Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew was an Apostle, the older brother of Saint Peter. He went to Greece to preach the gospel, where he was martyred by crucifixion at Patras in Achaia, being tied to a cross which was shaped like the letter X; called ever since the “Saint Andrew’s cross” (it is said that Saint Andrew felt unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which Christ had been crucified). He made his cross a pulpit and even preached from it before dying.

The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.

The Ruins of the Castle of St Andrews by Captain John Sleezer (1814 edition)

The relics of Saint Andrew were brought to Scotland in Antiquity by St Rule and placed in a specially constructed chapel in Scotland. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and the town of St. Andrews, which took its name from the Apostle, became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for medieval pilgrims who came to see the relics. St. Andrews Cathedral was destroyed during the Scottish Reformation and is now in ruins.

St. Andrews from the Pier. Engraving by William Bartlett (over 100 years old)

St Andrews from the Pier nowadays

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Romania, Russia, Greece and Scotland. He died in the year 61 and his feast day is on  November 30, the national day of Scotland.

The town is home to the University of St Andrews, the third oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Britain's most prestigious. It is now 600 years old. This university became famous worldwide in 2011, when Prince William married Kate Middleton, since both had been students at the university where they met for the first time.

Rug at the entrance of the library.

Students from all over the world attend the university as either undergraduate or postgraduate students.

Graduation Day is a memorable day for students and their families.

St Andrews is a very charming, ancient town, in Fife, near a coastline with picturesque fishing villages.

It is also known worldwide as the "home of golf".

Two years ago I spent some days at St Andrews and I must admit that those were indeed very relaxing holidays!

St. Andrews, 2010

70 Years Ago...

Exactly 70 years ago, Casablanca premiered at the Hollywood Theater in New York. This is a tribute to one of the greatest movies of all time- Casablanca

National Day of the Sea

On November 16 we commemorate the National Day of the Sea in Portugal.

Strait Magellan

Portuguese Sea

O sea, how much of your salt

Is sharp with the tears of Portugal?

How many mothers have wept

And sons prayed vainly to cross you

And maidens remained unmarried

That we might claim you our own

O salty seas of Portugal.

And was the price too high?

Not if the soul can pay it

Not if the soul is big enough

To round the cape and discover

Further perils beyond

For God who created the waters

Made them also mirror his heaven.

  Fernando Pessoa (transl. John Betjeman)

                                                    Cape Horn, 2007 




                                                                        

November 11

 November 11 :

It is Veterans Day in USA.
Remembrance Day or Poppy Day in the UK. 

TEFL 2012

23 - 24 November 2012 

(Auditoriums 1 and 2, FCSH) 

15 December 2012 

(workshop follow-up exclusive for English teachers in Portugal who need creditation; Auditorium 2, FCSH) 

Foodscapes

Foodscape photographer Carl Warner uses fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to bring his imagination to life. He compares his work to Willy Wonka's creations in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His new pieces were aimed at encouraging healthier eating among younger children: "I use my work as a vehicle to get kids to think about what they are eating,"

Fishscape features rocks made of oyster shells and crab claws, boats made of marrows and asparagus, and a shining, silvery, slippery sea of fish.

Pumpkin Paradise

Mr Warner, who was born in Liverpool, said the work rekindled the 'childhood imagination' in adults.

Mr Warner starts work by drawing his ideas on paper. He then buys the produce and spends between one and three days assembling it with the help of pins and superglue. He then photographs it layer after layer from the foreground to the background and assembles them into one image in post-production. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/9664001/A-World-of-Food-amazing-foodscapes-by-Carl-Warner.html?frame=2392485

How this happened

President Obama won the presidential elections.


He kindly sent all supporters this email (at 6:28):

Teresa --

I'm about to go speak to the crowd here in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first.

I want you to know that this wasn't fate, and it wasn't an accident. You made this happen.

You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn't easy, you pressed forward.

I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started.

But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.

Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests.

There's a lot more work to do.

But for right now: Thank you.

Barack

CNN Takes Over Empire State Building

The Empire State Building spire is displaying projections from the CNN Election Center. With many states too close to call, the world is watching...

