Have you ever slept inside a dog? Dog Bark Park Inn

Dog Bark Park Inn
Idaho USA


"Dog Bark Park Inn is a bed & breakfast guesthouse inside the World's Biggest Beagle.
Guests enter the body of the beagle from a private 2nd story deck. Some of the dog's decorative furnishings are carvings by Dog Bark Park chainsaw artists Dennis & Frances.
Inside and up another level to the head of the dog is a loft room with additional sleeping space plus a cozy alcove in the muzzle."
http://www.dogbarkparkinn.com/

At Dog Bark Park Inn sleeping in the doghouse is a good thing!

Named a Best of America by Reader's Digest, July 2009

Welcome back after the summer break. Today's entry is about DOG BARK PARK INN. As you can see, it is not a very usual design for a hotel or B&B.
To start practicing your writing, you can describe peculiar hotels, restaurants, bars, etc you have visited this summer or any other time.

THE FLATMATES . A letter.

Some listening practice for you: a letter!

Vacancy reference: Assistant Manager!

The Flatmates are short BBC Learning English episodes whose chareacters are four flatmates: Tim, Helen, Khalid, alice and Michal.

Do you find useful these short BBC episodes?

from: bbclearningenglish.com

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/

HAPPY EASTER!

http://www.list.co.uk/article/16945-easter-eggcitement/

http://blog.jumpitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/happyeaster.png

WHAT IS EASTER ?Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ's rising from the dead (His Resurrection) after His crucifixion which took place on what we now term Good Friday.Easter is usually celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Vernal or Spring Equinox on March 21st. This can be any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. It is the most sacred of all the Christian holidays or celebrations.Christ's return (or rising) from death is called the Resurrection. According to the scriptures, Christ's tomb was empty three days after His death, which is commemorated on Good Friday. His followers saw Him and talked to Him after this. Christians therefore believe that they have the hope of a new life (an everlasting life in Heaven) after their earthly death.
WHAT IS THE HOLY WEEK ?The Holy week is the last week of Lent. It begins with the observance of Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter Sunday. The name, Palm Sunday originated from Jesus's entry in Jerusalem. The crowd laid carpets of palms on the street for Him. The Last Supper is commemorated on Holy Thursday of special week (often called Maundy Thursday) and Friday is the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Lenten season and Holy week end with Easter Sunday (the Resurrection of Jesus Christ).
HOW DID EASTER GET ITS NAME ?The English name "Easter" is much newer. Before Christianity in early England, the people celebrated the vernal equinox with a feast honoring Eostre, the Pagan goddess of spring. When the early English Christians wanted others to accept Christianity, they decided to use the name Easter for this holiday so that it would match the name of the old spring celebration. This made it more comfortable for other people to accept Christianity. Some believed that the word Easter came from an early German word "eostarun", meaning dawn and white. Newly baptized Christians wore white clothes as a sign of their new life on Easter.
NAMES OF EASTEREaster was called Pesach by early Christians. It is the Hebrew name for Passover. Today, the name for Easter in many cultures in Europe are similar to the word Pesah. For example :France -Paques /Spain -Pascua /Italy -Pasqua /Albania -Pashke/ Greece -Pascha /Norway -Paaske /Holland -Pasen /Sweden -Pask
EASTER EGG As Christianity spread, more familiar traditions, symbols and celebrations of spring were associated with Easter . One of the oldest spring symbols in the world is the egg. The oval shape of the egg was the same shape for a raindrop and a seed. These two were important life-giving elements. The egg itself promises new life as in spring, birds, and many other animals are hatched from eggs. In fact, the Persians, Hindus and Egyptians believed that the world began with a single egg. In ancient China, Rome and Greece, eggs were given as springtime gifts. In Polland and Russia, hours are spent on drawing intricate designs on Easter eggs. In England, members of the royal families gave each other gold-covered eggs as Easter gifts in the middle ages. The most famous Easter egg decorator was Peter Carl Faberge. He designed eggs from gold, silver and other precious gems for kings of Europe and czars of Russia. These eggs are priceless now and can only be found in museums and private collections. In early America, children decorated their eggs by using dyes made from natural materials like fruit and leave coloring.
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Holidays/Easter/

