PRACTICE # 2

I have been practice my listening skills with the web pages that Christina and Barby gave us. In some of them I did well but in other I flunked. I'm going to bone up on my grammar skills. Well, I hope see you tomorrow. I will go with a Christmas dish from my country.

Practice

Definitely only with practice we can master any field. I realized that I'm improving my Writing Skills, however I'm worried about the test. It is not easy this kind of exam, but it is common in ordinary life. When we apply to any job or any School they always test you to look at your proficient. I want to say to all my classmates good luck. I will see you next week.

PRESENTATION

LAST WEEK WAS MY PRESENTATION. IT WAS FULL OF TEARS BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY AND ALL PEOPLE THAT I LEFT BEHIND IN COLOMBIA. PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR CRYING, BUT I'M SO SENSITIVE. I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY HAS ENJOYED TO SEE MY PICTURES' FAMILY. CLASSMATES, YOU ARE SO KIND ALWAYS WITH ME. THANKS.

Good News

Today I just received from my daughter's school one letter where the Principal congratulated my child for her good performance in the school. I'm so happy about it. She is doing very well. She is so smart, but at the beginning I was worried about her adaptation process in America. Now I saw that she is making an effort to do her best with commitment in her assignments. I'm proud about her.

ONE MISTAKE IN MY IPOD

Today I left my Ipod connected to my computer, but by one mistake I pressed to synchronise it with the actual library and my old songs was erased completely. It was so sad because I don't have back up of those songs, so I have to collect them again to complete my music preference. I'm so sad about it because too much music that I love was deleted. Maybe in the future I have to be more careful.

THANKSGIVING

Yesterday was my first Thanksgiving day in America. It was special because I celebrated it with Marina (our classmate) my mother, my daughter , my mother's husband and his family. We cooked turkey, mash potatoes and pork. We gave thanks to God, because He brought us everyday all things that we have. I hope next year celebrate this day in a restaurant, because I don't like cooking too much. Thanks God for everything.

Family

I just find one person from my family who is helping me in many ways. In America I have to walk a long track to follow my dreams, but sometimes you feel like you don't know how. Although people like my cousin, who already walked trough it, is guiding me to achieve my goals. I'm happy about it. I hope to learn many things. Thanks God this person make an act of kindness with me and he does not wait anything back.

READING

Reading in English is a great effort to me, especially novels. I prefer other kind of reading. I chose Ana Frank diary. I hope finish it soon. I know that I have to do it, not only for my test, but for my own benefit. It is like Spanish, if you want to improve your skills you must read as much you can. I hope you are enjoying your reading.

Favorite Food

I forgot yesterday to tell you that I love Coffee too. I enjoyed to drink it in the morning and in the night. Sometimes when after my lunch, I prefer one coup of coffee. At the night it did not make me to asleep. Every morning I took my breakfast with coffee and milk and orange juice. Like Chocolate, it make me feel comfortable.

DRIVER LICENSE

I'm so happy, I just recieved my Driver License last week. It is amazing. I was nervous about the road test, but it took 5 or 8 minutes. I contracted a Driving School to rent a car and to orient me in the important things of the Test. To four months I did not drive a car, but it is like bike riding, you never forget it. Now I just need a car. I hope buy one when I begin to work.

COLD

Yesterday I had a cold. I sneezed whole day. This is the second time that it happen to me, I think it is because I came from a city where all the time is like summer, where the temperature is around 80 - 82 grades, so I'm not used at the cold wind of fall. I pray to be better to join the winter season in good health conditions. I don't want to miss more classes.

GDP: GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

Since the beginning of the economic crisis, the common question among the economists have been how much time it longs? One article wrote in BusinessWeek (Nov 2nd) by James C Cooper explain how the recession time may be over. Its article explain that the economists are more confident of the economy because, with the third quarter statistics of GDP in the hand, they could see how it rose showing economic recovery. Cooper told that "the combination of overly thin inventories and increased spending is a classic combination that will propel economic growth well into 2010" (page 12). It means that the effort of the businesses to drop their inventories fast plus increased demand, not only for the program "cash for clunker" it is the best sign of improving economy.

It is a good news to us that economy is better, but I think that we might wait to see how things could develop. It is a fact both the Financial market and the domestic demand are improving, but there are many things that must change in order to make things clear and to avoid that this kind of situation happen again, especially in the financial sector.

Catholic

There are many weeks without visit my Church, but today I went with my mother and my Child to the Church. I'm Catholic, but sometimes I'm lazy to go to Church every week. I will try to change it because it's important part of my religion because we celebrate the Eucharist, where the body and blood of Christ come to us.

I grew in a Catholic school and there I learned a lot things about my religion and they taught me the importance of the Eucharist. Sorry God, I'll try to be better with this.

