I can speak about NATURE

This week we are talking about amazing and extraordinary Mother nature. Have you already watched "Oceans" by Jacques Perrin???

Documentaries are becoming more and more popular nowadays. That's, probably, the first time in the history of the cinema that they actually pay off and are really popular with spectators.
The release of a new documentary "Oceans" filmed by Jacques Perrin, the director of "Misrocosmos", "Genesis" and "Winged migration" is a box office hit (popular and financially successful).
Watching these documentaries you realize how amazing and extraordinary our Mother nature is. All the contemporary science fiction movies can not surpass nature. Watch it! Highly recommended!

Marketing & advertising

"Doing business without advertising is like 'winking' at a girl in the dark.

You know what you are doing, but no one else does." Walter Seward

Excalibur

 "Excalibur" - a story about King Arthur, his knights and Camelot. Adapted for lower intermediate level. Read & listen!

Chapter 1-2  

Chapter 3-4  

Chapter 5   
To be continued ... 

寿司 / Sushi

„You can't go anywhere without having a sushi bar. I think it's right behind McDonald's.”

Yes, sushi is becoming quite popular food in our country nowadays. A year ago, I did not know much about it and hadn’t tried it. But, I can call last year “Sushi revelation” :) Within 2009, I tried sushi, liked it, learned how to make it and delivered a do-it-yourself class.

HOLIDAYS, hurrah!

Winter Holidays. Such a pleasant period of a year! I personally like these holidays the best. I guess I fancy the idea of a re-birth, new possibilities and impressions.

Anyway, let me ask you a question. Do you want to know how to talk about the forthcoming holidays in English? If so, here is the list of recommended sources:

Vocabulary:

Christmas & New Year vocabulary from BBC  

 Who is St. Nicolas? 

Home task for Friday

You can find all the materials here

How to organize yourself & manage time

Today I want to dwell upon some basic things connected with organizing yourself and managing time. These are not universal rules, just a few pieces of advice I’m using and they work for me. For three years now I’ve been using some techniques which help me in everyday life, I mean in planning my time and organizing my activities.
Before we proceed, let me ask you to do the test “How well do you plan?” Follow the instructions and add all the numbers you get. Next read this interpretation.
So, how do you feel? Are you an “excellent” or a “terrible” planner? Of course, this tiny test can not possibly be the one source you rely on, but still, it gives a general idea.
Anyway, when we speak about the advantages of planning our time, we can name at least these few:
1. gain time – when we plan, we get some extra time, we don’t waste it, ergo, we gain it!
2. it motivates – when you realize how much you have managed to do within a certain period of time, you are proud of yourself & feel motivated!
3. it reduces avoidance – meaning you don’t forget to do things
4. it promotes review – when you plan, write things down, you can analyse them as well as yourself
5. it reduces anxiety – you no longer have to worry that you have no time for something or may forget some stuff, you feel more confident.
Now, we know that planning time is useful, it’s definitely a good thing to be done, however we avoid it. We tend to avoid things we don’t know or the things that may cause some inconveniences, limit or scary us. But it’s like this only at the beginning, I guess the beginning of any activity, like skiing and stuff. First you are terrified and think if you need this in the first place. But after some time, you can’t do without it. It’s just the same exact situation with time management and organizing yourself. Just do it! I’ll try to give you a little push today, if you still need one.
I also started by a push from my friend. I was recommended to listen to several books/seminars connected with this topic. Here they are: “The art of managing your time” by Bodo Schafer, “21 Great Ways To Manage Your Time and double your productivity” by Brian Traicey and “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.