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

thegreenroombar.wordpress.com/2009/03/

thelands.wordpress.com/.../

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

Welcome to St-Patricks-Day.com for 2010!Dedicated to the Irish & Irish at Heart all around the World. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by the Irish and Irish at Heart in big cities and small towns alike with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Its a time for fun. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green! See all the Parades & Events going on around the World to celebrate St Patricks Day 2010

Well now St. Patrick's Day wouldn't exist if not for the man himself! But how much do we know about him? Did you know that he spent six years of slavery in Ireland until he escaped and undertook religious training abroad? Read more about this great man!
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick's Day and the "luck of the Irish" to go with it. There are many humorous explanations for this expression. One comes from the legend of the 'Little People' of the land, know as leprechauns. Finding or catching a leprechaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland ! The Irish are descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders. Their natural fighting skills often ensured survival & hence they became known as the 'lucky' people .a classic case of making your own luck ! But then "The Luck of the Irish" may all be legend.
Saint Patricks Day Parades Worldwide, Irish Pubs all around the globe, Fun Runs, Irish Associations, Irish Music Festivals, Irish Names, Irish Dancing Schools,Irish Music Irish Roots, Irish Festivals,Scottish Highland Games USA & Canada, as well as, Scottish Pipes & Drum Bands.
St Patricks Day is for thinking about our Saint as well as a time to think of loved ones across the water.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

May be some of the readers of this blog have attended some time St. Patrick's celebration and is eager to tell us!! You are all welcome, take a virtual"green pen" and start telling us. Happy St. Patrick's! Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!!

And some practice for your ears: do not miss these great videos on St. Patrick's Day: history, traditions, parades...
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

Many of our students travel really often and tell us about their impressions and discoveries while they are away.
Would you like to write about that very special corner, place, hotel, city, shop, ... you found out last summer, two years ago or last week????
Come on, use your keyboard right now!!!

I'll try and write about the first one. I'll show you a wonderful place I "discovered" a couple of summers ago that takes you for a while into the Arab world : extremely delicious teas, wonderful sweet treats and home made tasty confectionery and baking!! You can even smoke one of those exotic pipes. The tea list is written (drawn) on a wonderful paper, the decoration is superb, the place is incredible and the owners the best hosts. The customer is their most valuable jewel. You will learn what excellence in service and professional dedication mean.

There is also a small cozy hotel of 7 exclusive rooms you have to see.

The front door comes from a palace in Tetuán, some bronze lamps are handmade, original pigments from Marrakech

They offer whirlpool tub, wifi, satellite tv, welcome tea, wonderful breakfast, welcome fruit basket, etc. Really value for money.

The place: Arabia Riad
Address:Plaza del duque 5, 10003 CÁCERES

http://www.arabiariad.com/

Now it is your turn!!!!

BONFIRE NIGHT

"Oct 19 2009
In London and in the UK in general, we have a passion for fireworks (pyrotechnics) at this time of year. Halloween isn't really our thing, although more and more children's costumes are going on sale these days. We look forward to November 5th when we commemorate Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder in 1605, with King James I inside. He was caught before he could do any damage and was duly executed shortly after."

http://golondon.about.com/od/novemberannualevents/a/bonfire_night.htm

Have you ever enjoyed bonfire night in the UK?

Any other special date?

Any similar celebration in your place?

This is a good choice to write-write-write. Come on.

A bit rusty...

Feeling a bit rusty?

Start having a look at some tourism magazines, for instance, and then write a review for this blog.

http://www.tourism-review.com/magazine.php

http://www.bviwelcome.com/

http://www.nmmagazine.com/

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/

You can also write about your proyects for your Tourim studies this year, about your holidays this last summer, the chespest flight, the best/ worst experience, etc.

Any topic will do as long as you drop us a line.

Remember: practice makes perfect.