BUSINESS WEEK

source picture> www.iied.org/files/images/India-farmer.jpg

In the past Business Week edition (October 19,2009) there is an article about India. The article says that India has fade recently an industrial revolution that has increased the GDP but exist many structural ramifications that are affecting the India's population.
In some places, the government has promised the sale of a lot acres of land to investors who want to build their companies there, because India have certain economic resources at low costs in its places, but there is an stagnation because the land owners don't want to sell their farms. It has become a big problem because those investors made many projections and plans and they are losing money by delaying their constructions.

In India, many people live from their farms, and it is all that they know in order to survive and to support their families, so if they sell their lands, they must move to other place where maybe they don't have the opportunity to work the land (cultivate) and they should search for a job. The owners don't want to sell their land because they feel it like their home and their heart. Also they allege that the price that the government offer is not the real price for each acre. Many people who already sold their land feel regret because they are unemployed. Others, with the same situation believe that it give them development because parallel many companies built home solutions with hospitals, schools, etc

The article talks that the people who must move to other place is more than the number of jobs created in each company, and not all companies planed to create hospitals, homes or school to their neighborhoods.

Here with have a planning problem and it could affects significantly the credibility of investors in India. Delays continue and it is like bomb time. India is a great country with a lot of potential who deserve be taken with sustainable development.

CHRISTINA

Image from: knox.tennessee.edu/photo_gallery/

Today Christina asked us to write in the blog. I want to write about teachers, especially Christina. The teaching job it is no easy. I had a little experience in this field. But you reward comes when you see progress in your students. Maybe Christina, our teacher, will not teach us again, but she will continue with us until we finish the program. I want to say to Christina thank you for all your patient. You deserve my admiration because you are a stronger woman, very confident and you look happy doing your job. I think I have learned a lot of things in English and also I improve my skills in this language. I'm sure that I have a long way to walk and I hope that the other teacher help me as Christina do. Thanks teacher for try to make us laugh. I enjoyed every class, even when I felt tired. Again Thank you.

SUPER QUEEN: MADONNA

Image from: www.madonna.com

IMAGE FROM : www.staronetickets.com/.../Madonna_tickets.aspx

In my blog, recently, I have written about music but I did not tell you that my favorite female singer is MADONNA The Queen. She is the best musician in the world to me. I know that exist in the world a lot excellent musicians, but I love her music and the way that she re-invent herself every year. I love how she has overcome many obstacles in her life like the loss of her mother when she was only 6 years, her first divorce, and I love the way that she leads her career. She is smart. I recognize that she has been controversial but in many cases I think is only a good strategy to catch our attention to her. I love songs like: Vogue, Like a Prayer, I'll remember, Frozen, Music, Hollywood, Miles Away, This used to be my playground, Nothing really matters, Jump, Forbidden Love, Hung up, Deeper and Deeper...any way... a lot songs. I have may of those songs in my Ipod. I dream some day to go to any Madonna's concert. Her performance is excellent. She dances, she plays with audience, she brings many special effects. SHE IS THE QUEEN.

MUSIC AGAIN: DEPECHE MODE

Music is my favorite hobby. Before Robbie Williams, one of my favorite groups is DEPECHE MODE. Again, It is a European crew who came from United Kingdom. They started their career in 1980, standing out as one of the best groups performances Alternative music and Electronic music. In all those years they achieved world famous with songs that sometimes sound depressive and others with a lot of energy. His vocalist is named David Gaham have had a spectacular performance, but sometimes his drugs addiction made the band look with no way. Although their discography include 12 albums. They are survivor, even their problems, they have a lot of hits in their career and they reached a certain maturity in their work.

The last album was named "Sounds of the Universe" and its first single was "Wrong". This song and its video has been nominated in both the "Best Rock Video" - UK MVA 09 category and the "Best Visual Effects In A Video" category. I saw the video many times in Internet, but really I can't hold to see it because I feel a little of claustrophobia, because it shows a man who is in a moving car, tied by hands and foot, and he saw around of himself how the car is moving through the street and he cannot do anything. The last part shows how the car collide. The song refers to a person who was born without "lucky".

Here I let you the lyric:
was born with the wrong sign
In the wrong house
With the wrong ascendancy
I took the wrong road
That led to The wrong tendencies
I was in the wrong place
At the wrong time
For the wrong reason
And the wrong rhyme
On the wrong day
Of the wrong week
Used the wrong method
With the wrong technique
Wrong
Wrong
There's something wrong with me chemically
Something wrong with me inherently
The wrong mix
In the wrong genes
I reached the wrong ends
By the wrong means
It was the wrong plan
In the wrong hands
The wrong theory
For the wrong man
The wrong eyes
On the wrong prize
The wrong questions
With the wrong replies
Wrong
Wrong
I was marching to the wrong drum
With the wrong scum
Pissing out the wrong energy
Using all the wrong lines
And the wrong signs
With the wrong intensity
I was on the wrong page
Of the wrong book
With the wrong rendition
Of the wrong look
With the wrong moon
Every wrong night
With the wrong tune playing
Till it sounded right,
yeah
Wrong
Wrong
Too long