Lisbon, Portugal 2.49 GMT

November 2012 Newsletter

www.clever-pants.com

e-mail: portugal@clever-pants.com

It’s getting cold outside, but we’re here to warm you up with our Clever Pants Monthly newsletter.

Feeling adventurous? Then have a look at our idioms on the theme of danger and safety!

idiom (n): an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made

To throw caution to the wind

If you throw caution to the wind, you start taking risks and stop worrying about the danger involved.

“I was always so worried about having savings, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and buy myself a nice new car!”

A close shave

This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened. It originates from the days of the cut-throat razor being a risky way to have your beard cut!

“I almost hit the child who ran out in front of my car. It was a close shave.”

To batten down the hatches

A sailing term meaning to close all the windows on a ship in preparation for a storm. When you batten down the hatches, you prepare yourself for danger or a forthcoming difficult period.

“Susan is bringing her four young children to our house

today. Time to batten down the hatches!”

The coast is clear

Another idiom that comes from the world of sailing. To say that the coast is clear means that there is no danger in sight and it is safe to continue your activity.

“Relax! The coast is clear. The director has gone back into his office.”

Look before you leap

This is something you say when advising someone to think carefully about the possible dangers before doing something (leap (v.) is similar to jump and is usually used with off or out of, as in “leap off the edge of the cliff” or “He leapt out of bed”).

“Don't decide too quickly. Look before you leap!”

To be on the safe side

If you do something to be on the safe side, you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks.

“I think I locked the door but I'll c heck again to be on the safe side.”

Exercise:

Look at the phrases below. Try to complete them with one of the prepositions

At        to         in        for       on       about      into      towards

1. I can’t concentrate __________ what I’m doing because you are talking too much!

2. My parents always complain _____________ how untidy my bedroom is.

3. I think you should apologize_____________ her for what you did.

4. The film is aimed___________ younger people.

5. I aim ____________ pass all of my exams this year.

6. We have to translate this phrase ____________ English.

7. I was thinking ___________ the best way to do the exercise.

8. The reason ____________ the delay was the late arrival of the train.

9. There has been a big decrease__________ the temperature lately.

10. I think my attitude __________ doing homework needs to improve.

Solutions:

1-on

2- about

3-to

4-at

5-to

6-into

7-about 

8-for

9-in

10 towards

© Clever Pants 2012

www.clever-pants.com

Showcase 3

After the devastation of hurricane Sandy, New York is back in full splendour.

Obama for America

In the past week, President Obama received two powerful endorsements from leaders who aren't exactly partisan Democrats: Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City.

"The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast -in lost lives, lost homes and lost business -brought the stakes of Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief...the president has achieved some important victories on issues that will help define our future... If he listens to people on both sides of the aisle, and builds the trust of moderates, he can fulfill the hope he inspired four years ago and lead our country toward a better future for my children and yours. And that’s why I will be voting for him."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

With less than a week to go in this election, and millions of voters still making up their minds, I wish President Obama all the best for his reelection.

Manuel Luciano da Silva

Manuel Luciano da Silva (1926-2012) was a medical doctor . He was born in Portugal at Cavião, Vale de Cambra, in a humble family. In 1946 he left Portugal to join his father who was working in the USA as a sea captain in Brooklyn, New York. After his father´s death he came back to Portugal and got his medical degree in the University of Coimbra in 1957 with honours. One year later he decided to go back to USA where he worked as a doctor at St Luke´s hospital in New Bedford, MA and later in Bristol, RI. He retired from the medical activity in 1998 but his interest as investigator and author continued. His work Cristovão Colombo era Português! was adapted to the cinema by Manoel de Oliveira. He defended that Christopher Colombus was Portuguese.

He studied the history of the Dighton Rock and its mysterious inscriptions, which he attributed to the Portuguese navigator Miguel Corte Real and was the driving force for the creation of the Dighton Rock Museum. 

The Portuguese Caravel inside the Dighton Rock Museum

Dighton Rock inside the museum

In 2001 the library and museum Manuel Luciano da Silva was inaugurated at Cavião.