE books, because they are determined, defined.

DO NOT use the Article THE before most proper nouns of:

Persons, Streets, Roads, States, Countries, Parks, etc.
Linda comes from Spain - He lives on Sunset Street.
I once walked in Central Park - Do you know Lincoln Road?

Before Possessives:
My car ran out of gas last night.
His house is near the beach.
Our grass is greener than theirs.
Sam’s computer is brand new.

Before nouns which refer to idioms:
She speaks both English and French.
Japanese is a very difficult language.
English is easier than Portuguese.

But...

THE French spoken in Saint Martin is quite difficult to understand.
THE Portuguese spoken in Brazil differs from that spoken in Portugal.

Before Titles when the name of the person is mentioned:
Queen Elizabeth II is in London presently.
King Henry VIII was a great monarch.
President Clinton won the elections once again.

But…

The Queen and the King are on travel.
The Secretary of State resigned last week.
The President has just arrived from another business trip in Europe
The Duke of Windsor died many years ago.

Before certain names of Mounts, Mountains, Lakes, and Capes.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
Lake Ontario is between Canada and The United States.
Cape Horn is miles away from here.
Lake Victoria is quite deep
Cape of Good Hope is located in South Africa.

But...

Names of mounts and mountains when not preceded by the word Mount or
Mountain TAKE the definite article THE:
The Everest – The Aconcagua – The Sugar Loaf – The Kilimanjaro
Also with the names of Volcanoes
The Etna – The Vesuvius

Before plural nouns used in a general sense:
Books are my best friends.
Working with the computer is his favorite entertainment.
Teachers must be patient.
Dogs are faithful,

But THE books you lent me are quite interesting.
THE records that are in the shelf are not mine.
THE teachers of this school are all native speakers.

Before Abstract Nouns used in a general sense:
Life is very hard for the people of Somalia.
Give me freedom or give me death!
Faith is a theological virtue.
Greed is one of the worst sins.

But, it is used with Abstract Nouns that are limited or qualified:

THE life they live there in Iraq is beyond imagination.
THE work that we do here is monotonous.
THE freedom of the seas....
THE faith of the Islamic people.....
THE greed that he has shown.....

THE CITY OF THE LONER - Chapter Three

3 - THE ENIGMA OF MY LIFE

The place where I come from is very far from here. I was born during a rainy season with heavy rains that never stopped. Many people were startled and spoke of floods and punishment by God. The world would surely come to an end under water again.

The rivers rose from their beds. Water invaded homes. Roofs leaked endlessly. Dams broke down or overflowed. Only the Lake of the City remained calm because of its enchantment. Frightening lightening and thunder split the sky and bellowed as never seen or heard before. Superstitious people put sulfurous rocks under their tables to prevent fires sparked by the lightning. Others made offerings of sets of keys to St. Pedro in hope that he would shut heaven’s gates and stop the downpour. Moved by uncontrollable fear, non-believers converted and praised the name of God. They were navigators without compasses, travelers without destinations that held onto faith as the only lifesaver.