Tower of Hercules (Spain) inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List alongside two Swiss watch-making towns

picture taken from: http://www.farodevigo.es/secciones/noticia.jsp?pRef=2009062700_8_342837__Sociedad-y-Cultura-Torre-Hercules-Patrimonio-Humanidad

Tower of Hercules (Spain) inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List alongside two Swiss watch-making towns
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The World Heritage Committee, chaired by María Jesús San Segundo, the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO, has inscribed a Spanish lighthouse dating back to antiquity, The Tower of Hercules in La Coruña, on the World Heritage List alongside the watch-manufacturing towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle watch-making town-planning (Switzerland).
The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 meters. It is divided into three progressively smaller levels, the first of which corresponds to the Roman structure of the lighthouse. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity.
The site of La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle watch-making town-planning consists of two towns situated close to one another in a remote environment in the Swiss Jura mountains, on land ill-suited to farming. Their planning and buildings reflect watch-makers’ need of rational organization. Planned in the early 19th century, after extensive fires, the towns owed their existence to this single industry. Their layout along an open-ended scheme of parallel strips on which residential housing and workshops are intermingled reflects the needs of the local watch-making culture that dates to the 17th century and is still alive today. The site presents outstanding examples of mono-industrial manufacturing-towns which are well preserved and still active. The urban planning of both towns has accommodated the transition from the artisanal production of a cottage industry to the more concentrated factory production of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The town of La Chaux-de-Fonds was described by Karl Marx as a “huge factory-town” in Das Kapital where he analyzed the division of labour in the watch-making industry of the Jura.
The World Heritage Committee will continue inscribing sites and examining the state of properties already included on the List over coming days. It remains in session until 30 June.

Photos: http://www.unesco.org/en/whc/photos

source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/532

Sleepinginairports.net

"For travellers who are REALLY on a budget and are looking for a way to skim a few bucks off their travel expenses, why not consider sleeping in an airport? Why spend money on a night in the airport hotel when an inflatable raft on the airport floor is free? Sure it may sound a little hard-core at first, but read-on and you'll soon discover a travel community, that for 13 years has been sharing airport reviews, travel advice and "how-to" tips for the uninitiated airport sleeper. Your friends and family may look at you funny when you return with your airport stories, but as you'll read here and on our blog, that's only part of the fun.

So now, sit back....get out your travel itinerary and read the latest airport reviews. You'll soon discover which airports you can sleep in and those which you should avoid altogether during your next trip. Airport Hotels will soon be an expense of the past!

Whether you sleep in an airport by choice or get stranded due to some airline mess-up, let sleepinginairports.com help you make your stay more enjoyable."

http://www.sleepinginairports.net/

IS THIS YOUR LUGGAGE?

IS THIS YOUR LUGGAGE?

http://www.isthisyourluggage.com/Site/LANDING.html

This is not exactly a link about luggage but I'm sure it will suggest you many interesting things to write about.

Is this art?

A performance?

Just photographs?

Have you ever wondered where lost luggage goes, what happens when you can't find it...

Good practice for your writing...

the American Diner Museum

http://www.americandinermuseum.org/site/

About the American Diner Museum

"Since 1996, the American Diner Museum has been focused on celebrating and preserving the cultural and historical significance of the American diner, a unique American institution. The museum also hopes to recognize and share the importance of diners nationally and internationally.

The ADM considers it a crucial part of its mission to save the vintage diners that are in danger of extinction from, among other things, redevelopment of property and unnecessary demolition.
The Museum is a tribute to the individuals who built, operated and worked in the diners and to those who continue the diner tradition into the 21st century.
Although the museum does not have an exhibit space, we consider every diner to be a living museum. Many items from our collection are loaned to other orgaizations for their respective diner exhibits"

"What is a diner? A true "diner" is a prefabricated structure built at an assembly site and transported to a permanent location for installation to serve prepared food. Webster's Dictionary defines a diner as "a restaurant in the shape of a railroad car." The word "diner" is a derivative of "dining car" and diner designs reflected the styling that manufacturers borrowed from railroad dining cars. A diner is usually outfitted with a counter, stools and a food preparation or service area along the back wall. Decommissioned railroad passenger cars and trolleys were often converted into diners by those who could not afford to purchase a new diner"

http://www.americandinermuseum.org/site/

Would you like to write something about this museum? Any similar one you may know?

Magazines for passengers

Would you like to read some English magazines? Free magazines?

These are the ones for passengers travelling with Easyjet, Ryanair, and several other airlines.

You can also find previous numbers.

Have a nice reading!

http://www.ink-live.com/

Easter in Spain

Last year we gave you some info about Easter in English speaking countries.

This time we'd like you to write in English about Easter in Spain.

Try to describe what Semana Santa is, our traditions, our recipes, what you do in your place or even to translate (or explain) what torrijas, pasos, nazarenos, saetas, etc. are.