THANKS TO MY CLASSMATES AND MY TEACHER

Yesterday it was an unbelievable day. Honestly, I have never imagined that you are collecting money to my birthday. It was surprising to me. I enjoyed very much with you. I love chocolate cake and I love Tostitos, so it was the perfect mix. I want to thank all. I told to my parents and they were surprise too. This year was my first birthday out of my country and out of my family (I enjoyed only with my daughter). Also, this year is important to me because I climb other step in my life, I'm 30 years old and this it is a new stage with different things to do. I reached a lot of things that I wanted, but there are others things that I dream to be come true. Again I want to thank all. We are the CUCU CLASS....I'm happy to stay with you in this moment of my life.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS (SINGER)

HONESTLY, I HAVE NEVER IMAGINED A ROBBIE WILLIAMS (SINGER), SINGING A SONG ABOUT JESUS IN THE WAY THAT HE ACTUALLY DID. HE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTIST. HE IS FROM UNITED KINGDOM. HE CAME FROM THE CREW "TAKE THAT" A FAMOUS GROUP OF TEENAGERS IN NINETY DECADE.

I LOVE THE WAY THAT HE WRITES HIS SONGS BECAUSE HE ALWAYS PUT A LOT OF FORCE IN THEY, BUT RECENTLY SOME SONGS WERE BORING TO ME. NOW I FOUND IN MY MAIL THAT HE IS PROMOTING HIS NEW ALBUM CALLED " “Reality Killed the Video Star” AND HIS FIRST SINGLE IS CALLED "BODIES". IS A GREAT SONG ABOUT JESUS, AND HOW HE RECOGNIZES THAT JESUS DIED FOR US. HE SINGS THAT THINGS THAT WE WANT ARE ONLY LOOK BETTER TO OTHERS, MAYBE LIKE MERCHANDISE OR MATERIAL THINGS. IS A SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE. HE HAS A LOT OF REPERTORIES IN HIS CAREER. I LOVE HIM. HE IS MY "PAPASITO" (HOT BOY).

SORRY

This week, Jerry, Fabiola and Mirae had planed a trip to NYC. At first time I said Yes " I want to go with you" But last Friday my cousin Juan called me and he invited me to NYC this Saturday to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a difficult decision because I wanted to stay with my classmates, but at the same time I want to take the opportunity to knew this place. At the end, I decided to go with my cousin, that what I want to say to my classmates Sorry. I hope go with you next time. Thanks Jerry to called me today and asked me if I'm going with you to the trip. I expect that each one have enjoyed today.

Chavela

Chavela is my pet. She is 6 years old. She came with us from Colombia. But bringing Chavela to America was a problem. In my country we have an organization called ICA, this organization asked us several things for the cat to came to America. Then we though that one shot to made her sleep could help her and us to travel better, but it was worst, because the people from airline did not want to carry with our cat in that condition because maybe she could die in the flight. It was a mess. We were the last people to get on the plane. My mother had to sign a letter where she exonerating the airline from liability if the cat came to die on the flight. We though about the cat all the flight. But look her, She is alive. I love her.

WARNING

In the recent number of BusinnesWeek Magazine, there is an article about "America's High Tech Sweatshop". It article talks about how a few High Tech Tech companies are violating American Immigration Laws. Some companies are violating the law unwittingly but others intentionally abuse the immigrants.

The way how the system works is some companies unscrupulous put an advertisement outside the United States looking for workers with high professional level. When the worker applies, they ask him for a FEE to sponsor his Work Visa. Many times they pressure him to inflate his resume about his education or his job experience to make easier obtain a Visa and "to charge corporate clients higher fees for their service" (pag 36 , BusinessWeek October 12,2009). Some times workers never gets visa even they paid , but when they do, many times the company doesn't have a job for them. They come to U.S. but they have to search their selves a job, or the company places foreign workers at clients companies, then they put off part of their pay or charge to their fees for administration. This kind of worker cannot complain, because the company held their Visa documents, so they are afraid about it company revoked their Visa.

The magazine is clear to say that no all companies are involve in this kind of situations, and let us know an address on Internet to avoid abuse bx.businessweek.com/immigration/reference/. I recommend if we have a relative or friend searching a job in US let him know this page to dodge any kind of exploitation.

(Image from : www.inventati.org/.../images/cadenas.jpg
Below is the image at: www.inventati.org/.../pages/cadenas.htm)

BILLS

EVERY MONTH BILLS COME WITHOUT ANY CARE. I KNEW THAT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ONLY THING TO DO ABOUT IT IT'S PAY. NO MATTER WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO, WE MUST PAY EVERYTHING. ALTHOUGH, DURING THIS THREE MONTHS IN AMERICA, I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT ALL THINGS ARE TO HAVE COMFORT IN MY LIFE. I WANT TO THANKS TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING. HE GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE WAY TO PAY MY BILLS.

(IMAGE FROM: bulldogblog.net)

GRANDMOTHER

Today she is better. She recieved a visit fron her Doctor and he said that she has to be operate again to fix better her arm. She loves it Doctor because he changed her hip bones 10 years ago, and she is thankful with him because it surgery improved her health and she can walk without any help. He is a good person.