And the rains continued stronger and stronger. One of the nights, when the storm was more violent than ever before, as the first light of dawn appeared, I was born.
Unexpectedly, the tempest stopped. Stars began to glitter in sparkling beauty across the sky.
In the living room, my father had been pacing, smoking nonstop, worrying about my mother and her labor pains. With him in nervous solidarity were some of his friends. They were caring neighbors: a husband and wife, and an old white-bearded man who liked to predict people’s futures.
Suddenly, after they heard the cry of the newborn, the midwife opened the door to the bedroom.
“It’s a boy!” she announced smiling.
Dad was overcome with happiness to the point that he was speechless. I was his first child:
a son.
“Just look at how beautiful he is,” the midwife said. “He looks just like a ‘Calunga’, a little doll.”
From that moment on, I was Calunga. It was a description that I liked and was proud of.
The old bearded man got up and changed his glasses to take a close look at me. He held my left hand and looked and looked and looked at it.
“Hmm.” he said, “I see a very good future for this boy. He will be carried on the shoulders of men to the sound of the crowd’s applause.”
The old man’s words echoed in the living room and were carried to the bedroom deep into my
mother’s being. Their sound reverberated throughout the years: “carried on the shoulders of men to the sound of applause” ... “carried on the shoulders of men to the sound
of applause”... My mother began to daydream about her wonderful son’s future. She also called me Calunga, a tender, loving way of addressing her handsome healthy son. (In fact, I never did get sick perhaps because my mother cared for my health so diligently.)
As time passed, I grew, perhaps even faster than time. By my second birthday party, I was much more developed than other two-year-olds. But then again, I was actually eight, having been born on February 29.
During those years, my mother continued to wonder about my future, “Could it be that he’ll become a politician? Perhaps mayor of this city?” “No, not a politician,” she answered in her mind. “My son couldn’t be a politician.” And so she dreamt on, basing her ideas on the
sweet logic of pure love: “A scholar, possibly a scientist?” she thought vainly adding, “A man who would make great contributions to humanity.” Like other mothers who hoped for the best for their children, she was filled with great aspirations for me.
There came a time, however, when suddenly awakening from her musings, she said out loud, “Only God knows the future, so may His will be done.” Even so, the words of the old white-bearded man continued to echo in her mind.
One morning she saw me playing soccer with my friends in a vacant lot near our house. She stopped to watch my moves: dribbling, passing, shooting goals.
“Eureka! I finally know!” she cried out. “My son is going to be a soccer star and will be carried on the shoulders of men to the sound of the crowd’s applause.”
Proud that she ha solved the riddle, she ran to meet my father to share her discovery.
“The prophecy will prove true,” she commented to friends.
Her confidence in the old man’s words was obvious, and the prediction took on a different tone, like a pleasant melody. Her maternal love could not permit that I face the future unprepared, and so that I would not be a shot in the dark, relying on her faith and
determination, she made a plan.
First of all, she went out and bought books about physical education. Shortly after, she set up a
relentless series of exercises to develop my muscles and coordination. Her orientation was brimming with dedication even in the kitchen.
“Your meals have vitamins A to Z, she kidded. “Enough for a horse!”
She remained motivated because her efforts had visible results in my athletic build and physical vigor. I was as strong then as I am today: a veritable tank .
My dad didn’t need to join her campaign. She had everything so carefully planned that any of
his suggestions just interfered. During this time, he was irritable, lacking any real incentive in his life. His boredom was the result of tedious, repetitive work and an unchanging routine. He began to feel like his life was a slow death.
He needed renewal and diversification in his life, so he decided that we would move. It was hard for him to convince my mother to leave the hometown, where she had grown up, married and had her first child. Used to living among friends made throughout the years,
she had never even considered leaving. Yet, my father helped her change her mind.
“It will be best for our son,” he said.
Deep inside, she knew that the change would be good, not for the boy, but for her husband himself.
She was quite aware that he was exploiting her motherly love to convince her to move.
Yet, whether this was true or not doesn’t matter. She finally gave in on one condition: that she
could choose the city where they would live.
“Wherever you wish,” my dad agreed.
“Then we’re off to the City,” she asserted.
It took a few days for Dad to make the arrangements and for Mom to organize the household
for moving. We traveled content and filled with high expectations for the new life awaiting us.
Truly, we felt as if we were entering a state of grace.

LAUGHTER’S THE BEST MEDICINE

This man in Phoenix calls his son in New York two days before Christmas and says," I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

- "Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.
- "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

- "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this."
She calls Phoenix immediately and screams at her father,

- "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing. DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

- The old man hangs up his phone, turns to his wife and says...
- "All right dear," they're coming for Christmas!"

Teaching Tips & Ideas

TIPS OF THE DAY – PREPOSITIONS

ACROSS -Indica movimento ou extensão por cima de um objeto, de um lado para outro.
Através de.

e.g. - He lives across the street.
She swam across the river.

AFTER - Depois de, após, atrás de, em busca ou no encalço de, à maneira de, abaixo de (graduação)

e.g. - After a storm comes a calm.
The letter arrived the day after.
Peter went after his brothers.
The policeman ran after the crook.
A painting after Rembrandt.
A captain comes after a major.

AGAINST - Contra, em contato com, para, (em previsão de).

e.g. - Let’s all fight against tyranny.
The public opinion was against Bill Clinton.
She was leaning against the wall.

OLD TRADITIONS

Now that the Xmas and New Year festivities are over and we have already enjoyed our annual leave period, how about taking a look at the old traditions? Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, but many Christmas traditions come from pagan, or non-Christian sources.

Christmas Trees come from a German pagan tradition. They were brought to the English (who later brought them to the US) by Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria. Evergreen Wreaths and Boughs. Wreaths are circles of leaves, berries and/or flowers that are usually placed on the front door. Boughs are tree branches. Evergreens are trees that stay green all year long. Because of this, they are pagan symbols of life. They were used to show that life is eternal and continues even in winter, the season of death. Decorating with Holly comes from the Roman solstice celebration called Saturnalia. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, when the sun shines for the least amount of time. In ancient Roman solstice celebrations, people gave each other Holly because they believed it kept away lightning and evil spirits during the long nights. People have exchanged gifts for thousands of years.

The Saturnalia in Rome took place at the beginning of the New Year. People gave presents as symbols of the good luck, prosperity, and happiness that they wanted their friends and family to have in the coming year. Christians credit the Magi, or Three Wise Men, with starting this tradition when they brought gifts to the Christ Child. Santa Claus is a mix of characters from many different traditions, all of them pagan: the Dutch St. Nick, the English Father Christmas, and the German Kris Kringle, among others. For centuries Norse and Germanic peoples have talked about the Yule Elf, who carries presents to people who leave him food on the Winter Solstice.