Here is a link to help you start:
http://www.euroclubschools.org/page37.htm

Remeber writing is a very good practice for you and this is one of the places to improve it!!

Happy Easter!

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Are you going abroad for your Christmas shopping?
Some people in France, Spain, Germany or Portugal go to London for a weekend to do their Xmas.shopping. Harrods is a must as well as its Christmas lights. Legendary!
Tell us about your xmas shopping! Will we all go shopping despite the hackneyed crisis? Which are your plans? Are you a last minute buyer? TELL US!
oh! and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

REMEMBER REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER…

Who are they?


What does this bonfire mean?



Who is this guy here?





Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
’twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!
A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

(Source: http://mildcolonialboy.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/remember-remember-the-fifth-of-november/ )




Tell us if you have heard of this man, about gunpowder,treason and plot, etc.

What do you think of Guy Fawkes?

Do some listening too:

· if you have 2 minutes only and want a funny one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2stU2AGrSy4

· if you have 6 minutes, give us your opinion on:
http://crackle.com/c/How_To/Guy_Fawkes_fireworks/1621672

· if you have 7 minutes, give us your opinion on:
http://video.google.es/videosearch?q=guy+fawkes&hl=es&emb=0&aq=-1&oq=#

· if you have 28 minutes, try BBC’s (and then write!!) :
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=- 1784792634788226531&ei=IDcGSeOoIJHS2gLkg8AM&q=guy+fawkes&hl=es

BOO!

Halloween is round the corner, are you going to be a part of it?? Will you be a witch or a scarecrow? A black cat? Will you try Trick or Treat?
Carve a pumpkin? Listen: http://www.expertvillage.com/video/43280_creative-pumpkin-carving-weapons.htm
Why do you think Halloween has become so popular in Spain?
Have you heard of Samain as well?
We are looking forward to reading your comments. Boo!

Birth of a company

Have you created a company? If so, congratulations, otherwise you can learn something about how to do it or just make some comments about it, on this blog http://birthofacompany.blogspot.com/.

This is a blog from one of you partners. He's trying to create a company, so he's divided the process in several steps. Oscar is writing about each step. If you thing he is right or not, write a comment on his blog. If you have a different opinion about the process, tell it to him. This is a good opportunity for you to write in English about something very important for you: your future job.

Don't be shy! This is good for you.

Remember you can find other students or teachers' blogs in the links on your right. Try some of them!

How and when did Japan receive its name?

How and when did Japan receive its name?

The English word for Japan came to the west from early trade routes. The early Mandarin Chinese word for Japan was recorded by Marco Polo as Cipangu. The two Chinese characters may be translated as "origin of the sun" or "land of the rising sun". However, the Cantonese word for Japan, from which the word Japan was probably originally born, is Jatbun. In Malay the Cantonese word became Japang and was thus encountered by Portuguese traders in Malacca in the 16th century. It is thought the Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded in English in 1577 spelled Giapan.The Japanese flag is called Hinomaru (circle of the sun). The red circle on the white background symbolizes the sun.

Stuying Tourism in the Antipodes.
Have a look at what they do and improve your vocabulary while reading.

Study, travel, work, explore…We invite you to discover education in paradise

You are invited to study at New Zealand's only resort college. Queenstown Resort College offers world-class hospitality and tourism education at all levels - from tertiary students to industry executives, tourists and visitor groups.
Located in Queenstown, New Zealand, our education facility offers hospitality management training, adventure tourism education, internships, English language, short courses for visitors, personal and leadership development courses, customised programmes and more.
Study at our unique resort college set amongst the most spectacular scenery in the world.

http://www.queenstownresortcollege.com

Why do airlines overbook flights?

Why do airlines overbook flights?Airlines routinely overbook flights to compensate for no-shows: people who reschedule or opt not to fly. An empty seat on a plane means a loss of revenue to an airline.Overbooking is a standard practice and perfectly legal. Many airlines regularly overbook busy routes by as much as 200 percent. By law, all bumped passengers are entitled to some form of compensation, usually in the form of a free ticket.Thus, the airlines have to balance the risk of a no-show with the compensation they have to pay to bumped passengers. They overbook according to a number of variables: whether it's a holiday season, how the airline market is doing in general, and perhaps most importantly, a specific flight's history of no-shows.An average of 50,000 passengers are bumped by the nation's ten largest airlines every year.
From: www.top-greetings.com