26 December 2021
Bokor Hill Station – Cambodia’s Abandoned Town
Even its birth was savage. Designed as a resort for the French colonists of the early twentieth century, the construction of Bokor Hill Station was complete by 1925. Built by indentured Cambodian laborers it took nine months to build. Almost a thousand men perished during that time.
21 December 2021
Using Structure to Plan a Story for GCSE English
How many times have you had a student, pen in hand, poised over a blank and unspoiled piece of paper, look up at you and plaintively say “I don’t know where to start!”? Me too.
It’s not
that they don’t have the words – they plainly do as otherwise you wouldn’t
spend half the lesson telling (commanding, imploring, encouraging – the verb is
interchangeable) half the class to be quiet.
Joking
aside, it isn’t about a lack of language or vocabulary (or writer’s block as
some of them insist!) – it’s about
structure. They are thinking too much
about content and not enough about organisation.
Jeremy Bentham
once said: “Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often
man forgets the flowers at his feet”. We must forgive the very gender-specific
language used by this pre-eminent eighteenth-century British philosopher and
social reformer – but he wasn’t wrong.
In the case of GCSE English, language is “the stars” and structure “the
flowers”.
Before you close the tab with a tut and move on, let me explain a little further. Language is – or at least seems to me – hugely over-represented in GCSE English. There’s a veritable tsunami of language for students to get to grips with – whether it’s in the twenty marks specifically targeted at the way that writers use language over the two papers – or the texts that must be read and understood to respond to Section A questions - not to mention the texts that students must themselves write for the final question of each paper.
19 December 2021
Krampus – Santa Claus’ Secret Weapon
What on earth has this creature of the night – more orc than elf – to do with Christmas? If you have children you may well be aware of the mantra – if you don’t behave then Father Christmas won’t bring you anything. The idea behind Krampus is similar – only the threat is not that Santa won’t bring them anything but that Krampus will whip them in to the New Year.
Tis the Season
Have you ever wondered what Santa does with his time off? What about the reindeer, the presents and the Christmas trees? Not spared a second thought?
Well, perhaps it’s time for you to look in to the secret lives of these yuletide characters, take a peek through the proverbial keyhole as it were. This marvelously silly animation comes courtesy of Jens and Anna of Animate Me.
12 December 2021
How Did Music Begin?
If you have a child who has asked this question then you know that, on first appearance, it sounds quite straightforward. However, the answer is a little more convoluted than you might expect.
Instead of boring said child with your own answer, why not sit the little cherub down in front of this wonderful animation. It manages to take in around ten thousand years of musical history in a little over three minutes and should answer the first question rather well - although it may provoke even more.
This short animation was part of the Science Club series on the UK TV channel BBC2 hosted by Dara O Briain. It was created by Asa Lucander.
The Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis
Epoch
A pair of demigods, Luna and Ram, alters the course of mankind through the selfish acts and desires of their timeless love affair. Directed by John Robson and starring Denise Xavier and Nick Denbeigh, Epoch is grandiose, epic and breath-takingly shot as it follows the trail of devastation left by the pair. Yet if not for our eyes, our hands, our dreams and our suffering they would cease to exist…
The Bizarre Hammerhead Worm
Image Credit Wikimedia
Beerbug
Old Joe runs a struggling gas station and so he feels well within his rights to sink a few beers once the sun sets. Yet one evening his favorite beverage seems to be going down a little too quickly and he soon determines to grab his gun and hunt down the culprit. Yet when worlds collide there is, sometimes a solution as is shown in this very funny animated short written and directed by Ander Mendia and produced by Katue Studio.
The Phantom Inventory
A bailiff visits the apartment of an old man who collects memories that people do not want. As he takes his inventory of objects to be seized he discovers a giant attic which contains more than he had bargained for.
If you love a good ghost story then I don’t think you will be disappointed by this wonderfully done animated short by Franck Dion.
11 December 2021
Liverpool fans named the “sexiest” supporters in the Premier League
There is no doubt that football is a global sport loved by many people from all walks of life. Consequently, the English Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues globally. Football clubs from England have the largest fan base in the world.
Football teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea,
Manchester United, and Arsenal have hot football fans worldwide wearing their
jerseys and supporting them whenever they are playing. However, it is hard to
determine which football team has the most fans. Liverpool is one of the most popular
teams on https://www.mightytips.com/bookmakers/portugal-betting-sites/
and was recently voted the team with the hottest football
fans in the Premier League. Many funs bet to their
favorite team and win.
The survey organizers asked fans to vote which
football club has the hottest fans among the teams in the premier league.
Liverpool football club came out on top after receiving 26% of the vote ahead
of Chelsea with 20%. Manchester United and Arsenal, with 18 and 17%, completed
the top four positions for the league's best-looking fans, respectively.
However, the survey indicated that Southampton received one percent of the
total vote.
Famous fans of Clubs in the Premier league
The Premier League top football clubs have their
fair share of famous fans and celebrities that support them. However, the
lesser-known clubs also have prominent supporters, including politicians. Here
are some famous fans of football clubs:
●
Daniel Craig
007, aka James Bond, is a dedicated
Liverpool supporter. He has attended many games at Anfield over the years.
Craig has supported the "reds" since he was young. His love for
Liverpool has generated controversy in recent times. Some people state that it
is wrong for him to be affiliated with any club because of his role as “James
Bond” since the character belongs to the whole of England.
●
Idris Elba
The famous London-born actor is an
Arsenal fan. He has watched the Gunners many times. He complained about the
club’s failure to win significant trophies in recent times.
●
Kelvin Costner
Costner became an Arsenal fan when
he filmed the movie “Robin Hood” in England two decades ago and became enamored with England's football style and fan culture.
●
Samuel L. Jackson
The celebrated Hollywood star fell
in love with Liverpool when he shot the movie “51st state “ in the
city, watching a game in Anfield. He has not stopped supporting the team since
then.
●
Tom Hanks
The famous “forest Gump” and
"Saving Private Ryan" actor is a big fan of football. Hanks support
Aston Villa – not what you expect, right? He has been seen with the club jersey
on many occasions.
●
Tim Lovejoy
The former soccer AM presenter is a
lifelong celebrity Chelsea fan, and he can often be seen at Stamford Bridge.
●
Usain Bolt
The Jamaican athlete and Olympics
gold medalist is a die-hard Manchester
United fan. He attends games at old Trafford regularly and is seen with the
club’s Jersey on many occasions. Bolt wanted to play for the club after
retiring from athletics a few years ago.
Other famous names, including Mila Kunis,
Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna, have pledged their support to various English
Premier League clubs. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are rumored
to support West Ham United and Chelsea respectively.
Best football fans in the world
The answer to the best football fans in the
world is complicated. But, it is a question every football fan will like to
know. Although there is no definite answer, Real Madrid and Manchester United
are broadly accepted as the football clubs with the largest supporters in the
world.
While it’s hard to determine exactly how many
fans do Liverpool have, their supporters are among the most committed fans
globally. Fans of both clubs are committed to creating a cauldron of noise at
home games.
Celebrities
married to footballers
These celebrities found love on the soccer
field. Some are married, some are engaged. But all of them are known for their
achievements. Below is the list of couples that made a list:
●
David and Victoria Beckham
The former Manchester United, Real
Madrid, PSG, and AC Milan players got married to the fashion designer, model,
and singer in 1999. Victoria Beckham rose to fame with her girl pop group, the
Spice Girls, and was called Posh Spice.
The couple has four children
together.
●
Gerard Pique and Shakira
Pique is a Spanish
professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona
and the Spanish national team. He is in a committed relationship with Columbian
singer, songwriter, dancer Shakira. The couple began dating in 2011 and had
their first child two years later. Their second son came in 2015.
Many people around the world watch football daily. Most of these people support clubs in the English Premier League. You can learn more about celebrities and the club they support here.
1 December 2021
The Rise of the Eagle Twins
Many people would like to start up a business over the internet yet many struggle to find the right product to market. The Gradinar twins, Andrei and Igor, didn’t have to worry – they already knew the name of their “product” from the outset – themselves! An interest in sports and fitness led the brothers, originally from Moldova, to develop an online presence which has proven a great success.
As well as
containing some fantastic fitness advice, their videos and pictures show a
great sense of humour that shows a lighter side to their personalities – not to
mention a savvy understanding of the kind of content that goes down well on the
internet. As well as YouTube, they have
online presences on TikTok and Instagram.
Their
slickly designed Russian language website is called the Eagle Twins – which is
a great name for a pair of young men who are set to fly high! As well as appealing to the Russian fitness
market, the twins are just launching their English language version on YouTube.
The twins
started at Lewisham College when they were 16, successfully completing the L2
Business course. Now 17, they have progressed on to the Level 3 Diploma in
Business. We took a little time out to ask Andrei and Igor some questions about
how they developed their online business.
It’s an interesting story about how something that started just for fun
became a serious business.
How did you first decide to create an online presence? Did you plan it as a business from the start?
When we
first decided to start making content online, of course we hoped that someday
we would get paid, but honestly, we didn’t really believe it would happen. We
were doing it just for fun.
What was
your vision when you started? Is it different today?
We were
just having fun when we started making content online, now we have a clear
vision of becoming TOP fitness bloggers in the world. We’ve a Russian language
channel on YouTube with 120k subscriber and recently we started filming in ENG
(channel: “Igor Graf”)
Where
did you start? Facebook? YouTube? Instagram?
We started
filming on YouTube, then Instagram and TikTok.
How fast
did things start to happen? Did it take a long time?
It took
around 3-4 months to gain 1000 subscribers on YouTube. In the next 3 months we got
10k and from there, step by step we’ve gained 120k subscribers, but for us we
hope that is only the beginning.
Is there
anything you know now that you wish you had known when you started?
Nothing
comes easy, you have to work hard to see any results. A crazy idea is the most
important thing when it comes to getting views on any platform.
Do you
ever feel like giving up? What do you do to get past that?
Sometimes.
When we feel like that, we just try to remember why we started and what we will
get if we don’t give up and work even harder.
What
advice would you give anyone who wants to start an online business?
Always keep
in mind things that stands you apart from others. Your rewards in life will
always be in the exact proportion as your service.
Why are
you studying business at Lewisham College? What do you plan to do next?
I am studying
Business L3 year 1, because I want to know more about business and it also
improves my English, because I’m from Moldova.
Lewisham
College is, of course, very happy to place host to Andrei and Igor’s
study. The Head of Faculty for Business,
Digital Skills and Performing Arts, Adu Antwi is proud of their achievements.
“It’s wonderful to see two of our young students doing so well as online
entrepreneurs,” he said. “I hope that Andrei and Igor will use their Level 3
Business course to develop their business even further. I’m sure that we have a lot to learn from
them as well!”
You can
find out more about Andrei and Igor and their fitness journey on the social
media channels below.
Pictures by permission.